Commentary

The death this past weekend of former U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar was another reminder — as if we needed one — of how dysfunctional our government has become.

Full disclosure. I was a student at Ball State University when Lugar, an Indiana Republican, decided to run for mayor of Indianapolis. Several friends and I volunteered for his campaign because we were interested in politics and we’d heard only good things about Lugar. I have never had any reason to think differently in the 50 some years since or to regret my extremely small part in the history of his political life.

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Extensive harm can be transmitted via the Internet. Officials in New York recently declared a countywide State of Emergency due to a measles outbreak infecting at least 151 people in the last five months, according to the New York Times.

Unvaccinated children will not be allowed into public places until they are vaccinated. The antivax movement is mainly spread via the internet.

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The modern definition of a political villain goes something like this: Someone who is smart, articulate, independent, probably a Democrat and definitely female.

Don’t believe that last part? Just spend an hour or so with our First District Congressman Roger Marshall at one of his town hall meetings.

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From the Publisher

Almost 20 years ago, Sharon Montague and I left our jobs at the Salina Journal to publish our first edition of the Ellsworth County Independent.

Not everyone applauded the decision. A longtime Kansas publisher called me when he heard the news and yelled over the phone from Kansas City, “Are you out of your minds?” Except he used other words I can’t repeat.

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The Dane G. Hansen Foundation’s Betsy Wearing presented some impressive numbers at the recent annual meeting of the Smoky Hill Development Corporation.

Here’s a sample, based on research from the Kansas Association of Community Foundations:

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“A Computer in a Phone Booth Is Not a Library”

That book was in the library last year because I checked it out and returned it. Now that I need to go back and check a few sentences I want to quote — it isn’t there anymore. It is not checked out to another professor or student. It is simply gone — discarded because it can be accessed online through some bundled arrangement with an library service.

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You’ll find a story in this week’s I-R about new leadership in the local Democratic Party. The Ellsworth County Republicans also have new officers.

Leland Francis, a retired teacher and coach from Wilson, is now chairman. He replaces Rob Fillion, former executive director of the Smoky Hill Economic Development Corporation. Fillion now lives in Wichita. Vice-chairman is Mary Jo Huseman, who has been active in Republican politics for many years.

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Let us be good neighbors

I am saddened to hear about a rift between once congenial neighbors. The rift stems from one family wanting to expand cattle operations that are regulated like all operations throughout the U.S. The rift seems to be between the two S’s — the Svaty family and another close operation that adds value to crops produced from their own land.

I greatly applaud the Svaty operation as it fits the need for fresh vegetables plus fine lamb and pork ...

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