By GREG DOERING Kansas Farm Bureau

Our family’s summer vacation plans changed three times over the course of the past few months. Initially my wife and I planned on taking our college senior daughter on a grand excursion to Glacier National Park, then hopping the northern border to sightsee in Calgary, Banff and Jasper.

We scratched that idea well before Canada told U.S. citizens to take off, eh. We started scouting campsites in southern Utah, where five National Parks dot the landscape. Unfortunately, as the time came to reserve our campsites, we saw Covid-19 cases growing in Utah and here at home.

Retreating yet again, we looked within the borders of the Sunflower State. While we don’t have any glaciers, nothing close to the Canadian Rockies or the cool dry desert nights, there’s still some cool things to see in Kansas. We settled on a day trip to see Castle Rock, Monument Rocks and Little Jerusalem Badlands State Park.

I figured this would be an easy, hassle free trip to the northwest corner of our great state. No need to do extensive research on where to stay or look up things to do. We had a course and generally knew the area. I had a lunch recommendation from our colleague.

We loaded into my wife’s car a little after 8 a.m. and headed west. We initially planned on having lunch first then getting to the sightseeing. Instead, the sign for Castle Rock beckoned from Interstate 70 and we decided eating could wait. This was the first mistake, but the second would soon become more apparent.

Generally, the best way to spot a tourist is they either have way too much gear or not enough. We soon found ourselves in the latter category when we turned off a perfectly suitable gravel road to something giving minimum maintenance roads a bad name.

The same process that eroded everything but Castle Rock and the nearby badlands is still in progress, and that includes the loop around the attraction. It’s compounded by vehicle traffic from looky-loos. For the better part of a mile we held our breath as we navigated over ruts more than a foot deep in spots. Again, we were traversing this in a car capable of getting high-centered on a speedbump.

While our vehicle was unsuited to the local conditions, we managed to avoid getting stuck in a chasm, powered up a steep incline as the tires shot gravel behind us and then we took a wrong turn. The “road” narrowed in on us as it traced the side of a hill so the driver’s side was lower than the passenger side. Then, 15 yards from flat, smooth roadbed we came to a small gorge.

My daughter is old enough she didn’t learn any new words during this adventure, but it’s safe to say the plethora of profanity built to a crescendo at this point in our journey. After surveying the gully cutting across our path, I shouted to my wife and daughter we needed to dig to level the road.

We started using a jack handle to scrap dirt into the crater, and after about 30 minutes of “digging,” another group came along on the “good” road, stopped and offered their help. A half hour of poking at the dirt with a metal rod had dulled any semblance of embarrassment at our self-inflected predicament. We gladly accepted.

Two of the men in the group grabbed a second jack handle from one of their vehicles and began flinging dirt. Within 10 minutes, we’d leveled the ground just enough to cautiously drive out to safe ground.

We thanked our helpers and headed back to the Interstate to continue on our journey, which didn’t involve any other hiccups. We took in the badlands at Little Jerusalem with a thunderstorm in the background. At Monument Rocks, we dutifully posed for photos in a keyhole between two spires and then began our trek home, only stopping for dinner and to see the Cathedral on the Plains in Victoria.

While the trip wasn’t jumping from a bridge into a river fed by glacial melt, or hiking through Zion National Park, it did remind me of the beauty and wonder within our state’s borders. Kansas is also a place where complete strangers will take the time to help, even if it means piling dirt with a jack handle. Still, if I had to do it again, I’d take a different vehicle and toss in a shovel. Just in case.

"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/2019/11/1574694551876.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By GREG DOERING Kansas Farm BureauOur family’s summer vacation plans changed three times over the course of the past few months. Initially my wife and I planned on taking our college senior daughter on a grand excursion to Glacier National Park, then hopping the northern border to sightsee in Calgary, Banff and Jasper.We scratched that idea well before Canada told U.S. citizens to take off, eh. We started scouting campsites in southern Utah, where five National Parks dot the landscape. Unfortunately, as the time came to reserve our campsites, we saw Covid-19 cases growing in Utah and here at home.Retreating yet again, we looked within the borders of the Sunflower State. While we don’t have any glaciers, nothing close to the Canadian Rockies or the cool dry desert nights, there’s still some cool things to see in Kansas. We settled on a day trip to see Castle Rock, Monument Rocks and Little Jerusalem Badlands State Park.I figured this would be an easy, hassle free trip to the northwest corner of our great state. No need to do extensive research on where to stay or look up things to do. We had a course and generally knew the area. I had a lunch recommendation from our colleague.We loaded into my wife’s car a little after 8 a.m. and headed west. We initially planned on having lunch first then getting to the sightseeing. Instead, the sign for Castle Rock beckoned from Interstate 70 and we decided eating could wait. This was the first mistake, but the second would soon become more apparent.Generally, the best way to spot a tourist is they either have way too much gear or not enough. We soon found ourselves in the latter category when we turned off a perfectly suitable gravel road to something giving minimum maintenance roads a bad name.The same process that eroded everything but Castle Rock and the nearby badlands is still in progress, and that includes the loop around the attraction. It’s compounded by vehicle traffic from looky-loos. For the better part of a mile we held our breath as we navigated over ruts more than a foot deep in spots. Again, we were traversing this in a car capable of getting high-centered on a speedbump.While our vehicle was unsuited to the local conditions, we managed to avoid getting stuck in a chasm, powered up a steep incline as the tires shot gravel behind us and then we took a wrong turn. The “road” narrowed in on us as it traced the side of a hill so the driver’s side was lower than the passenger side. Then, 15 yards from flat, smooth roadbed we came to a small gorge.My daughter is old enough she didn’t learn any new words during this adventure, but it’s safe to say the plethora of profanity built to a crescendo at this point in our journey. After surveying the gully cutting across our path, I shouted to my wife and daughter we needed to dig to level the road.We started using a jack handle to scrap dirt into the crater, and after about 30 minutes of “digging,” another group came along on the “good” road, stopped and offered their help. A half hour of poking at the dirt with a metal rod had dulled any semblance of embarrassment at our self-inflected predicament. We gladly accepted.Two of the men in the group grabbed a second jack handle from one of their vehicles and began flinging dirt. Within 10 minutes, we’d leveled the ground just enough to cautiously drive out to safe ground.We thanked our helpers and headed back to the Interstate to continue on our journey, which didn’t involve any other hiccups. We took in the badlands at Little Jerusalem with a thunderstorm in the background. At Monument Rocks, we dutifully posed for photos in a keyhole between two spires and then began our trek home, only stopping for dinner and to see the Cathedral on the Plains in Victoria.While the trip wasn’t jumping from a bridge into a river fed by glacial melt, or hiking through Zion National Park, it did remind me of the beauty and wonder within our state’s borders. Kansas is also a place where complete strangers will take the time to help, even if it means piling dirt with a jack handle. Still, if I had to do it again, I’d take a different vehicle and toss in a shovel. Just in case."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: A tourist in Kansas

Nobody didn’t like Kansas getting about $1.2 billion –that’s billion, not just those pesky millions – to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, to rebuild the damaged economy, to finance health care and the exceptional new expenditures that will be required to safely operate schools, colleges and public offices, and to get ready for the next time a pandemic explodes across the state.

Practically, there’s not a Kansan who hasn’t felt the effects of the pandemic, even in western Kansas’ Rawlins and Wallace counties, the two in the state which have apparently had no known cases of the disease.

But that $1.2 billion to meet the state’s costs and prepare for the future is proving to be pretty tricky for members of the State Finance Council to deal with. It’s just a whole different way to do business than the legislators who make up that panel have ever dealt with.

Where should that money go, who should get it and for what?

Well, there was the first $400 million, which was divvied up among 103 Kansas counties, (yes, we still have 105 counties, but Sedgwick and Johnson are so big they got their own direct funding under the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act). That first roughly $400 million was largely just long division: population estimated per-person expenses caused by the pandemic, plus some extra for high unemployment caused by the disease. That was relatively easy.

But the remaining roughly $600 million that the state is supposed to distribute by Dec. 30, well, that’s where everything gets complicated, especially to legislators on the Finance Council who have been trained to spend state funds as conservatively as possible, and for specific purposes. That specificity during the legislative session means nothing so general as “economic recovery” or financing health care to unprecedented numbers of Kansans, plus getting oxygen to businesses which were closed or severely&nbsp; limited in operations through the statewide shut-down to deter spread of the disease.

The Finance Council has already approved more than $100 million in those CARES Act funds for public health, $78 million for economic development and $75 million for education ranging from pre-school to community colleges.&nbsp;

But it is the most trendy-sounding of the issues that will be dealt with that is the most complicated for the governor’s coronavirus team to get approved by the legislators who will have to OK the distribution of federal funds. It’s “connectivity” – or the Internet.

The issue is a governor’s task force recommendation to spend up to $50 million for getting broadband Internet service statewide, faster service that can handle everything from telemedicine that allows health care in doctor-sparse areas to services for stay-at-home schoolchildren in vast areas of the state without modern Internet service—or Internet service at all…

And there’s another $10 million that lawmakers on the Finance Council want to study for getting Internet service to the state’s low-income residents. That broadband service isn’t free, and often isn’t cheap.

The federal money, well, it’s federal money, but lawmakers want to know who’s getting it.

For example, there’s $61 million to restart and help finance businesses across the state including grants to small businesses pounded by lack of spending by Kansans. “Grant” is the key here: it’s giving federal money to help businesses stay afloat and prosper. It’s just handing federal dollars to business for a good purpose, but it’s out of character for most lawmakers.

What will help businesses prosper, and do legislative leaders trust the governor’s Strengthening People and Revitalizing Kansas (SPARK) task force to decide which businesses will make the right decisions?&nbsp;&nbsp;

We’ll see how that turns out in the next few weeks when those federally funded checks start getting sent to Kansas businesses…

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1592848178110.png" alt="Martin Hawver is publisher of Hawver's Capitol Report." />
 <figcaption>Martin Hawver is publisher of Hawver's Capitol Report.</figcaption>
 </figure>Nobody didn’t like Kansas getting about $1.2 billion –that’s billion, not just those pesky millions – to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, to rebuild the damaged economy, to finance health care and the exceptional new expenditures that will be required to safely operate schools, colleges and public offices, and to get ready for the next time a pandemic explodes across the state.Practically, there’s not a Kansan who hasn’t felt the effects of the pandemic, even in western Kansas’ Rawlins and Wallace counties, the two in the state which have apparently had no known cases of the disease.But that $1.2 billion to meet the state’s costs and prepare for the future is proving to be pretty tricky for members of the State Finance Council to deal with. It’s just a whole different way to do business than the legislators who make up that panel have ever dealt with.Where should that money go, who should get it and for what?Well, there was the first $400 million, which was divvied up among 103 Kansas counties, (yes, we still have 105 counties, but Sedgwick and Johnson are so big they got their own direct funding under the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act). That first roughly $400 million was largely just long division: population estimated per-person expenses caused by the pandemic, plus some extra for high unemployment caused by the disease. That was relatively easy.But the remaining roughly $600 million that the state is supposed to distribute by Dec. 30, well, that’s where everything gets complicated, especially to legislators on the Finance Council who have been trained to spend state funds as conservatively as possible, and for specific purposes. That specificity during the legislative session means nothing so general as “economic recovery” or financing health care to unprecedented numbers of Kansans, plus getting oxygen to businesses which were closed or severely&nbsp; limited in operations through the statewide shut-down to deter spread of the disease.The Finance Council has already approved more than $100 million in those CARES Act funds for public health, $78 million for economic development and $75 million for education ranging from pre-school to community colleges.&nbsp;But it is the most trendy-sounding of the issues that will be dealt with that is the most complicated for the governor’s coronavirus team to get approved by the legislators who will have to OK the distribution of federal funds. It’s “connectivity” – or the Internet.The issue is a governor’s task force recommendation to spend up to $50 million for getting broadband Internet service statewide, faster service that can handle everything from telemedicine that allows health care in doctor-sparse areas to services for stay-at-home schoolchildren in vast areas of the state without modern Internet service—or Internet service at all…And there’s another $10 million that lawmakers on the Finance Council want to study for getting Internet service to the state’s low-income residents. That broadband service isn’t free, and often isn’t cheap.The federal money, well, it’s federal money, but lawmakers want to know who’s getting it.For example, there’s $61 million to restart and help finance businesses across the state including grants to small businesses pounded by lack of spending by Kansans. “Grant” is the key here: it’s giving federal money to help businesses stay afloat and prosper. It’s just handing federal dollars to business for a good purpose, but it’s out of character for most lawmakers.What will help businesses prosper, and do legislative leaders trust the governor’s Strengthening People and Revitalizing Kansas (SPARK) task force to decide which businesses will make the right decisions?&nbsp;&nbsp;We’ll see how that turns out in the next few weeks when those federally funded checks start getting sent to Kansas businesses…Syndicated by Hawver News Company LLC of Topeka; Martin Hawver is publisher of Hawver's Capitol Report—to learn more about this nonpartisan statewide political news service, visit the website at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.hawvernews.com/">www.hawvernews.com</a>

HAWVER: How best to divvy up federal aid in Kansas

By RON WILSON Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development

What grows in the apple orchard? Well, one would think a safe guess would be “apples.” Today we’ll meet a grower who indeed produces lots of apples and other tree fruit, but he is also developing innovative ideas about his production processes.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Gabe Spurgeon is manager of South Baldwin Farms&nbsp;near Baldwin City. A Missourian, he met his wife in honors college while they were attending Pittsburg State. He earned degrees in math and physics and worked for engineering firms in Joplin and Pittsburg before they moved to Baldwin City so as to be close to her family.&nbsp;

As a kid, Gabe worked in peach orchards during the summertime. After graduating from college, he found he didn’t enjoy working inside at a desk.&nbsp;

His father-in-law had purchased a farm south of Baldwin City in 2000 and was haying it but had always been interested in having a commercial orchard. They decided to devote part of the farm to the orchard with Gabe doing the day-to-day management. The first apple trees were planted in 2015, with peach and apple trees and other products following.&nbsp;

Today, South Baldwin Farms has some 36,000 trees. Their farm produces apples, peaches, nectarines and blackberries, with cherry trees coming into production soon.&nbsp;&nbsp;South Baldwin Farms has an 11,000-square-foot facility including a retail storefront, packing facility and 2,400 square feet of cold storage. The farm has a pumpkin patch and a seasonal U-pick operation as well.&nbsp;

Cider is homemade in the fall. “I like it being special,” Gabe said. “We use our own apples so it can be fresher with higher quality.”&nbsp;

This is not your grandfather’s orchard. “The engineer side of my brain is always looking for a better way to do things,” Gabe said. For example, he chose to grow dwarf trees which produce quality apples quicker. They are grown in high density, which saves land and labor. “In 2019, we got 500 bushels per acre on some three-year-old trees,” Gabe said. “We’re quickly becoming the biggest tree-fruit producer in Kansas.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

Gabe continues to innovate. “We went to Australia to learn about high density peaches,” he said.&nbsp;

“We got a Kansas Department of Agriculture specialty crop block grant to do a field trial on using netting over our trees which is supposed to protect from hail, windburn, sunburn and bird damage,” Gabe said. Through another project, they have found that reflective fabric on the ground can help develop the color of the fruit.&nbsp;

Their blackberries are grown on a rotating trellis, which allows easier harvest, more sun where needed, and protection when it is not needed. “Our sun scald used to be five- to 10 percent,” he said. “Now it’s virtually zero.”&nbsp;

K-State Research and Extension entomologist Raymond Cloyd has been helpful. “He’s been fantastic,” Gabe said. South Baldwin Farms is a member of the Kansas Department of Agriculture’s From the Land of Kansas program.&nbsp;

Weather can be a challenge. A freeze on Good Friday of 2020 caused a 90% reduction in the peach crop. That is reminiscent of the Armistice Day freeze in the 1940s, when the temperature fell from 70 degrees to 15 degrees in 12 hours. According to the stories, it sounded like a minefield in the orchards, with sap freezing in the trees and the trees literally exploding.&nbsp;

Current apple varieties include Gala, Pink Lady, Honey Crisp, Autumn Crisp, Jonagold, Granny Smith, Winesap, and more. Through the Midwest Apple Improvement Association, more varieties are being explored.&nbsp;

“In our store, a customer might say, ‘When were these picked and where did they come from?’” Gabe said.&nbsp;&nbsp;“I like to say, ‘I picked them myself, two hours ago.’ That’s the shortest supply chain you can get.”&nbsp;

It’s located near the rural community of Baldwin City, population 4,691 people. Now, that’s rural.&nbsp;

For more information, find&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/South-Baldwin-Farms-148208828709205">South Baldwin Farms on Facebook</a>.&nbsp;

What grows in the apple orchard? In this case, new practices are growing along with the apples. We commend Gabe Spurgeon for making a difference with his innovative ideas, because those don’t just grow on trees.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1596030684390.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By RON WILSON Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural DevelopmentWhat grows in the apple orchard? Well, one would think a safe guess would be “apples.” Today we’ll meet a grower who indeed produces lots of apples and other tree fruit, but he is also developing innovative ideas about his production processes.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Gabe Spurgeon is manager of South Baldwin Farms&nbsp;near Baldwin City. A Missourian, he met his wife in honors college while they were attending Pittsburg State. He earned degrees in math and physics and worked for engineering firms in Joplin and Pittsburg before they moved to Baldwin City so as to be close to her family.&nbsp;As a kid, Gabe worked in peach orchards during the summertime. After graduating from college, he found he didn’t enjoy working inside at a desk.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1592753893213.jpeg" alt="Ron Wilson" />
 <figcaption>Ron Wilson</figcaption>
 </figure>His father-in-law had purchased a farm south of Baldwin City in 2000 and was haying it but had always been interested in having a commercial orchard. They decided to devote part of the farm to the orchard with Gabe doing the day-to-day management. The first apple trees were planted in 2015, with peach and apple trees and other products following.&nbsp;Today, South Baldwin Farms has some 36,000 trees. Their farm produces apples, peaches, nectarines and blackberries, with cherry trees coming into production soon.&nbsp;&nbsp;South Baldwin Farms has an 11,000-square-foot facility including a retail storefront, packing facility and 2,400 square feet of cold storage. The farm has a pumpkin patch and a seasonal U-pick operation as well.&nbsp;Cider is homemade in the fall. “I like it being special,” Gabe said. “We use our own apples so it can be fresher with higher quality.”&nbsp;This is not your grandfather’s orchard. “The engineer side of my brain is always looking for a better way to do things,” Gabe said. For example, he chose to grow dwarf trees which produce quality apples quicker. They are grown in high density, which saves land and labor. “In 2019, we got 500 bushels per acre on some three-year-old trees,” Gabe said. “We’re quickly becoming the biggest tree-fruit producer in Kansas.”&nbsp;&nbsp;Gabe continues to innovate. “We went to Australia to learn about high density peaches,” he said.&nbsp;“We got a Kansas Department of Agriculture specialty crop block grant to do a field trial on using netting over our trees which is supposed to protect from hail, windburn, sunburn and bird damage,” Gabe said. Through another project, they have found that reflective fabric on the ground can help develop the color of the fruit.&nbsp;Their blackberries are grown on a rotating trellis, which allows easier harvest, more sun where needed, and protection when it is not needed. “Our sun scald used to be five- to 10 percent,” he said. “Now it’s virtually zero.”&nbsp;K-State Research and Extension entomologist Raymond Cloyd has been helpful. “He’s been fantastic,” Gabe said. South Baldwin Farms is a member of the Kansas Department of Agriculture’s From the Land of Kansas program.&nbsp;Weather can be a challenge. A freeze on Good Friday of 2020 caused a 90% reduction in the peach crop. That is reminiscent of the Armistice Day freeze in the 1940s, when the temperature fell from 70 degrees to 15 degrees in 12 hours. According to the stories, it sounded like a minefield in the orchards, with sap freezing in the trees and the trees literally exploding.&nbsp;Current apple varieties include Gala, Pink Lady, Honey Crisp, Autumn Crisp, Jonagold, Granny Smith, Winesap, and more. Through the Midwest Apple Improvement Association, more varieties are being explored.&nbsp;“In our store, a customer might say, ‘When were these picked and where did they come from?’” Gabe said.&nbsp;&nbsp;“I like to say, ‘I picked them myself, two hours ago.’ That’s the shortest supply chain you can get.”&nbsp;It’s located near the rural community of Baldwin City, population 4,691 people. Now, that’s rural.&nbsp;For more information, find&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/South-Baldwin-Farms-148208828709205">South Baldwin Farms on Facebook</a>.&nbsp;What grows in the apple orchard? In this case, new practices are growing along with the apples. We commend Gabe Spurgeon for making a difference with his innovative ideas, because those don’t just grow on trees.&nbsp;

Now That’s Rural: Gabe Spurgeon, South Baldwin Farms 

Kansas crude prices have seen better days, a fact reflected in all of the other data used as barometers for the industry. Friday's price at CHS in McPherson was up a quarter to close out the month of July at $30.50 per barrel. That's a dollar more than at&nbsp; the end of June, but more than eighteen dollars behind the prices of a year ago. The average price for the month of July, 2020 was $31 per barrel, about $17 less than a year ago, but beating the June average by about two dollars per barrel.&nbsp;&nbsp; The Kansas Corporation Commission reports just 37 new intent-to-drill notices in Kansas during the month of July, compared to 111 in July of last year. Last month's total is an improvement over June, when state regulators posted just 29 new intents. There are two new intents in Stafford County and one in Russell County. Independent Oil &amp; Gas Service reports the rig count was down to one in eastern Kansas, but was up one to six active drilling rigs in the western half of the state. The national rig count from Baker Hughes was down one oil rig and up one gas rig for a total of 251 active drilling rigs. New Mexico was down two rigs; Texas was up one. Regulators approved four new drilling permits in Kansas last week, all of them west of Wichita, including one in Stafford County. This year's running count of drilling permits for new locations across the state is 249, which is less than half the total at the end of July last year. Independent Oil &amp; Gas Service reports just 11 new well-completions in Kansas last week, five of them east of Wichita, and six out west, including one in Russell County. So far this year, producers have completed 575 wells, compared to more than 800 a year ago at this time. Futures prices on the Nymex started the month of July at nearly $59 per barrel, but ended the month nearly twenty dollars cheaper. By midday Monday the benchmark Nymex contract had gained 94 cents on the day to reach $41.21. London Brent was 77 cents higher at $44.29 per barrel.&nbsp; International prices could be headed lower amid widespread reports that the world's largest crude exporter is about to increase production and cut its prices in Asia. Reuters cites industry sources saying Saudi Aramco may cut its September official selling price in Asia. Slow demand recovery amid a second wave of COVID-19 infections has depressed spot prices for Middle Eastern crude, while Asia’s refining margins remain weak. Saudi prices are usually announced around the fifth of the month. They are viewed as a benchmark, setting the price trends for crude produced in Kuwait, Iraq, and Iran, and affecting more than 12 million barrels per day of crude headed for Asia.&nbsp; Kansas remains among just 13 states with average gasoline prices below two dollars a gallon. We spotted $1.94 across Great Bend, but right around two dollars in Hays. Filling up your 15-gallon tank will cost you nearly six dollars less than last year at this time. The statewide average is just over $1.97 per gallon. AAA said the national average has remained within a two-penny range for the last month and is now just over $2.18 per gallon.&nbsp; U.S. crude production last week increased by 87,000 barrels per day over the week before, but output remains well below last year's record pace. The U.S. Energy Information Administration reported output for the week ending July 24 was nearly 11.15 million barrels per day. That's more than a million barrels per day below the same week a year ago. Crude-oil imports were down more than five million barrels per day. EIA said imports over the last four weeks average 13.6% less than the same period a year ago. U.S. commercial crude inventories dropped by more than ten million barrels, and are currently about 17% above the five-year average. Texas producer Rosehill Resources said last week it had filed for bankruptcy protection. Rosehill is the latest victim of the crash in oil prices and demand. The move follows similar filings by the state's largest driller and one of its largest service firms in just the last month. So far this year, more than twenty oil firms with more than $50 million in liabilities have filed for bankruptcy protection. The Lone Star State lost more than 39,000 oil and gas industry jobs during the first six months of 2020. That's according to the mid-year report from the Texas Independent Producers and Royalty Owners. More than 19,000 of those layoffs were in operations, nearly 9,000 were in the drilling sector, and more than 6,000 were in oil-field manufacturing. Texas oil patch jobs made up 40% of the U.S. total through the first six months of the year. One of the world's largest banks is pulling out of a wide swath of the energy sector. Deutsche Bank is ending its involvement in oil sands and arctic production.&nbsp; In an announcement, the German bank said it is ending support for fracking projects where water is scarce, and that it would end all business in coal mining within the next five years. The government on Tuesday reported that U.S. coal production last year fell to its lowest level in four decades. EIA says coal output was down seven percent from the year before, to the lowest annual production total since 1978. The report anticipates an even larger decline this year. Oil-by-rail shipments were up for the week but remain more than 14% lower than a year ago. The Association of American Railroads says the running total of rail shipments of petroleum products is down 12% year-on-year. Some new research suggests a slow recovery in demand for jet fuel will drag on total global oil demand for at least another two years. Overall airline passenger counts are low and mandatory quarantines are dissuading people from traveling internationally. Analysis from Bank of America's Global Research team says demand for jet fuel may take years to recover completely, but suggests a slight rebound may come as early as the third quarter of next year.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1592847975802.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By JOHN P. TRETBARKansas crude prices have seen better days, a fact reflected in all of the other data used as barometers for the industry. Friday's price at CHS in McPherson was up a quarter to close out the month of July at $30.50 per barrel. That's a dollar more than at&nbsp; the end of June, but more than eighteen dollars behind the prices of a year ago. The average price for the month of July, 2020 was $31 per barrel, about $17 less than a year ago, but beating the June average by about two dollars per barrel.&nbsp;&nbsp; The Kansas Corporation Commission reports just 37 new intent-to-drill notices in Kansas during the month of July, compared to 111 in July of last year. Last month's total is an improvement over June, when state regulators posted just 29 new intents. There are two new intents in Stafford County and one in Russell County. Independent Oil &amp; Gas Service reports the rig count was down to one in eastern Kansas, but was up one to six active drilling rigs in the western half of the state. The national rig count from Baker Hughes was down one oil rig and up one gas rig for a total of 251 active drilling rigs. New Mexico was down two rigs; Texas was up one. Regulators approved four new drilling permits in Kansas last week, all of them west of Wichita, including one in Stafford County. This year's running count of drilling permits for new locations across the state is 249, which is less than half the total at the end of July last year. Independent Oil &amp; Gas Service reports just 11 new well-completions in Kansas last week, five of them east of Wichita, and six out west, including one in Russell County. So far this year, producers have completed 575 wells, compared to more than 800 a year ago at this time. Futures prices on the Nymex started the month of July at nearly $59 per barrel, but ended the month nearly twenty dollars cheaper. By midday Monday the benchmark Nymex contract had gained 94 cents on the day to reach $41.21. London Brent was 77 cents higher at $44.29 per barrel.&nbsp; International prices could be headed lower amid widespread reports that the world's largest crude exporter is about to increase production and cut its prices in Asia. Reuters cites industry sources saying Saudi Aramco may cut its September official selling price in Asia. Slow demand recovery amid a second wave of COVID-19 infections has depressed spot prices for Middle Eastern crude, while Asia’s refining margins remain weak. Saudi prices are usually announced around the fifth of the month. They are viewed as a benchmark, setting the price trends for crude produced in Kuwait, Iraq, and Iran, and affecting more than 12 million barrels per day of crude headed for Asia.&nbsp; Kansas remains among just 13 states with average gasoline prices below two dollars a gallon. We spotted $1.94 across Great Bend, but right around two dollars in Hays. Filling up your 15-gallon tank will cost you nearly six dollars less than last year at this time. The statewide average is just over $1.97 per gallon. AAA said the national average has remained within a two-penny range for the last month and is now just over $2.18 per gallon.&nbsp; U.S. crude production last week increased by 87,000 barrels per day over the week before, but output remains well below last year's record pace. The U.S. Energy Information Administration reported output for the week ending July 24 was nearly 11.15 million barrels per day. That's more than a million barrels per day below the same week a year ago. Crude-oil imports were down more than five million barrels per day. EIA said imports over the last four weeks average 13.6% less than the same period a year ago. U.S. commercial crude inventories dropped by more than ten million barrels, and are currently about 17% above the five-year average. Texas producer Rosehill Resources said last week it had filed for bankruptcy protection. Rosehill is the latest victim of the crash in oil prices and demand. The move follows similar filings by the state's largest driller and one of its largest service firms in just the last month. So far this year, more than twenty oil firms with more than $50 million in liabilities have filed for bankruptcy protection. The Lone Star State lost more than 39,000 oil and gas industry jobs during the first six months of 2020. That's according to the mid-year report from the Texas Independent Producers and Royalty Owners. More than 19,000 of those layoffs were in operations, nearly 9,000 were in the drilling sector, and more than 6,000 were in oil-field manufacturing. Texas oil patch jobs made up 40% of the U.S. total through the first six months of the year. One of the world's largest banks is pulling out of a wide swath of the energy sector. Deutsche Bank is ending its involvement in oil sands and arctic production.&nbsp; In an announcement, the German bank said it is ending support for fracking projects where water is scarce, and that it would end all business in coal mining within the next five years. The government on Tuesday reported that U.S. coal production last year fell to its lowest level in four decades. EIA says coal output was down seven percent from the year before, to the lowest annual production total since 1978. The report anticipates an even larger decline this year. Oil-by-rail shipments were up for the week but remain more than 14% lower than a year ago. The Association of American Railroads says the running total of rail shipments of petroleum products is down 12% year-on-year. Some new research suggests a slow recovery in demand for jet fuel will drag on total global oil demand for at least another two years. Overall airline passenger counts are low and mandatory quarantines are dissuading people from traveling internationally. Analysis from Bank of America's Global Research team says demand for jet fuel may take years to recover completely, but suggests a slight rebound may come as early as the third quarter of next year.

News From the Oil Patch: Drilling permits way down in 2020

By DAVID CALLAWAY &amp; TREY DANIEL Religious Freedom Center

With August upon us, many Americans are preparing for their children 
to return to school. Educators find themselves balancing the concerns 
that in-person learning is too dangerous with the potential for students
 to behind <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/04/23/as-schools-shift-to-online-learning-amid-pandemic-heres-what-we-know-about-disabled-students-in-the-u-s/" target="_blank">academically</a> in the post-COVID digital classroom.

Unlike classroom environments in the past, both teachers and students
 are navigating a new, virtual space that presents exciting and 
intimidating challenges. Chief among those challenges is creating the 
right <a href="https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2013/01/10/16environment.h32.html" target="_blank">setting</a> for students to learn. It is more important than ever for teachers to create <a href="https://www.naspa.org/images/uploads/main/Policy_and_Practice_No_2_Safe_Brave_Spaces.pdf" target="_blank">spaces</a>
 that make students feel safe to express their beliefs and to encourage 
them to fully participate in the learning process. There are <a href="https://constitution2classroom.org/course/harassment-bullying-free-expression/" target="_blank">many</a> good and <a href="https://www.edweek.org/ew/issues/reopening-schools/covid-19-remote-learning-how-to-make-it.html" target="_blank">best practices</a> for creating spaces that can be adapted for use online.

We suggest beginning with a constitutional framework that teaches 
students how to enter effective dialogue with their peers and understand
 their differences without fear or derision. This civic framework can 
serve as a strong foundation for students, inspiring them to learn, 
participate and grow from a place of safety and is derived from the <a href="https://www.religiousfreedomcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Finding-Common-Ground-Williamsburg-Charter.pdf" target="_blank">Williamsburg Charter’s</a> three key principles:

Rights — The drive to learn and understand more about our world is 
fundamental to human nature and that search has produced countless 
ideologies, beliefs, communities and ways of living. The founding 
fathers, particularly George Mason and James Madison,
 understood that in order to create a country founded on shared values 
rather than shared ethnicity or experiences, they must protect this 
inherent human drive. The First Amendment begins with, “Congress shall 
make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the 
free exercise thereof.” Often called the “religious liberty” clauses of 
the First Amendment, many assume that these clauses define a strict 
separation between state and religious institutions. While true, such an
 interpretation can unintentionally subordinate a more important 
takeaway: That all Americans have a right to believe and practice (to a 
certain extent) their deepest beliefs, regardless what their neighbors 
may think. For students, understanding that they too have been granted 
this right and that their teacher, like the government more broadly, 
consciously acts to protect that right in the classroom, can be 
empowering and liberating. When students know that they can bring their 
whole selves to the discussion, they are better able to participate and 
learn while feeling personally engaged.

Responsibility — As history has shown, our rights are best protected 
when we actively fight to ensure those rights apply to others. In the 
battles for civil and human rights, whether in the 1960s or 2020s, 
Americans have found that working together across their differences to 
safeguard the rights of all is a fundamental part of seeking change and 
creating inclusive, thriving communities. Recruiting students to 
participate in a mutual, reciprocal compact to protect the rights of 
their peers allows them to be a meaningful part of how their classroom 
environment is constructed, further engendering a sense of personal 
accountability in the learning process. Students must understand that 
the American experiment in democracy is not self-sustaining, but 
requires all participants, regardless of their disagreements, to be 
responsible for protecting the rights of others.

Respect — How we enter dialogue is equally important. Too often, today’s debates are publicly and privately full of ad hominem
 attacks and vitriol, something students are all too likely to emulate. 
Asking students to be active constructors of the classroom environment 
they would like to learn in creates a shared investment in the outcome 
and empowers them to feel brave and open to instruction. An effective 
and fun activity for students is to ask them to describe their ideal 
learning space: What does it sound like? What does it look like? What 
does it feel like? How are others behaving? If possible, have students 
discuss their answers as a group before collecting them and generating a
 series of rules or guidelines that will shape tough conversations for 
class periods to come.

The 2020-21 school year will be memorable, and we will assuredly 
arrive in May 2021 wiser and better equipped to deal with the challenges
 of remote learning. The Georgia Rights, Responsibility, Respect Project
 (<a href="https://www.religiousfreedomcenter.org/programs/educators/the-georgia-3rs-project/" target="_blank">Georgia 3Rs</a>), an education initiative of the <a href="https://www.religiousfreedomcenter.org/" target="_blank">Religious Freedom Center</a>,
 has seen success using the model to prepare teachers, administrators 
and district leaders to impart the critical skills of effective dialogue
 to their students in this challenging new environment. When teachers 
and students model the rights and responsibilities granted by the First 
Amendment, not only does the classroom become a dynamic site for 
understanding ourselves and others, navigating difference and learning 
with our whole selves, but students also practice the skills and tools 
necessary for living in a diverse democracy — a proficiency perhaps 
never more important than it is today.

David Callaway is the project manager of the Georgia Rights, 
Responsibility, Respect Project, an education initiative of the 
Religious Freedom Center. His email address is: <a href="mailto:dcallaway@freedomforum.org" target="_blank">dcallaway@freedomforum.org.</a>

Trey Daniel is the education manager of the Georgia Rights, 
Responsibility, Respect Project, an education initiative of the 
Religious Freedom Center. His email address is: <a href="mailto:tdaniel@freedomforum.org" target="_blank">tdaniel@freedomforum.org.</a>

By DAVID CALLAWAY &amp; TREY DANIEL Religious Freedom CenterWith August upon us, many Americans are preparing for their children 
to return to school. Educators find themselves balancing the concerns 
that in-person learning is too dangerous with the potential for students
 to behind <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/04/23/as-schools-shift-to-online-learning-amid-pandemic-heres-what-we-know-about-disabled-students-in-the-u-s/" target="_blank">academically</a> in the post-COVID digital classroom.Unlike classroom environments in the past, both teachers and students
 are navigating a new, virtual space that presents exciting and 
intimidating challenges. Chief among those challenges is creating the 
right <a href="https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2013/01/10/16environment.h32.html" target="_blank">setting</a> for students to learn. It is more important than ever for teachers to create <a href="https://www.naspa.org/images/uploads/main/Policy_and_Practice_No_2_Safe_Brave_Spaces.pdf" target="_blank">spaces</a>
 that make students feel safe to express their beliefs and to encourage 
them to fully participate in the learning process. There are <a href="https://constitution2classroom.org/course/harassment-bullying-free-expression/" target="_blank">many</a> good and <a href="https://www.edweek.org/ew/issues/reopening-schools/covid-19-remote-learning-how-to-make-it.html" target="_blank">best practices</a> for creating spaces that can be adapted for use online.We suggest beginning with a constitutional framework that teaches 
students how to enter effective dialogue with their peers and understand
 their differences without fear or derision. This civic framework can 
serve as a strong foundation for students, inspiring them to learn, 
participate and grow from a place of safety and is derived from the <a href="https://www.religiousfreedomcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Finding-Common-Ground-Williamsburg-Charter.pdf" target="_blank">Williamsburg Charter’s</a> three key principles:<ul>
 <li>The reaffirmation of the inalienable rights guaranteed by the First Amendment;</li><li>The reconstruction of an American public square that hinges on shared responsibility to protect those rights, even when we disagree;</li><li>The reappraisal of how we communicate about disagreements, to begin our conversations from a place of respect rather than conflict.</li>
 </ul>Rights — The drive to learn and understand more about our world is 
fundamental to human nature and that search has produced countless 
ideologies, beliefs, communities and ways of living. The founding 
fathers, particularly George Mason and James Madison,
 understood that in order to create a country founded on shared values 
rather than shared ethnicity or experiences, they must protect this 
inherent human drive. The First Amendment begins with, “Congress shall 
make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the 
free exercise thereof.” Often called the “religious liberty” clauses of 
the First Amendment, many assume that these clauses define a strict 
separation between state and religious institutions. While true, such an
 interpretation can unintentionally subordinate a more important 
takeaway: That all Americans have a right to believe and practice (to a 
certain extent) their deepest beliefs, regardless what their neighbors 
may think. For students, understanding that they too have been granted 
this right and that their teacher, like the government more broadly, 
consciously acts to protect that right in the classroom, can be 
empowering and liberating. When students know that they can bring their 
whole selves to the discussion, they are better able to participate and 
learn while feeling personally engaged.Responsibility — As history has shown, our rights are best protected 
when we actively fight to ensure those rights apply to others. In the 
battles for civil and human rights, whether in the 1960s or 2020s, 
Americans have found that working together across their differences to 
safeguard the rights of all is a fundamental part of seeking change and 
creating inclusive, thriving communities. Recruiting students to 
participate in a mutual, reciprocal compact to protect the rights of 
their peers allows them to be a meaningful part of how their classroom 
environment is constructed, further engendering a sense of personal 
accountability in the learning process. Students must understand that 
the American experiment in democracy is not self-sustaining, but 
requires all participants, regardless of their disagreements, to be 
responsible for protecting the rights of others.Respect — How we enter dialogue is equally important. Too often, today’s debates are publicly and privately full of ad hominem
 attacks and vitriol, something students are all too likely to emulate. 
Asking students to be active constructors of the classroom environment 
they would like to learn in creates a shared investment in the outcome 
and empowers them to feel brave and open to instruction. An effective 
and fun activity for students is to ask them to describe their ideal 
learning space: What does it sound like? What does it look like? What 
does it feel like? How are others behaving? If possible, have students 
discuss their answers as a group before collecting them and generating a
 series of rules or guidelines that will shape tough conversations for 
class periods to come.The 2020-21 school year will be memorable, and we will assuredly 
arrive in May 2021 wiser and better equipped to deal with the challenges
 of remote learning. The Georgia Rights, Responsibility, Respect Project
 (<a href="https://www.religiousfreedomcenter.org/programs/educators/the-georgia-3rs-project/" target="_blank">Georgia 3Rs</a>), an education initiative of the <a href="https://www.religiousfreedomcenter.org/" target="_blank">Religious Freedom Center</a>,
 has seen success using the model to prepare teachers, administrators 
and district leaders to impart the critical skills of effective dialogue
 to their students in this challenging new environment. When teachers 
and students model the rights and responsibilities granted by the First 
Amendment, not only does the classroom become a dynamic site for 
understanding ourselves and others, navigating difference and learning 
with our whole selves, but students also practice the skills and tools 
necessary for living in a diverse democracy — a proficiency perhaps 
never more important than it is today.David Callaway is the project manager of the Georgia Rights, 
Responsibility, Respect Project, an education initiative of the 
Religious Freedom Center. His email address is: <a href="mailto:dcallaway@freedomforum.org" target="_blank">dcallaway@freedomforum.org.</a> Trey Daniel is the education manager of the Georgia Rights, 
Responsibility, Respect Project, an education initiative of the 
Religious Freedom Center. His email address is: <a href="mailto:tdaniel@freedomforum.org" target="_blank">tdaniel@freedomforum.org.</a>

FIRST FIVE: First Amendment framework for effective classroom dialogue

Retired U.S. Army General Eric Shinseki said, “If you dislike change, you’re going to dislike irrelevance even more.” One of the many things I have always loved about Fort Hays State University is that our culture of innovation has made us both nimble and accomplished change agents.

Thank you, FHSU colleagues, for always being in motion and embracing change. I value your creativity and dedication. It is because of your efforts that this university remains relevant.

One area that really sets us apart is our Teaching Innovation and Learning Technologies (TILT) colleagues, who provide the FHSU teaching community with a range of programs and services centered around effective teaching and innovative learning practices. The development of this center is central to so many successes today, including our ability to redevelop course materials for the online deployment of classes in China when the coronavirus first began.&nbsp;

When the COVID-19 pandemic began in January, our TILT colleagues were on it, ready to ensure the successful delivery of a high-quality teaching and learning experience to our students at Sias University and Shenyang Normal University. Although we could guarantee our faculty had the tools and technology to deliver the courses, the same could not be said for all the students.

Our TILT colleagues worked relentlessly to ensure that all materials could be deployed through cell phones. The cell phone deployment involved in part redesigning the student interface to access assignments and exams and addressing the challenge of an English vs. Chinese keyboard on a mobile phone. That included creating a student guidebook on how to access mobile app and creating a video tutorial. TILT even created a video tutorial in Mandarin to ensure students’ success. The team’s ingenuity, dedication, and nimbleness were simply extraordinary.

In a highly publicized survey, 75 percent of college students from a number of well-known universities said they were disappointed with the quality of their learning experience after the pandemic forced universities to transition classes to remote learning this past spring. I am happy to report that such was not the case here at FHSU.&nbsp;

A majority of FHSU students who transitioned to remote learning said that the organization of their courses remained consistent after the transition. In fact, over 80 percent of Fort Hays State students, who had been taking their courses in traditional classrooms, reported that their instructors had acknowledged the special circumstances students were facing. Instructors&nbsp; reached out after the transition to make sure the students had all the resources they needed to continue their studies. They also made sure their students understood how to stay connected with their courses and instructors.

These preliminary results came from a survey of over 700 FHSU students conducted by the TILT team in early May. The feedback from students was heartening, but what they reported that they missed most was the sense of connection with one another and their instructors as a community of learners. This certainly isn’t surprising, and it is a sentiment echoed by FHSU faculty.&nbsp;

These connections are part of the learning process, and TILT’s mission is to help faculty promote engaging and productive communities of learners, regardless of what course delivery will ultimately look like this fall.&nbsp;

As we prepare for the coming semester and new modes of learning, TILT has created a new webpage dedicated to providing resources for Fall 2020 course design and delivery, including the newly constituted <a href="https://tigerlearn.fhsu.edu/fhsu-faculty-resource-network/">FHSU Faculty Resource Network</a>. This network comes out of the great work done by the COVID-19 planning group of approximately 20 FHSU faculty.

The TILT team has also been hard at work creating workshops and supporting platforms designed to provide faculty with tools and strategies for engaging students in the learning process.

Not only is TILT expanding the use of technology it has successfully used for a number of years, the team is excited about new discussion tools featuring cutting-edge, innovative technology.&nbsp;

Yellowdig, which been used successfully at FHSU since 2016, is a platform designed to allow strong organic conversations to take place among students involved in a course and also allows participants to add images and videos. PackBack is a promising new tool designed to spark student curiosity and engagement in an online environment, helping students formulate high quality questions and responses to improve their critical thinking skills. And this semester, TILT is piloting Hypothes.is, a collaborative annotation tool that allows an instructor to embed an article or textbook selection into Blackboard, and students can collaboratively highlight the document.

While these technologies are certainly beneficial in helping to build communities of learners, TILT is also focusing on the basics. This month, two 24-faculty cohorts are participating in a two-week asynchronous workshop called Levelling Up with Blackboard. Preparation is also underway for Fall Professional Development Day in mid-August.&nbsp; This will be our first online version of Professional Development Day and will feature more than 40 sessions led by FHSU faculty and staff. Included will be two sessions from a research group, comprised of TILT members and faculty, who are continuing to analyze the rich stories and feedback provided by students in the May survey.&nbsp;

Our community is clearly driven by what George Kuh calls a spirit of positive restlessness. Never&nbsp; quite satisfied with our performance, Fort Hays State faculty, staff, and students are always searching for new ways to break the status quo and create unlimited and exciting possibilities for tomorrow. This is one of many reasons why we are one of the best educational values in the nation!&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575302014229.png" alt="Dr. Tisa Mason, FHSU president" />
 <figcaption>Dr. Tisa Mason, FHSU president</figcaption>
 </figure>Retired U.S. Army General Eric Shinseki said, “If you dislike change, you’re going to dislike irrelevance even more.” One of the many things I have always loved about Fort Hays State University is that our culture of innovation has made us both nimble and accomplished change agents.Thank you, FHSU colleagues, for always being in motion and embracing change. I value your creativity and dedication. It is because of your efforts that this university remains relevant.One area that really sets us apart is our Teaching Innovation and Learning Technologies (TILT) colleagues, who provide the FHSU teaching community with a range of programs and services centered around effective teaching and innovative learning practices. The development of this center is central to so many successes today, including our ability to redevelop course materials for the online deployment of classes in China when the coronavirus first began.&nbsp;When the COVID-19 pandemic began in January, our TILT colleagues were on it, ready to ensure the successful delivery of a high-quality teaching and learning experience to our students at Sias University and Shenyang Normal University. Although we could guarantee our faculty had the tools and technology to deliver the courses, the same could not be said for all the students.Our TILT colleagues worked relentlessly to ensure that all materials could be deployed through cell phones. The cell phone deployment involved in part redesigning the student interface to access assignments and exams and addressing the challenge of an English vs. Chinese keyboard on a mobile phone. That included creating a student guidebook on how to access mobile app and creating a video tutorial. TILT even created a video tutorial in Mandarin to ensure students’ success. The team’s ingenuity, dedication, and nimbleness were simply extraordinary.In a highly publicized survey, 75 percent of college students from a number of well-known universities said they were disappointed with the quality of their learning experience after the pandemic forced universities to transition classes to remote learning this past spring. I am happy to report that such was not the case here at FHSU.&nbsp;A majority of FHSU students who transitioned to remote learning said that the organization of their courses remained consistent after the transition. In fact, over 80 percent of Fort Hays State students, who had been taking their courses in traditional classrooms, reported that their instructors had acknowledged the special circumstances students were facing. Instructors&nbsp; reached out after the transition to make sure the students had all the resources they needed to continue their studies. They also made sure their students understood how to stay connected with their courses and instructors.These preliminary results came from a survey of over 700 FHSU students conducted by the TILT team in early May. The feedback from students was heartening, but what they reported that they missed most was the sense of connection with one another and their instructors as a community of learners. This certainly isn’t surprising, and it is a sentiment echoed by FHSU faculty.&nbsp;These connections are part of the learning process, and TILT’s mission is to help faculty promote engaging and productive communities of learners, regardless of what course delivery will ultimately look like this fall.&nbsp;As we prepare for the coming semester and new modes of learning, TILT has created a new webpage dedicated to providing resources for Fall 2020 course design and delivery, including the newly constituted <a href="https://tigerlearn.fhsu.edu/fhsu-faculty-resource-network/">FHSU Faculty Resource Network</a>. This network comes out of the great work done by the COVID-19 planning group of approximately 20 FHSU faculty.The TILT team has also been hard at work creating workshops and supporting platforms designed to provide faculty with tools and strategies for engaging students in the learning process.Not only is TILT expanding the use of technology it has successfully used for a number of years, the team is excited about new discussion tools featuring cutting-edge, innovative technology.&nbsp;Yellowdig, which been used successfully at FHSU since 2016, is a platform designed to allow strong organic conversations to take place among students involved in a course and also allows participants to add images and videos. PackBack is a promising new tool designed to spark student curiosity and engagement in an online environment, helping students formulate high quality questions and responses to improve their critical thinking skills. And this semester, TILT is piloting Hypothes.is, a collaborative annotation tool that allows an instructor to embed an article or textbook selection into Blackboard, and students can collaboratively highlight the document.While these technologies are certainly beneficial in helping to build communities of learners, TILT is also focusing on the basics. This month, two 24-faculty cohorts are participating in a two-week asynchronous workshop called Levelling Up with Blackboard. Preparation is also underway for Fall Professional Development Day in mid-August.&nbsp; This will be our first online version of Professional Development Day and will feature more than 40 sessions led by FHSU faculty and staff. Included will be two sessions from a research group, comprised of TILT members and faculty, who are continuing to analyze the rich stories and feedback provided by students in the May survey.&nbsp;Our community is clearly driven by what George Kuh calls a spirit of positive restlessness. Never&nbsp; quite satisfied with our performance, Fort Hays State faculty, staff, and students are always searching for new ways to break the status quo and create unlimited and exciting possibilities for tomorrow. This is one of many reasons why we are one of the best educational values in the nation!&nbsp;

MASON: Change is seamless at Fort Hays State

From a health standpoint, vegetables are a five-star food group: naturally nutrient-rich; better tasting than a vitamin pill; low in calories and fat; cholesterol-free; and packed with disease-fighting phytonutrients. To maximize your health with vegetables, nutrition experts suggest at least three to five servings per day – in a rainbow of colors. All types of vegetables can be nourishing and delicious – fresh, frozen, canned, and juiced. Here are a dozen daily ways to treat yourself to good health!

I hope you will consider joining me at the Thursday, Summer Street Stroll on August 3rd in Great Bend. I will have a booth set up with excellent Extension resources. I will also offer free canner gauge testing from 4 – 6 PM.

Donna Krug is the District Director and Family &amp; Consumer Science Agent with 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;

<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 with K-State Research &amp; Extension – Cottonwood District." />
 <figcaption>Donna Krug is the District Director and Family &amp; Consumer Science Agent with K-State Research &amp; Extension – Cottonwood District.</figcaption>
 </figure>From a health standpoint, vegetables are a five-star food group: naturally nutrient-rich; better tasting than a vitamin pill; low in calories and fat; cholesterol-free; and packed with disease-fighting phytonutrients. To maximize your health with vegetables, nutrition experts suggest at least three to five servings per day – in a rainbow of colors. All types of vegetables can be nourishing and delicious – fresh, frozen, canned, and juiced. Here are a dozen daily ways to treat yourself to good health!<ul>
 <li>Broccoli and cauliflower:&nbsp; Versatile and very healthful – eat them raw or cooked, in a salad, or even a slaw.</li><li>Carrots: Sweet, crunchy, good for your teeth, eyes and heart! Perfect raw or cooked in a stew.</li><li>Peppers: Green, red, yellow, orange, or even purple! Enjoy peppers in a salad, stir-fry=casserole, or as a snack.</li><li>Spinach: A salad of baby spinach leaves with pears, apples, or dried cranberries can turn anyone into a real spinach lover.</li><li>Onions: The zesty onion family, including scallions, leeks, and garlic too, offer some powerful antioxidant nutrients.</li><li>Peas: Fresh, frozen, or even canned, peas are a treat to eat – and they are very popular with young children.</li><li>Beets: If you have never liked beets, try them in a new way – like roasted, grilled or lightly steamed in the microwave.</li><li>Sweet potatoes or yams: Switch the color on your usual baked potato – and you will get a lot more nutrients, along with great taste.</li><li>Mushrooms: Just a mushroom or two adds rich flavor to a casserole, soup, stew, stir-fry, or even a tossed green salad.</li><li>Leaf and romaine lettuce: Rule of thumb for a healthy salad: the darker green or red the lettuce leaves, the more nutrients you get.</li><li>Green, yellow or purple beans: Like their pea “cousins” beans offer some fiber and a little bit of protein, along with vitamins and minerals.</li><li>Tomatoes: Cooking increases the availability of some tomato nutrients – so enjoy canned sauce, paste and chunks.</li>
 </ul>I hope you will consider joining me at the Thursday, Summer Street Stroll on August 3rd in Great Bend. I will have a booth set up with excellent Extension resources. I will also offer free canner gauge testing from 4 – 6 PM.Donna Krug is the District Director and Family &amp; Consumer Science Agent with 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;

KRUG: Delicious, easy ways to enjoy vegetables

By MITZI E. MCFATRICH <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/07/30/kansans-in-care-facilities-have-a-right-to-visitors-its-time-to-give-them-a-voice/">Kansas Advocates for Better Care</a>

We see the images — older 
adults in beds and wheelchairs, separated by windows from family members
 holding signs with messages of encouragement and love. We share the 
sadness of countless elders dying alone without the comfort of family, 
denied essential human contact and human rights at a time when these 
matter the most.

In March, the federal 
Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services blocked visitation to 
residents of nursing facilities except “for certain compassionate care 
situations” at the “end of life.” Kansas followed suit for other adult 
care facilities. Sadly, many facilities misinterpreted this to mean only at the very end after a person had slipped into non-responsiveness; other facilities simply didn’t allow family in at all.

Unlike the rest of us, 
adults in nursing homes have no say in how or when they will see family 
and friends or gather for a meal. Their legal rights, while not formally
 suspended, are suspended in practice by the policies and 
decision-making protocols issued by government agencies managing the 
pandemic.

For 45 years, <a href="https://www.kabc.org/">Kansas Advocates for Better Care</a>
 has been helping elders and families advocate for their rights, find 
better care, and stop abuse in long-term care. Each year we respond to 
thousands of people who need help, training and resources.

There is understandable 
fear about opening up. Older adults with chronic conditions living in 
close quarters are at higher risk and feel the impacts more harshly. But
 there is injury too from continuous isolation. Falls and confusion, 
weight loss, depression and anxiety all have risen with isolation.

In hindsight, we see what 
older residents and families have long known: Visits literally save 
lives. Not only do friends and family offer elders the social connection
 and emotional support we all need, they serve as essential monitors of 
care.

There is not always agreement about the way forward.

Emma, who has lived in a 
Kansas care facility for five years, was not even able to visit with 
friends who lived in the same facility. Depressed after months-long 
isolation with no end to restrictions in sight and no say in facility 
policies, she left to stay with family in a nearby state.

Kathy, meanwhile, is 
grateful for the maximum restrictions in her husband’s nursing home. 
Alarmed by COVID-19’s upward surge, she supports the restrictions, 
believing it is more important than ever to protect vulnerable&nbsp;elders.

So we must 
wrestle with competing imperatives of well-being. Older adults bearing 
the brunt of COVID-19 in nursing homes have legal and civil rights, yet 
current government guidance leaves decision-making to local health 
departments and facilities, with no requirement to seek input from the 
adults who reside within.

Safe visitation during 
COVID-19 is a complex but not unsolvable puzzle. Some of the basics are:
 adequate staff to provide care and assist elders in visiting with loved
 ones by phone, video, in a designated indoor room or outdoors; clear 
protocols for infection control; education, screening and logging of 
visitors just as is done with staff and elders; use of masks and 
appropriate protective equipment; disinfecting surfaces between visits.

Prior to the pandemic, few
 facilities operated at safe staffing levels of just over four hours of 
daily care for each resident, and inspectors found that 77% of Kansas 
facilities were not complying with standard infection control practices.
 The COVID-19 crisis underscores how understaffing dangerously increases
 the workload for nurse aides.

We are all living in ways 
unthinkable prior to this pandemic. But we are not living without choice
 or voice, nor should adults in long-term care facilities be asked to do
 so.

By law, every facility has
 a resident council. These resident councils could be surveyed for their
 input. Kansas Advocates for Better Care has asked the Kansas Department
 of Aging and Disability Services to direct local health departments and
 individual facilities to seek the input of residents (or, for those 
without capacity, their legal representative).

We have also requested 
that when state agencies are meeting with hospital and facility 
providers to define policies, resident voices be present through 
consumer legal or resident advocates such as the <a href="https://ombudsman.ks.gov/about-us/about-our-program">Kansas Long-Term Care Ombudsman</a>.

It is time to recognize 
and restore residents’ right to essential visitors. As Kansas defines 
its path to reopening, government must engage with elders and learn what
 they believe are reasonable steps to address their well-being and 
safety.

Mitzi E. McFatrich is the executive director of <a href="https://www.kabc.org/">Kansas Advocates for Better Care</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1596208023148.jpeg" alt="Linda Mason, left, has frequently advocated on her mother’s behalf after encountering issues in nursing facilities. (Submitted)" />
 <figcaption>Linda Mason, left, has frequently advocated on her mother’s behalf after encountering issues in nursing facilities. (Submitted)</figcaption>
 </figure>By MITZI E. MCFATRICH <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2020/07/30/kansans-in-care-facilities-have-a-right-to-visitors-its-time-to-give-them-a-voice/">Kansas Advocates for Better Care</a>We see the images — older 
adults in beds and wheelchairs, separated by windows from family members
 holding signs with messages of encouragement and love. We share the 
sadness of countless elders dying alone without the comfort of family, 
denied essential human contact and human rights at a time when these 
matter the most.In March, the federal 
Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services blocked visitation to 
residents of nursing facilities except “for certain compassionate care 
situations” at the “end of life.” Kansas followed suit for other adult 
care facilities. Sadly, many facilities misinterpreted this to mean only at the very end after a person had slipped into non-responsiveness; other facilities simply didn’t allow family in at all.Unlike the rest of us, 
adults in nursing homes have no say in how or when they will see family 
and friends or gather for a meal. Their legal rights, while not formally
 suspended, are suspended in practice by the policies and 
decision-making protocols issued by government agencies managing the 
pandemic.For 45 years, <a href="https://www.kabc.org/">Kansas Advocates for Better Care</a>
 has been helping elders and families advocate for their rights, find 
better care, and stop abuse in long-term care. Each year we respond to 
thousands of people who need help, training and resources.There is understandable 
fear about opening up. Older adults with chronic conditions living in 
close quarters are at higher risk and feel the impacts more harshly. But
 there is injury too from continuous isolation. Falls and confusion, 
weight loss, depression and anxiety all have risen with isolation.In hindsight, we see what 
older residents and families have long known: Visits literally save 
lives. Not only do friends and family offer elders the social connection
 and emotional support we all need, they serve as essential monitors of 
care.There is not always agreement about the way forward.Emma, who has lived in a 
Kansas care facility for five years, was not even able to visit with 
friends who lived in the same facility. Depressed after months-long 
isolation with no end to restrictions in sight and no say in facility 
policies, she left to stay with family in a nearby state.Kathy, meanwhile, is 
grateful for the maximum restrictions in her husband’s nursing home. 
Alarmed by COVID-19’s upward surge, she supports the restrictions, 
believing it is more important than ever to protect vulnerable&nbsp;elders.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1596208090048.jpeg" alt="A woman named Brenda, who has engaged with Kansas Advocates for Better Care, submitted this photo of her mother." />
 <figcaption>A woman named Brenda, who has engaged with Kansas Advocates for Better Care, submitted this photo of her mother.</figcaption>
 </figure>So we must 
wrestle with competing imperatives of well-being. Older adults bearing 
the brunt of COVID-19 in nursing homes have legal and civil rights, yet 
current government guidance leaves decision-making to local health 
departments and facilities, with no requirement to seek input from the 
adults who reside within.Safe visitation during 
COVID-19 is a complex but not unsolvable puzzle. Some of the basics are:
 adequate staff to provide care and assist elders in visiting with loved
 ones by phone, video, in a designated indoor room or outdoors; clear 
protocols for infection control; education, screening and logging of 
visitors just as is done with staff and elders; use of masks and 
appropriate protective equipment; disinfecting surfaces between visits.Prior to the pandemic, few
 facilities operated at safe staffing levels of just over four hours of 
daily care for each resident, and inspectors found that 77% of Kansas 
facilities were not complying with standard infection control practices.
 The COVID-19 crisis underscores how understaffing dangerously increases
 the workload for nurse aides.We are all living in ways 
unthinkable prior to this pandemic. But we are not living without choice
 or voice, nor should adults in long-term care facilities be asked to do
 so.By law, every facility has
 a resident council. These resident councils could be surveyed for their
 input. Kansas Advocates for Better Care has asked the Kansas Department
 of Aging and Disability Services to direct local health departments and
 individual facilities to seek the input of residents (or, for those 
without capacity, their legal representative).We have also requested 
that when state agencies are meeting with hospital and facility 
providers to define policies, resident voices be present through 
consumer legal or resident advocates such as the <a href="https://ombudsman.ks.gov/about-us/about-our-program">Kansas Long-Term Care Ombudsman</a>.It is time to recognize 
and restore residents’ right to essential visitors. As Kansas defines 
its path to reopening, government must engage with elders and learn what
 they believe are reasonable steps to address their well-being and 
safety.Mitzi E. McFatrich is the executive director of <a href="https://www.kabc.org/">Kansas Advocates for Better Care</a>.

OPINION: Kansans in care facilities have a right to visitors

While we may have our disagreements at times about how Kansas is run, I know that we also both want what we believe is best for our state. I have been following some of the changes that you have made to the Department of Commerce and have found many interesting and similar to areas that I have been advocating for in op-eds and social media.&nbsp;

I am writing this open letter with some more suggestions for how Kansas can improve our Department of Commerce in order to focus this agency on job creation and growth around our state. While there are many things that go into job growth, including a good tax environment, low electric rates, rural broadband and an educated workforce, Kansas needs a marketing department who can sell why businesses want to come here. Sadly, the state’s Department of Commerce has been lacking and many in our business community and our local governments have seen this.&nbsp;

First and foremost, we need to center the Department of Commerce on being an economic development department. No business could survive without a strong marketing department and the State of Kansas is the same. Unfortunately, the Department of Commerce has become a hodge podge of programs that have become of the focus.&nbsp;

We need to more workforce development out of the Department of Commerce and into the Department of Labor. Most states house workforce development in the labor department and employment department and it makes sense. Workforce development issues dovetail with the employment aspects of the Department of Labor.&nbsp;

Making this move would clear up the amount of time that Commerce Department leaders spend on workforce development and allow them to have a more laser like focus on economic development and marketing our state.&nbsp;

Next, we need to move tourism from the Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism and place it back in the Commerce Department. If we are to make the Commerce Department a true marketing department for our state, then tourism needs to be in this agency. Tourism is a heavily marketing based agency and combining all of our state’s marketing and branding efforts together makes sense. This is why many states have economic development and tourism under one roof.&nbsp;

Tourism is more than just our parks and wildlife. It is our small businesses, our scenic rural communities, our state’s rich history, our artists, our college sports teams. Many existing Commerce Department programs, including for Kansas Main Streets, dovetail nicely with tourism. And tourism can still work closely with wildlife and parks.&nbsp;

The Commerce Department also needs a better system of interacting with our counties and cities. One of the most common themes I hear from local economic development officials is that business recruitment is better when the Commerce Department is not involved, because they do not understand local priorities. This can be addressed by creating a system of regional councils – with public and private sector voices - to advise the commerce secretary on these issues.&nbsp;

Kansas is in a trying time and economic recovery is the paramount goal of every business leader and public official. There are many ways this can be addressed, but we need a focused agency on our economy and recovery, not just in the short term but in the long term as well. I am more than willing to talk with you more on this subject.&nbsp;

Wink Hartman is the CEO of the Hartman Group of Companies in Wichita and the 2018 Republican nominee for lieutenant governor.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1576860566850.jpeg" alt="Wink Hartman is the CEO of the Hartman Group of Companies in Wichita and the 2018 Republican nominee for lieutenant governor.&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Wink Hartman is the CEO of the Hartman Group of Companies in Wichita and the 2018 Republican nominee for lieutenant governor.&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>By WINK HARTMANDear Governor Kelly,While we may have our disagreements at times about how Kansas is run, I know that we also both want what we believe is best for our state. I have been following some of the changes that you have made to the Department of Commerce and have found many interesting and similar to areas that I have been advocating for in op-eds and social media.&nbsp;I am writing this open letter with some more suggestions for how Kansas can improve our Department of Commerce in order to focus this agency on job creation and growth around our state. While there are many things that go into job growth, including a good tax environment, low electric rates, rural broadband and an educated workforce, Kansas needs a marketing department who can sell why businesses want to come here. Sadly, the state’s Department of Commerce has been lacking and many in our business community and our local governments have seen this.&nbsp;First and foremost, we need to center the Department of Commerce on being an economic development department. No business could survive without a strong marketing department and the State of Kansas is the same. Unfortunately, the Department of Commerce has become a hodge podge of programs that have become of the focus.&nbsp;We need to more workforce development out of the Department of Commerce and into the Department of Labor. Most states house workforce development in the labor department and employment department and it makes sense. Workforce development issues dovetail with the employment aspects of the Department of Labor.&nbsp;Making this move would clear up the amount of time that Commerce Department leaders spend on workforce development and allow them to have a more laser like focus on economic development and marketing our state.&nbsp;Next, we need to move tourism from the Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism and place it back in the Commerce Department. If we are to make the Commerce Department a true marketing department for our state, then tourism needs to be in this agency. Tourism is a heavily marketing based agency and combining all of our state’s marketing and branding efforts together makes sense. This is why many states have economic development and tourism under one roof.&nbsp;Tourism is more than just our parks and wildlife. It is our small businesses, our scenic rural communities, our state’s rich history, our artists, our college sports teams. Many existing Commerce Department programs, including for Kansas Main Streets, dovetail nicely with tourism. And tourism can still work closely with wildlife and parks.&nbsp;The Commerce Department also needs a better system of interacting with our counties and cities. One of the most common themes I hear from local economic development officials is that business recruitment is better when the Commerce Department is not involved, because they do not understand local priorities. This can be addressed by creating a system of regional councils – with public and private sector voices - to advise the commerce secretary on these issues.&nbsp;Kansas is in a trying time and economic recovery is the paramount goal of every business leader and public official. There are many ways this can be addressed, but we need a focused agency on our economy and recovery, not just in the short term but in the long term as well. I am more than willing to talk with you more on this subject.&nbsp;Wink Hartman is the CEO of the Hartman Group of Companies in Wichita and the 2018 Republican nominee for lieutenant governor.&nbsp;

HARTMAN: Focus needs to be on job creation, growth

Elections work best when campaigns highlight policy contrasts for voters. As the Republican primary for Senate in Kansas closes, this election has been a missed opportunity to discuss policy and force candidates on record about their policy views.&nbsp;

On the issues that have received the most campaign attention, meaningful policy differences between the major Republican candidates—Bob Hamilton, Kris Kobach, and Roger Marshall—just aren’t there. Abortion, LGBT rights, guns, or masks, for example.&nbsp;&nbsp;

In focusing on areas of consensus, the campaign has missed an opportunity to actually clarify the choice for voters. What are candidate differences on other matters where past statements or actions suggest disagreement? Are there policy differences on issues that the campaign has not highlighted?&nbsp;

Many people thought Marshall was a moderate when he first went to Congress. He ousted ultra conservative Representative Tim Huelskamp in 2016. Many of the same folks who championed moderate Republicans in that year’s anti-Sam Brownback wave also reveled in Marshall’s win.&nbsp;

But, Marshall has shown that he is more conservative than many thought. The most moderate thing about him may be that he seems a reliable vote for Republican leaders.&nbsp;&nbsp;

If most Republicans are supporting a compromise spending bill, for example, Marshall seems to follow leadership on those votes, rather than casting an ideological protest vote or opting for unrealistic conservative fiscal policy as many very conservative House Republicans sometimes do. This seems to be what earns Marshall his less than perfect ratings from groups like Club for Growth or American Conservative Union.&nbsp;

That is a substantive point that this campaign has glossed over. The DC Republican “establishment” prefers Marshall over Kobach, judging from statements and PAC spending. Would Kobach act differently than Marshall? Would he play nice with Republican leaders on fiscal votes and more, or would he be a conservative headache for them like Huelskamp often was?&nbsp;&nbsp;

Immigration is another area of potential difference that has been underplayed. This issue is central to Kobach’s brand. He is about as conservative on immigration as possible, and has been an immigration advisor to President Trump.&nbsp;

In Congress, Marshall has supported Trump on immigration, but past statements suggest Marshall is more moderate here. Regarding undocumented immigrants, he told the&nbsp;Topeka Capital-Journal&nbsp;in 2015: "There has to be a pathway to at least have a job. I'm not ready to jump on the amnesty bandwagon just yet, but we need to find a way to get these people into the system." Marshall added: “"We make it so hard for good people to become citizens.”&nbsp;

This is a difference worth more attention than it has gotten, especially on a major issue that will outlast the Trump presidency.&nbsp;

Beyond that, think about all of the issues where this campaign hasn’t clearly explored candidate positions, especially for Kobach and Hamilton who lack legislative records. Russia. NATO. Free trade. Health care policy. Covid policy. Numerous civil liberties issues. Energy. Platitudes aren’t policy.&nbsp;

Is it unfortunate that this primary hasn’t treated Kansas voters to a deeper conversation about issues. Instead, we get sexy filler and symbolism. Did Marshall get special treatment from prosecutors in his 2008 conviction? Is Kobach electable or tied to white nationalists? Is Hamilton secretly pro-transgender? If you’re a Kansas Republican looking for more, don’t feel bad if you’re still hungry come primary day.&nbsp;

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1593101597372.png" alt="Patrick R. Miller is an Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Kansas.&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Patrick R. Miller is an Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Kansas.&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>Elections work best when campaigns highlight policy contrasts for voters. As the Republican primary for Senate in Kansas closes, this election has been a missed opportunity to discuss policy and force candidates on record about their policy views.&nbsp;On the issues that have received the most campaign attention, meaningful policy differences between the major Republican candidates—Bob Hamilton, Kris Kobach, and Roger Marshall—just aren’t there. Abortion, LGBT rights, guns, or masks, for example.&nbsp;&nbsp;In focusing on areas of consensus, the campaign has missed an opportunity to actually clarify the choice for voters. What are candidate differences on other matters where past statements or actions suggest disagreement? Are there policy differences on issues that the campaign has not highlighted?&nbsp;Many people thought Marshall was a moderate when he first went to Congress. He ousted ultra conservative Representative Tim Huelskamp in 2016. Many of the same folks who championed moderate Republicans in that year’s anti-Sam Brownback wave also reveled in Marshall’s win.&nbsp;But, Marshall has shown that he is more conservative than many thought. The most moderate thing about him may be that he seems a reliable vote for Republican leaders.&nbsp;&nbsp;If most Republicans are supporting a compromise spending bill, for example, Marshall seems to follow leadership on those votes, rather than casting an ideological protest vote or opting for unrealistic conservative fiscal policy as many very conservative House Republicans sometimes do. This seems to be what earns Marshall his less than perfect ratings from groups like Club for Growth or American Conservative Union.&nbsp;That is a substantive point that this campaign has glossed over. The DC Republican “establishment” prefers Marshall over Kobach, judging from statements and PAC spending. Would Kobach act differently than Marshall? Would he play nice with Republican leaders on fiscal votes and more, or would he be a conservative headache for them like Huelskamp often was?&nbsp;&nbsp;Immigration is another area of potential difference that has been underplayed. This issue is central to Kobach’s brand. He is about as conservative on immigration as possible, and has been an immigration advisor to President Trump.&nbsp;In Congress, Marshall has supported Trump on immigration, but past statements suggest Marshall is more moderate here. Regarding undocumented immigrants, he told the&nbsp;Topeka Capital-Journal&nbsp;in 2015: "There has to be a pathway to at least have a job. I'm not ready to jump on the amnesty bandwagon just yet, but we need to find a way to get these people into the system." Marshall added: “"We make it so hard for good people to become citizens.”&nbsp;This is a difference worth more attention than it has gotten, especially on a major issue that will outlast the Trump presidency.&nbsp;Beyond that, think about all of the issues where this campaign hasn’t clearly explored candidate positions, especially for Kobach and Hamilton who lack legislative records. Russia. NATO. Free trade. Health care policy. Covid policy. Numerous civil liberties issues. Energy. Platitudes aren’t policy.&nbsp;Is it unfortunate that this primary hasn’t treated Kansas voters to a deeper conversation about issues. Instead, we get sexy filler and symbolism. Did Marshall get special treatment from prosecutors in his 2008 conviction? Is Kobach electable or tied to white nationalists? Is Hamilton secretly pro-transgender? If you’re a Kansas Republican looking for more, don’t feel bad if you’re still hungry come primary day.&nbsp;Patrick R. Miller is an Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Kansas.&nbsp;

INSIGHT KANSAS: GOP primary for U.S. Senate a voter injustice 

Agricultural producers in Kansas and other states this year can participate in Kansas State University’s Risk &amp; Profit Conference from wherever they are as the university takes the entire conference online. The conference is set for Aug. 10-14.&nbsp;

From producers to processors to consumers, the new coronavirus has affected every aspect of life, so this year’s conference will focus on the economics of agriculture during the COVID-19 pandemic. &nbsp;

Different sessions are scheduled for each day, including the popular livestock and grain market outlooks. Sessions run from noon to 1:30 p.m. each day except Thursday, when an expanded schedule runs from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. That day also features an open chat at lunchtime with extension specialists. &nbsp;

Registration is available&nbsp;<a href="https://agmanager.info/events/risk-and-profit-conference">online</a> and questions can be directed to Rich Llewelyn at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:rvl@ksu.edu">rvl@ksu.edu</a>. &nbsp;The schedule for the program is:

Monday, August 10 
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Session 1 (12:00-12:45): Hedging the Sale of Kansas Live Cattle: A Review of the Past 10 Years - Brian Coffey 
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Session 2 (12:45-1:30): Ag Finance Situation - Allen Featherstone

Tuesday, August 11 
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Session 1 (12:00-12:45): Macroeconomy, Interest Rates, and Future Inflation&nbsp; - Brian Briggeman 
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Session 2 (12:45-1:30): US Agri-Food Trade and COVID-19 - Vincent Amanor-Boadu, Kara Ross, Catharine Ofori-Bah

Wednesday, August 12 
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Session 1 (12:00-12:45): Crop Share or Cash Rent: How Does Risk Affect the Decision?-Mykel Taylor, Chelsea Arnold 
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Session 2 (12:45-1:30): Assessment of Ag’s Contribution to the Kansas Economy - John Leatherman, Jody Wendt

Thursday, August 13 
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Session 1 (10:30-11:15): Livestock Market Outlook—Glynn Tonsor 
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Session 2 (11:15-12:00): Grain Market Outlook—Dan O’Brien 
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Break/Lunch (12:00-12:30): Open Chat with K-State Agricultural Economics Extensions Specialists 
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Session 3 (12:30-1:15): Nontraditional Finance: Overview and Trends - Jenny Ifft 
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Session 4 (1:15-2:00): Projections of Net Farm Income for 2020 and 2021 - Gregg Ibendahl

Friday, August 14 
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Session 1 (12:00-12:45): Economic Losses From ARC/PLC Election In 2014 Farm Bill - Nathan Hendricks, Mary Kurzweil 
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Session 2 (12:45-1:30): International Grain Market Trends and Factors&nbsp; - Guy Allen, Dan O’Brien

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>Agricultural producers in Kansas and other states this year can participate in Kansas State University’s Risk &amp; Profit Conference from wherever they are as the university takes the entire conference online. The conference is set for Aug. 10-14.&nbsp;From producers to processors to consumers, the new coronavirus has affected every aspect of life, so this year’s conference will focus on the economics of agriculture during the COVID-19 pandemic. &nbsp;Different sessions are scheduled for each day, including the popular livestock and grain market outlooks. Sessions run from noon to 1:30 p.m. each day except Thursday, when an expanded schedule runs from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. That day also features an open chat at lunchtime with extension specialists. &nbsp;Registration is available&nbsp;<a href="https://agmanager.info/events/risk-and-profit-conference">online</a> and questions can be directed to Rich Llewelyn at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:rvl@ksu.edu">rvl@ksu.edu</a>. &nbsp;The schedule for the program is:Monday, August 10 
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Session 1 (12:00-12:45): Hedging the Sale of Kansas Live Cattle: A Review of the Past 10 Years - Brian Coffey 
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Session 2 (12:45-1:30): Ag Finance Situation - Allen FeatherstoneTuesday, August 11 
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Session 1 (12:00-12:45): Macroeconomy, Interest Rates, and Future Inflation&nbsp; - Brian Briggeman 
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Session 2 (12:45-1:30): US Agri-Food Trade and COVID-19 - Vincent Amanor-Boadu, Kara Ross, Catharine Ofori-BahWednesday, August 12 
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Session 1 (12:00-12:45): Crop Share or Cash Rent: How Does Risk Affect the Decision?-Mykel Taylor, Chelsea Arnold 
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Session 2 (12:45-1:30): Assessment of Ag’s Contribution to the Kansas Economy - John Leatherman, Jody WendtThursday, August 13 
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Session 1 (10:30-11:15): Livestock Market Outlook—Glynn Tonsor 
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Session 2 (11:15-12:00): Grain Market Outlook—Dan O’Brien 
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Break/Lunch (12:00-12:30): Open Chat with K-State Agricultural Economics Extensions Specialists 
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Session 3 (12:30-1:15): Nontraditional Finance: Overview and Trends - Jenny Ifft 
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Session 4 (1:15-2:00): Projections of Net Farm Income for 2020 and 2021 - Gregg IbendahlFriday, August 14 
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Session 1 (12:00-12:45): Economic Losses From ARC/PLC Election In 2014 Farm Bill - Nathan Hendricks, Mary Kurzweil 
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Session 2 (12:45-1:30): International Grain Market Trends and Factors&nbsp; - Guy Allen, Dan O’BrienAlicia 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: Conference will focus on effect of virus on ag economy

By KIM BALDWIN McPherson County farmer and rancher Spending time at a pool has always been an integral part of summer for my little family. My kids have participated in swim lessons every summer since they were born. From participating in the “mommy and me” lessons offered by a local YMCA, to group lessons at a nearby community pool, my two children have spent many of their summer days looking forward to a refreshing break from the Kansas heat by jumping into a pool. &nbsp; Over the years my kids have become accustomed to the luxury of pool time to include a herd of kids lined up patiently waiting to jump off a diving board, summer jams blaring over loud speakers and a concession stand readily available to sell them a nice sugary treat. This year, however, has offered a new pool experience. &nbsp; While my family has remained on the farm this summer, we have introduced the kids to the joys of our own “private” pool. Our pool is a bit smaller than the average community pool.&nbsp; &nbsp; It doesn’t offer a diving board. There is no deep end to toss diving toys into. You definitely can’t practice handstands or dolphin kicks or even swim laps at our pool. A ladder is not available to climb out of it when the lifeguard blows the whistle for a break. In fact, our pool’s lifeguard lacks a whistle. The lifeguard tower isn’t as high as you would see at other pools, and our lifeguard’s seat lacks any flotation devices — but does offer two mesh drink holders.&nbsp; &nbsp; While we still have many days of excellent pool time temperatures, when it is time to close the pool because of changing of seasons, we won’t have to winterize our pool. Instead, we’ll just need to move it to the other side of the fence so the cattle will have another place to drink. &nbsp; Yes, we have introduced our kids to the stock tank pool this summer. And they are truly loving it! &nbsp; Our pool is convenient and refreshing and has become a place for my family of four to enjoy summer mornings, afternoons and evenings taking a dip. &nbsp; Our pool has allowed the kids to go for their “morning swims” before breakfast. In fact, many mornings while getting breakfast together, I watch my two race each other down the hill to see who can jump into the water first.&nbsp; &nbsp; In the evenings, I’ll sit in my comfortable camp chair, put a drink in a cup holder, place my feet up on the edge of the pool and read the newspaper while simultaneously trying to avoid getting splashed by the young swimmers occupying the space. &nbsp; While the space is best for two small children, there are even times you’ll see my husband or myself sitting in the pool helping the kids create a giant whirlpool. Even Rosie the farm dog has jumped in at times to demonstrate proper doggy paddle technique to her two small humans. &nbsp; While our pool may lack crowds and chlorine, it has allowed us to continue to enjoy breaks from the heat and has given the kids something extra to look forward to — and will perhaps become another happy memory of what the summer of 2020 was like home on the farm.

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575904358712.png" alt="Kim Baldwin" />
 <figcaption>Kim Baldwin</figcaption>
 </figure>By KIM BALDWIN McPherson County farmer and rancher Spending time at a pool has always been an integral part of summer for my little family. My kids have participated in swim lessons every summer since they were born. From participating in the “mommy and me” lessons offered by a local YMCA, to group lessons at a nearby community pool, my two children have spent many of their summer days looking forward to a refreshing break from the Kansas heat by jumping into a pool. &nbsp; Over the years my kids have become accustomed to the luxury of pool time to include a herd of kids lined up patiently waiting to jump off a diving board, summer jams blaring over loud speakers and a concession stand readily available to sell them a nice sugary treat. This year, however, has offered a new pool experience. &nbsp; While my family has remained on the farm this summer, we have introduced the kids to the joys of our own “private” pool. Our pool is a bit smaller than the average community pool.&nbsp; &nbsp; It doesn’t offer a diving board. There is no deep end to toss diving toys into. You definitely can’t practice handstands or dolphin kicks or even swim laps at our pool. A ladder is not available to climb out of it when the lifeguard blows the whistle for a break. In fact, our pool’s lifeguard lacks a whistle. The lifeguard tower isn’t as high as you would see at other pools, and our lifeguard’s seat lacks any flotation devices — but does offer two mesh drink holders.&nbsp; &nbsp; While we still have many days of excellent pool time temperatures, when it is time to close the pool because of changing of seasons, we won’t have to winterize our pool. Instead, we’ll just need to move it to the other side of the fence so the cattle will have another place to drink. &nbsp; Yes, we have introduced our kids to the stock tank pool this summer. And they are truly loving it! &nbsp; Our pool is convenient and refreshing and has become a place for my family of four to enjoy summer mornings, afternoons and evenings taking a dip. &nbsp; Our pool has allowed the kids to go for their “morning swims” before breakfast. In fact, many mornings while getting breakfast together, I watch my two race each other down the hill to see who can jump into the water first.&nbsp; &nbsp; In the evenings, I’ll sit in my comfortable camp chair, put a drink in a cup holder, place my feet up on the edge of the pool and read the newspaper while simultaneously trying to avoid getting splashed by the young swimmers occupying the space. &nbsp; While the space is best for two small children, there are even times you’ll see my husband or myself sitting in the pool helping the kids create a giant whirlpool. Even Rosie the farm dog has jumped in at times to demonstrate proper doggy paddle technique to her two small humans. &nbsp; While our pool may lack crowds and chlorine, it has allowed us to continue to enjoy breaks from the heat and has given the kids something extra to look forward to — and will perhaps become another happy memory of what the summer of 2020 was like home on the farm."Insight" is a weekly column published by Kansas Farm Bureau, the state's largest farm organization whose mission is to strengthen agriculture and the lives of Kansans through advocacy, education and service.&nbsp;

Kansas Farm Bureau Insight: Swimming through summer

The Kansas Independent Oil and Gas Association (KIOGA) has canceled its annual convention in response to uncertainty about the response to the coronavirus pandemic. The group is reviewing other plans including a series of internet seminars to replace the events originally scheduled for the August gathering. An online conversation with the Kansas Congressional delegation is planned next month. The popular golf and sporting clays tourneys could be rescheduled as early as October.

Friday's prices at CHS in McPherson were up a quarter. Kansas Common crude starts the week at $31.50 a barrel. That's 75 cents higher than a week ago, a dollar-fifty higher than at the first of the month but nearly $15 cheaper than last year at this time.

Kansas gasoline prices held steady. The Sunflower State remained one of just 12 states with average gas prices below two dollars a gallon. The average Thursday across Kansas last week was $1.979. That's a nickel more than last month at this time, and about 55 cents less than a year ago. AAA said the average across the U.S. was about $2.19 a gallon. 

Independent Oil &amp; Gas Service reports the Kansas rig count rose last week, but so did the number of inactive drilling rigs.  There are two active oil and gas drilling rigs in eastern Kansas, up one from last week, and five west of Wichita, which is up two. There are 26 idle rigs statewide, compared to just 20 last week. There's not a lot of drilling activity in our area. Operators reached total depth at leases in Russell and Stafford counties.

Baker Hughes reports the national rig count was 251 on Friday, an increase of one oil rig but a drop of three rigs looking for natural gas. The count in Texas was down one, while New Mexico was up one. 

Kansas regulators approved five permits for drilling at new locations for the week ending July 23, all of them in Western Kansas. That's 245 new permits so far this year compared to 550 by this point last year.

There were just eight wells completed last week across the state, four of them were east of Wichita and four in western Kansas, including one completion in Russell County. Operators across the state report 564 completed wells so far this year, well behind the 823 wells completed by late July of 2019.

The government reports a slight uptick in U.S. crude-oil production last week, to 11.06 million barrels per day. The Energy Information Administration says U.S. crude-oil stockpiles increased by nearly five million barrels last week. Inventories are about 19% higher than the five-year average for this time of year. U.S. crude oil imports averaged 5.9 million barrels per day, an increase of 373,000 barrels per day from the previous week. Over the past four weeks, crude oil imports averaged 13.5%  less than the same four-week period last year. 

The Governor of Colorado says he has negotiated a truce in that state's oil and gas "ballot wars." Governor Jared Polis is hoping to let Colorado's new oil and gas law work its way through the regulatory process. In an opinion article published Monday, Governor Polis said an industry-backed group called Protect Colorado will end its efforts to put two pro-industry measures on the ballot this year. Three other measures, relating to new setback rules, local moratoriums and state oversight, won't make this year's ballot either, but supporters say that's more about the difficulty gathering signatures than any deal with the Governor. And some prominent environmental groups in the state still plan to consider a new batch of ballot measures in 2022.

Texas regulators say the Saudi-Russia oil price war spilled over into the U.S. economy in the form of what they call excessive dumping of crude oil into U.S. markets. The Railroad Commission of Texas, the state's top oil regulator, says after the pandemic hit Saudi shipments to the U.S. reached roughly four times February's volume, the highest total since 2014. The Commission and other groups are urging a federal investigation.

U.S. Oil-by-rail is up for the week but down nearly 15% compared to a year ago. The year-to-date total is down about 12% compared to the same figure a year ago. The Association of American Railroads says total rail traffic is also improving week-to-week, up about seven percent, but still lags behind last year by eight-and-a-half percent.

China’s crude oil imports from Saudi Arabia rose 15% in June compared to a year ago. Chinese refiners ordered record volumes in March and April when oil prices tumbled. China's crude imports from all its main suppliers set new records in June, boosting the country's total crude imports to a new record high, nearly 13 million barrels per day.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1592847975802.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By JOHN P. TRETBARThe Kansas Independent Oil and Gas Association (KIOGA) has canceled its annual convention in response to uncertainty about the response to the coronavirus pandemic. The group is reviewing other plans including a series of internet seminars to replace the events originally scheduled for the August gathering. An online conversation with the Kansas Congressional delegation is planned next month. The popular golf and sporting clays tourneys could be rescheduled as early as October.Friday's prices at CHS in McPherson were up a quarter. Kansas Common crude starts the week at $31.50 a barrel. That's 75 cents higher than a week ago, a dollar-fifty higher than at the first of the month but nearly $15 cheaper than last year at this time.Kansas gasoline prices held steady. The Sunflower State remained one of just 12 states with average gas prices below two dollars a gallon. The average Thursday across Kansas last week was $1.979. That's a nickel more than last month at this time, and about 55 cents less than a year ago. AAA said the average across the U.S. was about $2.19 a gallon. Independent Oil &amp; Gas Service reports the Kansas rig count rose last week, but so did the number of inactive drilling rigs. There are two active oil and gas drilling rigs in eastern Kansas, up one from last week, and five west of Wichita, which is up two. There are 26 idle rigs statewide, compared to just 20 last week. There's not a lot of drilling activity in our area. Operators reached total depth at leases in Russell and Stafford counties.Baker Hughes reports the national rig count was 251 on Friday, an increase of one oil rig but a drop of three rigs looking for natural gas. The count in Texas was down one, while New Mexico was up one. Kansas regulators approved five permits for drilling at new locations for the week ending July 23, all of them in Western Kansas. That's 245 new permits so far this year compared to 550 by this point last year.There were just eight wells completed last week across the state, four of them were east of Wichita and four in western Kansas, including one completion in Russell County. Operators across the state report 564 completed wells so far this year, well behind the 823 wells completed by late July of 2019.The government reports a slight uptick in U.S. crude-oil production last week, to 11.06 million barrels per day. The Energy Information Administration says U.S. crude-oil stockpiles increased by nearly five million barrels last week. Inventories are about 19% higher than the five-year average for this time of year. U.S. crude oil imports averaged 5.9 million barrels per day, an increase of 373,000 barrels per day from the previous week. Over the past four weeks, crude oil imports averaged 13.5% less than the same four-week period last year. The Governor of Colorado says he has negotiated a truce in that state's oil and gas "ballot wars." Governor Jared Polis is hoping to let Colorado's new oil and gas law work its way through the regulatory process. In an opinion article published Monday, Governor Polis said an industry-backed group called Protect Colorado will end its efforts to put two pro-industry measures on the ballot this year. Three other measures, relating to new setback rules, local moratoriums and state oversight, won't make this year's ballot either, but supporters say that's more about the difficulty gathering signatures than any deal with the Governor. And some prominent environmental groups in the state still plan to consider a new batch of ballot measures in 2022.Texas regulators say the Saudi-Russia oil price war spilled over into the U.S. economy in the form of what they call excessive dumping of crude oil into U.S. markets. The Railroad Commission of Texas, the state's top oil regulator, says after the pandemic hit Saudi shipments to the U.S. reached roughly four times February's volume, the highest total since 2014. The Commission and other groups are urging a federal investigation.U.S. Oil-by-rail is up for the week but down nearly 15% compared to a year ago. The year-to-date total is down about 12% compared to the same figure a year ago. The Association of American Railroads says total rail traffic is also improving week-to-week, up about seven percent, but still lags behind last year by eight-and-a-half percent.China’s crude oil imports from Saudi Arabia rose 15% in June compared to a year ago. Chinese refiners ordered record volumes in March and April when oil prices tumbled. China's crude imports from all its main suppliers set new records in June, boosting the country's total crude imports to a new record high, nearly 13 million barrels per day.

News From the Oil Patch: Drilling activity slow in western Kan.

Next week, we’ll know more of the folks who are going to the Statehouse Prom.

Republican voters in five Senate districts will have made a primary election choice next Tuesday, putting those five winners on the November ballot without major party opposition. In the House, voters in 13 districts will have selected 10 Republicans and 3 Democrats for the general election ballot, and those 13 who won’t have a major party opponent.

Oh, and in the Senate, there are five Republicans and one Democrat who won re-election when their filing check cleared the Secretary of State’s office on June 1, and in the&nbsp; House, there are 24 Republicans and 9 Democrats who have no major party opposition in the primary or general.

So, this primary election? It was for just a handful of potential legislators—though us Statehouse habitués understand that there were some federal candidates at the top of the ballot whose campaigns have so flooded television news programs that we’re not sure what the new Fords are going to look like.

Where will we be next week with the primary over? Well, there will be 10 Republicans and one Democrat elected for the 40-member Senate, and 34 Republicans and 12 Democrats, a total of 46 members of the 125-member House ready for the Statehouse prom.

What’s coming up as a result of filling the rest of those legislative seats three months from now? Well, it depends on just how much time voters want to spend figuring out how they want Kansas to emerge from not only the COVID-19 pandemic, but how much government they want in a year that is going to see a sharp reduction in state revenues caused by the pandemic…and who is going to pick up the tab for that shortfall.

No. 1, of course, will be a decision that was stymied in the Senate last session about expanding Medicaid in Kansas to more than 100,000 Kansans who don’t have health insurance, and thousands more who lost their health insurance when they lost their jobs due to the pandemic. The old GOP standard “get a job, get insured” has faded considerably because those jobs are now fading.

And the congenital debate over abortion remains a scrap over whether Kansans will put a leash on the Kansas Supreme Court, preventing it from having the final check-off on legislative attempts to restrict abortions in Kansas. Practically, that comes down to two battles: first, whether the Legislature on your behalf believes that abortion should be restricted, and second, whether a constitutional amendment to give lawmakers a free hand to limit the procedure will be offered in 2022, and on the same ballot as the governor -- or some special election before that where the decision will be made by a much smaller crowd of voters.

Oh, and then there’s that budget shortfall. Barring a $1 billion-or-so federal program that would allow the state to bolster its pandemic-shrunk budget, it’s likely to come down to what not to vote to spend money on, or who pays for maintaining current programs.

Let’s see, there’s always the State Highway Fund, or the “Bank of KDOT” that has been used in the past that essentially sees our highway system fade, or pulling money out of social programs, schools (if the Supreme Court allows it, and chances are slim there) or just simply raising taxes. That could range from a new income tax bracket atop the state’s three, to raising smaller taxes, like liquor, cigarettes, and some others that many don’t notice.

So, we’re hoping you had a good time at the primary election. The real decisions on what Kansas is going to look like are still to come, a result of the ongoing building this year of the 2021 Legislature.&nbsp;

<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>Next week, we’ll know more of the folks who are going to the Statehouse Prom.Republican voters in five Senate districts will have made a primary election choice next Tuesday, putting those five winners on the November ballot without major party opposition. In the House, voters in 13 districts will have selected 10 Republicans and 3 Democrats for the general election ballot, and those 13 who won’t have a major party opponent.Oh, and in the Senate, there are five Republicans and one Democrat who won re-election when their filing check cleared the Secretary of State’s office on June 1, and in the&nbsp; House, there are 24 Republicans and 9 Democrats who have no major party opposition in the primary or general.So, this primary election? It was for just a handful of potential legislators—though us Statehouse habitués understand that there were some federal candidates at the top of the ballot whose campaigns have so flooded television news programs that we’re not sure what the new Fords are going to look like.Where will we be next week with the primary over? Well, there will be 10 Republicans and one Democrat elected for the 40-member Senate, and 34 Republicans and 12 Democrats, a total of 46 members of the 125-member House ready for the Statehouse prom.***What’s coming up as a result of filling the rest of those legislative seats three months from now? Well, it depends on just how much time voters want to spend figuring out how they want Kansas to emerge from not only the COVID-19 pandemic, but how much government they want in a year that is going to see a sharp reduction in state revenues caused by the pandemic…and who is going to pick up the tab for that shortfall.No. 1, of course, will be a decision that was stymied in the Senate last session about expanding Medicaid in Kansas to more than 100,000 Kansans who don’t have health insurance, and thousands more who lost their health insurance when they lost their jobs due to the pandemic. The old GOP standard “get a job, get insured” has faded considerably because those jobs are now fading.And the congenital debate over abortion remains a scrap over whether Kansans will put a leash on the Kansas Supreme Court, preventing it from having the final check-off on legislative attempts to restrict abortions in Kansas. Practically, that comes down to two battles: first, whether the Legislature on your behalf believes that abortion should be restricted, and second, whether a constitutional amendment to give lawmakers a free hand to limit the procedure will be offered in 2022, and on the same ballot as the governor -- or some special election before that where the decision will be made by a much smaller crowd of voters.Oh, and then there’s that budget shortfall. Barring a $1 billion-or-so federal program that would allow the state to bolster its pandemic-shrunk budget, it’s likely to come down to what not to vote to spend money on, or who pays for maintaining current programs.Let’s see, there’s always the State Highway Fund, or the “Bank of KDOT” that has been used in the past that essentially sees our highway system fade, or pulling money out of social programs, schools (if the Supreme Court allows it, and chances are slim there) or just simply raising taxes. That could range from a new income tax bracket atop the state’s three, to raising smaller taxes, like liquor, cigarettes, and some others that many don’t notice.So, we’re hoping you had a good time at the primary election. The real decisions on what Kansas is going to look like are still to come, a result of the ongoing building this year of the 2021 Legislature.&nbsp;Syndicated by Hawver News Company LLC of Topeka; Martin Hawver is publisher of Hawver's Capitol Report—to learn more about this nonpartisan statewide political news service, visit the website at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.hawvernews.com/">www.hawvernews.com</a>

HAWVER: Shape of Legislature will be clearer after vote

These large (1-1/3- to 1-5/8-inch long) wasps fly slowly above the ground. Cicada killers have a black body with yellow marks across the thorax and abdomen. Wings are reddish-orange.&nbsp;

Although these wasps are huge, they usually ignore people. Males may act aggressively if they are threatened, but are unable to sting. Females can sting, but are so passive that they rarely do. Even if they do sting, the pain is less than that of smaller wasps such as the yellow jacket or paper wasp and is similar to the sting of a sweat bee.&nbsp;

The cicada killer is a solitary wasp rather than a social wasp like the yellow jacket. The female nests in burrows in the ground. These burrows are quarter-size in diameter and can go 6 inches straight down and another 6 inches horizontally. Adults normally live 60 to 75 days from mid-July to mid-September and feed on flower nectar and sap. The adult female seeks cicadas on the trunks and lower limbs of trees. She stings her prey, flips it over, straddles it and carries it to her burrow. If she has a tree to climb, she will climb the tree so they can get airborne and fly with cicada back to the nest. If not, she will drag it. She will lay one egg per cicada if the egg is left unfertilized. Unfertilized eggs develop into males only. Fertilized eggs develop into females and are given at least two cicadas. Cicadas are then stuffed into the female’s burrow. Each burrow normally has three to four cells with one to two cicadas in each. However, it is possible for one burrow to have 10 to 20 cells.&nbsp;

Eggs hatch in two to three days, and larvae begin feeding on paralyzed cicadas. Feeding continues for four to 10 days until only the outer shell of the cicada remains. The larva overwinters inside a silken case. Pupation occurs in the spring. There is one generation per year. Cicada killers are not dangerous, but they can be a nuisance. If you believe control is necessary, treat the burrows after dark to ensure the female wasps are in their nests. The males normally roost on plants near burrow sites. They can be captured with an insect net or knocked out of the air with a tennis racket during the day. &nbsp; Permethrin may be used for control.&nbsp; Products with permethrin include the following.

&nbsp; Eight Garden Dust - Bonide&nbsp; &nbsp; Multipurpose Garden and Pet Dust - Green Thumb &nbsp; Garden, Pet &amp; Livestock Dust - Hi-Yield&nbsp;

&nbsp; 38 Plus Turf, Termite &amp; Ornamental Insect Spray - Hi-Yield&nbsp; &nbsp; Eight Vegetable, Fruit &amp; Flower&nbsp; Conc. - Bonide&nbsp; &nbsp; Eight Yard &amp; Garden RTS - Bonide&nbsp; &nbsp; Garden and Farm Insect Control- Hi-Yield

Lauren Fick is the Horticulture Extension Agent for the Cottonwood Extension District. If you have questions she can be contacted by e-mail at lfick@k-state.edu or by phone at 785-628-9430 or 620-793-1910.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1595861237756.png" alt="Cicada killer wasp. Photo courtesy of Kansas State University." />
 <figcaption>Cicada killer wasp. Photo courtesy of Kansas State University.</figcaption>
 </figure>These large (1-1/3- to 1-5/8-inch long) wasps fly slowly above the ground. Cicada killers have a black body with yellow marks across the thorax and abdomen. Wings are reddish-orange.&nbsp;Although these wasps are huge, they usually ignore people. Males may act aggressively if they are threatened, but are unable to sting. Females can sting, but are so passive that they rarely do. Even if they do sting, the pain is less than that of smaller wasps such as the yellow jacket or paper wasp and is similar to the sting of a sweat bee.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/2/1580750915301.jpeg" alt="Lauren Fick is the Horticulture Extension Agent for the Cottonwood Extension District. " />
 <figcaption>Lauren Fick is the Horticulture Extension Agent for the Cottonwood Extension District. </figcaption>
 </figure>The cicada killer is a solitary wasp rather than a social wasp like the yellow jacket. The female nests in burrows in the ground. These burrows are quarter-size in diameter and can go 6 inches straight down and another 6 inches horizontally. Adults normally live 60 to 75 days from mid-July to mid-September and feed on flower nectar and sap. The adult female seeks cicadas on the trunks and lower limbs of trees. She stings her prey, flips it over, straddles it and carries it to her burrow. If she has a tree to climb, she will climb the tree so they can get airborne and fly with cicada back to the nest. If not, she will drag it. She will lay one egg per cicada if the egg is left unfertilized. Unfertilized eggs develop into males only. Fertilized eggs develop into females and are given at least two cicadas. Cicadas are then stuffed into the female’s burrow. Each burrow normally has three to four cells with one to two cicadas in each. However, it is possible for one burrow to have 10 to 20 cells.&nbsp;Eggs hatch in two to three days, and larvae begin feeding on paralyzed cicadas. Feeding continues for four to 10 days until only the outer shell of the cicada remains. The larva overwinters inside a silken case. Pupation occurs in the spring. There is one generation per year. Cicada killers are not dangerous, but they can be a nuisance. If you believe control is necessary, treat the burrows after dark to ensure the female wasps are in their nests. The males normally roost on plants near burrow sites. They can be captured with an insect net or knocked out of the air with a tennis racket during the day. &nbsp; Permethrin may be used for control.&nbsp; Products with permethrin include the following.<h2>Dusts</h2>&nbsp; Eight Garden Dust - Bonide&nbsp; &nbsp; Multipurpose Garden and Pet Dust - Green Thumb &nbsp; Garden, Pet &amp; Livestock Dust - Hi-Yield&nbsp;<h2>Liquids</h2>&nbsp; 38 Plus Turf, Termite &amp; Ornamental Insect Spray - Hi-Yield&nbsp; &nbsp; Eight Vegetable, Fruit &amp; Flower&nbsp; Conc. - Bonide&nbsp; &nbsp; Eight Yard &amp; Garden RTS - Bonide&nbsp; &nbsp; Garden and Farm Insect Control- Hi-YieldLauren Fick is the Horticulture Extension Agent for the Cottonwood Extension District. If you have questions she can be contacted by e-mail at lfick@k-state.edu or by phone at 785-628-9430 or 620-793-1910.&nbsp;

FICK: Cicada killer wasps

Whenever the First Amendment’s 45 words ring out, whenever a voice 
for justice seizes our attention by using its core freedoms to power our
 democracy, John Lewis will be there.

Lewis, 80, iconic civil right hero, longtime Georgia congressman, 
pugnacious fighter for voting rights, courageous Freedom Rider and 
self-described seeker of “good trouble” in the cause of equality, 
fairness and human rights, died July 17 after months of battling 
pancreatic cancer.

Few people in history have so exemplified the hopes of the nation’s 
founders that the First Amendment’s strong protection for the freedoms 
of religion, speech, press, assembly and petition would enable future 
generations to make this country a better place. Lewis was masterful in 
deploying those freedoms in that very work.

His public image was imprinted on the nation’s consciousness as he 
powerfully used the freedoms of religious belief, speech, press, the 
right to assemble and the right to petition the government for a 
“redress of grievances.” He did that from the early 1960s in sit-ins at 
Nashville lunch counters and the Freedom Rides challenging segregated 
bus terminals; from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial during the 1963 
March on Washington to 1965’s “Bloody Sunday” at the Edmund Pettus 
Bridge; from student civil rights organizer to more than 30 years in the
 United States House of Representatives, where he took on a mantle 
offered by others as the “Conscience of Congress.”

Lewis often spoke from the heart, but also joked that he had used his
 head in pursuit of social justice and the fight against racism – 
literally. When a planned 54-mile march from Selma to Montgomery, Ala., 
to call for expanded voting rights for Black citizens ended in violence 
at the Edmund Pettus Bridge, a state trooper beat Lewis with a 
nightstick so severely that it caused a skull fracture.

Images of that police riot – with Lewis’s fall captured in a dramatic
 photograph – shocked the nation and led to congressional approval of 
the landmark Voting Rights Act, signed into law a short time later by President Lyndon B. Johnson.

Lewis spent his life challenging injustice where he saw it, whether 
on the street, in the boardroom or on the floor of the House.

He was arrested at least 45 times, including several times while 
serving in Congress. In 2016, Lewis helped lead a 26-hour sit-in on the 
House floor by Democrats frustrated by a lack of national response to 
gun violence in America.

Lewis did not live in his past days of activism nor dwell on his many
 accomplishments – and while he would always stand ready to forgive, he 
did not forget. Only months ago, he pledged to visit the nation’s 
southern border and be arrested once again, to protest immigration 
policies that he felt violated basic human rights.

The Associated Press reported Saturday that Lewis wept watching the video of George Floyd’s
 death at the hands of police in Minnesota: “I kept saying to myself: 
How many more? How many young Black men will be murdered?” Yet, the AP 
report said, he “declared, or at least dared to hope: ‘We’re one people,
 we’re one family. We all live in the same house, not just the American 
house but the world house’.”

On June 7, he visited the Black Lives Matter Plaza street painting in
 Washington, D.C., calling it a “powerful work of art” and saying it was
 “a mighty, powerful and strong message to the world that we will get 
there.”

<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>Whenever the First Amendment’s 45 words ring out, whenever a voice 
for justice seizes our attention by using its core freedoms to power our
 democracy, John Lewis will be there.Lewis, 80, iconic civil right hero, longtime Georgia congressman, 
pugnacious fighter for voting rights, courageous Freedom Rider and 
self-described seeker of “good trouble” in the cause of equality, 
fairness and human rights, died July 17 after months of battling 
pancreatic cancer.Few people in history have so exemplified the hopes of the nation’s 
founders that the First Amendment’s strong protection for the freedoms 
of religion, speech, press, assembly and petition would enable future 
generations to make this country a better place. Lewis was masterful in 
deploying those freedoms in that very work.His public image was imprinted on the nation’s consciousness as he 
powerfully used the freedoms of religious belief, speech, press, the 
right to assemble and the right to petition the government for a 
“redress of grievances.” He did that from the early 1960s in sit-ins at 
Nashville lunch counters and the Freedom Rides challenging segregated 
bus terminals; from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial during the 1963 
March on Washington to 1965’s “Bloody Sunday” at the Edmund Pettus 
Bridge; from student civil rights organizer to more than 30 years in the
 United States House of Representatives, where he took on a mantle 
offered by others as the “Conscience of Congress.”Lewis often spoke from the heart, but also joked that he had used his
 head in pursuit of social justice and the fight against racism – 
literally. When a planned 54-mile march from Selma to Montgomery, Ala., 
to call for expanded voting rights for Black citizens ended in violence 
at the Edmund Pettus Bridge, a state trooper beat Lewis with a 
nightstick so severely that it caused a skull fracture.Images of that police riot – with Lewis’s fall captured in a dramatic
 photograph – shocked the nation and led to congressional approval of 
the landmark Voting Rights Act, signed into law a short time later by President Lyndon B. Johnson.Lewis spent his life challenging injustice where he saw it, whether 
on the street, in the boardroom or on the floor of the House.He was arrested at least 45 times, including several times while 
serving in Congress. In 2016, Lewis helped lead a 26-hour sit-in on the 
House floor by Democrats frustrated by a lack of national response to 
gun violence in America.Lewis did not live in his past days of activism nor dwell on his many
 accomplishments – and while he would always stand ready to forgive, he 
did not forget. Only months ago, he pledged to visit the nation’s 
southern border and be arrested once again, to protest immigration 
policies that he felt violated basic human rights.The Associated Press reported Saturday that Lewis wept watching the video of George Floyd’s
 death at the hands of police in Minnesota: “I kept saying to myself: 
How many more? How many young Black men will be murdered?” Yet, the AP 
report said, he “declared, or at least dared to hope: ‘We’re one people,
 we’re one family. We all live in the same house, not just the American 
house but the world house’.”On June 7, he visited the Black Lives Matter Plaza street painting in
 Washington, D.C., calling it a “powerful work of art” and saying it was
 “a mighty, powerful and strong message to the world that we will get 
there.”Want to know the details of the life of this remarkable man? He 
co-wrote a graphic novel trilogy, “March,” with Andrew Aydin, about his 
life and the civil rights movement, published in 2013, with a sequel, 
“Run,” released in 2018. A documentary about Lewis titled “Good Trouble”
 was released in June, and he will be the subject of a new book out Aug.
 25 by acclaimed author Jon Meacham, “His Truth Is Marching On: John 
Lewis and the Power of Hope.”In his public comments, Lewis spoke in measured tones softened with a
 Southern lilt, acquired he said, when preaching at a young age to the 
family chickens that were his chore to tend. He used that voice to 
create verbal images that will linger for some time.The last living speaker from the 1963 March highlighted by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s
 “I Have a Dream” speech, Lewis was cajoled into toning down his planned
 criticism of the then-Kennedy administration’s civil rights record.Nonetheless, Lewis, then just 23, energized the massive audience in 
advance of King’s remarks when he declared, “By the force of our 
demands, our determination and our numbers, we shall splinter the 
segregated South into a thousand pieces and put them together in the 
image of God and democracy.&nbsp;We must say: ‘Wake up, America!&nbsp;Wake up!’ 
For we cannot stop, and we will not and cannot be patient.”Throughout his public service, Lewis never stopped encouraging others
 – particularly younger Americans – to “make some noise” via their 
freedoms of speech, reminding them to also gain attention through the 
news media.Lewis often told listeners that, “If it had not been for the press, 
the civil rights movement would have been like a bird without wings.”In 2017, the Freedom Forum, a nonpartisan foundation dedicated to 
fostering First Amendment freedoms for all, awarded Lewis a Free 
Expression Award for Lifetime Achievement. At one of several speeches at
 the Freedom Forum’s Newseum, Lewis said, “I don’t know where this 
nation would be, I don’t know where I would be today without the 
guarantees of the First Amendment.”I suspect we all can answer those two rhetorical questions. Without 
the guarantees of the First Amendment, our nation would be poorer in 
spirit, equality and civic health.And where would John Lewis be? I’ve no doubt – First Amendment or not
 – that he would be on the front lines of a righteous cause, bolstered 
by deep faith, forcefully speaking and writing, organizing and inspiring
 others to join that movement, while demanding justice for all.A lifetime of public service that led to public good. A life that was
 unique, energized, engaged and inspiring. And a First Amendment freedom
 legacy for the ages.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>.

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