The Iola Register, July 6, 2023

Revenues stay in the black

By TIM CARPENTER Kansas Reflector

TOPEKA — Collection of income and sales taxes by the state of Kansas in the just-completed fiscal year reached $10.16 billion to surpass the previous year’s revenue deposits by more than $400 million, officials said Wednesday.

Totals reported by the Kansas Department of Revenue represented receipts by the state during the 12-month period from July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2023.

The state took in during

See REVENUES | Page A6

Happy wanderer visits Allen Co.

By VICKIE MOSS The Iola Register

Every town has its own unique story, traveling a path filled with twists and turns as the years march on.

Seth Varner, a 23-year-old college student from Nebraska, is making it his goal to make note of those highlights.

Varner is visiting each of Kansas’ 627 incorporated cities. He’s documenting each town with photos and a short narrative, which he will compile in a book that will be part history, part travel guide and part photo album.

Varner has already completed similar projects in Nebraska, Iowa and South Dakota as part of his one-man company, Wandermore Publishing.

He visited Allen County last week, except for Humboldt which he plans for a later stop.

“It’s fascinating to see how Allen County developed predominantly around the gas industry,” he said. “Most counties don’t have so many towns located so close together and it was a little bizarre that I was able to get from one community to the next in only a few minutes.”

He was impressed by the museum and murals in Iola, as well as efforts to increase businesses and activities in smaller towns such as Elsmore.

“I love that Gas follows the fuel-related theme and embraces their unique name.”

The tiny burg of Bassett is an example of just how different Kansas communities can be. He’s visited many such towns that never quite maintained the optimistic potential under which they were settled.

Most of those towns have been nearly abandoned, with populations less than 100 — “I call them double-digiters,” Varner says.

“Typically those sorts of

towns like Bassett are quick visits but they’re also my favorites because I find it fascinating that people are willing to stick around and support their small-town church or bar, even if it means they have to drive 30 minutes out of town for groceries.”

Varner spent the first 10 years of his life near the small towns of Colon, Malmo and Prague, Nebraska, so he has a special appreciation for those types of closely-knit communities.

His travels also take him to

large metropolis areas such as Topeka, Manhattan and Lawrence. Rather than document the entire town he tries to focus more on well-known attractions and take time to enjoy their shops, museums, restaurants and other tourism activities.

With so many different facets to appreciate about Kansas towns, Varner can’t pick a favorite.

“I’m always taking on towns from different angles

See WANDERER | Page A4

By SUSAN LYNN The Iola

Register

If you knew that you were on course to be seriously ill in 10-15 years but could dramatically lessen your chances, would you?

One out of five Americans today potentially face that question when diagnosed with diabetes.

If caught early and addressed, most will live normal, healthy lives. If not, the scenario can be grim, including loss of limbs, blindness, strokes, heart and kidney failure, etc.

The rise in the number of diabetic cases can be at-

See DIABETES | Page A4

Beating diabetes CHC pilot program targets rise in cases

Seth Varner, a college student from Nebraska, has been visiting each of the 627 incorporated cities in Kansas this summer. Last week, he visited most Allen County towns. Here, Allen County Historical Museum Director Kurtis Russell, at right, gives Varner a tour and talks about the community’s history. REGISTER/VICKIE MOSS

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly vowed to work collaboratively with the 2024 Legislature to reduce the tax burden on Kansans.

KANSAS REFLECTOR/SHERMAN SMITH

Jennelle Knight, left, and Becky French work to curb the rise in diabetes cases under a pilot program approved by the Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas. REGISTER/ SUSAN LYNN

Ladd family gathers for 102nd reunion

The 102nd Ladd family reunion was held Sunday, July 2, at Riverside Park in Iola.

Fifty-four descendants of Leroy and Philena enjoyed a bountiful covered-dish dinner, followed by door prizes, overseen by Alan and Christy Ladd.

Those from the Ed Ladd family were Marcia Miller and Charles Welch, Raymore, Mo.;

Descendants of the Ennis Ladd family were Ray and Cindy Ladd, Effingham; Alan and Christy Ladd, Atlantic, Iowa; Brian and Jillian Ladd, Hannah, Henry, and Ruth, Overland Park; Bruce and Nina Ladd, Shawnee; Grace Ladd, Washington, D.C.; Renzo Morales Miracal, Malu Berrospi, Lima,

Ukraine, Russia trade accusations of imminent power plant attack

Peru; Candace Ladd and Larry Wantroba, Kansas City, Mo.; Justin and Lisa Der, Nathaniel, Elias, Levi, Hudson, Johanna, Caleb, Esme, Elena and Zeb, Olathe, Dale Ladd, McPherson; Matt, Michelle and Maegan Loomis, Humboldt; Chad and Jana Grisier, Jaylen, Emerson, Owen, Maryn, William, Hazel and Ariana, Sapulpa, Okla.; and David and Phyllis Loomis, Iola.

The Leola Laude family was represented by Paul and Helen Stoll, Quentin and Maria Stoll, Isaac, Sierra and Noah, all of Yates Center. Plans are to meet Sunday, July 7, 2024, in Overland Park for the next Ladd family gathering.

Possible shark attacks prompt more patrols

NEW YORK (AP) —

Two swimmers were apparently attacked by sharks off the shores of Long Island on Tuesday, a day after two others reported being attacked while enjoying the water at popular New York beaches.

At least one beach delayed opening to holiday revelers Tuesday, after officials said drones spotted some 50 sand sharks that morning near a popular beach park. When the beach reopened, swimmers were advised to stay close to shore.

“We want to make sure swimmers are safe,” Long Island State Parks Regional Director George Gorman told Newsday.

The beach was closed once more after a possible shark sighting, but officials determined it was a dolphin.

After a spate of attacks last year, state parks officials have increased patrols and deployed more drones to scout the waters for possible danger.

“We did have a sea-

son last year where we had six swimmers bitten from sharks, so this has turned into a bit of a concern,” Suffolk County Police Commissioner Rodney Harrison told WABC.

Tuesday’s incidents happened about 60 miles apart, including one off Fire Island Pines — not far from another attack the day before when a 15-year-old reported being bitten on one of his feet by a shark while surfing.

Earlier Monday, another 15-year-old girl was treated for an apparent shark bite to a leg.

Tuesday’s shark encounters both occurred just before 2 p.m.

A 47-year-old man was in chest-deep water off Quogue Village Beach in the Hamptons when he felt an apparent bite to his right knee, Quogue police said. He told authorities that he did not see a shark.

Soon after, miles away, a 49-year-old man reported having a hand bitten while swimming near Fire Island Pines Beach.

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine and Russia accused each other Wednesday of planning to attack one of the world’s largest nuclear power plants, which is located in southeastern Ukraine and occupied by Russian troops, but neither side provided evidence to support their claims.

Citing intelligence reports, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russian troops had placed “objects resembling explosives on the roof of several power units” of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. The objects could be used to “simulate” an attack, he said, meaning a false flag attack.

A statement from the General Staff of Ukraine’s armed forces said the “foreign objects” were placed on the outer roof of the plant’s third and fourth power units.

“Their detonation should not damage power units but may create a picture of shelling from Ukraine,” the statement said.

In Russia, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov raised the specter of a potentially “catastrophic” provocation by the Ukrainian army at the nuclear plant, which is Europe’s largest but has its six reactors shut down.

“The situation is quite tense. There is a great threat of sabotage by the Kyiv regime, which can be catastrophic in its consequences,” Peskov said in response to a reporter’s question. He also claimed that Kremlin is

taking “all measures” to counter the alleged Ukrainian threat.

His comments came after Renat Karchaa, an advisor to Russian state nuclear company Rosenergoatom, said there was “no basis” for Zelenskyy’s claims of a plot to simulate an explosion. The Ukrainian leader made the allegation in his nightly video address to on Tuesday. “Why would we need explosives there? This is nonsense, (aimed at) maintaining tension around the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant,” Karchaa said.

Russian media on Tuesday cited Karchaa as saying that Ukraine’s military planned to strike the plant with ammuni-

tion laced with nuclear waste early Wednesday. As of Wednesday afternoon, there was no indication of such an attack.

Ukraine has warned for months of Russian plans to cause a deliberate release of radiation from the plant, citing internal intelligence reports. Ukrainian officials have alleged that Moscow might try to sabotage the plant in an attempt to derail Kyiv’s ongoing counteroffensive in the surrounding Zaporizhzhia region.

Russia occupied the plant in the early stages of the war. Over the past year, Russia and Ukraine repeatedly accused each other of shelling the facility.

Mass shootings claim lives during holiday

SHREVEPORT, La.

(AP) — Mass shootings broke out at festivals, block parties and other gatherings in a handful of cities this week as the U.S. celebrated the Fourth of July.

Gun violence that flared in Washington, D.C, Louisiana, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Texas and Florida left more than a dozen dead and almost 60 wounded — including children as young as 2 years old.

In Shreveport, Louisiana, at least three people were killed and 10 others wounded late Tuesday night, Shreveport police Sgt. Angie Willhite said. One of the injured was in critical condition Wednesday but the others were expected to survive, she said. No arrests have been made.

“We are struggling with getting information from those who were present. We’re not getting a lot of cooperation,” Willhite said.

Another body was found in the area Wednesday morning, police Chief Wayne

Smith said at a news conference.

“Chances are likely that it is a result of what occurred here last night,” Smith said.

Nine people outside enjoying the Independence Day festivities in the nation’s capital were shot and wounded early Wednesday, police said.

Officers responding around 1 a.m. to the mass shooting in a neighborhood about a 20-minute drive east of the White House found a 9-year-old and a 17-year-old among the victims, Metropolitan Police Department Assistant Chief Leslie Parsons said. The victims, who were not publicly identified, were hospitalized with injuries that weren’t considered life-threatening, police

said.

The gunshots were fired from a dark SUV seen driving through the neighborhood, Parsons said, calling the shooting targeted.

It was unclear if there was more than one shooter in the vehicle, and no arrests had been made, police said.

On Monday night, a shooter in a bulletproof vest opened fire on the streets of Philadelphia, killing five people and wounding two boys, ages 2 and 13, before surrendering, police said.

Three people were killed and eight others were injured when several men fired indiscriminately into a crowd of hundreds that had gathered in a Texas neighborhood after a festival in the area,

City of Scott City, Kansas is accepting applications for the position of police officer Applications may be obtained at www.scottcityks.org. Applicant must possess a valid driver’s license, and must be 21 years of age. $18.59 - $26.56 an hour, pay is negotiable pending qualifications. 50% college tuition paid. Overtime after 40 hours. Graduates of KLETC are preferred, but not required. The City offers a benefit package that includes 100% city paid family BCBS, KP&F retirement, vacation, sick leave, and a take home car, EOE.

authorities said. The shooting in the Fort Worth neighborhood of Como happened late Monday night, about two hours after the annual ComoFest ended.

Thirty people were shot, two fatally, at a block party in Baltimore early Sunday. Many of the shooting victims were children, authorities said.

And in Florida, a 7-year-old child was killed in a shooting during an altercation between two groups gathered for July Fourth celebrations along a causeway that crosses Tampa Bay, police said.

project funded in part by the KDOT Public Transportation Program.

In this file photo, Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Europe’s largest nuclear power station and currently held by Russian occupying forces, is pictured on Oct. 29, 2022, from Prydniprovske in Dnipropetrovsk oblast, Ukraine. (CARL COURT/GETTY IMAGES/TNS)

School hackers dump kids’ files online

By FRANK BAJACK, LARRY FENN and HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH The Associated Press

The confidential documents stolen from schools and dumped online by ransomware gangs are raw, intimate and graphic. They describe student sexual assaults, psychiatric hospitalizations, abusive parents, truancy — even suicide attempts.

“Please do something,” begged a student in one leaked file, recalling the trauma of continually bumping into an ex-abuser at a school in Minneapolis. Other victims talked about wetting the bed or crying themselves to sleep.

Complete sexual assault case folios containing these details were among more than 300,000 files dumped online in March after the 36,000-student Minneapolis Public Schools refused to pay a $1 million ransom. Other exposed data included medical records and discrimination complaints.

Rich in digitized data, the nation’s schools are prime targets for far-flung criminal hackers, who are assiduously locating and scooping up sensitive files.

Often strapped for cash, districts are grossly ill-equipped not just to defend themselves but to respond diligently and transparently when attacked, especially as they struggle to help kids catch up from the pandemic and grapple with shrinking budgets.

Months after the Minneapolis attack, administrators have not delivered on their promise to inform individual victims. Unlike for hospitals, no federal law exists to require this notification from schools.

The Associated Press reached families of six students whose sexual assault case files were exposed. The message from a reporter was the

first time anyone had alerted them.

“Truth is, they didn’t notify us about anything,” said a mother whose son’s case file has 80 documents.

Even when schools catch a ransomware attack in progress, the data are typically already gone. That was what Los Angeles Unified School District did last Labor Day weekend, only to see the private paperwork of more than 1,900 former students — including psychological evaluations and medical records — leaked online. Not until February did district officials disclose the breach’s full dimensions.

The lasting legacy of school ransomware attacks, it turns out, is not in school closures, recovery costs or even soaring cyberinsurance premiums. It is the trauma for staff, students and parents from the online exposure of private records — which the AP found on the open internet and dark web.

“A massive amount of information is being posted online, and nobody is looking to see just how bad it all is. Or, if somebody is looking, they’re not making the results public,” said analyst Brett Callow of the cybersecurity firm Emsisoft.

Other big districts recently stung by data theft include San Diego, Des Moines and Tucson, Arizona. While the severity of those hacks remains unclear,

All the stuff we kept private, it’s out there. And it’s been out there for a very long time.

— Mother of sexual assault victim

all have been criticized either for being slow to admit to being hit by ransomware, dragging their feet on notifying victims — or both.

ON CYBER SECURITY, SCHOOLS HAVE LAGGED

While other ransomware targets have fortified and segmented networks, encrypting data and mandating multi-factor authentication, school systems have been slower to react.

Ransomware likely has affected well over 5 million U.S. students by now, with district attacks on track to rise this year, said analyst Allan Liska of the cybersecurity firm Recorded Future. Nearly one in three U.S. districts had been breached by the end of 2021, according to a survey by the Center for Internet Security, a federally funded nonprofit.

Just three years ago, criminals did not routinely grab data in ransomware attacks, said TJ Sayers, cyberthreat intelligence manager at the Center for Internet Security. Now, it’s common, he said, with much of it sold on the dark web.

The criminals in the Minneapolis theft were especially aggressive.

They shared links to the stolen data on Facebook, Twitter, Telegram and the dark web, which standard browsers can’t access.

The Minneapolis parents informed by the AP of the leaked sexual assault complaints feel doubly victimized. Their children have battled PTSD, and some even left their schools. Now this.

“The family is beyond horrified to learn that this highly sensitive information is now available in perpetuity on the internet for the child’s future friends, romantic interests, employers, and others to discover,” said Jeff Storms, an attorney for one of the families. It is AP policy not to identify sexual abuse victims.

Minneapolis Schools spokeswoman Crystina Lugo-Beach would not say how many people have been contacted so far or answer other AP questions about the attack.

Despite parents’ and teachers’ frustration, schools are routinely advised by incident response teams concerned about legal liability issues and ransom negotiations against being more transparent, said Cal-

low of Emsisoft. Minneapolis school officials apparently followed that playbook, initially describing the Feb. 17 attack cryptically as a “system incident,” then as “technical difficulties” and later an “encryption event.”

The extent of the breach became clear though when a ransomware group posted video of stolen data, giving the district 10 days to pay the ransom before leaking files.

The district declined to pay, following the standing advice of the FBI, which says ransoms encourage criminals to target more victims.

SCHOOLS SPEND TECH BUDGETS ON LEARNING TOOLS, NOT SECURITY

During the COVID-19 pandemic, districts prioritized spending on internet connectivity and remote learning. Security got short shrift as IT departments invested in software to track student engagement and performance, often at the expense of privacy and safety, University of Chicago and New York University researchers found.

Cybersecurity money for public schools is limited. As it stands, districts can only expect slivers of the $1 billion in cybersecurity grants that the federal government is distributing over four years.

Minnesota’s chief information security officer, John Israel, said his state got $18 million of it this year to divvy among 3,600 different entities. State lawmakers provided an additional $22.5 million in grants for cyber and physical security in schools.

It’s already too late for the mother of one of the Minneapolis students whose confidential sexual assault complaint was released online. She almost feels “violated again.”

“All the stuff we kept private,” she said, “it’s out there. And it’s been out there for a very long time.”

LONDON (AP) — It’s unusual to throw a birthday party for a health care system, but that’s exactly what the U.K. did for the National Health Service, a beloved but increasingly creaky institution that turned 75 on Wednesday.

The date was marked with charity tea parties, royal visits and a service of thanksgiving at London’s Westminster Abbey complete with hymns and prayers.

It was a fitting tribute for an institution that is often likened to Britain’s secular religion — though one in which some people are losing faith.

Backlogs, treatment delays, funding gaps and an unhappy workforce have created an increasingly threadbare and overstretched system. Three respected health think tanks warned Wednesday that the NHS is “in critical condition” and won’t make it to 100 without more money and better long-term planning.

Britain’s affection for what politicians call “our NHS” is striking, and at times puzzling, to outsiders. Dancing nurses pushing children on hospital beds formed a key part of the opening ceremony for the 2012 London Olympics, to the bemusement of many non-British viewers.

Founded in a country determined to build a fairer society out of the ruins of World War II, the NHS provides free health care to citizens and residents, funded through taxation.

Its anniversary is also the 75th birthday of Aneira Thomas, the first person born into the new health service, just after midnight on July 5, 1948.

PIXABAY.COM

Diabetes: CHC program hopes to stem rise in new cases

Continued from A1

tributed to the increased rates of obesity, which can cause type 2 diabetes.

“It’s syndemic,” said Becky French, meaning obesity and diabetes are conflating into a health crisis.

French is a diabetic specialist with the Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas in Iola.

Her career spans 41 years; she’s been with CHC/SEK for four months.

French works in tandem with pharmacist Jennelle Knight and Amber Findley, a diabetic health coach.

The trio’s goals are to stem the rise of diabetes with an all-hands-ondeck approach. Their efforts are being closely watched by CHC/SEK administrators to see if they should be replicated in its clinics elsewhere.

“This is a pilot program,” said Knight,

who proposed the idea that went into effect six months ago.

It’s a big ask, she admits.

The story behind Knight’s motive is that her grandmother suffered from type 2 diabetes.

“That’s why I became a pharmacist,” she said.

“Watching her struggle to manage her medications spurred me to think it was something I could do to help others.”

“They lived in Tarkio,

Wanderer: Visits

Continued from A1

and trying to enjoy whatever that may have to offer,” he said.

“I enjoyed climbing to the dome of the state capitol in Topeka — one of the scariest things I’ve ever done in my life; finding the Dala horses and enjoying Swedish culture throughout Lindsborg and Olsburg; making the drive out to the middle of nowhere Monument Rocks near Oakley, and trying out different breweries in Phillipsburg — sadly now closed since my visit — Washington, and some other medium-sized towns.”

He’s learned that, just as the people in his home state are known for being “Nebraska Nice,” the Midwest’s reputation for hospitality and kindness is well earned.

“We’re a special group of people. We treat each other as neighbors and do our best to support one another in whatever way possible,” he said.

“If it weren’t for the generosity of people donating to get their names in the back of my book, all of these trips would be funded entirely out of pocket, and I’d really be struggling to travel and pay rent and bills, eat, and be able to live a semi-comfortable life.”

His efforts are funded by a combination of book sales, donations, sales of commemorative T-shirts and a small amount for “content creation” on Facebook. Each stop is posted on social media, with descriptions and photos.

Kansans have thrown their support behind his project.

“Kansans are really proud of their hometowns. Of the four states that I’ve done, Kansas has rallied behind the project the most.”

VARNER began his ambitious project because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

He was sent home from school in March 2020 and decided it was a good time to fulfill a lifelong dream to visit all 531 incorporated communities in Nebraska.

a small town in northwest Missouri. She didn’t get the healthcare she deserved. There was one primary care provider for the whole county,” she said. “She was never told she was pre-diabetic. She was pretty far along in her disease before she was diagnosed.”

Knight’s grandmother died in her early 70s, “but toward the end, her quality of life was very poor.”

Since then, Knight has learned that her grandmother could have had a much better outcome had her diabetes been diagnosed in its early stages.

With Type 2 diabetes, the body begins to fail to make enough insulin as well as become resistant to insulin.

A myriad of medications exists to treat an individual’s symptoms. Lifestyle changes are also typically required. Both are equally effective — and important.

Knight began her career in CHC’s retail pharmacy in 2018. Her role now as a clinical pharmacist brings her into a patient’s room where they discuss their medication regimens and any side effects or problems they may be having with their medications.

proach in a patient’s care.

Once they learn a patient has diabetes, “we assess what medications they are on, help them with monitoring their blood sugar and help them become aware of how their diet affects their blood sugar levels,” said French.

To help with the latter, the clinic provides a diabetic educator who conducts nutrition classes as well as dietitians and medical assistants who are trained as health coaches.

Initial symptoms typically include extreme thirst and frequent urination.

“A lot of people are pre-diabetic and don’t know it,” French said. “They’ll say, ‘Oh, I feel good enough,’ without realizing how their health has declined.”

Knight looks up from her computer to substantiate French’s statement. “Yes, it looks like approximately 38 percent of all U.S. adults have pre-diabetes and 80 percent of them don’t know they have it.”

cause and effect of what they eat to how it makes them feel,” French said. “And we can monitor the results online so even if a patient’s not here, we can see what their blood sugars are running and if necessary, give them a call to adjust their medications.”

“When patients see the full picture of how their body is responding, it’s a lot easier for them to change their lifestyles,” she said. “When they’re monitoring their sugars, that alone brings their sugar intake down because they know exactly where their numbers need to be, and they make the changes. It’s incredible to see.”

Diet is critical.

Three sources of food provide the body energy — protein, fat, and carbohydrates. Because they affect the body’s blood glucose levels, carbs are a diabetic’s greatest concern and require careful monitoring.

“The idea came about as a result of a series of trips I had taken to small Nebraska towns with my father during elementary school, and a deep passion to travel that was instilled by my mother,” he wrote in a summary for his website.

He and a friend embarked on a nearly 9,000-mile journey to visit “every nook and cranny” of the state.

“Traveling across the state was truly an eye-opening experience. Whether we were in the small town of Monowi (population 1), or the bustling city of Omaha, we discovered that there was always something to see and do.

“Even in a town of 1, we were able to find loads of things to do. We ate at the bar, scoped out the book collection at Rudy’s Library, talked with the sole resident about some of her life stories and explored the old church.”

His motto became: “There’s something to do in every town, you just gotta go out and find it!”

He also was impressed with the outpouring of support from those of all walks of life. Businesses and individuals donated free food, hotel rooms and gas, or introduced them to their favorite ice cream and gave them souvenirs.

Varner decided to compile the work into a book and website, then decided to visit all 939 incorporated towns in Iowa the next summer and published a similar book about that state. South Dakota’s 310 towns followed in 2022.

He’s about halfway through his Kansas tour and expects to have visited all 627 towns by September.

His goal is to release the Kansas book in November, just in time for the Christmas shopping season.

To learn more about the project, find his page on Facebook at https://www.facebook. com/visit627kansas or find his website at wandermorepublishing. com

Annual exams include blood work that detects whether the body is producing insulin, the hormone that attaches to your cells and regulates the amount of glucose in the blood.

“It basically opens the door to allow sugar into the cell,” which is used for energy, Knight said. “So, if your body is not making insulin on its own then it’s not responding to what you’re providing it.”

There are two types of diabetes; type 1 and type 2. Type 1 is an autoimmune condition where the pancreas doesn’t make insulin or doesn’t make enough to meet the body’s needs.

Knight said she’s finding her new job rewarding.

“I get excited to come into work. Being able to see first-hand the changes that I’m able to make for patients is wonderful,” she said.

“This is where healthcare needs to be. We need to be a true medical home where you have a relationship not only with your physician and dentist, but also your pharmacist,” she said.

BECAUSE therapy guidelines and medications change frequently, the challenge for the team is to stay abreast of what’s available so the “patients are getting their optimal therapies,” said French.

French, Knight and Findley take a team ap-

French added, “Catching it early is because organ damage can be minimized.”

French lays the blame on the increasing rate of diabetes on two things: A sedentary lifestyle and processed foods.

For those predisposed, a 10- to 15-year habit of not getting enough exercise and eating the wrong foods can lead to being diagnosed as diabetic.

“But if administered 15 years ago, a blood test would have shown that you’re going the wrong direction,” French said.

“And diabetes is very treatable,” Knight said. “It doesn’t have to be debilitating.”

Treatments range from simple to sophisticated.

“A continuous glucose monitor allows a patient to watch the

Fatty foods are also a danger because they tend to make people with diabetes more insulin resistant.

The goal is to eat “slow” foods with a high fiber to carbs ratio, such as vegetables, dairy products, nuts, fish and eggs.

Getting beyond the social stigma of diabetes is also essential to success, said French.

“Some patients are scared to death to talk about their diabetes because they’re afraid of being judged,” said French. Breaking that barrier is critical.

Those aged 40 to 50 are the most likely to have type 2 diabetes, French said, “and some of them already have organ damage.”

French is undeterred by the statistics.

“This is doable,” she said of the team’s effort to prevent and treat diabetes.

~ Journalism that makes a difference

Are we all just driving angry?

Something scary is happening on the streets of Kansas and Missouri. The number of people hit and killed by motor vehicles has been increasing dramatically, according to a new report — part of a dramatic uptick in pedestrian traffic fatalities across the country.

The new report from the Governors Highway Safety Administration reveals that in Kansas the number of such deaths skyrocketed from just 18 in 2019 to 47 in 2022. The increase was smaller in Missouri, but involved much larger numbers: There were 111 pedestrian fatalities in 2019, which rose to 129 last year. If there is any good news for our region in the report, it’s that both states have lower fatality rates than the national average of 2.38 pedestrian traffic deaths per 100,000 people.

It’s a nationwide problem. Across the country, more than 7,500 people died last year because they were hit by a car or other vehicle. That’s up from just over 6,300 three years earlier — and a shocking jump from the 2010 number of 4,302 deaths.

Other traffic deaths have also been on the rise, but

the report makes clear that it is pedestrians — folks out jogging, walking or strolling — who face the greatest danger. Since 2010, the GHSA reported, “pedestrian deaths have gone up a shocking 77%, compared to a 25% increase in all other traffic fatalities.”

That is horrifying.

What is going on? One obvious answer: speed.

“The faster a vehicle is traveling, the higher the risk of it killing someone it strikes,” the GHSA report noted. “Research confirmed that speeding and other risky driving behaviors increased during the pandemic and persisted into 2021.”

Naturally, speeding-related pedestrian deaths increased at the same time.

There are other factors, as well: Nationwide, onefifth of pedestrian fatalities involved a driver who had a high blood alcohol content. There are more SUVs and large pickup trucks on the road, which tend to be deadlier for unlucky pedestrians. And the vast majority of fatal crashes happened after dark.

Let us suggest another possibility: Many American drivers — including, yes,

those in Kansas and Missouri — seem to have completely lost their minds.

“Road rage” has been part of the lexicon for decades. But it wasn’t so long ago that road rage incidents used to be an occasional thing, something notable and rare that surprised us.

Turn signals are used rarely, or too late actually to alert other drivers. Merging into traffic seems to be a lost art; hostile cutoffs are more common. The most basic lessons of our driver’s ed classes — simple concepts such as “defensive driving” and “the pedestrian always has the right-of-way” — seem to have gone out the window entirely.

And if you’re the unlucky person facing down a twoton vehicle driven by somebody who has dispensed with those rules, well, God help you.

Have American drivers become selfish? Did the pandemic break us? Did the “rules are for the other guy” ethos of Donald Trump and his millions of acolytes create a culture where anything goes?

We’re not sure. But we have our suspicions. — The Kansas City Star

A look back in t me. A look back in t me.

THIRTY-EIGHT YEARS AGO

JULY 1985

Two masked men robbed the State Bank of Colony of an undetermined amount of money. Glen Hermreck, president of the bank, told the Anderson County Sheriff’s department that two

white males, both brandishing large caliber pistols, took the money, stuffed it into a white plastic sack and left in a 1970 dark green Chevrolet with Johnson County tags. ****

11 — COLONY — The 23rd annual Hi Point Rodeo be-

Biden’s loan forgiveness plan was doomed from the start

On the economic merits, we support President Joe Biden’s plan to cancel more than $400 billion in student loan debt for 26 million Americans. Rejecting more sweeping proposals that would have benefited the already well-off, the president and his Education Department smartly focused the most relief on those in the greatest need, forgiving up to $10,000 in college and post-college debt for Americans making under $125,000 and up to $20,000 for recipients of Pell Grants to students from lower-income families.

But the balance of power between Congress and the executive branch — and the courts, too — is a precious thing, and there were always serious doubts as to whether the Biden administration exceeded its authority under post-9/11 HEROES Act (which stands for Higher Education Relief Opportunities For Students). We reviled President Trump’s abusive perversion of Title 42, a public health law, to turn back asylum seekers in search of humanitarian relief, and here, there was a strong case that Biden overstepped the bounds set by Congress in law.

Student debt relief activists participate in a rally at the U.S. Supreme Court Friday in Washington, DC. The Supreme Court struck down the Biden administration’s student debt forgiveness program in Biden v. Nebraska. GETTY IMAGES/KEVIN DIETSCH/TNS

lief program was issued “in August 2022, a few weeks before President Biden stated that ‘the pandemic is over.’ ”

gins tonight at the Colony Rodeo Arena. This is the second year the rodeo has been approved by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. The Floyd Rumford Jr. family of Abbyville sponsors and provides the stock for the three-day event.

The Supreme Court Friday agreed with that argument, saying that while the law authorizes the secretary of education to “waive or modify” statutory or regulatory provisions, it does not allow a wholesale rewrite of the laws and rules, which is what the Biden plan adds up to. As the decision by Chief Justice John Roberts points out, it doesn’t help that the loan re-

We wouldn’t be surprised if this ruling, like the Dobbs decision on abortion last year, results in serious electoral blowback for the Republican Party that put these six conservatives on the court. That would be a very good thing: Millions of young Americans being squeezed by unreasonable loan burdens will be understandably steamed that government has turned its back on them. In a better-functioning democracy, Congress would come to their aid. Instead, the president acted unilaterally, getting up hopes that were then dashed. It’s a mess.

— New York Daily News

TSA, airport staff shortages make summer travel a nightmare

United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby sounded off last week, focusing his ire on the Federal Aviation Administration after thunderstorms were deemed the cause of the cancellation of thousands of U.S. flights last Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. While Kirby blamed airport staffing issues, the FAA said staffing limitations did not play a role in this instance.

Regardless, in several key East Coast hubs, staffing is an issue. Due to Transportation Security Administration staffing shortages at key airports, travelers will face longer lines, which will cause missed flights and missed connections throughout the system and may contribute to a more nightmarish travel and vacation season.

Earlier this year, the FAA said East Coast airports will be the hardest hit, with delays to rise by 45% when compared with those last summer. Staffing shortages and rising consumer demand are driving the problem. Last summer, New York-area airports reported more than 40,000 flight delays, which amounted to the highest yearly percentage of delayed flights in seven years, Business Insider stated in a March article.

More than 20% of flights are arriving late, on average, and currently, 1% to 2% of flights are being canceled.

Passenger volumes at TSA security checkpoints are equal to or are exceeding pre-pandemic levels, but airports still don’t have the transportation security officers to move those passengers more efficiently through checkpoints.

Keep in mind, the TSA has

a goal that everybody should make it through airport security in 30 minutes or less in standard lanes and 10 minutes or less in PreCheck lanes. Often, waits are much longer.

While the TSA has stepped up efforts to hire more security officers, filling staffing shortages takes time.

The recruitment process involves background and credit checks, computer-based testing, training and a physical examination. With the job market still favoring candidates over employers, there simply are more vacancies than qualified people to fill them. The TSA has lost thousands of employees due to retirements, attrition and departures to higher-paying jobs elsewhere.

PRAGMATICALLY speaking, it’s in policymakers’ best interest to adopt forward-looking policies to avoid a nightmarish 2023 travel season. They need to pressure administrative decision-makers at TSA and other agencies to get more creative in attracting and retaining security officers at critical hub airports. They need to make it easier for the TSA to offer better pay, benefits and working conditions to attract good employees. Additionally, they need to expedite processes for hiring and onboarding

new TSA employees and offer signing bonuses, especially in cities with the largest staff shortages. A commitment to increasing TSA employee salaries can ensure that staffing levels are adequate for future seasons of travel.

Second, policymakers should support innovative policies to move more passengers from standard security to PreCheck security lanes. Doing so would help keep lines short at checkpoints with persistent staffing shortages, since PreCheck lanes require fewer resources than standard lanes.

To encourage more travelers to enroll in PreCheck, the government could decrease or eliminate the fees in certain cases. Last year, the TSA experimented with a modest $7 reduction in the PreCheck enrollment fee with limited success. Other approaches could be more fruitful. Taking actions such as decreasing the renewal fee for travelers with lapsed PreCheck memberships, offering free

PreCheck to military veterans and their spouses, and offering a discounted enrollment fee to older passengers would increase PreCheck applications. Notably, travelers 75 and older receive expedited screening in the standard screening lanes — they do not have to remove shoes or light jackets — and therefore have less incentive for enrolling in PreCheck.

The TSA should expand benefits associated with PreCheck so that PreCheck is more attractive for families. For example, the agency now allows children ages 13 to 17 traveling with an eligible parent or guardian with PreCheck to also access PreCheck lanes. (Previously, the policy applied only to children age 12 and younger.) This is a move in the right direction.

Such policy changes would foster a critical economic driver throughout the country, creating jobs and generating significant tax revenue for the government.

For their part, travelers should take certain steps to improve their travel experience and reduce the impact of disruptions. One step people often overlook is booking flights away from the busiest hub airports. Flying in and out of less busy airports circumvents some travel hassles such as long security lines. Regular travelers should look at enrolling in TSA PreCheck, considering that staffing shortages are likely to persist and waiting times in PreCheck lanes are typically less than 10 minutes.

Travelers can take an active role in monitoring flights and security lines in real time. Several apps offer this feature, making it possible to adjust travel arrangements on the fly if need be. The TSA app MyTSA, for example, monitors security checkpoints and waiting times in real time. Enrolling in PreCheck should significantly reduce wait time. And of course, make sure to get to the airport as early as possible.

As America returns to the skies in record numbers this summer, the time is now to take smart actions to avert a nightmare for travelers.

Laura Albert is a professor and Harvey D. Spangler faculty scholar in industrial and systems engineering at the University of Wisconsin at Madison. Her research also focuses on modeling and solving real-world discrete optimization problems with application to homeland security, public services, health care, emergency medical services, critical infrastructure protection, public safety and disaster response and recovery.

Dance troupe shines at nationals

Spotlight Dance Academy in Ottawa has completed its 2023 competition season.

Five students with ties to Iola competed for the studio: SDA senior competition team members Klaira Hayes, Gracie Snethen, Griffin Snethen and Alivia Sharp; and SKA mini competition team member Lydia Schmidt.

The dancers competed at regional competitions at Dance out, LEAP, EDGE & KAR (Kids Artistic Revue) earning several elite platinum and double elite platinum medals and trophies, first-place overall placement trophies, special judges’ choice awards, convention scholarships and cash prizes, high-point category winner trophies as well as each earning crowns in the Miss Dance and Mr. Dance Title competitions.

The studio attended the Dance Out Nationals competition in Branson, Mo., at the Welk Theater/ Branson Hillside resort. They were chosen for the Dance Out Elite Performance Team and danced in the opening number of the Dance Out Final Showdown Showcase.

During the weekling competition at nationals, all five earned elite platinum awards for every entry in which they competed. They also placed many first overall adjudications, received special judges’ choice awards and high-point category

winners in both solo and group numbers. Several dances were chosen for the Dance Out Final Showdown Competition and came home with three Dance Out National Grand Champion trophies.

Griffin Snethen and Klaira Hayes were finalists in the Dance Out Dance Off Challenge.

All of the senior members are honor students at Ottawa High School and members of the Ottawa High School Cyclones dance team.

Lydia Schmidt will be a first-grader at Garfield Elementary in Ottawa.

Alivia Sharp is a recent Ottawa high graduate, where she was crowned homecoming queen over the winter. She auditioned for and was chosen as a emmber of the Johnson County Community College Golden Girls Dance Team for 2023-24. She is the daughter of Jessica Sharp and the grand-

daughter of Don and Marilyn Sharp.

Kalira Hayes is the daughter of Jared and Mallory Melvin Watkins and the granddaughter of Mick and Mona Melvin.

Gracie and Griffin Snethen and Lydia Schmidt are the grandchildren of Chuck and Michelle Johnson. The Snethens are the children of Scott and Beth Snethen and the grandchildren of Ron and Carolyn Snethen.

Lydia is the daughter of Brian and Maggie Schmidt and the granddaughter of Joni and AJ Shchmidt and Charles and Loretta Stevens.

As an aside, Maggie Schmidt was also a finalist in the Dance Out Parent Dance Down Challenge and is a former Allen Community College Fire Starter dance team member.

Mallory Melvin-Watkins is the owner, director, choreographer and competition team

Iola native earns certification

Marah Lenann Melvin McFadden, Shawnee, is a spring 2023 graduate of Dwayne E. Peaslee Technical Training Center in Lawrence.

McFadden, an Iola native, completed her certification in stenography, court reporting and voice court reporter. She also was presented an award certificate from Dr. Kevin W. Kelley, the CEO of Peasley Tech. McFadden attended Iola High School and Emporia State University and is a director and choreographer of several shows at the Lawrence Arts Center. She is the lead singer for The X-Parté

Band, performing frequently at venues in the Kansas City area. She is the daughter of Mick and Mona Melvin, the granddaughter of Jeanne Perce and the late William Glenn Percy. Marah is married to Wesley McFadden, also from Iola.

Revenues: KS

Continued from A1

coach. Adjunct instructors, choreographers and competition coaches are Marielle Melvin and Molly Carroll, sister and cousin of the owner.

Mallory, Marielle, Maggie and Molly are the granddaughters of Jeanne Percy and the late Glenn Percy. Gracie, Griffin, Klaira and Lydia are the Percys’ great-grandchildren.

Glasgow racks up hardware at competitions

Ainsley Glasgow has competed in several dance competitions this season under the direction of her teacher Marielle Melvin, owner/director of Supernova Dance Authority.

She earned gold, platinum and double platinum trophies, special judges’ choice awards, the “A Joy To Watch” award, category winner awards and top-10 overall placement plaques and medals at Revolution Talent and Stage One Dance regional competitions.

From there, she competed at the Stage One National Dance Competition at the Branson (Mo.) Convention Center, where she was awarded all platinum trophies, overall category winner, second place overall national champion and competitive high school firstplace national soloist. She also was a Stage One Champion Solo Shootout Challenge contender, earning a

cash prize. Glasgow also performed in parades and at soccer and basketball game sideline and halftime shows with the Red Devil Spirit Program, ACC Fire Starter Dance Team and Cheerleaders Junior Devs.

She received a certificate of excellence award as a senior member of the ACC Junior Devs and Red Devil Spirit Program and Junior Devs showcase at the college, where she performed solos in musical theatre, hip-hop and contemporary categorsis.

The daughter of Amber Glasgow is an honor student at Iola Middle School. She’s the granddaughter of Connie Shetlar. Her sister, Holland Johnson, also is a member of the Supernova Dance Authority and ACC Junior Devs and earned an award certificate at the Red Devil Spirit Program and ACC Junior Devs showcase.

Glasgow

the fiscal year $402 million more in tax revenue than in the prior fiscal year. Kansas pocketed $6.06 billion in income taxes for an increase of $364 million or 6.4% from the prior fiscal year. The state sales tax total for the fiscal year was $3.57 billion for a surge of $45 million or 1.3%.

The year-end report said Kansas surpassed by $25 million the updated revenue forecast issued in April by fiscal analysts.

Gov. Laura Kelly, a Democrat who won reelection in November, attributed the better-than-anticipated revenue figures to her administration’s work to attract businesses, expand the workforce and broaden the state’s economy. In addition, the state treasury benefited from a year of high price inflation and to disagreements between the governor and the Republican-led Legislature on how to reduce the tax load.

“This past legislative session,” Kelly said, “I fought for responsible tax cuts on groceries, property and Social Security to put this money back in the hands of working Kansans. Come January, I am committed to partnering with legislators to get Kansans relief.”

The state’s sales tax

on groceries fell on Jan. 1 from 6.5% to 4%. Existing state law would further diminish the state’s portion of sales tax on food to 2% on Jan. 1, 2024, and to zero the following year. Legislation speeding elimination of that tax was packaged with controversial tax-policy adjustments vetoed by Kelly, including the shift from three individual income tax rates to a single tax rate.

House Speaker Dan Hawkins, a Wichita Republican, said GOP leadership would renew an effort to gain approval of the single-rate approach to income taxes during the 2024 legislative session.

Absent agreement on tax reductions that would lower state tax collections, Kansas could end up with a budget surplus of about $3 billion within 12 months.

The state Department of Revenue said the final month of the fiscal year produced $989 million in overall revenue, which was $17 million above the monthly estimate and $70 million more than received in June 2022.

The revenue department said state sales tax receipts reached $303 million in June. That represented a decline from June 2022 of 0.1%, but was 0.5% more than projected for the month.

Marah McFadden

Spotlight Dance Academy competition team members are, above fromleft, Griffin Snethen, Gracie Snethen, Klaira Hayes and Alivia Sharp. Below is Lydia Schmidt. COURTESY PHOTOS

Ainsley

Thursday, July 6, 2023

Sports Daily B

Vote for Allen County area’s June Athletes of Month

By QUINN BURKITT The Iola Register

Even with the high school sports season wrapped up before June, there were plenty of other athletes on display in Allen County last month.

Here are the six nominees for the Athlete of the Month in June. HOW TO VOTE AND WHEN POLL CLOSES!

— Boys — Brandon McKarnin McKarnin has picked up where he finished during the high school baseball season and has been clobbering the ball at a monster pace for the Iola AA Indians this summer. Over the weekend at the MOKAN Showdown, he went 6-for10 with five hits and drove in four runs.

The Iola High School graduate was one of the top hitters in the state last season and has only shown why this summer. In the season opening tournament in Topeka, McKarnin totaled five hits and drove in three runs across three games.

He also had the game-sealing hit at home against Chanute when he knocked a two-run single.

Griffin Westervelt

Acuña Jr. rakes in first half

CLEVELAND (AP) —

Nobody has had a first half of the season like Ronald Acuña Jr.

Atlanta’s four-time All-Star outfielder made history Monday night by becoming the first player to reach 20 home runs, 40 stolen bases and 50 RBIs before the All-Star break.

“Special player,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said after Atlanta extended its winning streak to nine straight and moved 30 games over .500 by beating the Cleveland Guardians 4-2.

The 25-year-old Acuña is also just the third player to hit 20 homers and steal 40 bases in the first 84 games, joining Rickey Henderson (1990) and Eric Davis (1986).

Before the game, Acuña was named NL Player of the Month for June, the second time he’s won the award this season.

In the third inning, Acuña extended his hitting streak to 14 games before swiping his 40th base, the most he’s had in a season. He stole 37 in 2019.

Acuña appeared to injure his right shoulder

See MLB | Page B3

Wimbledon’s following grows in U.S.

WIMBLEDON, England (AP) — Tennis fans in New York can gather to see live TV coverage of the last three days of Wimbledon at an outdoor watch party at Brooklyn Bridge Park from July 14-16, featuring the women’s final and the men’s semifinals and final. Online registration for 1,500 free tickets for each day ends Thursday; walk-ins will be allowed, too.

Westervelt has impressed in the swimming lanes so far this summer, especially in last week’s home meet when he won first place in the 200- and 100-yard freestyle and the 50-yard butterfly. He also took first in the 50-yard freestyle at the Chanute meet.

He also did well at the season opening meet in Chanute when he grabbed first place in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 27.78 seconds.

Jagger Jacobs Jacobs was a part of the Southern Coffey County High trapshooting team

which competed at the KSHSAA Championships, hitting 95 of 100 targets, to place 24th overall in the varsity division. Not only did Jacobs shoot well at the state championships but he went on a run of hitting 50 straight broken targets at the meet. He also executed a perfect score of breaking 25 out of 25 targets at the state championship.

— Girls — Helaina Chryssikos

Chryssikos helped her Humboldt High trapshooting team at the KSHSAA state championship. She finished in first place in

the high gun junior varsity girls class after shooting a 90. She took eighth place for the overall junior varsity class. She is part of a team which began in 2019 and is organized by 4-H. She also has been able to shoot alongside her teammate, Ohio State commit Leah Mueller.

Moira Springer Springer has been one of the fastest Seahorses this summer, finishing in first place in the 25-yard back crawl, the 50-yard freestyle and the 25-yard breaststroke at Iola’s home meet

See JUNE | Page B3

So much of that paragraph would have been incomprehensible to anyone around for the initial edition of the oldest Grand Slam tennis tournament in 1877, from the television broadcast to the trans-Atlantic appeal to the online element to, even, the participation of women in the competition: They were not allowed to play singles until 1884 or doubles until 1913.

The creation of “The Hill in New York” — touted as “a quintessential Wimbledon experience from afar,” replete with gin and tonics,

See U.S. | Page B3

Foul ball!

Iola’s Recreational baseball and softball leagues are in action. At left, Cav Nelson of Nelson Quarries. Below is Arlo Franklin of A&W. At bottom right is Jace LaCrone of The Iola Register. At bottom left is Adley Hesse of Emprise Bank. REGISTER/ QUINN BURKITT

Help

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Are you ready to advance your career with a company that is committed to prospering the lives of children and families?

If so, please apply at:

https://www.kcsl.org/resources/careers/ or reach out to HR@kcsl.org for more information!

Japan OK to release Fukushima wastewater in Pacific

FUTABA, Japan (AP)

— The head of the U.N. atomic agency toured Japan’s tsunamiwrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant on Wednesday and said he is satisfied with stillcontentious plans to release treated radioactive wastewater into the Pacific Ocean.

International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Mariano Grossi observed where the treated water will be sent through a pipeline to a coastal facility, where it will be highly diluted with seawater and receive a final test sampling. It will then be released 1 kilometer (1,000 yards) offshore through an undersea tunnel.

“I was satisfied with what I saw,” Grossi said after his tour of equipment at the plant for the planned discharge, which Japan hopes to

begin this summer. “I don’t see any pending issues.” The wastewater release still faces opposition in and outside Japan.

Earlier Wednesday, Grossi met with local mayors and fishing association leaders and stressed that the IAEA will be present throughout the water discharge, which is expected to last decades, to ensure safety and address residents’ concerns. He said he inaugurated a permanent IAEA office at the plant, showing its longterm commitment.

The water discharge is not “some strange plan that has been devised only to be applied here, and sold to you,” Grossi said at the meeting in Iwaki, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) south of the plant. He said the method is certified by the IAEA and is followed

around the world.

The IAEA, in its final report on the Fukushima plan released Tuesday, concluded that the treated wastewater, which will still contain a small amount of radioactivity, will be safer than international standards and its environmental and health impact would be negligible.

Local fishing organizations have rejected the plan because they worry their reputation will be damaged even if their catch isn’t contaminated. It is also opposed by groups in South Korea, China and some Pacific Island nations due to safety concerns and political reasons.

Fukushima’s fisheries association adopted a resolution on June 30 reaffirming its rejection of the plan.

The fishery association chief, Tetsu Nozaki,

urged government officials at Wednesday’s meeting “to remember that the treated water plan was pushed forward despite our opposition.”

Grossi is expected to also visit South Korea, New Zealand and the Cook Islands to ease concerns there. He said his intention is to explain what the IAEA, not Japan, is doing to ensure there is no problem.

In an effort to address concerns about fish and the marine environment, Grossi and Tomoaki Kobayakawa, president of the plant operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, signed an agreement on a joint project to determine whether they are impacted by tritium, the only radionuclide officials say cannot be removed from the wastewater by treatment.

Great baseball movies and books in honor of MLB ALL-Star Week

By MOIRA MACDONALD Tribune News Service

In honor of Major League Baseball’s AllStar Week, held in Seattle July 7-11, here are a handful of great movies and books that celebrate the game — and the art — of baseball.

Movies “Bull Durham” (1988). Any list of great baseball movies that doesn’t begin with this one is, in my opinion, highly suspect. Kevin Costner, Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins play out one of cinema’s great romantic triangles in Ron Shelton’s delicious mixture of atmospheric sports movie and sexy rom-com. Watch it, and see if you don’t find yourself joining the Church of Baseball.

“A League of Their Own” (1992). Penny

Marshall’s irresistible comedy-drama follows a competitive pair of sisters (Geena Davis, Lori Petty) who join the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League — which was a

real thing, from 1943 to 1954. You’ll laugh (“There’s no crying in baseball!”), you’ll cry (that scene of Davis in her boardinghouse room weeping gets me EVERY time), you’ll

Wimbledon: Watch

Continued from B1

ries and cream, fish and chips, tea and scones and, naturally, a merchandise shop with the same towels, hats and other official tournament paraphernalia sold at the actual competition site — is one of many ways in which the All England Club (full name: All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club) is setting one foot in the modern age, such as the retractable roofs on Centre Court and No. 1 Court that permitted play as rain fell Tuesday and Wednesday, while keeping another solidly rooted in its famous past.

log of contests. Now those Sundays always will have matches.

That, like the New York event that began in 2022, is just one of the ways in which the All England Club is adapting to the present — and has its eyes on the future.

“We recognize that we’re a global event and we have audiences all over the world,” Bolton said in an interview. “But as we think about growth, there are certain countries where we think that there’s quite a bit more potential to grow that audience, and the U.S. is a great example of that.”

fall hard for this movie, which I need to rewatch, right now.

“Sugar” (2008). I’m always recommending this heartwarming

See BASEBALL | Page B4

MLB: Has star unlike anyone in Acuña Jr.

Continued from B1

der while making a headfirst slide. He stayed on the ground for a few moments before being helped to his feet and checked

by a Braves trainer. Acuña stayed in the game and scored moments later on a single. Snitker said Acuña was “stung a little bit”

but felt fine. There doesn’t seem to be anything the speedy Acuña can’t do.

“You go out and get a drink or go to the bathroom you might

miss something you’ve never seen before,” Snitker said. “I’m just glad to have him on our team and be able to watch him every say.”

Las Vegas Aces bond leads to success

By DOUG FEINBERG The Associated Press

Candace Parker sees a lot of similarities between the Las Vegas Aces and the 2016 Los Angeles Sparks team she played for that won a WNBA title. A lot of it has to do with the friendships the players share off the court.

“Our team was really, really close,” said Parker, who came to Las Vegas as a free agent in the offseason. “I don’t think it’s by accident that you have success on the court when you’re cool off the court.”

The Aces sit at 15-1 after routing both New York and Connecticut, which have the next two best records in the league. That’s the best start to a season since Los Angeles went 20-1 in 2016.

“In terms of the mentality of this team it reminds me a lot of 2016,” Parker said. “It was just business-like game to

game. It didn’t matter the result, it was whether we did what we were supposed to do.”

If the Aces keep playing the way they are, they have a chance to approach the 1998 Houston Comets team that went 27-3 for the highest winning percentage in league history.

With the core group of A’ja Wilson, Chelsea Gray, Kelsey Plum and Jackie Young signed through 2024, this team could be really good for a long time. The Aces announced Wilson’s two-year extension last Friday. Wilson, Gray and Young are starting in the All-Star Game in Las Vegas on July 15. Plum was named a reserve Saturday.

Las Vegas has been winning by an average of 15.6 points a game and is playing a very unselfish style of basketball, averaging 22 assists a game — second in the league behind New York.

“We just like sharing the ball,” Aces guard

Chelsea Gray said. “We have a lot of really good passers and really good scorers.”

The Aces, who have won eight straight games, are unbeaten at home this season and remain atop the AP WNBA power poll.

AP WNBA POLL

New York moved into second place in the poll after beating Connecticut on the road last week. The Sun fell to third. They were followed by Washington, Dallas and Atlanta. Chicago was seventh with Minnesota and Los Angeles next. Indiana was 10th as Seattle and Phoenix rounded out the poll.

COACHING CAROUSEL

Chicago’s James Wade stepped down as coach and general manager on Saturday to take an assistant coaching position with the Toronto Raptors. That means that Cheryl Reeve is the only coach to hold her current position for more than two years. She took over in 2010. Every other

team in the WNBA has changed its coach since Seattle hired Noelle Quinn in June 2021.

Wade’s departure was the second coaching change in the past two weeks after Phoenix fired Vanessa Nygaard on June 25.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Minnesota’s Napheesa Collier averaged 26.7 points, nine rebounds and 2.3 blocks to help the Lynx win all three of their games last week. The Lynx swept a homeand-home set with Seattle and beat Phoenix. Other players receiving votes included Kelsey Plum of Las Vegas, Breanna Stewart of New York, Satou Sabally of Dallas and Courtney Williams of Chicago.

GRINER WATCH

Brittney Griner and the Phoenix Mercury have a two-game road trip to New York and Minnesota this week before playing at home

“At Wimbledon, we’re always conscious of finding the balance between respecting our heritage and tradition,” Club chief executive Sally Bolton said, “alongside the pursuit of innovation and bringing in new audiences to share in the magic of The Championships.”

See? Even the way they refer to the twoweek event by those two words is a nod to earlier times. As is the continued use of grass courts, the only major tournament to still do so (the U.S. Open and Australian Open have shifted from grass to hard courts; the French Open is played on red clay.) As is the use of “fortnight” to describe the two weeks.

And yet the fact that it is now a fully 14-day event is a nod to today. Until last year, Wimbledon’s schedule was spread out over 13 days; the middle Sunday was set aside as a day of rest, used for play only in cases of extreme rain disruptions during Week 1 to make up a back-

There is also the intent to expand the local footprint by using land from the golf club across the road to build a new arena and courts for qualifying rounds. Bolton said the hope is there will be a decision by local authorities on a planning application by the end of 2023, so work can begin to allow new courts to be ready in the late 2020s or early 2030s.

Gender equity has been a particular area of change.

One tweak this year was to the allwhite clothing rule, which often is cited as part of Wimbledon’s historic charm but also was criticized by some female players for making them uncomfortable when they have their period. Now they are allowed to wear dark-colored undershorts.

“That was very much about recognizing that we want all athletes to have the best opportunity to focus on their performance,” Bolton said, “and to not have distractions. ... It wasn’t a difficult decision.”

June: Athletes of Month

Continued from B1

last week. She also took second place in the 25-yard back crawl in Chanute.

At the Chanute meet, Springer took third in the 100-yard individual medley.

Zoie Hesse

Only a freshman, Hesse was one of Iola’s most used pitchers in the Chanute Wednesday night softball league last month. She had the opportunity to learn under veteran Elza Clift this year and also had a powerful bat at the plate.

Tim Robbins, left, and Kevin Costner in “Bull Durham.” MGM/TNS

Rose Zhang shines light on U.S. Women’s Open

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. (AP) — Rose Zhang set the women’s course record at Pebble Beach and hardly anyone noticed outside of her local caddie, Stanford teammates and college golf enthusiasts.

Ten months later, Zhang walked toward the 17th green at Pebble Beach with three amateurs in the U.S. Women’s Open and heads turned to look.

And not just any heads.

To her left were some three dozen U.S. Women’s Open champions who had posed for a group photo, several of them in the World Golf Hall of Fame. Had it been anyone else, laughs and chatter might have continued. Zhang made them at least glance her way.

That’s what the 20-year-old Zhang brings to this historic Women’s Open, and perhaps to the LPGA Tour. She is two tournaments into her professional career, now fac-

ing the strongest test in women’s golf, and she already is talked about as much as anyone at Pebble Beach.

Michelle Wie West was in that group. She has become close to Zhang to the point someone suggested the former prodigy had become Zhang’s mentor.

“She doesn’t need

any mentors. She’s got it,” Wie West said.

“She’s incredibly poised and has that inner confidence, that inner silent confidence in her that is just so incredible, and she is a real competitor. I’m super excited for all the things that she’s already accomplished in her few weeks as pro,

and very excited to see what’s in the future for her.”

Wie West knows what it’s like to walk into a room, or walk across the putting green, and have everyone notice. She was 14 when she shot 68 in the Sony Open and missed the cut by one shot. She contended

Baseball: America’s first love during ASG

baseball drama from writing/directing team

Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden (who went on to make 2019’s “Captain Marvel”), as not enough people have heard of it.

Algenis Pérez Soto plays a 19-year-old pitcher from the Dominican Republic who’s recruited to the U.S. to play minor-league ball; it’s a moving, beautifully shot story of the elusiveness of the strike zone, and of one man’s American dream.

“Field of Dreams”

(1989). Yes, this tale of an Iowa farmer (Kevin Costner, in his baseball-movie phase) who hears strange voices telling him to turn his cornfield into a ballpark is absolutely hokey, and yet ... well, good luck resisting a movie in which James Earl Jones in his suspenders gives speeches about how when people come to watch baseball “it’ll be as if they dipped themselves in magic waters.” Just surrender to it. If you build it, they will come.

“Damn Yankees” (1958). Should you be in need of a baseball musical — and who among us isn’t? — this 65-yearold classic fits the bill,

complete with some actual New York Yankees in archival footage. Bonus: If you got hooked on the “Fosse/Verdon” miniseries a few years back, here’s the real thing, with Gwen Verdon (reprising her Tony Award-winning stage role) performing Bob Fosse’s choreography — and, briefly, dancing with him in a sizzling mambo.

Books

“The Cactus League” by Emily Nemens (2020). Nemens, who grew up in Seattle, structured her first novel like a baseball game: nine chapters, each focusing on a different character during baseball’s major-league spring training, interspersed with sports writer commentary. Their stories — a star outfielder, a near-retirement batting coach, a player’s wife, a sports agent — gradually and intoxicatingly converge under the cool February sunshine.

“The Dreyfus Affair” by Peter Lefcourt (1992). At once a comedic novel, sports satire and unexpectedly sweet love story, this is the tale of a married major-league shortstop in the throes of a pennant race —

who inconveniently realizes that he’s attracted to his second baseman. A story seemingly made for the movies, it’s been in screen development for decades (most recently, the book was acquired in 2020 for a television series), but it works perfectly on the page.

“The Art of Fielding” by Chad Harbach (2011). Harbach’s debut novel has at its center a remarkably talented baseball prodigy: the elegantly named shortstop Henry Skrimshander, who at the book’s beginning is a teenager from South Dakota recruited to play college ball near Lake Michigan. The novel follows the fortunes of the team, as they go on to have the best season in the college’s history, and of Henry, who struggles to retrieve his former magic after an errant throw injures a teammate.

“The Brothers K” by David James Duncan (1992). My dad, who was a devoted baseball fan, loved this novel so much. It’s the story of a former major-league pitcher who settles in Camas, Clark County, to raise his family of six children. The New York

Times described it as a “wildly excessive, flamboyantly sentimental, tear-jerking, thigh-slapping homage to Dostoyevsky and Tolstoy — and the game of baseball.” (The K, of course, is for a strikeout.)

“Shoeless Joe” by W.P. Kinsella (1982). If you loved “Field of Dreams,” obviously you’ll love this, too, because this is the book on which the movie was based — a magic-realism tale inspired by the Black Sox Scandal (a 1919 incident in which eight members of the Chicago White Sox were accused of throwing the World Series) and by the love of baseball.

for LPGA majors before she was old enough to drive. There was an element of jealousy from the corporate deals and media coverage that came her way. Zhang drew attention for her trophies. She won the U.S. Women’s Amateur and the U.S. Junior Girls, and back-to-back NCAA titles, the last one giving her 12 college titles in 20 starts. And on the biggest stage with network television, she won the Augusta National Women’s Amateur.

And then she turned pro and beat a strong field at Liberty National in her first start. All this can be a lot to digest for someone who was still cleaning a dorm room at Stanford just over a month ago. Zhang appears to be different in so many ways.

“In the past month it’s been very crazy, hectic, but I’ve been enjoying every moment,” she said Tuesday. “There’s a lot more attention, a lot more media, but it’s kind of expected when you are doing well and when you are the rookie trying to go out here and play the best you can. So I’ve just been taking everything in my stride.”

She is among the favorites for the U.S. Women’s Open, held at Pebble Beach for the first time and with a prime-time finish on the East Coast. The transition from amateur to pro was helped by the new name, image and likeness policies that allowed her to build relationships and get deals before taking the professional plunge. She kept expectations to a minimum. And

then she performed at a level that raised them higher.

Zhang followed that victory in the Mizuho Americas Open by getting within one shot of the lead at the Women’s PGA Championship at Baltusrol before finishing in a tie for eighth. “I would have never expected myself to be in this position. Just being able to be in contention has been incredible, feeling-wise, and I feel like my game has been on par with a lot of the professionals and the veterans out here,” she said. “But it’s not something that I anticipated.”

The U.S. Women’s Open is the next big test for Zhang and everyone else. The greens already are firm, even with marine layer keeping the sun off them for two days of practice.

Pebble Beach is fabled among U.S. Open courses, and the most recognizable in America outside Augusta National. It delivered big moments like Tom Watson’s chip-in in 1982, Jack Nicklaus hitting the pin on the 17th with a 1-iron, Tiger Woods winning by 15 shot in 2000.

Someone has a chance to carve out another slice of history.

Jin Young Ko, who last week broke the record for most weeks at No. 1 in the women’s world ranking, was so excited to play Pebble Beach she arrived last week. She hasn’t won a major since 2019 and is eager for another. So is Lydia Ko, who ended last year at No. 1 and is off to a slow start by her standards.

Zhang knows Pebble from the Carmel Cup, a college event last September, when she shot a 63 in the second round to break Brittany Lincicome’s course record for women. That

Rose Zhang responds to a question during a news conference before the U.S. Women’s Open golf tournament at the Pebble Beach Golf Links, Tuesday, July 4. AP PHOTO/DARON CUMMINGS

It’s not a happy anniversary of his affair

Adapted from two online discussions.

Dear Carolyn: A year ago today, I learned about my husband’s affair. It’s been a challenging year. With the help of therapy, forgiveness and a ton of communication and changes on his end, we are doing well.

But today, I can’t help but feel a little like crawling out of my skin just thinking about what was happening this time last year. How can I get through this day, when my body and mind remember some really difficult things?

— Getting Through the Day Getting Through the Day: I’m sorry.

If you don’t fight the bad thoughts and feelings, then they’ll probably go away faster. Your attention will move on to something else when it’s ready. Yoga and meditation are excellent for this. If it helps, you can

Carolyn Hax

plan something later to look forward to, a little yay-me reward for managing it. Even something as simple as dessert or a good movie.

Readers’ thoughts:

• I’ve been exactly where you are. It took (I’m sorry to say) five years before I stopped thinking: “A year ago today he was …” “Two years ago today he was …” It is still painful for me to look at pictures and remember events from those years — yes, plural — when he was cheating. I let myself wallow a bit. And I don’t think that’s such a bad idea.

In the meantime, I now have years of good to look back on. If that’s what you want — and it’s

okay if it’s not — then you can keep building more good “one year ago today” moments.

• Oh boy, can I sympathize. I had the same issues, ex maybe slightly worse: We got engaged on Valentine’s Day, married on D-Day, and he dropped the “I want a divorce” bombshell out of the blue on an always-celebrated threeday weekend.

Fast-forward a long time:

I celebrate Feb. 14 hugely with close friends, requiring massive prep for an elaborate menu, which works perfectly.

I discovered a friend who has become a bestie who was born June 6, and I spend a long time choosing gifts and sharing birthday joy.

On the three-day weekend, it’s a big family barbecue outside.

It all works. I rarely ponder the negative memories. Hugs; time passes.

Symptoms can lead to COPD diagnosis

Dear Dr. Roach: What signs and/or symptoms do you need for a doctor to determine you have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)?

— R.K.

Answer: The diagnosis of COPD is suspected in people who are at risk for the disease and note one of two cardinal symptoms: cough or dyspnea. (A "symptom" is what a patient identifies by history, while a "sign" is noted on a physical exam. Cough can be both a symptom and a sign.) Dyspnea is usually described as shortness of breath, a sensation that a person can't get enough air, like they have just run very fast. Some people with COPD may have very subtle symptoms.

Smoking is the big-

Dr. Keith Roach

To Your Good Health

gest risk factor for COPD, but there are other causes, including other chemical exposures (industrial exposures and home cooking fires are less common now, but are historically important causes of COPD); scarring lung disease; and a genetic cause, a condition called alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency.

The diagnosis is confirmed most often by tests of lung function, which are breathing tests to look at the physiology of the lung and its ability to exchange oxygen and carbon di-

oxide. Sometimes, the diagnosis can be supported by an X-ray or CT scan, but pulmonary function testing is the best way to determine the severity of COPD and follow the course.

We do have ways of slowing down lung decline in COPD, one way being smoking cessation for current smokers, but some of the medications we use also help reduce ongoing damage.

Dear Carolyn: I have a friend who is always asking me the prices of the things I buy. I feel as if he is judging my spending habits. How should I answer? —

Anonymous

Anonymous: “Why do you want to know?”

Every time. Don’t answer unless you think the reason is valid. And when you don’t want to answer, just say, “I don’t want to answer.”

What your friend’s doing is rude, by the way. Nosy. An exception would be if your friend were looking for the same thing, like: “Oh, I’ve been trying to find one of those. Would you mind sharing how much it was?” That kind of thing. Otherwise you owe nothing beyond some version of, “Butt out,” phrased to suit the tolerances of this particular friendship.

As for the judging possibility: That’s only relevant if you care what your friend thinks of your spending habits. Why do you?

by Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman

BEETLE BAILEY

by Mort Walker

HAGAR THE HORRIBLE by Chris

Browne

BLONDIE by Young and

Drake

Yesterday’s Cryptoquote: I drifted into a summer-nap under the hot shade of July, serenaded by a cicada lullaby, to drowsy-warm dreams of distant thunder.

— Terri Guillemets

by Patrick McDonell

HI AND LOIS by Chance Browne

MARVIN by Tom Armstrong

MUTTS

Roughly 20 ESPN personalities laid off; includes Van Gundy, Rose

By JOE REEDY The Associated Press

Jeff Van Gundy, Suzy Kolber, Jalen Rose and Steve Young are among roughly 20 ESPN commentators and reporters who were laid off on Friday as part of job cuts by the network.

ESPN had planned this additional round involving on-air talent to prevent further reductions to off-air staff after two rounds of mandated cuts by its corporate owner, the Walt Disney Company. Disney CEO Bob Iger announced in February that the company would reduce 7,000 jobs either through not filling positions or layoffs.

Friday’s announcement resembled what happened in April of 2017, when reporters and hosts were informed at one time that they would no longer be on the air.

“Given the current environment, ESPN has determined it necessary to identify some additional cost savings in the area of public-facing commentator salaries, and that process has begun. This exercise will include a small group of job cuts in the short-term and an ongoing focus on managing costs when we negotiate individual contract renewals in the months ahead,” ESPN said in a statement. “This is an extremely challenging process, involving individuals who have had tremendous impact on our company. These difficult decisions, based more on overall efficiency than merit, will help us meet our financial targets and ensure future growth.”

The New York Post first reported the layoffs of Van Gundy and Rose.

Van Gundy had been the network’s top NBA analyst since 2007 and recently completed calling a record 17th NBA Finals. Kolber was a longtime ESPN veteran, including being the cohost of a nightly show when ESPN2 debuted in 1993.

She was also the host of ESPN’s “Monday Night Countdown” show.

“Today I join the many hard-working colleagues who have been laid off. Heartbreaking-but 27 years at ESPN was a good run. So grateful for a 38 yr career! Longevity for a woman in this business is something I’m especially proud of,” Kolber said on social media.

Rose had also been with ESPN since 2007. He was mainly part of the NBA studio shows but also did a radio show for 11 years and was a cohost when Mike Green-

English men’s soccer team has first ever female head coach

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — While women’s soccer is growing in popularity in the U.K., opportunities for women in the men’s game remain few and far between.

That changed this week when Forest Green Rovers became the first professional soccer team in England to appoint a female head coach.

Hannah Dingley, who was already in charge of the fourth division club’s academy, has been made caretaker head coach following the departure of Duncan Ferguson on Tuesday.

charge of a men’s English Football League academy. And while no timeframe has been put on her interim appointment, it is a chance for her to make her mark as a manager.

“I’m really excited for this next step of my career,” she said.

“Pre-season has just begun and the full season kicks off very soon. It’s an exciting time in football.

I am grateful for the opportunity to step up and to lead such a progressive and forward-thinking club.”

But there has been little in the way of women getting prominent jobs in the men’s game. Chelsea women’s manager Emma Hayes is seen as one of leading coaches in the sport.

In 2021 she described reports that she could take over at third division men’s team Wimbledon as an “insult.”

berg’s “Get Up” morning show premiered in 2018.

ESPN’s NFL coverage and the radio side, were the ones to take the biggest hits.

Longtime draft analyst Todd McShay, who also contributed to college football coverage, and analyst Matt Hasselbeck were also laid off.

ESPN Radio’s morning show team of Max Kellerman and Keyshawn Johnson as well as afternoon host Jason Fitz were also affected. Kellerman also did an afternoon show on ESPN, but that was unlikely to continue after Pat McAfee signed to bring his show to the network’s airwaves in the fall.

Others include “SportsCenter” anchor Ashley Brewer, radio and ACC Network host Jordan Cornette, college basketball analyst LaPhonso Ellis, NBA reporter Nick Friedell, baseball writer Joon Lee and “College GameDay” analyst David Pollack.

Most will be bought out of their contracts and receive their full pay. If they want to take another job, they would have to negotiate an exit arrangement with ESPN.

Johnson and Rose might be the first two to come to mind after Shannon Sharpe left FS1’s “Undisputed” due to increased tensions with co-host Skip Bayless.

ESPN is expected to continue assessing its talent pool over the next year as contracts are reviewed or negotiated for renewal. It had already started some reductions by not renewing the contracts of NHL studio analyst Chris Chelios, longtime “SportsCenter” anchor Neil Everett and NFL analyst Rob Ninkovich.

While its NFL, NHL

Zhang: Face of LPGA

Continued from B4

carried Zhang and the Cardinal to another victory.

As for that 63? She calls it a blur and mentioned being on auto-pilot, and there’s a reason. Turns out her caddie was keeping stats, and only later did Zhang realize she had hit all 18 greens in regulation.

“Now that I remem-

and baseball contracts are set well into the future, negotiations for the renewal of NBA rights is expected to begin next year.

“It’s perhaps telling for the men’s game that in making this appointment on merit, we’ll break new ground - and Hannah will be the first female head coach in English (men’s) football,” Forest Green chairman Dale Vince said.

Dingley was already the only woman in

England’s women’s national team won the European Championship last year and goes to the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand this month as one of the favorites to win the tournament.

Domestically, women’s soccer is also on the rise in the U.K. with a record crowd of 77,390 watching the FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium in May.

Forest Green has a reputation for breaking down barriers, having been officially recognized by the United Nations as the greenest soccer club in the world due to its drive to be carbon neutral.

The team, based in Gloucestershire, England, uses solar power, an electric team bus, only eats vegan food and avoids single-use packaging. It also has an organic playing field that uses recycled rain water for irrigation.

Meet Zatanna!

Zatanna is a 4-month-old kitten who will open up once she is comfortable around you. She loves all toys, especially ones with feathers, and is a ectionate but is still getting used to the thought of getting picked up. Zatanna's adoption fee is $50 which includes her spay, up-to-date shots, deworming, ea treatment, nail trim and a microchip.

Meet Amara!

Amara is a 4-year-old Australian Cattle Dog Mix. She's good with kids and great with other dogs, but not with cats because she may chase one. Amara is partially housebroken; when she does have an accident, she tends to stay out of it. She loves playing with toys and will toss them in the air and catch them. Amara is looking forward to her next adventure and can't wait to nd her next forever home. Amara's adoption fee is $100, which includes her spay, up-to-date vaccinations, deworming, ea treatment, bath, nail trim and a microchip.

ber, I didn’t take a wedge out,” Zhang said with a laugh.

That will come in handy at Pebble Beach, renowned for its tiny greens with slopes that can range from subtle to severe. The rough is thick enough to cause problems. Wind is in the forecast. Expect anything this week, a motto that has served Zhang well so far.

number of pets adopted: 3,286

ESPN Analyst Jeff Van Gundy looks on prior to Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals. MICHAEL REAVES/GETTY IMAGES/TNS