A couple of weeks ago a lady asked my 3 ½ year old grandson what his favorite thing to drink was. He quickly answered “water is my favorite.” Of course my daughter was nearby and feeling pretty proud of his answer, knowing that a lot of kids would have chosen a sugary drink as their favorite. With the hotter temperatures here to stay it is the perfect time to remind everyone about the importance of staying hydrated and making water your first choice.

Drinking plenty of fluids each day helps to replenish essential body fluids, and more is needed as summer temperatures and humidity rise. We sometimes forget that 55 B 75 percent of the body=s weight is water; the brain is 70 percent water; blood is 82 percent water, and the lungs are nearly 90 percent water. Water is also responsible for carrying nutrients and oxygen to cells; cushions organs, tissue, bones and joints; removes waste; and regulates body temperature.

In high heat, humidity, and times of high activity, such as working outdoors or participating in athletic activities, water is lost through perspiration, which helps cool the body through the evaporation of fluids on the skin. Exposure to the sun or a sunburn will speed fluid loss, and so will drinking beverages containing caffeine or alcohol, which both act as diuretics. Fluid replacement is essential, but it is best to not wait until you are thirsty. Excessive water loss or dehydration can impair body function and lead to heat exhaustion and/or heat stroke that can be life threatening.

Water is recommended for the majority of the fluid replacement because it is readily absorbed; cool water is preferred because it is absorbed more readily than hot or ice water. Foods that have a high water content are also great to include. Consider choosing melons and other fruits, tomatoes and other vegetables, soups, smoothies, puddings, and gelatin salads. Sports beverages may be helpful for athletes who are exercising more than one hour and are in need of electrolytes and quick energy, but consider diluting them with water in order to reduce calories. Other sweetened beverages like sodas or energy drinks only provide empty calories to your daily food intake. Limit the consumption of these and other high caffeine choices as you strive for a healthier lifestyle.

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

Donna Krug, is the District Director and Family & Consumer Science Agent with K-State Research and Extension B Cottonwood District. She may be reached at (620)793-1910 or [email protected]

By RON WILSON
Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development

“We can deliver.” In the business community, it is vital that a company delivers on its promises. Delivery is important in other ways as well. What if a company could find a better way to deliver a medicine or treatment to a particular target in cells inside the body? Today we’ll learn about an innovative Kansas company which is using amazing technology to accomplish such a goal in medicine, animal and plant health.

Randall Tosh is CEO of Phoreus Biotechnology, Inc. in Olathe, Kansas. He grew up on a farm in northeast Kansas and got a degree in agriculture from K-State. He worked in international marketing for the State of Kansas and Commonwealth of Australia before becoming executive vice president of an animal health technology company in Olathe.

In that capacity, he met Dr. John Tomich, professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics and director of the Biotechnology/Proteomics Core Facility at K-State. “He was brilliant,” Randall said.

Dr. Tomich helped with experimental formulations of various products. In 2017, he mentioned to Randall that he had developed and patented a particular technology with a lot of promise. “Would you be interested in this technology?” he asked. As Randall explored the possible applications of the technology, he became more and more interested.

The trademarked name for this type of technology is Branched Amphipathic Peptide Capsules, or BAPC for short. BAPC technology works at the nanoscopic scale, meaning one billionth of a meter. At this incredibly tiny scale, Dr. Tomich and his researchers found that these capsules could function as nanocarriers to carry small molecules, proteins and nucleic acids into cells, for example. Essentially, this represented a new drug delivery system. The potential impact of this technology was enormous.

In fall 2017, Randall and his partners entered into conversations with the KSU Research Foundation about getting licensed to commercialize the technology. “Lindsay Biggs and Christopher Brandt (at the research foundation) have been fantastic,” Randall said. When licensing appeared certain in February 2018, Randall and partners formed a new business to implement the commercialization. The business was called Phoreus Biotechnology, Inc. It is now a commercial tenant at K-State-Olathe.

“The name Phoreus comes from the Greek, meaning `to carry’ or `to bear,’” Randall said. “Our technological platform works as a carrier to make other ingredients more effective and have more persistency,” Randall said.

In other words, BAPC is not the active ingredient in a given product, but it provides a new and more effective way to deliver the active ingredient to where it needs to be. These carriers are infinitesimal in size and are programmable on a scale of nanometers.

What could all this mean? The Phoreus website says BAPC technology can “offer substantially increased efficacy in the creation and delivery of novel vaccines, cancer therapies, alternative antibiotics and biopesticides for improved human, animal, plant and environmental health around the world.”

Currently, there are some classes of drugs which have difficulty being absorbed in the body. BAPC technology can overcome those obstacles. Furthermore, BAPC technology can deliver an ingredient with negligible cytotoxicity or damage to other cells.

In cancer therapy, for example, BAPC technology could allow the treatment to be targeted to cancerous cells while not disturbing the normal cells. In pest control, it could target the treatment at the parasite while leaving other insects unharmed.

“This is a fantastic technology,” Randall said. “Our company will spend research dollars here and employ people here as we grow,” he said. Such investment is important to him as a native Kansan. He grew up on the Tosh family farm which was located between the rural communities of Nortonville, population 613, and Effingham, population 588 people. Now, that’s rural.

Phoreus Biotechnology is now raising investor funding and seeking needed regulatory agency approvals. For more information, see www.phoreusbiotech.com.

“We can deliver.” That claim is important for any company, but this company is finding new ways to deliver medicines and treatments more effectively at the cellular level. We salute Randall Tosh, Dr. John Tomich and all those involved with Phoreus Biotechnology for making a difference with technological innovation which can deliver.

Summertime is known for its heat. Add some rainy days to the mix, and this combination can be the recipe for the development of blue-green algae, according to a toxicologist at the Kansas State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, a part of Kansas State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine.



Also known as cyanobacteria, blue-green algae may bloom in fresh water where environmental conditions make it possible for these organisms to grow and replicate rapidly. Conditions typically associated with blue-green algae development include warm weather, lots of sunlight and the presence of nutrients in the water, which often are the result of agricultural runoff.



Steve Ensley, a clinical veterinary toxicologist at Kansas State University, said health problems can arise when animals and people come into contact with the various toxins produced by cyanobacteria. The most prominent problem involves a toxin called microcystin, which affects the gastrointestinal tract and liver.

When animals are exposed to this toxin, they may experience vomiting or diarrhea, Ensley said. If the cyanobacteria exposure is severe, it can be lethal and cause liver failure in animals.

Although gastrointestinal problems and liver failure also are possible in humans after blue-green algae exposure, Ensley said irritant effects are more common. Humans often experience skin rashes, sneezing, coughing, irritated eyes, running noses and conjunctivitis after blue-green algae exposure.

”If there is a bloom in a body of water that animals are drinking out of, then we need to move them away from it as fast as we can,” Ensley said. “Fence off that water source if at all possible.

“

If livestock and/or pet owners are worried that their animals could potentially be exposed to blue-green algae, then they should regularly check for signs of its development, Ensley said.



“There is some confusion between the blue-green algae blooms and other vegetation on water,” he said. “If a blue-green algae bloom occurs, then it looks like blue or green paint was spilled on the surface of nonmoving water.”

With warm weather and rainy days on the rise, the risk of blue-green algae blooms may not slow down soon.



“It’s going to be a concern until we get into cooler weather, so it may be a problem until September as long as the weather stays warm and we continue to get rainfall. Rain causes lakes and ponds to become enriched with an excess amount of nutrients, like phosphorus and nitrogen, causing the bacteria to bloom at a more rapid pace.”



Water samples for blue-green algae identification can be submitted to the Kansas State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory. When collecting a water sample, the laboratory recommends using gloves to prevent skin contact. Collect about 20 fluid ounces — or 500 milliliters — in a clean, leak-proof container, and include any visible scum. Keep the sample refrigerated, not frozen. Samples should be shipped to the laboratory in an insulated box with a cold pack. For more information, please contact the Kansas State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory at 866-512-5650 or email [email protected].

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 [email protected] or calling 620-793-1910

Are some of your tomatoes showing a sunken, brown leathery patch on the bottom of the fruit? If so, you probably have what is called blossom-end rot. Appearing most frequently on tomatoes, blossom-end rot can also affect peppers, squash and even watermelons.

Though not a disease, this condition is caused by a deficiency of calcium during the formation of the fruit. And, as a calcium deficiency, it is often assumed that this is due to a corresponding lack of that element in the soil. This is not necessarily the case, especially in this part of Kansas. That is because our Kansas soils are mostly derived from limestone, which is partially made up of calcium. So, what causes blossom-end rot?

Actually, there are a number of possible causes, especially on tomatoes. Some of these causes are listed here below:

1) Tomato tops often outgrow the root system during cooler spring weather. As long as it is cool, the root system can keep up with this growth. But when the weather gets hot and dry, the plant becomes stressed, sending water — which contains calcium—to the leaves, bypassing the fruit. The plant eventually responds with new root growth and the condition corrects itself after a couple of weeks.

2) Heavy fertilization, especially with ammonium forms of nitrogen, can encourage this condition.  Heavy fertilization encourages more top than root growth and the ammonium form of nitrogen competes with calcium for uptake.  If blossom-end rot has been a perpetual problem with your tomatoes, try using calcium nitrate (15-0-0) when fertilizing.

3) Anything that disturbs roots such as hoeing too deep can encourage blossom-end rot. Mulching helps because it keeps the soil surface cooler and therefore a better environmental condition for root growth.

4) Inconsistent watering can be a factor also. Keep the soil moist, but not water logged. 
   Mulching can help by moderating moisture levels over time. You should also avoid doing any damage to the roots as well as watch the type and amount of fertilization you apply.

Soils with adequate calcium will not benefit from adding additional calcium. However, if your soil is deficient in this nutrient, add 1 pound of gypsum per 100 square feet. Gypsum is calcium sulfate and will not affect pH, (though calcium tends to raise pH, sulfate lowers it and the two cancel each other out). Even if calcium is not needed, the gypsum will not hurt anything.

It has also been observed that spraying plants with calcium has no effect in preventing blossom-end rot. The fruit’s waxy surface doesn’t allow absorption of the material, nor does calcium move from the leaves to the fruit.

Rip Winkel is the Horticulture agent in the Cottonwood District (Barton and Ellis Counties) for K-State Research and Extension. You can contact him by e-mail at [email protected] or calling either 785-682-9430, or 620-793-1910.

Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach has been on vivid display in federal courtrooms over the past year, and his performance there tells Kansas Republicans all they need to know about his capacity to be the next governor of Kansas. He clearly lacks the competence and character to be elected to higher office.

Last week Kobach’s signature “proof-of-citizenship” law was set aside. Federal Judge Julie Robinson, an appointee of Republican President George W. Bush, ruled that the law infringed on the National Voter Registration Act and the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. According to the Court, that law blocked tens of thousands of eligible citizens from registering to vote and constituted an undue burden on their right to vote. The Judge also gave Kobach detailed instructions for informing eligible voters of their right to vote and complying with her orders.

The case had been Kobach’s opportunity to showcase his 2010 campaign claims that “the illegal registration of alien voters has become pervasive.” Instead, courtroom proceedings stripped bare Kobach’s public bloviating on illegal voting and revealed his lack of preparation, inadequacies in assembling evidence, ignorance of judicial procedure, and willful violation of elementary courtroom rules.

In an extraordinary action the Judge also ordered Kobach to undergo remedial education as a result of his courtroom ineptitude.

Kobach represented himself in the case and appeared to be heading a band of Keystone Cops that included “expert” witnesses lacking credentials, presenters of flawed research, and ill-prepared election officials. Their testimony was shredded by well-prepared and highly-competent plaintiffs’ attorneys.

The case revealed that over nearly twenty years not one non-citizen had been charged with trying to register to vote in Kansas. Only one had been convicted of illegally voting in that time period. That compares to over 30,000 eligible voters placed in suspension by Kobach and his prized legislation.

Last April, before the current case was decided, Judge Robinson found Kobach in contempt of court and fined him over $50,000 in court costs for violating her earlier court order. In that instance Kobach had failed to inform suspended voters that they were eligible to vote. The Kansas House passed a bill requiring Kobach to pay that bill personally but later backed off.

Last year in federal court Kobach was reprimanded and fined $1,000 for “patently misleading representations” in defending his convoluted two-tier voting scheme. He appealed only to have another federal judge uphold the fine based on Kobach’s pattern of deception in statements to the court.

Lawsuits cling to Kobach like flypaper. President Trump established a voter integrity commission as an opportunity for Kobach to document claims of illegal voting but within months disbanded the commission as legal challenges piled up. Last week Kobach was sued again over his negligent disclosure of private information on a thousand Kansas voters.

Some Republicans may admire zealotry in prosecuting voting fraud by non-citizens. But after seven years in office Kobach appeared in court ill-prepared and lacking in evidence. In his reckless quest he has been cited in contempt of court for repeated misleading representations, defiance of court orders, and violations of judicial procedure.

Kansas Republicans should expect their nominee for governor to demonstrate competence in office and integrity with respect to the rule of law. Kobach’s courtroom antics show him to be utterly deficient on both counts.

Flentje is professor emeritus and Wichita State University and served with Kansas Governors Bennett and Hayden.

 

In Kansas, 198 of every 100,000 males die annually from cancer. Research shows men are less likely to visit the doctor regularly than women, so they may be missing out on important preventive health visits and screenings. This is especially concerning because men are more likely to die from cancer than women. About 856,370 men in the U.S. will be diagnosed with cancer in 2018, and an estimated 323,630 will die of the disease this year.

Fortunately, the most commonly diagnosed cancers in men—prostate, lung and colorectal cancers—can often be prevented or detected early. June is Men’s Health Month, and there’s no better time to make an appointment with your health care professional or encourage the men in your life to schedule theirs. Make the most of the visit by learning your cancer risk factors (including family history) and screening recommendations before you go.

Aside from skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in American men, affecting mainly those ages 65 and older. African-American men are more than twice as likely to die from prostate cancer as any other racial or ethnic group. Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing may help detect prostate cancer early, but you should talk to your health care professional about the benefits and harms of screening.

Lung cancer is the most deadly form of cancer for both men and women. About 80 percent of cases are attributed to smoking, but nonsmokers are at risk through secondhand smoke and environmental exposure to radon or other carcinogens, which could be found in your home or office building. If you’re a heavy smoker or former smoker, that has smoked two packs of cigarettes per day for 15 years, low-dose CT screening can help find lung cancer early, when successful treatment is more likely.

Colorectal cancer is most common in those ages 50 and over, but rates in younger people are increasing. Risk factors include inflammatory bowel disease, such as Crohn’s disease, a family history of colorectal cancer or colorectal polyps, smoking, being overweight or obese, consuming alcohol in excess and eating a lot of red or processed meats. Screening is recommended for those at average risk beginning at age 50 and can detect pre-cancerous polyps or cancer cells early, when they can be removed or treated more easily.

Visiting a health care professional and getting recommended screenings are important parts of cancer prevention, but you can also reduce your risk by maintaining a healthy weight, exercising regularly, not smoking, limiting alcohol intake and eating a nutritious diet. To learn more about cancer prevention and early detection, visit www.preventcancer.org.

Laina Marshall is the spouse of Representative Roger Marshall, MD and a member of the Prevent Cancer Foundation’s Congressional Families Cancer Prevention Program. Statistics provided by the American Cancer Society, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the National Cancer Institute.

Today’s livestock producers must consider their vocation a noble profession. By continuing to care for, and nurture their animals, while telling this story, farmers and ranchers can preserve their freedom to operate and maintain successful animal agriculture in the United States.

So how do farmers and ranchers do this?

To begin with, livestock producers must understand how consumers think and feel. Get inside their heads if you will. Get inside their hearts.

Today’s consumers consider farmers and ranchers responsible for the humane treatment of their animals.

In a recent consumer survey, people rated animal well-being higher than the care and well-being of workers in the food system. It did not rank as high as food safety however.

It is not science, technical capacity or ability that drives trust, instead, it is whether consumers believe agriculture shares their ethics and values.

Farmers and ranchers must talk about their commitment to doing the right thing – their commitment to values and ethics – not just science. While agriculture has plenty of evidence to demonstrate this profession is doing the right thing, it relies too much on that language. It is more important to engage the public on a value’s basis.

The most important job moving forward, is to communicate in a way that helps people trust in what farmers and ranchers say and do. Too often livestock producers take for granted that rural neighbors know and understand who they are and what they do.

Farming and ranching can no longer take this for granted. Agriculture continues to change and evolve and still most of the people in the United States today are not involved in farming and ranching.

At no time in the history of this country have Americans know so little about where their food comes from. What they want is “permission to believe” that what farmers and ranchers are doing is consistent with their values and ethics.

In some instances, telling the story of food production to consumers may move to the point where farmers and ranchers show people what is taking place on this nation’s farms and ranches.

Unfortunately, the perception is that when we don’t show them – we’re hiding something. That said, there clearly remain legitimate reasons, from disease prevention to biosecurity, not to allow unfettered access to farms and ranches.

Livestock production or animal agriculture in the most affluent country in the world is faced with special challenges and opportunities. Among those challenges is that Americans spend such a small percentage of their income on food that they can demand food where they want it, when they want it, in the proportion they want it and produced in a humane way.

Still, there’s no doubt agriculture will win this battle for the hearts and minds of consumers.

Farmers and ranchers must remember whom they are trying to influence. Customers and consumers need to hear from livestock producers.

It is not productive for the agriculture community to attack activist ag groups. Instead, agriculture must retake its rightful position as the people in charge of ensuring the humane treatment of animals.

Farmers and ranchers must continue to tell people they share their concerns and will work hard every day to make sure animals are treated fairly and humanely. Agriculture must also share with consumers how they meet their obligations to humanely treat animals on the farms and ranches across the United States.

John Schlageck, a Hoxie native, is a leading commentator on agriculture and rural Kansas.

For the folks who hang out at the Statehouse—and for more conventional Kansans—Saturday is New Year’s Eve, though we’re not sure just who’s going to have parties celebrating the clock ticking off the last few seconds of Kansas Fiscal Year 2018.

In the last few seconds of this fiscal year, state agencies will see the current budget expire and the new fiscal year budget open…and some agencies will see increases in funding, increases in responsibility, and the dawning of yet another year of activity.

The budget increases? Look for public schools to get about $185 million more to spend to educate the kids, look for maybe $80 million more for repairs to state highways.

But for many Kansans, there are going to be some probably less earth-rattling new laws that will become effective July 1—New Year’s Day.

One of those new bills eliminates the criminal penalty for breaking out the window of a steamy-hot car to rescue a child, an elderly person or a pet whose health is jeopardized by being in a closed car as temperatures rise to life-threatening levels. Hard to imagine many Kansans wouldn’t make that rescue when they see a child or adult or pet in obvious danger of overheating, but the new law means that the forgetful or negligent driver of that car can’t sue you for the damage to the window to prevent the much more severe damage to a person or pet. Just stay with the car—and the persons or pet you have saved—and call the cops.

Oh, and some folks, besides shopping for the champagne and snacks for their New Year’s Eve party, also will be picking up brochures on cars at local dealers to leaf through while wearing party hats because July 1 is the day that Kansas will stop collecting sales tax on manufacturer rebates on new cars. Until July 1 even though you didn’t pay that rebate and it lowered the cost of the car, you still pay sales tax on that rebate. Make any sense? Not really, but that’s over on July 1. You don’t pay sales tax on money you didn’t spend for the car.

So logical—and expected to save Kansas car buyers about $3 million a year for the next four years—that it expires in four years to give lawmakers a chance to pass the bill again to the likely excitement of new-car buyers in a new election cycle.

And starting with New Year Fiscal Year 2019, we better pay more attention to zooming around trash trucks that are doing their duty. No more zooming, while folks are emptying those trash cans into the trucks. Move over to the other lane, or at least slow down so you don’t present a danger to the trash collectors. To prepare us for that change in law, for the next year you get a warning ticket, and after that, a $45 ticket for endangering those trucks. Probably about two months’ trash pickup fee in many urban areas. So, if you haven’t been careful, start watching out.

And…if you’ve been naughty, or someone thinks you have, the state is lifting that prohibition of service of civil (not criminal, of course) process on Saturday. That’s the paperwork from any district court in a civil suit—think, maybe, divorce? —that current law doesn’t allow to be served on Saturday because Saturday is the Sabbath for some religions. Effect? It means that Saturday is no longer a protected day for getting those court notes…and that process server probably will be working weekends in the New Year.

Happy New Year!

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 www.hawvernews.com

By JOHN P. TRETBAR

The government reported record U.S. crude production for the second week in a row. The Energy Information Administration says operators produced 10.9 million barrels of crude oil per day last week, equal to the week before, which was the highest weekly figure ever.

The United States has once again surpassed Saudi Arabia as the world’s largest holder of recoverable oil. The research firm Rystad Energy reports the US has added close to 50 billion barrels to its total over the last year and now holds an estimated 310 billion barrels of recoverable oil with current technologies, equal to 79 years of US oil production at present output levels. The report credits the rise mostly to a doubling of hydraulic fracturing operations in the Permian basin. Texas alone now holds more than 100 billion barrels of recoverable oil, 90% of which is from shale or other tight formations.

Operators across Kansas filed 43 new drilling permits last week, 27 east of Wichita and 16 in western Kansas, including one each in Ellis and Russell counties. Independent Oil and Gas Service reports 21 new well completions in eastern Kansas and 27 west of Wichita for a weekly total of 48 completions, 702 so far this year. There were three wells completed in Ellis County last week and one in Stafford County.

Baker Hughes reported 1,052 active oil and gas drilling rigs across the US, down one oil rig and six seeking natural gas. The count in Louisiana dropped four rigs. Oklahoma dropped by two and Texas was down one.

Independent Oil and Gas Service reported 18 active rigs in eastern Kansas, up five for the week, and 30 west of Wichita, up two. Drilling was underway at one lease in Ellis County. They’re moving in completion tools at five sites in Barton County, and five in Ellis County.

OPEC and its allies agreed to raise production by about 1 million barrels per day. This marks a compromise with Russia, which wanted bigger increases, and Iran, which doesn’t have the spare capacity to take advantage of the hikes.

A power outage last week at Syncrude Canada’s oil sands facility near Fort McMurray, Alberta took the facility offline at least through July. With the site’s 360,000 barrels per day production offline, space should open in the region’s pipeline capacity, and that could reduce the discounts on Canada’s heavy crude.

The oil patch in Oklahoma is mirroring earlier reports in Texas: across the country we’re producing more oil and gas with fewer employees. A report from the Oklahoma City branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City says productivity in the U.S. oil and gas extraction sector has more than doubled in five years. In both Oklahoma and the United States, total oil and gas production is now about 10 percent higher than its previous record highs reached in mid-2015. Despite that, the report notes that rig counts and oil and gas employment in both Oklahoma and nation remain well below previous peaks.

Pipeline capacity may turn out to be the biggest obstacle to U.S. and Canadian production growth. Crude-by-rail exports from Western Canada to the U.S. reached a three-year high in March of just over 170,000 barrels per day according to the Canadian Press. Producers had been forced to accept bigger price discounts and, in some cases, curtail production, as export pipelines filled to near capacity earlier this year. Takeaway capacity is also reaching critical in the Permian Basin, where Goldman Sachs writes that producers could see discounts of around $20/bbl well into next year.

Reuters reports operators are returning to old plays, long past their peak, armed with new technology from shale operations. Wildhorse Resource Development is among the operators giving the Austin Chalk formation a second look using technology developed for fracking shale. Production from the Austin Chalk jumped 50% year-on-year to 57,000 barrels per day last year. It was just 3,000 barrels per day five years ago.

Wichita oil man Robert E. Campbell has donated $1 million to the Kansas State University College of Business Administration. K-State will name the dean’s suite in its business school in honor of Mr. Campbell, who graduated from KSU in 1950. Campbell is 93.

Friend,

As a member of the House Agriculture Committee, I have spent countless hours advocating on behalf of the agricultural industry in Kansas. I led a listening tour across our district to hear the ideas and concerns of farmers, ranchers and anyone impacted by the bill. We discussed trade, nutrition, commodity programs, and other issues anticipated to be a part of this year’s agricultural policy changes. Last week, the House of Representatives passed their version of a crucial five-year Farm Bill.

The 2018 Agriculture and Nutrition Act (H.R. 2) protects crop insurance, simplifies conservation programs, and rolls back heavy-handed federal regulations placed on farmers and ranchers. This legislation strengthens our farmers’ safety net, expands rural broadband access, restores funding for trade promotion programs, invests in animal health, and includes programs designed to help young and beginning farmers.

I am anxious to pass immigration reform this week, it must be done.

Fallen Teachers Memorial Ceremony 

The Fallen Educators Memorial honors teachers, administrators, and staff members who lost their lives while working for our nation’s schools. Senator Moran and I both put forth legislation, to declare this memorial a national monument that passed back in April. Friday evening, I attended the National Teachers Hall of Fame’s Fallen Teacher Memorial Ceremony in Emporia, KS.

The role that educators play within our nation is critical. From teaching students the basic skills of reading and writing, to challenging them to think critically and expand their knowledge, the influence educators have has helped shape the history, as well as the future, of our nation.

Teachers routinely make sacrifices to pursue careers in education. However, this monument recognizes educators who sacrificed more than they could have ever imagined when they followed their calling to help our young people. I am disheartened to see that there are now over 130 names on the wall.

These names on this memorial should serve as a reminder to us all of the dedication of our educators. Through the National Fallen Educator Memorial Act, I’m proud to partner with Senator Jerry Moran and the members of our Kansas delegation to do our small part in ensuring we have an appropriate place to remember these men and women.

Talking Tariffs with Shield Ag Company

I stopped by Shield Ag Equipment, based out of South Hutchinson, last Monday. Shield Ag designs, manufactures and distributes tools and hardware blades for tillage equipment. The pieces are shipped to more than 2,000 distributors and dealers across the United States and nine foreign countries.

On my visit, we discussed the impact that the steel and aluminum tariffs are having on their business. Across Kansas, these taxes are hurting farmers by limiting markets for their products but also making the products and equipment they use much more expensive. The 25-percent tariffs, which will officially hit Shield this week, will cost farmers five cents more per-acre over the life of the equipment, a financial burden farmers should not have to shoulder right now. It is very clear that these tariffs are not sustainable. The ripple effects are observable from ag equipment companies, producers, and even our aviation industry. I have expressed my concerns directly to the administration, and I will continue to fight tooth and nail against these types of trade policies.

It will take everyone to stop the Opioid Crisis

I had the chance to address Congress on Tuesday and reaffirm some components of this crisis that I feel are important in creating steps to finding a permanent solution to opioid and narcotic addiction. On the House floor I highlighted a community practice that I saw assessing and implementing ways to combat this crisis. The Hutchinson Clinic has created an office-wide task force with the goal to reduce the number of narcotics prescribed by medical staff and to identify patients at risk for addiction. I’m glad to see folks addressing this on a local level as we continue to work hard to fight this epidemic on a national level, it will take all of us to end this crisis.

Kansas NASA CosmoSphere

Hutchinson, Kansas was one of only three out of 43 cities selected to receive a $650,000 from NASA to promote STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education.

I got to visit the CosmoSphere, which is largely where the money will be going. At CosmoSphere I was shown all the hands-on learning and interactive educational tools that are currently available and the future of the facility with this investment from NASA. Our state is full of promising career fields that are in high demand for STEM skills and with this new donation, we will be able to get more young students excited and educated about this growing field.

SCOTUS Rules in Favor of States 

Thursday the United States Supreme Court ruled that states can collect sales taxes from online retailers under certain conditions. I have advocated for fairness and leveling the tax playing field long before my journey to Washington.

In Congress, I helped to introduce to the Remote Transactions Parity Act – HR 2193 which would have provided a structure to allow states to collect sales tax from out of state sellers while ensuring that small businesses that sell online aren’t overburdened.

The Supreme Court’s ruling reverses the previous case law that favored mega online corporations. The government shouldn’t be picking winners and losers among retailers. Excluding taxes on online retailers was wrong and detrimental to businesses across America. I believe this decision will provide a massive boost to our state’s main street businesses that have been fighting an unfair battle against out-of-state companies who do not pay sales taxes in our communities.

Visiting an Unaccompanied Alien Children facility in Tornillo

I headed to the U.S. Mexico border Saturday to assess the current situation at the border. During my visit, I met with representatives from Customs and Border Protection and visited an Unaccompanied Alien Children (UAC) facility in Tornillo, Texas.

A while back when our weather was so hot and dry, a friend told me she’d been hearing the call of a “rain crow” and asked me if I knew what kind of bird it was. She also said she had been seeing “sundogs” in the evening and that they were both supposedly predictors of rain. Now I remember when I was a kid, someone’s grandpa talking about a rain crow, or storm crow as he called it, and I knew absolutely zero about sundogs, but given their supposed rain prediction powers, I delved deeper.

I found numerous references to a “rain crow” and all seemed to agree that it was in fact a Yellow- Billed Cuckoo. Few, however wanted to stick their neck out concerning its rain prediction ability; one website tossed around the figure of 3 days from first hearing one until rain. Sundogs on the other hand, were quite a popular subject, and are ice crystals high in the atmosphere that, when sunlight shines through them can give the illusion of a second or third sun on each side of the actual sun. I’ve seen sun dogs a couple times over the years in the winter. But once again, however sundogs ties to predicting rain were sparse.

My search turned up so many proverbs and “old wives tales” concerning rain that I decided to enlist the help of Ross Jansen, Meteorologist at KWCH TV channel 12 and play an Exploring Kansas Outdoors version of Myth Busters. I read several rain prediction fables to Ross over the phone and got his take on each. Concerning sundogs, Ross says there is some correct science in tying sundogs to rain, in that the same ice crystals that cause them have the ability to form clouds containing rain. But as far as them predicting rain, Ross was hesitant to agree to that. Next I asked him about a ring around the moon predicting rain, and again he said that a ring around the moon indeed meant there was moisture at some level, but said it was so high up that the chance of it finding its way to us in the form of rain was nil.

“Red sky at night, sailors delight; red sky in morning, sailors take warning” is another widely quoted proverb about rain. Since weather patterns typically move across the country from west to east, the gist of the explanation is that a red morning sky means we are seeing sunlight through a weather system yet to come, while a red evening sky means we are seeing a weather system moving away from us. Ross said he has indeed noticed that morning thunderstorms often bring with them a red morning sky, and that there was again some correct science accompanying the tale. But also like the previous two fables, he felt it was a stretch to say that they actually predicted rain. We agreed to call these three myths SEMI-BUSTED.

Another proverb I found read “When grass is dry at night, look for rain before the light; when grass is dry at morning light, look for rain before the night.” This one uses the presence or absence of dew at certain times to predict rain. Ross says that the presence or absence of dew depends solely on night time temperatures and dew point temperatures and can find no link between them and a prediction for rain. We found this one BUSTED. The next was an Indian proverb that says “If the moon is red, of rain she speaks.” Ross says a red moon is red only because of smoke or dust; again BUSTED. Next I asked him about something I’ve always thought to be a rain predictor, that being the fact that birds fly lower and congregate on power lines just before a storm because the lower air pressure preceding a storm makes it tough for them to attain lift and fly. He debunked that also by telling me that when air pressure is low, the air as a whole actually rises; BUSTED again.

I could literally spend the next month cussing and discussing all the old time weather fables and proverbs I found while writing this piece. To those of you who put stock in any of the rain predictors I cast doubt upon, I’m sorry to have rained on your parade (yes, most certainly pun intended) even though I’m certain some of these hold true some of the time. Ross even says that his mom swears by an old tale that says it will rain 100 days after a fog; she even keeps track of it on her calendar. Maybe that will win me back some points and make you feel better again about your favorite weather tales knowing that the weather guy’s mom even believes them! …Continue to Explore Kansas Outdoors.

Steve Gilliland, Inman, can be contacted by email at [email protected]

Humans naturally seek happiness—some carry lucky charms or practice mystic rituals to attract it. Others find inviting blue birds to the yard does the job. Apparently, such choices aren’t unique to modern humans. For eons, world cultures have honored timid, sky-colored creatures as omens of good fortune.

Nearly 2000 years before Christ, Chinese storytellers wrote about a bluebird that delivered messages from the Queen Mother of the West, an immortal. Native American societies also celebrated these brilliantly-hued beings. Some tales associate them with the rising sun. In fact, the Navajo still sing the bluebird song as part of their winter Nightway Ceremony. European cultures, as well, included these beauties in literature involving a fairy-tale search for the bluebird of happiness.

Considering their history, it’s not surprising these pretty birds are beloved. Unfortunately, like many species, their habitat’s changing and invasive species increasingly compete for food and nesting sites. Residing on the prairie is even more difficult for this cavity dweller who seeks hollow trees or posts to set up housekeeping.

To complicate matters, the azure darts are finicky. They require nests a 100-yards distant from other hopeful parents and cleared landscape around their homestead. Healthy sparrow, sharp shinned, and Cooper’s hawk populations lurk close by, so a view increases survivability for adults and offspring. However, it makes it difficult to attract the picky rascals to nest near humans.

Despite these creatures’ suspicious natures, shrewd birders can entice them to live close enough to watch their broods mature. Visit a garden shop or online site to learn more about this species’ housing requirements. Carpenters can construct summer rentals designed specifically to attract them. Others can buy well-designed blue bird boxes.

Cedar siding offers a good structure choice. Craft a watertight roof and a floor with small drainage holes. Blue birds aren’t just harbingers of happiness. They’re tidy as well so select nesting structures with bottoms that easily open for spring cleanings. One source suggests leaving the inside unpainted rough wood to encourage easy fledging.

To discourage rival species, build or buy nesting boxes with entry holes no larger than 1 ½ inches wide. Starlings won’t fit in that opening. To further discourage invaders, exclude external perches. Blue birds don’t need them. They’re also satisfied with a 4” x4” nesting space, which is too small for competing sparrows. Conveniently, such units fit atop fence posts.

After offering species-specific housing, further improve the environment by providing shallow pans filled with fresh water. Place savory snacks nearby. Blue birds are insect and fruit eaters so don’t offer seeds. One authority recommended chopping berries into pieces or even offering meal worms as motivators to relocate. With plenty of live bugs and wild currant available, we’ve never bought treats.

Once you convince them to move in, the fun begins. Despite their shy nature, these heralds of joy are natural entertainers. Their aerial acrobatics turn insect catching into comic entertainment. Watch mom splash in the birdbath with her babes for twenty minutes of bliss. Observing them pop in and out of their tiny doorways as they feed young stills racing pulses and lowers human blood pressure.

It requires effort to convince blue birds to call your yard theirs, but once they move in, you’ll see why humans from the beginning of time have invited them to live nearby and woven them into their shared stories.

Native Kansan Karen Madorin is a local writer and retired teacher who loves sharing stories about places, people, critters, plants, food, and history of the High Plains.

It can happen to any of us. One week we feel fine, the next we’re overwhelmed with feelings of anxiety, lethargy, even depression.  Or maybe a change in demeanor happens to someone we know or care about – our spouse or child may struggle with stress, depression or addiction. In fact, one in five American adults is affected each year by a mental, behavioral, or emotional disorder.¹

Knowing how and where to get help for ourselves or others can be daunting. People experiencing mental health or substance use issues may be reluctant or embarrassed to seek help. Others are unable to find, get to, or afford care. In 2016, less than half of U.S. adults with a mental health condition received mental health treatment.²   The good news is that local mental health resources such as free confidential crisis phone lines and online support are available 24/7 to those in need.

Don’t overlook another possible option. People covered by employer-sponsored benefit plans often have access to mental health care. Support can range from confidential employee assistance programs – or EAPs – to help with connecting to a mental health provider for an in-person or online visit for personal issues such as depression, substance abuse, coping with grief and loss and medication management among other personal challenges.

Difficult mental health concerns can be dealt with in the same way other health care issues are addressed: making a call or going online and getting connected to care. To better understand what benefits and resources may be available to you, call the number on the back of your health plan ID card to talk to an advocate, or visit a dedicated member portal for information that may help you:

• Search for care options. Advocates and 24/7 online tools can provide information on where to find care near you. Many plans offer the option of seeing an in-network provider in person or scheduling a confidential virtual visit via a smartphone or computer.

• Understand the cost of care. While costs can vary, some mental health services are included in your health benefits plan. This could include seeking a referral or getting help to see an in-network provider which could result in savings.

• Shorten the wait-time to see an in-network provider. Some benefits plans can help members secure an appointment within five days.

Knowing where and how to get help for mental health issues is one of the best things we can do for ourselves or those we care about. Take a few minutes today and check into local crisis phone lines, 24/7 online support or available employer-sponsored benefits.

To be most effective in crisis situations, it’s important to remain calm and collected. If there are imminent safety concerns, the person should be transported to an emergency room (ER) if possible. If they are not safe for personal transport to the ER, calling 911 may be necessary.

For more information and links to mental health support resources in your area, visit the National Alliance on Mental Illness at www.nami.org or call the NAMI HelpLine at (800)-950-NAMI (6264).

1. National Institute of Mental Health. Available at: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/mental-illness.shtml#part_154785

2. National Institute of Mental Health. Available at: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/mental-illness.shtml#part_154790

Dr. Tony Sun, M.D., is Chief Medical Officer for UnitedHealthcare of Kansas.