St. Francis Xavier Church
Anne Gagel of Shawnee Mission
American Association of Colleges of Nursing
Jane Carpenter of Topeka
Debbie Isaacson of Topeka
Cheryl Giefer of Pittsburg
Ken Giefer of Pittsburg
Alliance to End Hunger
Yvonne Montoya of Salina
Benedictine College
Stephen Minnis of Atchison
Kevin Vance of Atchison
Bartlett
Bill Webster of Prairie Village
Navy League of the United States
Ward Cook of Prairie Village
Dangerous Times Around the World Joining Fox News
I joined Fox News to discuss America’s role in supporting Israel, our strongest ally in the Middle East, in their fight against Hamas. I stressed the importance of taking a firm stance against Iran and their proxies, who have openly attacked both our allies around the world as well as American bases in Syria and Iraq. The Biden administration needs to respond to these acts and cannot simply look on as Iran, Russia, China and other adversaries impose their authoritarian overreach. You can watch my full interview with Fox News here.
Questioning the Secretary of State & Defense Secretary
On Tuesday, I questioned Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken about the President’s emergency supplemental appropriations request. I take seriously Congress’ constitutional responsibility to determine how the United States spends its resources. To that end, I will not rubber stamp the President’s request but will work with my colleagues on the Senate Committee on Appropriations to determine how to best ensure the safety and security of the American public. Ensuring those things starts with secure borders. Although Department of Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas is expected to testify at a later hearing, I relayed to the cabinet secretaries present that I expect the administration to work with Congress on substantive policy changes to deter and mitigate the harms caused by illegal immigration.
I also relayed to Secretaries Austin and Blinken that it is in our interest that Ukraine is successful in its defense against Putin’s unjust and illegal invasion. Any other result makes the world a more dangerous place. The United States must continue to send the message that we are faithful to our partners and allies to deter not just Russia, but China, Iran, and Hamas from causing harm to the free world.
Joining CNBC’s Squawk Box
On Thursday, I joined CNBC’s Squawk Box to address the important issues currently threatening our national security. The Senate Committee on Appropriations has been tasked with creating a funding package that will address the national security crisis happening at our southern border and help to bolster our Israeli and Ukrainian allies in their time of need. This vote will be one of the most consequential votes that we as a Congress will have to address, therefore it is necessary the United States stands strong in the face of adversity. I will continue working for Kansans and the American people to defend our great nation during this challenging time. See the rest of my See the rest of my interview here.
Breaking Ground in Leavenworth On Monday before returning to Washington, D.C., I was in Leavenworth to announce the construction of the new Federal Correctional Institution. More than 125 years ago, the federal government broke ground on what is now the oldest facility in the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Ever since then it has served as the flagship facility of the Bureau of Prisons. Generations of Kansans have served as correctional officers and staff at the facility and in doing so, have made invaluable contributions to the Department of Justice’s law enforcement mission and the public safety of our communities.
Over the past several years, I have used my role as Chairman and Ranking Member of the Appropriations Subcommittee with jurisdiction over the Bureau of Prisons to appropriate more than $500 million for the construction of a new Federal Correctional Institution and satellite Federal Prison Camp. This is the second-largest federal investment in Kansas history. The new facility will be built on undeveloped, federally-owned land, adjacent to the existing facility. Construction is expected to take approximately three years, with the current contract completion anticipated in May of 2026. I would like to thank the Director of the Bureau of Prisons Collette Peters, Sen. Roger Marshall, Governor Laura Kelly, Leavenworth Mayor Jermaine Wilson, and Warden Don Hudson for joining me in making this announcement.
Read more about the groundbreaking in the Kansas Reflector, here.
There will be a Work Session prior to the City Commission meeting on Tuesday, November 7th. The Work Session begins at 5:00PM and will be to discuss the housing incentives program policy. The regular City Commission meeting will then follow at 6:00PM.
December 1st, 2nd, and 3rd we are having our 7th Annual Christmas Show!
Friday night will kick off three days of shopping and socializing with the array of featured artists setting up shop here in the gallery and studio. Come in and get all your holiday shopping done early and support local downtown businesses!
It’s only natural that everyone has favorites. My favorite dog breeds have a smashed nose and short hair; favorite candy is milk chocolate; favorite season is summer, etc. My favorite grade-school teacher was Mrs. Zula Oldham because she was Dad’s first cousin, so that made her special to me. I can’t say I was her favorite student because she was too wise for that; she treated everyone in her classroom the same. When I was a kid I watched The Smothers Brothers show (1967-69) and I still remember how Tommy would tell Dickey, “Mom always liked you best.“ A mother should never have a favorite child but, for this comedy act, Mrs. Smothers did and it made America laugh out loud.
I’ve had some very important teachers in my life. My parents were wise and loving teachers and now that they’re gone, I continue to live by their example. Mrs. Murray was an exceptional piano teacher and I’m still playing and using the knowledge that she taught me. My high school Driver’s Ed teacher was a very brave man and I still utilize the safety precautions that he taught.
We never outgrow our need for a teacher. No matter how old we are, we simply don’t know everything there is to know. Life is full of daily situations where we have to make a decision, so we need help in making the right choice. The last thing we want to do is choose poorly and suffer the consequences. Jesus knew all about this serious dilemma and took care of it before He returned to Heaven.
“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will be your teacher in all things and will put you in mind of everything I have said to you” (John 14:26 BBE). I appreciate knowing that I have a “Teacher Spirit” inside me 24-7. It’s like having my own built-in teacher/counselor/helper that’s 100% accurate, dependable, and based on God’s Word. It’s comforting to know that the Holy Spirit is available and on standby for every believer. We should never underestimate or take for granted the wisdom, power, and presence of the Holy Spirit in our life.
I like to study scripture verses from different translations and let the truth sink in deeply. The Passion Translation for John 14:26 reads: “But when the Father sends the Spirit of Holiness, the One like Me who sets you free, He will teach you all things in My name. And He will inspire you to remember every word that I’ve told you.” God has given His Spirit to help us in our faith walk, and to give us wisdom and understanding as we endeavor to live in His will. The Helper (Holy Spirit) wants us to have insight into the big decisions in our life as well as the small. A spirit of peace will be the green light concerning the right choice. Allow peace to rule as the umpire in our decisions.
With so many countless paths to follow, we need to rely on God’s Word and the Holy Spirit to keep walking in the right direction of God’s will. Christ followers need to fine tune our hearts to hear the gentle Holy Spirit’s voice over all the others. There’s no limitations — the “Teacher Spirit” will teach us everything, whether big or small.
The Key: I’m still listening and learning, and my favorite Teacher is the Holy Spirit.
Interested in increasing your knowledge of nutrition, health, wellness, and food safety? If so, the Master Food Volunteer training is perfect for you! The Master Food Volunteer Program, which is modeled after the successful Master Gardener Program, provides a wide range of benefits. This training is being provided by the Southwind Extension District in collaboration with the Wildcat Extension District and the Marais des Cygnes Extension District. The majority of the training is completed online at your own pace, with three in-person labs. You’ll learn more about basic nutrition, meal planning, cooking techniques, seasonings and flavors, food preservation, food safety, and more.
Master Food Volunteers are people with interests in food, cooking, and nutrition who have gone through this training to take their expertise to a higher level in order to be able to give back to the community by volunteering at educational programs. Examples of programs supported by trained Master Food Volunteers in recent years have included summer youth cooking classes in Fort Scott and Bronson, as well as a breadmaking workshop in Fort Scott. If you are interested in joining this group, apply by December 1st. The training will take place in January and February 2024. Visit bit.ly/southwindmfv to learn more and find the application. Please note there is a $120 fee to complete the training.
For more information, contact Southwind District Nutrition, Food and Health Agent Clara (Wicoff) Misenhelter at (620) 365-2242 or [email protected].
Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service
K-State Research and Extension is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
Krista Harding is a K-State Research and Extension agent assigned to Southwind District. She may be reached at [email protected] or 620-244-3826.
Nothing is more important to success in the garden good soil. Time spent fertilizing, watering and tending to plants is necessary, but this time is almost a waste if the soil you’re working with is not in good condition. Fall is an excellent time to step back and analyze how well your garden performed during the summer, and to make improvements to the soil.
Soil is formed when rock is broken down by climate and vegetation over a period of time. Soil is nothing more than weathered rock fragments and decaying remains of plants and animals.
Most soils have three distinct layers – surface, subsoil and bottom. The surface layer is a coarse layer containing more organic matter than the other soil layers and the layer that people pay the greatest attention to. This layer is the most fertile and has the greatest concentration of plant roots. Plants obtain much of their nutrients and water from the surface soil.
The subsoil layer is finer and firmer than the surface soil and serves as support for the surface layer. The subsoil layer is a storage space for water and nutrients for plants, a temperature regulator of the soil and supplies air for the roots of plants. The bottom layer is decomposed rock. It is not hard like rock, but may show the form or structure of the original rocks.
Soil texture refers to the proportional amount of sand, silt and clay in a soil. Texture and soil structure affect the moisture holding capacity of soil, permeability, capacity to hold and furnish nutrients, tillage operations and erosion.
Our soils in the southeastern part of Kansas have a high clay content to it. The clay in the soil is what makes the soil stick to your shoes when the soil is wet. Many refer to our soil as “gumbo.”
One way to address a heavy clay soil and to improve the soil texture is to add organic matter. Organic matter includes such items as manure, leaves, and grass clippings that have been composted. Earthworms, insects, bacteria and fungi use the organic matter as food, breaking it down into humus. Through this process, materials are made available for use by growing plants. In a heavy clay soil, the organic matter allows water to move more freely and loosens the tight clay, which makes the soil easier to work.
Organic material can be direct applied to gardens and flowerbeds this time of year and allowed to compost directly in the soil. Add two to four inches of organic material and till into the soil. If the soil is dry, apply water to begin the decomposition process. After about two weeks you can repeat the process with another application of organic material. The organic material will decompose over the winter and soil will be ready for spring planting.
Sand is sometimes suggested as an amendment material for clay soils. However, there is a good reason to be cautious about using sand. For sand to be effective at breaking up a clay soil, sand grains must touch one another so there is pore space between grains that can hold air and water. If the grains don’t touch, the clay fills in the void between sand particles leaving no room for pores. This is the same principle used to make concrete and the result is somewhat the same. In other words – do not use sand!
Before doing any amendments to the soil, I recommend doing a soil test through the Extension office. For more information on how to take a soil sample, please give me a call.
K-State Research and Extension is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
Patty LaRoche. 2023. Author: A Little Faith Lift…Finding Joy Beyond Rejection www.alittlefaithlift.com AWSA (Advanced Writers & Speakers Assoc.)
I should not be surprised by how God redirects my life by taking the focus off of me and putting it on Him. You would think I would have figured it out by now. Thick-head, I guess. Last week was a perfect example of how this plays out in my life.
As I wrote a few weeks ago, I spent a few days in Lexington, Kentucky, passing out 75 free books to Christian bookstore owners. It was an expensive weekend. From it, one store owner contacted me and asked if I would come to her three stores in Iowa to do book-signings. Maybe I can sell a hundred or so books which will help make up for the financial loss of Kentucky, I told myself.
I booked three nights in a motel and drove to Iowa, excited to tell buyers about A Little Faith Lift. On Wednesday, the first day, I sat at my table for seven hours and sold six books, three to Francine, an employee in the store. As it turned out, I was positioned near the children’s section, so I purchased $85 worth of Christmas presents for my grandkids. More than I made. This was not working out as a sound investment opportunity.
The second day, after eight hours, I had sold three books (two more to Francine who worked at that store on Thursdays), and the third day, two books. And yes, Francine worked there that last day and told everyone who entered the store how great my book was. They did everything but run through the glass shelves lining the middle of the store when she pointed me out to them. I might as well have had a plaque hanging around my neck. “I have Covid.”
Imagine! Rejected in a Christian bookstore. Perhaps fodder for a second book?
At any rate, what I witnessed in those three stores blessed me beyond measure. Each had special needs’ patrons who hung out during the day, receiving love and kindness and one-on-one attention. I was told ahead of time what to expect, but I had no idea these employees would show the kind of compassion and respect they did.
Melissa was blind, autistic, socially inappropriate and suffered with turrets. She pulled up a chair and sat beside me, and we “visited.” She, as it turned out, was an expert on dates, especially the day she became a Christian… “July 7, 1995. That’s the day when I asked forgiveness for my sins and knew that Jesus had died on the cross for me. The best day of my life.”
Austin was an “employee” who worked two hours each morning, logging data into his computer with the aid of a personal helper. John visited the third store two-to-three times a day, each time finding something (usually under $2.00) he wanted to purchase and asking the clerk to “put it on his tab.” Which she did.
When a young, college student approached the counter, Windy, the owner, spent over 30 minutes with him, encouraging him and praying with him. Of all the people I met, however, Francine was my favorite. She was a gap-filler. Whatever needed to be done, she volunteered. My first day, she told me about the youth group she would sponsor that night. “Wanna speak to them tonight,” she asked. I said that I would love to. It was a blessing I did not deserve.
Francine, right, with Patty LaRoche. Submitted photo.
Next week, I will share my experience with those teens and that church.
CHC/SEK Nurse Practitioner Crystal Garcia, DNP, APRN, FNP-C, AAHIVS, listens to a patient’s heart at the CHC/SEK Coffeyville clinic. Submitted photo.
Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas Nurse Practitioner Crystal Garcia, DNP, APRN, FNP-C, AAHIVS, joins CHC/SEK’s Family Physician Julie Stewart, MD, as the second HIV
Specialist at CHC/SEK.
Garcia recently completed her certification through the American
Academy of HIV Medicine.
“I’m so excited to have another HIV Specialist on our CHC/SEK Infectious Disease team,” Stewart said. “Crystal has a heart for the patients and the knowledge to care for them with
excellence. We are blessed to have her expertise on our growing team as we reach more and more patients each day.”
Prior to the inception of CHC/SEK’s Infectious Disease team, people living with HIV had to travel up to three hours to see their HIV Specialist in Wichita or Kansas City or wait up to 12
weeks for an HIV Specialist to come to them in Pittsburg. Now, between Garcia and Stewart, they can stay in their hometowns and get care five days a week.
Garcia also just entered into a year-long training through the Midwest AIDS Training and Education Center’s (MATEC) Clinical Scholar Program with the University of Kansas School of
Medicine.
The program pairs participants with a mentor, provides access to clinical consultations with otherHIV providers, and there are many opportunities to advance their knowledge through live and
virtual meetings and sessions. Garcia’s mentor is Donna E. Sweet, MD, AAHIVS, MACP, a Professor of Medicine from the University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita. Sweet has been at the front of fighting HIV and AIDS in Kansas for 30 years. Garcia has monthly meetings with Sweet and will have the opportunity to shadow her in the clinic several times this fall.
“This program offers so many resources and education that I will be able to pass on to patientsthat we serve to improve their retention in care and their overall health,” Garcia said.
HIV specialists provide and have access to wrap around care that includes evidenced based practice knowledge to help those diagnosed with HIV. This increases engagement in treatment,
retention in care and decreases the effects this virus can have if not adequately controlled, Garcia said.
HIV specialists not only diagnose and treat individuals with HIV, but they also work to prevent others from acquiring it, Garcia said, adding that the treatment of HIV has come so far in the 40 years that individuals with HIV when engaged in care with an HIV specialist, can have a very positive prognosis.
“By being able to care for individuals diagnosed with HIV, we often are a ray of hope in someone’s life that they may not have seen on their own,” Garcia said. “This diagnosis can come
with so many negative thoughts and feelings that often individuals are ashamed and would rather not come into care due to fear and the unknown.
“It is beyond rewarding to be able to help people diagnosed with HIV understand their diagnosis and how it is very manageable throughout their lifespan. As a provider for people living with
HIV, there is a very unique connection that occurs and sometimes the person just needs acceptance and to be heard to see their life is not over and their future can look very parallel to what they planned prior to their diagnosis.”
Garcia is also nearing completion of an Internal Medicine fellowship with Stewart, a 12-month program designed to be an internal medicine/infectious disease fellowship within CHC/SEK. She
spent the first three months side-by-side with Stewart for every patient she interacted with, before seeing patients independently at the CHC/SEK Baxter Springs, Columbus, Coffeyville,
Fort Scott, Iola, and Pleasanton clinics.
She also regularly has appointments via Telehealth to
Independence and Parsons. Occasionally, on an emergency basis, she will Telehealth into other clinics, such as CHC/OK in Miami.
“I believe Dr. Stewart and I have built a very solid professional relationship that only adds to
each patient’s care,” Garcia said. “Our patients are aware we are a team and very much operate under this mindset to provide each patient with what they need and want from their healthcare.
“This last year has been a steep learning curve that has forced me to dive deep into myself and hustle for a goal that I truly believe benefits each patient. This fellowship is a huge building
block that enhances my professional ability to improve my practice.”
Governor Kelly Announces Kansas Receiving Nearly $25 Million to Support High Plains Aquifer
TOPEKA— Today, Governor Laura Kelly announced the Kansas Department of Agriculture is receiving nearly $25 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to support water conservation and groundwater management in the High Plains Aquifer.
“Kansas farmers drive our state’s economic success, and water quality and quantity are a key part of that,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “This funding will accelerate our work to help more producers voluntarily implement practices that ensure Kansans have access to sustainable, reliable water sources for generations to come.”
The funding comes through USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) as part of the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). The RCPP aims to reduce water use by collaborating with farmers and ranchers to implement a combination of NRCS practices including irrigation water management, cover crops, reduced tillage, and nutrient management.
“To feed the world and to operate profitably, Kansas farmers need a secure water supply for this generation and the next,” said Representative Sharice Davids. “Our producers have been working hard to use water even more efficiently, and I’m pleased that this federal investment will help further that mission. Continued success of agriculture in Kansas is critical to our state’s economy and lowering food costs — issues that are top of mind as I work with my colleagues to pass a bipartisan Farm Bill.”
The High Plains Aquifer is the largest groundwater source in Kansas and plays an important economic role as farmers rely on it for irrigation. Lying underneath western and south-central Kansas, it consists of several hydraulically connected aquifers.
“I’m thrilled that USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service has awarded this grant to Kansas,” said Kansas Department of Agriculture Secretary Mike Beam. “This five-year project, built on a collaborative effort by KDA’s Division of Conservation, the Kansas Water Office, local groundwater management districts, non-governmental conservation groups, private landowners and irrigators, and others, will help implement increased conservation and water efficient practices across the High Plains Aquifer of Kansas. I’m confident this voluntary incentive-based initiative will be a successful project.”
The RCPP aims to reduce water use by 10 percent in each of Kansas’ five Groundwater Management Districts. NRCS also announced that Ducks Unlimited will be receiving $10 million as part of the Kansas Nebraska Wetland Initiative to create, restore, and protect wetland and riparian barriers in Nebraska and Kansas. More information about both grants is available here.
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