Opinion
Bagworms are on their way!
Bagworms are a yearly pest in our area and can cause considerable damage. Most homeowners typically don’t get too concerned about bagworm control until they see large bags present on plants. By then it is too late and the damage is already done! The time to control bagworms is nearing, so be prepared. Bagworms overwinter as eggs deposited in the female bags. From mid-May through mid-June, larvae hatch from the eggs and exit from the bottom ...
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Horticulture therapy program
Now that we are well into spring and the flowers are starting to bloom, I thought it would be a suitable time to write a column on our horticultural therapy program. Some of you may not even realize that we even have a horticultural therapy program, but what started out as a small operation nine years ago in Fort Scott has grown into a full blown program that has won national awards. The horticultural therapy program at TVDS was the brain chi...
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Fair is fair for Ash Grove AND Neosho County
With the Kansas Legislature going into veto session on Monday, Ash Grove Cement Company officials are preparing to submit a new bill asking once again for clarification on the state’s tax codes. This time, however, the language will apply only to cement manufacturing facilities – and the only two in the state are in Chanute and Humboldt. At a recent Community Action Committee meeting hosted by Ash Grove, plant manager Randy Pryor showed us e...
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Keeping the environment green and our houses clean
Being “green” means doing small things every day to make a difference in our world.¬† We as consumers can do our part in keeping the environment green, while at the same time keeping our houses clean – and saving money, too. Use refillable cleaning products. Buying in bulk doesn’t just save money. It reduces our carbon footprint when we use less packaging. So rather than buying new liquid soap pumps, for instance, buy a large bottle of soap a...
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Progressive steps
Murray McGee Director-Chanute Regional Development Authority Since arriving in Chanute I have been impressed with the spirit of innovation that pervades the community. I have the opportunity to work with a broad-based board of directors from all aspects of the community. The CRDA Board represents individuals from all sectors of the community: business, education, government, and health and human services. This diversity enables the CRDA to wo...
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Dandelions, henbit and chickweed galore!
If you haven’t noticed, we seem to have a good crop of dandelions, henbit and chickweed this year. I have seen some yards in the area that literally have more weeds than fescue grass growing. It is possible to get these weeds under control, but timing is crucial. Dandelion control is recommended for the fall. However, research conducted by Purdue University has shown that good control can be achieved with a herbicide application during or so...
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There’s many ways to communicate
How do you like to communicate? Do you e-mail or are you a snail mail person? Do you call with your cell phone or from your house phone? Do you twitter, Facebook or text? Or, are you one of those folks that actually goes to visit with a person? George Bernard Shaw once said “The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” One would think with all these mediums for getting a message to others, people would...
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Safari Film Festival on tap this weekend
The museum’s 11th annual Safari Film Festival is this coming weekend. Activities begin Friday evening, April 26, with the 2010 Oscar award winning movie “The King’s Speech,” based on the true story of England’s King George VI. Fans of the Johnsons will know in 1925 Martin and Osa picnicked in Kenya, East Africa, with the then Duke and Duchess of York, later King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (the late Queen Mother). This movie will be shown i...
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Does it pay to pick organic?
A 2010 Nielsen survey listed the belief that organic foods are healthier as one of the top reasons to choose organic. Other reasons included avoidance of pesticides and other contaminates and an expectation that organic foods are more nutritious. Nearly half of those surveyed also said they opt for organic foods because they believe organic farming is better for the environment. So, does it pay to pick organic? It depends on your personal nu...
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Prescribed burning safety
Prescribed burning has become a major, though potentially dangerous, management tool throughout Kansas. Poorly managed burns or ignorance of safety measures can lead to property damage and even injury or death. Even in well-managed burns, accidents can occur. Before, during and after every burn, safety should be the major consideration. Follow basic burning procedures, wear proper clothing, and be prepared for the unexpected. Prescribed burni...
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View from the Sports Desk: A full bracket of real Tribune reader questions
Spending the last couple of weeks watching all the KU and K-State fans jump on the Wichita State bandwagon has been amusing to me. I guess I will join in to congratulate the Shockers for their success in winning “The Race to Inevitably Lose To Louisville.” The sorry state of my bracket has been well documented on the Tribune sports page for the last couple of weeks. Besides watching locals give up their long-held sports loyalties, I’ve pretty...
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‘David versus Goliath’
“A champion named Goliath, who was from Gath, came out of the Philistine camp. His height was six cubits and a span. He had a bronze helmet on his head and wore a coat of scale armor of bronze weighing five thousand shekels; on his legs he wore bronze greaves, and a bronze javelin was slung on his back. His spear shaft was like a weaver’s rod, and its iron point weighed six hundred shekels.” 1 Samuel 17:4 Have you ever had a bully pick on you...
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The great equalizer
Education is the great equalizer! This statement was often echoed in my home while I was growing up. As educators, my parents witnessed the power of these words. They often said that an education is something that can never be taken away from you. Those words rang true for my own children in our home, too. As an educator, I learned the importance of an education cannot be overstated for without it, the GAP increases between those individuals ...
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‘Brides in the Pacific’ exhibit April 6-June 9
Opening Saturday, April 6, in the museum’s Selsor Art Gallery is the special exhibit “Brides in the Pacific.” The title of this “Then and Now” retrospective pays tribute to Osa Johnson’s 1944 book “Bride in the Solomons.” Pictures and objects from the Johnsons’ South Seas expeditions to the Solomon Islands and the New Hebrides (now Vanuatu) are paired with those from Sheridan Brull of Lawrence. Brull, like Osa, is from Chanute and as a new br...
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NCCC ready for accreditation review
NCCC’s accreditation is up for review in September and I need your help to make sure we have the smoothest process possible. Accreditation only lasts about 10 years maximum and our last visit from the accreditors was about 10 years ago. Accreditation is extremely valuable to an institution. It determines whether or not that college can give federal financial aid. It determines if credits transfer from institution to institution. Basically, it...
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Generations nourishing generations
In southeast Kansas, when asked where our food comes from, we think of the hard working farmers and ranchers who care for their livestock in all types of weather and who sit in a tractor all night to get the planting/harvesting done before a rain. But in many parts of America, “the grocery store” is the answer you will get. “Generations Nourishing Generations” will be the underlying message for this year’s National Agriculture Day on March 1...
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Welfare drug testing
On Friday the Kansas Legislature completed the first portion of the 2013 session with each chamber passing its own legislation to the other chamber. On Wednesday each body will take up the legislation sent to it from the other side of the capitol. Only one month remains of the regular legislative session. I list below some of the legislation of interest that was passed by the Senate. At last SB 167 eliminates the statute of limitations for th...
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Time for dormant oil application
I’m optimistic that spring might be within sight. Hopefully we will get some nice warm days here in February. And if we do, have your dormant oil sprays ready for application. There are a number of dormant sprays used on fruit trees and other plants to control various diseases and insects. However, a dormant oil spray is designed to control scale insects, aphids and mites. Just like the name implies, dormant oils are applied before the tree ...
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Put your tax refund to work
Not everyone gets one, but it’s always a welcome sight — a tax refund.¬† If you receive a refund this year, how can you best put it to work? The answer depends, to a large extent, on the size of your refund. In 2012, the average tax refund was about $3,000, according to the IRS. Let’s look at a few possibilities for how you might use this amount: • Help fund your IRA — In 2013, you can now put in up to $5,500 per year (up from $5,000 in 2012...
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Exclude long-term care services from KanCare Maintaining quality services for Kansans with intellectual and developmental disabilities is very important to me
Exclude long-term care services from KanCare Maintaining quality services for Kansans with intellectual and developmental disabilities is very important to me. I am very concerned that the State will include long-term care services for persons with developmental disabilities in its managed care plan for Kansas beginning Jan. 1, 2014. Managed care models were designed to help contain costs associated with acute medical needs. Long-term car...
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