Here Comes the Man in Red!

Here comes the man in red!... and no, I don't mean Herbie Husker, the University of Nebraska mascot!

Yes, boys and girls of all ages can once again track the journey of Santa as he traverses the world dropping off gifts and buffing Rudolph's red nose on Christmas Eve. Below are a few links to "dot gov" sites providing information on Old Saint Nick for your entertainment.

Track Santa's journey around the world
http://www.noradsanta.org/en/
(North American Aerospace Defense Command, NORAD)

Do a search in google for letters to Santa (include the quotes in your search):
"letters to santa" site:gov
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=%22letters+to+santa%22+site%3Agov&aq=f&oq=

This from the Library of Congress:
http://www.loc.gov/wiseguide/dec08/santa.html

and this from NASA:
http://asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery-detail.asp?name=SantaClaus

In Search of Santa (Smithsonian Institute)
http://www.smithsonianchannel.com/site/sn/show.do?show=131259

Warmest wishes to you all during these holiday seasons and our best to you into the new year!

The Staff of the State Library of Kansas

It takes a village... to ensure child safety

Parenting styles vary greatly, but it can be agreed that ensuring a child's life is free from intentional or preventable harm is every citizen's responsibility. The government uses statistics and reports to create safety programming and allocate funds to agencies that serve families and children. These programs and gencies help parents ensure the safety of their children. Learn what the state and federal governments are doing to ensure the safety of all children in Kansas.

IF YOU SUSPECT ANY CHILD IS BEING HARMED or NEGLECTED,
contact the Kansas Protection Report Center at 1-800-922-5330

Government Studies and Statistics:

Annual report of the Child Death Review Board, a division of the Attorney General's Office:
http://www.ksag.org/files/2011_SCDRB_Annual_Report.pdf

Kansas Social and Rehabilitation Services (SRS) Reports and Publications:
http://www.srs.ks.gov/agency/cfs/Pages/CFSOutcomesandReports.aspx

Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) Reports and Statistics:
http://www.kdheks.gov/phi/khsr.html

Center for Disease Control (CDC) Child Health Statistics:
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/children.htm

KidsCount data center:
http://www.aecf.org/MajorInitiatives/KIDSCOUNT.aspx

Missing or exploited children:

AMBER Alert program in Kansas:
http://www.ksamber.org/ksamber/index.do

National Center for Missing or Exploited Children:
http://www.missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/PublicHomeServlet?LanguageCountry=en_US

Federal Office to Monitor Trafficking of Persons:
http://www.state.gov/g/tip/

FBI Office of Human Trafficking:
http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/investigate/civilrights/human_trafficking

How to get assistance for children you suspect are involved in human trafficking:
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/orr/policy/sl10-05.htm

Child Abuse or Neglect:

Kansas Child Protective Services:
http://www.srs.ks.gov/agency/cfs/Pages/ChildProtectiveServices.aspx

Kansas SRS Child Abuse & Neglect Registry:
http://www.srs.ks.gov/agency/cfs/Pages/AbuseNeglectRegistry.aspx

Kansas Save Haven Law. ***If you have an infant up to 45 days old, which you are unable to care for financially, physically, emotionally or otherwise you may give your child over to a medical facility, fire station or health department. Choose this option over harming your child:
http://www.nationalsafehavenalliance.org/states/kansas/
http://www.ksrevisor.org/2010/C38/38-2282.pdf

Sexual Violence:

KDHE Sexual Violence and Education division:
http://www.kdheks.gov/rpe/index.html

Kansas Bureau of Investigation offender registry list:
http://www.accesskansas.org/kbi/ro.shtml

Rape statistics:
http://www.kdheks.gov/rpe/download/rape_indicators.pdf

Healthcare and Nutrition:

KDHE Bureau of Family Health:
http://www.kdheks.gov/bfh/index.html

Kansas WIC program:
http://www.kdheks.gov/nws-wic/index.html

CDC Nutrition information:
http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/professionals/data/index.html

National Institute of Health information:
http://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/Diet_and_Nutrition.cfm

School and Childcare Safety:

Kansas Department of Education:
http://www.ksde.org/Default.aspx?tabid=3905

Kansas Coordinated School Health Program:
http://www.kshealthykids.org/KCSH_Menus/KCSH_Home.htm

Kansas Attorney General:
http://www.ksag.org/page/kansas-state-child-death-review-board-encourages-safety-for-school-children

KDHE Childcare Licensing:
http://www.kdheks.gov/bcclr/index.html

Safekids Kansas:
http://www.safekidskansas.org/child_care.htm


SIDS and Safe sleeping:

Kansas Attorney General:
http://www.ksag.org/page/kansas-state-child-death-review-board-promotes-sudden-infant-death-syndrome-sids-awareness

CDC SIDS information:
http://www.cdc.gov/SIDS/index.htm

Back to Sleep campaign from the National Institute on Health:
http://www.nichd.nih.gov/sids/

Safe Transportation:

KDHE information on child safety seats:
http://www.kdheks.gov/kansasbooster/

Safekids Kansas information:
http://www.safekidskansas.org/child_passenger.html
and
http://www.safekidskansas.org/pedestrian.html

Kansas Department of Transportation:
http://www.ksdot.org/burTrafficSaf/brochures/pdf/itsthelawprimarymay2010.pdf

December Holidays

December signals the beginning of many different celebrations, holidays and observances in the United States and around the world. Starting with World AIDS Day on December 1st and culminating with New Years Eve the month offers a diverse journey through awareness, cultures, belief systems, history and many opportunities to give of oneself to others.Below are some links to resources and information on some December events with an emphasis on Kansas:

The Winter Holidays

http://www.kslib.info/ref/misc/web/winterholidays.html
(Information on December holidays and events provided by the State Library of Kansas)

Diversity Calendar
http://www3.kumc.edu/diversity/
(The University of Kansas Medical Center offers up a calendar with information on special days around the world)"

World AIDS Day is December 1st
The Kansas Dept. of Health and Environment urges people at risk to be tested
http://www.kdheks.gov/news/web_archives/2011/11292011.htm

Kansas Travel & Tourism
http://www.travelks.com/
(For Kansas events around the state click on EVENTS and put in a search term: winter, Christmas, snow, etc. Site is part of the Kansas Department of Commerce. They also provide a short list of Featured Events.)

Candlelight Tour at Fort Scott, Kansas
http://www.nps.gov/fosc/planyourvisit/clt.htm
(U.S. National Park Service)

December books for children provided by the Kansas City Kansas Public Library
---Christmas Books
http://library.booksite.com/5366/nl/?list=CNL3
---Hanukkah and Kwanzaa
http://library.booksite.com/5366/nl/?list=CNL7

Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa Books and Videos for Children
http://www.cgsc.edu/carl/resources/children/reading_lists/christmas_kwa.asp
(Provided by C ombined Arms Research Library, Fort Leavenworth)

Christmas Cookie Recipes
http://www.girard248.org/holidays/christmas/cookies.html
(Brought to you by the Girard Public Schools)

Decorate with care!
http://www.kspace.org/bitstream/1984/4560/1/11-20-03Kansas+Department+of+Health+and+Environment+-+News+Release.pdf
(Advice on the use of candles, lights, trees, food, decorations from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment)

Inspect Christmas Trees Often
http://www.ksre.ksu.edu/news/sty/2005/Christmas_trees120905.htm
(Kansas State University Research and Extension)

Food Safety Tips for a Safe Holiday
http://www.kspace.org/bitstream/1984/7207/1/12-18-08Kansas+Department+of+Agriculture+__+News.pdf
(Kansas Department of Agriculture)

Article contact: Bill Sowers
(Check out recent additions to our collection)

Amending the U.S. Constitution

In recent weeks, Congress has proposed and worked on amendments to the U.S. Constitution regarding the national debt. The Founding Fathers wrote the Constitution as a living document, and procedure to allow the Constitution to change with the times was built in. That said, amending the Constitution is not an easy process.

The Article V. of the U.S. Constitution states that there are two ways to amend and there are two ways to ratify amendments:

Article. V.
The Congress, whenever two thirds of both Houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose Amendments to this Constitution, or, on the Application of the Legislatures of two thirds of the several States, shall call a Convention for proposing Amendments, which, in either Case, shall be valid to all Intents and Purposes, as Part of this Constitution, when ratified by the Legislatures of three fourths of the several States, or by Conventions in three fourths thereof, as the one or the other Mode of Ratification may be proposed by the Congress; Provided that no Amendment which may be made prior to the Year One thousand eight hundred and eight shall in any Manner affect the first and fourth Clauses in the Ninth Section of the first Article; and that no State, without its Consent, shall be deprived of its equal Suffrage in the Senate.

List of the amendments to the U.S. Constitution:
http://www.gpoaccess.gov/constitution/pdf/con001.pdf

Ratification process for amendments:
http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/constitution/

Synopsis of amendment and ratification procedure:
http://bensguide.gpo.gov/9-12/documents/constitution/amend.html

For indepth analysis of the Amendment and Ratification procedures, read the
Constitution of the United States: Browse, 2002 Edition & 2008 Supplement: Mode of Amendment
http://www.gpoaccess.gov/constitution/pdf2002/015.pdf

Article contact: Kim Harp

Charities and Volunteering

Kansans are well known for giving their time, talents and dollars to others in need. We especially think of how we might share something of what we have during this season of celebrations and gifts. Below is a update of resources from a KGI blog written by Kim Harp in 2009 on volunteering and charitable giving.

Giving to Charities
http://www.ksag.org/page/charities
(Information from Attorney General Derek Schmidt)

For Charities and Donors
http://www.bbb.org/us/charity/
(Information from the U.S. Better Business Bureau)

Kansas Charity Check
http://www.kscharitycheck.org/main.html
(Includes a "Charity Search" http://www.kscharitycheck.org/search.asp feature which allows you to see basic information on charities. Some organizations are exempt from registering. A list of these types of organizations can be found in the law, K.S.A. 17-1762) http://kslegislature.org/li/statute/017_000_0000_chapter/017_017_0000_article/017_017_0062_section/017_017_0062_k/

United Way of the Plains and the 211 Telephone number:
http://www.unitedwayplains.org/index.php?Itemid=224
(Find an organization to donate to or volunteer with through the United Way)

Community Health Charities of Kansas and Missouri
http://ksmo.healthcharities.org/index.asp
(Community Health Charities of Kansas & Missouri gives employees the freedom to support the local health charities of their choice through payroll deduction)

Global Impact
http://www.charity.org/
(Assure help for the world’s most vulnerable people by giving to charities working in developing countries around the world)

Find volunteer opportunities at:
Governor's Mentor Program
http://kansasmentors.kansas.gov/Pages/default.aspx
(Kansas Mentors is a statewide mentoring partnership that connects existing mentoring programs with each other and serves as a resource center for communities wishing to start a program. Kansas Mentors works to promote the great mentoring opportunities found throughout the state and to find ways to recruit more Kansans to become part of these efforts)

Kansas Volunteer Commission
http://www.kanserve.org/
(The Kansas Volunteer Commission (KVC) is a governor appointed commission that serves to promote and develop volunteerism throughout Kansas by connecting nonprofit organizations to each other while also providing resources and support to local service organizations and individuals)

Create the Good
http://createthegood.org
(Be a force for good... whether you have 5 minutes, 5 hours or 5 days)

iParticipate
http://www.iparticipate.org/
(Search volunteer opportunities near your location)

Article contact: Bill Sowers
(Check out recent additions to our collection)

Medicaid Reform

This week Governor Sam Brownback and Lt. Governor Jeff Colyer, M.D., accompanied by KDHE Secretary Robert Moser, M.D., Aging Secretary Shawn Sullivan and SRS Secretary Robert Seidlecki, announced plans to reform the state's Medicaid system. The plan is "based on three criteria: improving quality care for Kansans receiving Medicaid; controlling costs of the program; and long-lasting reforms that improve the quality of health and wellness of Kansans." It instigates a person-centered care coordination program called KanCare. The KanCare plan is based upon Medicaid statistics and public forum meetings held this past summer. Parts of the plan are subject to Legislative approval. KanCare will take effect January 2013.

This plan includes renaming and reassigning duties among the Kansas Department on Aging, Kansas Department on Health and Environment, Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services and the Juvenile Justice Authority.

Watch the video of the announcement:
http://www.youtube.com/govsambrownback

See the text of the announcement:
http://governor.ks.gov/frontpagenews/2011/11/08/administration-announces-medicaid-reforms

Read the executive summary:
http://www.kdheks.gov/hcf/medicaid_reform_forum/download/KanCare_Executive_Summary.pdf

Learn more through the Frequently Asked Questions:
https://governor.ks.gov/frontpagenews/2011/11/08/kancare-frequently-asked-questions

See a chart of the reassigned agency duties:
http://www.agingkansas.org/Programs_by_Agency.pdf

Public input from stakeholders report which instigated these changes:
http://kdheks.gov/hcf/medicaid_reform_forum/download/KS_Public_Input_and_Stakeholder_Consult.pdf

Medicaid Public Forum summary:
http://kdheks.gov/hcf/medicaid_reform_forum/download/Kansas_Medicaid_Public_Forum_Summary.pdf

Current Medicaid statistics:
http://kdheks.gov/hcf/medicaid_reform_forum/download/Kansas_Medicaid_Population_Demographics_Wichita_Dodge_City.pdf

Article contact: Kim Harp

For Kansas Kids Online

Several Kansas state government agencies provide resources and fun pages online for children. Below is a sampling of what you can find:

Kansas Kids
http://www.kssos.org/resources/kansas_kids.html
("A place for the Sunflower State's youngest citizens to discover all sorts of fun and interesting things about Kansas." Provided by the Office of the Kansas Secretary of State's)

Kansas Historical Society Students' Portal
http://www.kshs.org/portal_students
(Online games, cool things, famous Kansans trading cards, explore the State Capitol, archeology activities, Kansas Kaleidoscope, printable pages, activities for younger children, etc.)

Kids' Zone (KDHE)
http://www.kdheks.gov/bar/kids_corner/
("Cruise the clean air highway." Provided by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment)

Kids' Zone (State Treasurer)
http://www.kansasstatetreasurer.com/prodweb/personal_finance/kids-zone.php
(Learn about personal finance. Provided by the Kansas State Treasurer's Office)

Kid's CURB
http://curb.kansas.gov/kidlinks.htm
(Topics such as energy, telecommunications, recycling, and internet safety, as well as helpful tips to save energy. Provided by the Kansas Citizens' Utility Ratepayer Board.... CURB)

Kid's Road
http://www.kansashighwaypatrol.org/kids/main.html
(Provided by the Kansas Highway Patrol)

Kids Learn About Agriculture
http://www.ksda.gov/kansas_agriculture/content/236
(The Kansas Department of Agriculture provides links to great resources for kids to learn all about agriculture)

Kansas Safe Kids
http://www.kdheks.gov/safekids/index.html
(Dedicated to preventing unintentional injuries to Kansas children ages 0-14. A lot of the material is more for adults but there is some material for children as well. Provided by a coalition of over 70 statewide and regional organizations and businesses)

Kansas Kids Kan
http://www.kansasgreenschools.org/kkc
("The Kansas Kids Can Newsletter, published through the Kansas Department of Health and Environment Bureau of Waste Management, is designed for fourth grade students, but would be appropriate other grades as well. It contains information on waste and recycling issues with hands-on investigations related to the newsletter topic")

Kid Stuff!
http://www.travelks.com/s/index.cfm?aid=8
(Though not an online activities page this site lists things to do in the Sunflower State that would especially appeal to children. Provided by the Kansas Travel and Tourism)

Article contact: Bill Sowers
(Check out recent additions to our collection)

Trainings and career development offered

Tough times are lingering, yet many Kansans are finding new avenues to employment. Career development, trainings, and college offer exciting possibilities. And, there are many options offered by the State of Kansas and the Federal agencies to assist Americans in finding the educational opportunties that may lead to new careers.

Job & Career Accelerator from the State Library of Kansas:
http://jca.learnatest.com/LEL/?HR=http://www.kslc.org

Thriving in Tough Times, Employment and Training resources:
http://thrivingintoughtimes.wordpress.com/employment-training/

Training from the Kansas Department of Labor, KansasWorks:
https://www.kansasworks.com/ada/skillmatch/skl_ResourcesOverview.cfm

Apprenticeships:
http://www.kansasapprenticeship.org/jobseekers/Pages/default.aspx

Career training from Heartland Works, Inc.:
http://www.heartlandworks.org/Seeker/Seeker_Services_2nd_Page.htm

Workshops and certifications from Workforce Centers:
http://www.workforce-ks.com/index.aspx?page=43

Career Onestop from the U.S. Department of Labor:
http://www.careeronestop.org/

U.S. Job Corps:
http://www.jobcorps.gov/home.aspx

Youth Training from the U.S. Department of Labor:
http://www.dol.gov/dol/topic/training/youth.htm

Links to Kansas Universities and Community or Technical Colleges:
http://www.kansasregents.org/interactive_map_listing

Kansas Career Zoom- information on career technical education training opportunities from 26 Kansas public institutions:
http://careerzoomkansas.com/

Educational Opportunities for unemployed workers:
http://federalstudentaid.ed.gov/opportunity/index.html

Article contact: Kim Harp

Road Construction

It is jokingly said that there are two seasons in Kansas... Winter and Road Construction. As highway and local street improvement projects continue across the Sunflower State we thought some links to information on road transportation might be helpful.

Traffic and Travel Information
http://www.ksdot.org/offTransInfo/511Info/511traffictravel.asp
(Closed roads, driving conditions, weather, Metro areas, regional and national conditions. Provided by the Kansas Department of Transportation)

KanDrive
http://www.kandrive.org/
(Links to road conditions and work zones around the state)

KanRoad
http://511.ksdot.org/KanRoadPublic_VE/Default.aspx
(An interactive map showing traffic alerts on highways around the state as well as live camera views at selected sites. Provided by the Kansas Department of Transportation)

RWIS (Road and Runway Weather Information System) Map and Weather Data
http://www.ksdot.org/burcompser/generatedreports/weather.asp
(Clickable map showing temperatures, humidity and wind speeds at selected locations in Kansas. Provided by the Kansas Department of Transportation)

T-Works
http://kdotapp.ksdot.org/tworks
(T-WORKS is a 10-year, $8 billion transportation program designed to create jobs, preserve highway infrastructure, and provide multimodal economic development opportunities across the state)

Mileage Between Kansas Cities
http://www.ksdot.org:9080/burtransplan/dist_chrt.cgi
(Put in two towns for travel distances. Provided by the Kansas Department of Transportation)

Kansas Highway Rest Areas
http://www.kandrive.org/images/Kansas%20Rest%20Area%20Map.pdf
(Use the interactive map to find places to pull over at along your trip)

Trucking KS
http://truckingks.org/
(Assists for truckers and other commercial drivers in Kansas)

Kansas City Metro Area Live Traffic
http://www.kcscout.net/
(Roadwork in and around the KC Metro Area)

Kansas City Metro Area
Lane Closure Info
http://www.ksdot.org/kcMetro/laneclose.asp

City of Lawrence Construction Updates
http://www.lawrenceks.org/construction

City of Topeka Street Closings
http://www.topeka.org/StreetClosings/

Wichita Public Works & Utilities
http://www.wichita.gov/CityOffices/PublicWorks/
(Click on Major Construction Projects for Streets & Buildings for a weekly report on road closings and construction in Wichita)

Sedgwick County Current and Future Road Closings
http://www.sedgwickcounty.org/Public_Works/road_closings.asp

Other Kansas Towns
http://www.skyways.org/towns/
(Blue Skyways. A service of the State Library of Kansas)

Article contact: Bill Sowers
(Check out recent additions to our collection)

Disability Employment Awareness

Governor Brownback has proclaimed October to be Disability Employment Awareness Month. Throughout October, employers are encouraged to consider mentoring and hiring individuals with disabilities. Kansas runs specific adaptation programs to assist employers and employees in creating optimum working enviroments and career development. Learn how you can help link students and job seekers with employers this month!

Governor Brownback's proclaimation:
https://governor.ks.gov/frontpagenews/2011/10/13/governor-proclaims-october-as-disability-employment-awareness-month

National American Association of People with Disabilities' (AAPD) Disability Mentoring Day (DMD) program : http://www.disabilitymentor.net/

Kansas equipment exchange:http://www.equipmentexchange.ku.edu/home.htm

Kansas Agrability Project (assists farmers in obtaining adaptations to continue work):http://www.ksre.ksu.edu/agrability/welcome.asp

Kansas Human Rights Commission:http://www.khrc.net/

Assistive Technology:http://www.atk.ku.edu/

More assistive technology:http://www.katco.net/

Kansas Works:https://www.kansasworks.com/ada/default.cfm

Kansas Job and Career Accelerator:http://www.learnatest.com/LEL/index.cfm/

Labor market information from the Kansas Department of Labor:https://klic.dol.ks.gov/

Article contact: Kim Harp

¿Habla Ud. Español?

Spanish language resources on government websites are an increasingly familiar sight. Below are some Kansas government pages with information in Spanish as well as links to some federal sites:

Kansas.gov en Español
http://www.kansas.gov/es/
(El sitio mejor del estado Kansas)

Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services
Servicios sociales y de rehabilitación
http://www.srs.ks.gov/lang/spanish/Pages/default.aspx


Kansas Secretary of State
Instrucciones para registro de votante
http://www.kssos.org/forms/Elections/Spanish/SpanishvoterReg.pdf

Kansas Department of Health and Environment
Solicitud de copia certificada del acta de nacimiento
http://www.kdheks.gov/vital/download/birth_esp.pdf

Obtenga la solicitud para una copia certificada del acta de matrimonio
http://www.kdheks.gov/vital/download/marriage_esp.pdf

Formulario para solicitar una copia certificada del acta de divorcio
http://www.kdheks.gov/vital/download/divorce_esp.pdf

La Oficina de Salud Local y Rural
http://www.kdheks.gov/olrh/spanish_text.htm
(La Oficina de Salud Local y Rural del Departamento de Salud y Medio Ambiente de Kansas, provee asistencia a comunidades de Kansas para establecer o modificar sus sistemas de distribución de servicios de salud)

Kansas Corporation Commission
Programa Lifeline de Kansas
http://www.kcc.state.ks.us/pi/lifeline_es.htm
(Usted puede ser elegible a recibir hasta $17.77 de descuento en su cuenta mensual de teléfono local por medio del programa Lifeline. Si actualmente no tiene servicio de teléfono, usted también puede ser elegible para un descuento en el cobro de conexión por medio de Link Up America)

Asistencia económica para gastos de calefacción
http://www.kcc.state.ks.us/pi/cwr_spanish.htm
(Si usted no puede pagar su cuenta por completo, llame a su compañía de utilidades para hacer un acuerdo de pago)

Kansas Department on Aging
Su guia para obtener recursos alimentairas en Kansas
http://www.agingkansas.org/Publications/Nutrition/Guide_to_KS_Food_Res_SPA.pdf

Servicios para los Ancianos Frágiles Basados en el Hogar y la Comunidad
http://www.agingkansas.org/Publications/Other/HCBSFE_SPANISH.pdf

KansasWorks.com
Otras Lenguas
https://www.kansasworks.com/ada/skillmatch/skl_otherlanguages.cfm
(Clique a "Spanish" en el menú desplegable. CLique a la flecha a la derecha de "Spanish" para traducir la pagina)

Kansas Department of Labor
El Departamento Laboral de Kansas
http://www.dol.ks.gov/en_espanol.html
(El Seguro de Desempleo es un programa que provee temporalmente beneficios semanales a trabajadores desempleados que califíquen. La oficina de Beneficios determina la elegibilidad y el pago subsiguiente de beneficios a los trabajadores desempleados. Estas personas deben cumplir con ciertos requisitos antes de recibir beneficios de desempleo. La oficina de Contribuciones es responsable de la recolección de impuestos estatales de los empleadores. Este pago del seguro no es deducido del sueldo de los empleados)

El Gobierno Federal

Gobierno USA.Gov
http://www.usa.gov/gobiernousa/index.shtml

Benefits.Gov
¿Busca Beneficios?
http://es.benefits.gov/?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=gbcc_page_locate_state&_nfls=false&_code=KS

Servicio de Ciudadanía e Inmigración de Estados Unidos
http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis-es

Community Virtual Library
(A resource of Spanish language sites set up by the nonprofit, Community Virtual Library, in the virtual world, Second Life)
Ayuda en Español
https://sites.google.com/site/cvlcollections/help/usespanol

Article contact: Bill Sowers
(Check out recent additions to our collection)

Healthcare in Kansas

In the summer of 2011, the State of Kansas facilitated a series of Medicaid Public Forums where more than 1,000 participants engaged in discussions on how to reform Kansas’ Medicaid system. Forum participants from Topeka, Wichita and Dodge City produced over 1,500 comments and recommendations for reform. Recommendations were focused on the three segments of the Medicaid population:
• Children, Families and Pregnant Women,
• The Aged
• The Disabled

Learn more about Medicaid and the resources used by Kansas government officials in policy decision making.

U.S. Census charts the insured and noninsured:
http://blogs.census.gov/censusblog/2011/09/my-entry.html

Kansas Medical Assistance Program (KMAP) including Healthwave and Health Connect:
https://www.kmap-state-ks.us/

Kansas Medicaid Statistics:
http://www.kdheks.gov/hcf/medicaid_reform_forum/download/Kansas_Medicaid_Population_Demographics_Wichita_Dodge_City.pdf
Federal regulations regarding Medicare, Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Programs (CHIP):
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2011-02-02/pdf/2011-1686.pdf

Medicaid and Healthwave fact sheets:
http://www.kdheks.gov/hcf/healthwave/fact_sheet.html

Medicaid transformation:
http://www.kdheks.gov/hcf/medicaid_transformation/default.htm

Medicaid roundtable summaries:
http://www.kdheks.gov/hcf/medicaid_reform_forum/

Kansas Healthcare Market reports:
http://www.kdheks.gov/hcf/medicaid_reports/Health_Care_Market_Reports.html

Article contact: Kim Harp

Monarch Butterfly

It is an annual event of colorful, fleeting proportions when royalty travel through the Sunflower State every September. The monarch butterflies waft through wood, prairie and town gracing us with their presence on their way south to winter in Mexico.

Below are links with information on the butterflies, their lives, the annual migration and the dangers these beautiful creatures face in the 21st century. The resources below include some Kansas links as well.

GENERAL INFORMATION

"Monarch Butterflies Caught, Tagged to Track Migration"
http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2011/sep/19/monarch-butterflies-caught-tagged-track-migration/
(Lawrence Journal World, September 19, 2011)

Migration of the Monarch Butterfly
http://www.loc.gov/rr/scitech/SciRefGuides/butterfly.html
(Library of Congress Science Reference GUides)

The Monarch Butterfly and Milkweed
http://ed.fnal.gov/entry_exhibits/insect/monarch.html

Monarch Butterfly
http://www.nature.nps.gov/biology/migratoryspecies/monarchbutterfly.cfm
(US National Park Service)

Earthshots" Satellite Images of Environmental Change
Angangueo, Mexico
http://earthshots.usgs.gov/Angangueo/Angangueo
(The southern home of the monarch butterfly in Mexico is threatened by thinning and clearing of trees the insects depend on for habitation)

Monarch Larva Monitoring Project
http://www.mlmp.org/
(The Monarch Larva Monitoring Project (MLMP) is a citizen science project involving volunteers from across the United States and Canada in monarch research)

Monarch Butterfly Lifecycle
http://www.thewildones.org/Animals/monarch.html
(The Wild Ones Animal Index)

Monarch Butterfly Program
http://www.fws.gov/international/DIC/regionalprograms/mexico/monarch.html
(Since 1995, the Wildlife Without Borders-Mexico Program has made a continuing commitment to support the conservation of monarch butterflies. By working with various partners to protect the monarch overwintering habitat, the Service helps ensure that highly valued butterflies in the United States are protected on their multi-generational migration through Mexico)

KANSAS CONNECTION

Monarch Watch
http://www.monarchwatch.org/
(Kansas Biological Survey, University of Kansas)

Monarch Butterfly
http://www.gpnc.org/monarch.htm
(Great Plains Nature Center)

Butterfly on the Brink
Text: http://www.features.ku.edu/monarchs/
YouTube: http://youtu.be/MdtDcKg-x8w
(University of Kansas article. "Intense deforestation in Mexico could ruin one of North America's most celebrated natural wonders -- the mysterious 3,000-mile migration of the monarch butterfly")

Monarch Butterflies in Space
http://youtu.be/u3lcgYNyCvU
(Monarch Watch — a KU-based network of students, teachers, volunteers and researchers dedicated to study of the monarch butterfly — is providing caterpillars to NASA, along with a special artificial diet. If all goes according to plan, the insects will eat, grow and go through metamorphosis to emerge as adult butterflies in 17 days while in low Earth orbit)

Article contact: Bill Sowers
(Check out recent additions to our collection)

Jobs in the U.S.

Over this past year, Governor Brownback has hosted seven summits focused on job creation in Kansas. “These summits will bring together stakeholders involved in the various engines of the Kansas economy to openly exchange ideas on what the state can do to help their industries grow and create jobs,” Governor Brownback said. Tonight, President Obama will address the nation regarding his plan to increase jobs. Many agencies study the economy and the employment situation. The President, Congress, state governors and state legislatures use the variety of tools these agencies create to develop policy, laws and regulations. Read on to see some of the tools used by Federal, state and local governments to track employment.

NATIONWIDE

News release from the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics on August’s employment:
http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm
http://www.bls.gov/news.release/jec.htm

Overview of the 2007-2009 Recession:
http://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2011/04/art1full.pdf

Current Monthly Employment Statistics (since 1981):
http://www.bls.gov/web/empsit/cesregrec.htm

The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and Personal Income National data from the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis:
http://www.bea.gov/iTable/index_nipa.cfm

Job Openings and Labor Turnover (JOLTS) from the Department of Federal Reserve:
http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/categories/32241

Update: President Obama's 9/8/2011 jobs speech to the joint Congressional session:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2011/09/08/american-jobs-act

STATE LEVEL

Indicators of the Kansas Economy by Kansas, Inc.:
http://www.kansasinc.org/pubs/working/IKE%20-%20March%202011.pdf

Kansas Wage Survey:
http://www.dol.ks.gov/lmis/wagesurvey/ws2010/wagesurvey_2010.html

Monthly Labor Report:
http://www.dol.ks.gov/HOME/NewsReleases/mlr.html

Annual State of Labor from the Secretary of Labor:
http://www.dol.ks.gov/home/NewsReleases/state.html

2010 Job Vacancies in Kansas Survey:
http://www.dol.ks.gov/LMIS/jobvacancy/jvs2010/jvs2010.html

Unemployment Insurance Weekly Review:
http://www.dol.ks.gov/LMIS/uinewslet/lmr.html#unemploy_insurance_newsletters or
http://www.kspace.org/handle/1984/11882

Kansas Occupational Outlook:
http://www.dol.ks.gov/lmis/projections/projections.html

Kansas County Profile Reports (including 2010 employment statistics) from the University of Kansas’ Institute for Policy and Social Research:
http://www.ipsr.ku.edu/ksdata/kcced/profiles/

County Wage Comparison tools from Wichita State’s Center for Economic Development and Business Research:
http://www.cedbr.org/content/2011/2010_County_Look-up.xlsx

U.S. State and County Unemployment Rate Comparisons (graph) from the U.S. Department of Labor:
http://www.google.com/publicdata?ds=usunemployment&ctype=l&strail=false&nselm=h&met_y=unemployment_rate&scale_y=lin&ind_y=false&rdim=state&tdim=true&tstart=631152000000&tunit=M&tlen=243&hl=en&dl=en

Article contact: Kim Harp

Animal Agriculture Summit

Governor Brownback recently announced that he's scheduled a summit meeting on the economy and animal agriculture, September 28th in Garden City. Part of a series of summits held around the state on improving the Kansas economy this meeting will focus on the retention and expansion of farms, ranches and agribusiness in the state as well as ways to encourage new agricultural entities to enter the state. Featured speaker at the summit will be Dr. Giovanni Gasperoni of Novus International.

Specific topics to be covered in the gathering will include growing animal agriculture including workforce, Kansas’ advantages and disadvantages for business, food safety, animal health and animal welfare.

Provided below are some links to resources on animal agriculture, animal health, food safety and the Summit:

Governor's Economic Summit on Animal Agriculture
http://ksagriculture.kda.ks.gov/Pages/Default.aspx
(September 28, 2011, St. Dominic Catholic School, Garden City)
-- Agenda
-- Registration Form
-- Location and Lodging
-- Background Information
-- Contact
-- Dr. Giovanni Gasperoni biography

"Brownback To Host Animal Ag Summit"
http://www.hutchnews.com/Latestlocalnews/Brownback-to-host-animal-ag-summit
(Hutchinson News, August 30, 2011)

ANIMAL AGRICULTURE
Kansas Department of Agriculture
--Meat and Poultry
--Dairy
--Statistics

National Institute for Animal Agriculture
http://www.animalagriculture.org/

Animal Production (US Department of Agriculture)
http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?navid=ANIMAL_PRODUCTION&navtype=RT&parentnav=PRODUCERS

AGRIBUSINESS
Kansas Department of Agriculture
--Marketing
--Statistics

Kansas Agri Business Expo
http://www.ksabe.org/mx/hm.asp?id=Home

Kansas Center for Sustainable Agriculture
http://www.kansassustainableag.org/valueadded.htm

USDA Agricultural Marketing Service
http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/

FOOD SAFETY
Kansas Department of Agriculture
http://www.ksda.gov/food_safety/

Food Safety (US Government)
http://www.foodsafety.gov/

ANIMAL HEALTH
Kansas Animal Health Department
http://www.kansas.gov/kahd/index.shtml

Kansas Department of Agriculture Animal Health
http://www.ksda.gov/animal/

Kansas City Animal Health Corridor
http://www.kcanimalhealth.com/
("KC area companies account for nearly 32% of total sales in the $19 billion global animal health market")

USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/

ANIMAL WELFARE

Farm Animals: Animal Welfare Information Center
http://awic.nal.usda.gov/nal_display/index.php?tax_level=1&info_center=3&tax_subject=170

ASSOCIATIONS, COUNCILS
(An incomplete list of organizations involved with different aspects of animal agriculture in Kansas)
Kansas Agribusiness Retailers Association
Kansas Ag.org
Kansas Beef Council
Kansas Livestock Association
Kansas Cattlemen's Association
National Cattlemen's Beef Association
Kansas Dairy Association
Kansas Sheep Association
Kansas Pork Association
Kansas Meat Goat Association
Kansas Honey Producers Association
Northeastern Kansas Beekeepers' Association
Kansas Emu Association
Midwest Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association
Kansas Agricultural Aviation Association
Kansas Graziers Association
Kansas Poultry Association
Dr. R. Scott Beyer
Department of AS&I, 130 City Hall
Kansas State University
Manhattan, KS 66506-1600

RESEARCH, GENERAL INFORMATION
Kansas State University Animal Science and Industry
http://www.asi.ksu.edu/p.aspx

Kansas Bioscience Authority
http://www.kansasbioauthority.org/
("Created by the Kansas Economic Growth Act of 2004 with the sole purpose of advancing Kansas’ leadership in bioscience")

Kansas Farm Bureau
http://www.kfb.org/

Article contact: Bill Sowers
(Check out recent additions to our collection)

Small Business works in Kansas

The U.S. Department of Treasury announced last week they are providing funds to two banks in Kansas via their Small Business Lending Fund. This fund was created as part of the 2010 Jobs Act to help banks lend to new small businesses. This fund is just one of many resources available to entrepreneurs. Find more resources for new business start-ups below.

Small Business Lending Fund (U.S. Treasury)

http://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sb-programs/Pages/Small-Business-Lending-Fund.aspx

Kansas Business Center (Kansas Department of Commerce)

http://www.kansas.gov/businesscenter/

Network Kansas (Non-profit)
http://www.networkkansas.com/

Kansas Small Business Development Center (Partnership between Kansas Department of Commerce and US Small Business Administration)
http://ksbdc.kansas.gov/Pages/default.aspx

Minority and Women Business Development (Kansas Department of Commerce)
http://ks-kdoc.civicplus.com/index.aspx?NID=231

Federal and State business grants (Network Kansas)
http://www.networkkansas.com/entrepreneurs/funding-options/business-grants

Federal grants (Small Business Administration)
http://www.sba.gov/category/navigation-structure/loans-grants

Business incentives to locate in Kansas
http://ks-kdoc.civicplus.com/index.aspx?nid=93

Small Business Workshops (Kansas Department of Revenue)
http://www.ksrevenue.org/smbusworkshops.html

Advantage Loan Initiatives (Small Business Administration)
http://www.sba.gov/advantage

Financing for small business and non-profits
http://www.self-help.org/business-and-nonprofit-loans

New markets venture capital (Small Business Administration)
http://www.sba.gov/content/new-markets-venture-capital-companies

Article contact: Kim Harp

Presidential Election 2012

And so it begins... Another race to the White House is underway. Below are some basic sources on U.S. presidential elections, campaigners, campaign finance, the Electoral College and other resources available from government and non-government sites.

Federal Election Commission
http://www.fec.gov/

2012 Presidential Form 2 Filers
http://www.fec.gov/press/press2011/presidential_form2nm.shtml
(All individuals who have filed a Statement of Candidacy (FEC Form 2) with the FEC to register as a 2012 presidential candidate)

2012 Presidential Campaign Finance
http://www.fec.gov/disclosurep/pnational.do
(Summarizes financial information disclosed by each Presidential candidate who has reported at least $100,000 in contributions from individuals other than the candidate)

2012 Presidential Primaries, Caucuses, and Conventions Alphabetically by State
http://www.thegreenpapers.com/P12/events.phtml

2012 Presidential Primaries, Caucuses, and Conventions Chronologically by State
http://www.thegreenpapers.com/P12/events.phtml?s=c

What is the Electoral College
http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/electoral-college/about.html

Electoral College FAQs
http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/electoral-college/faq.html

Distribution of 2008 Electoral Votes
http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/electoral-college/2008/allocation.html

2008 Voting and Registration (U.S. Census Bureau)
http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/socdemo/voting/publications/p20/2008/index.html
(Information on reported voting and registration by various demographic and socioeconomic characteristics is collected for the nation in November of Congressional and Presidential election years in the Current Population Survey)

American Presidential Elections
http://amview.japan.usembassy.gov/e/amview-e20080123-02.html
(Document by Allan J. Lichtman issued online by the American Embassy in Japan explaining how Americans elect their president)

Election of the President for Kids
http://bensguide.gpo.gov/3-5/election/president.html

Political Party Information
http://www.votesmart.org/party_info.php

Open Directory Project
U.S. Presidential Elections
http://www.dmoz.org/Regional/North_America/United_States/Government/Elections/President/
2012 Presidential Election
http://www.dmoz.org/Regional/North_America/United_States/Society_and_Culture/Politics/Candidates_and_Campaigns/President/

Gallup Pole: Election 2012
http://www.gallup.com/poll/election.aspx
(Presidential polling questions, results, reports and comparisons over the campaign cycle)


United States Presidental Election 2012 (Wikipedia)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_election,_2012
Includes Links to Official Candidate Websites

MEDIA SITES
ABC News (click Vote 2012)
CBS News Elections
CNN Election Center
FOXNews
MSNBC Politics
PBS Online NewsHour

Back to School!

It's hard to think of fall and returning to school when it's been so hot. The calendar has turned another month, making parents check school supply lists and trying to squeeze in a few last-minute summer activities. Listed below are some resources available from government and private organizations to help orient your mind to school days.

Assistance in getting school supplies

Operation School Bell (Wichita area)- provides back-to-school clothes, uniforms and hygiene items to students in need
http://assistanceleaguewichita.org/programs/

Communities in Schools (statewide)- provides a variety of assistance to keep kids in school
http://ciskansas.org/about-us/services-programs/

Salvation Army- provides school supply, children’s programmng, tutoring, preschools
http://www.usc.salvationarmy.org/usc/www_usc_kan.nsf/vw-sublinks/796AE67B170E332D86257558007142FA?openDocument

For your back-to-school vaccination and health needs:

Laws that require vaccinations and the statutory exceptions:
http://www.kdheks.gov/immunize/download/Kansas_Statutes_Related_to_School_Immunizations.pdf

Form to verify your child’s vaccinations:
http://www.kdheks.gov/immunize/download/KCI_Form.pdf

Kansas physical forms for participating in high school sports:
http://www.kshsaa.org/Public/PDF/FORM-PPE.pdf

School Lunch

School nutrition programs as provided by the Kansas Department of Education:
http://www.kn-eat.org/SNP/SNP_Menus/SNP_Home.htm

National school lunch program:
http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/lunch/

Play Hard, Stay Healthy from the USDA
http://www.fns.usda.gov/eatsmartplayhardhealthylifestyle/

Childcare

How to pick the perfect before or after school childcare:
http://www.childcare.gov/

ERC Resource & Referral provides customized child care referrals, professional development and resources for early childhood professionals, and referrals to community resources:
www.ercrefer.org

United Way 2-1-1:
www.211kansas.org/

Parent Resources

PTA:
http://www.ptacentral.org/kansas.htm

Kansas Parent Information Resource Center:
http://www.kpirc.org/

Article contact: Kim Harp

It's so hot!

Off to the lake to beat this heat this weekend? Before you go, make sure that your local lake or reservoir does not have any current algae bloom warnings. Algae blooms are known to cause illness in humans and pets and can cause a fish die-off or “dead-zone” if they grow too large. Algae blooms occur more frequently in warm weather though no one is quite sure what triggers an algae bloom to become intense. Fertilizer runoff and other man-made chemicals seeping into waters have been thought to be one cause, heat and other natural causes such as slow moving water can be another.

To keep you and yours safe as you head to the lake, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment posts warnings of algal blooms and what to look for if you suspect the water may be a cause of a recent illness.

What is an algae bloom?
http://www.kdheks.gov/algae-illness/index.htm

Check here! Current warnings for Kansas waters:
http://www.kdheks.gov/algae-illness/algae_advisories.htm

Signs that will be posted if waters have an advisory warning:
http://www.kdheks.gov/algae-illness/download/BGA_Signs.pdf

Examples of what blue-green algae blooms look like:
http://www.kdheks.gov/algae-illness/download/BG_Algae_Examples.pdf

Illnesses you could get if you are exposed to algae blooms:
http://www.cdc.gov/hab/cyanobacteria/facts.htm

The Response Plan from KDHE for algal blooms:
http://www.kdheks.gov/algae-illness/download/BGA_Response_Plan.pdf

When algae go wild, macro-algal bloom on the Yellow Sea:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/07/pictures/110725-algae-china-beaches-qingdao-swimming-science-environment-world/

Article contact: Kim Harp

The U.S. National Debt

The United States public debt is a measure of the obligations of the United States federal government and is presented by the United States Treasury in two components and one total:

--Debt Held by the Public, representing all federal[1] securities held by institutions or individuals outside the United States Government;
--Intragovernmental Holdings, representing U.S. Treasury securities held in accounts which are administered by the United States Government, such as the OASI Trust fund administered by the Social Security Administration; and
--Total Public Debt Outstanding, which is the sum of the above components.[2]
[Wikipedia]

Below are some basic links to information on the United States National Debt:

An Overview of the United States National Debt
http://www.csub.edu/kej/documents/weekly_updates/2011-06-13.pdf
(2011 document by Abbas P. Grammy, CSU-Bakersfield)

Frequently Asked Questions About the National Debt
http://www.treasurydirect.gov/govt/resources/faq/faq_publicdebt.htm
(From the U.S. Dept of the Treasury)

Federal Debt: Answers to Frequently Asked Questions
http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d04485sp.pdf
http://www.gao.gov/special.pubs/longterm/debt/
(U.S. Government Accountability Office. Both a website and a pdf document)

Budget of the United States Government: 2012
http://www.gpoaccess.gov/usbudget/

Citizen's Guide to the 2010 Financial Report of the United States Government
http://www.fms.treas.gov/fr/10frusg/10guide.pdf
(U.S. Dept of the Treasury)

Debt and Deficits, by David Rosen
http://ecedweb.unomaha.edu/ve/library/debt.pdf
(A dated work, 1994, but a good resource for basic information on the National Debt. Examines the national debt and deficits, looks at their size and impact, and discusses various policy measures for bringing them under control)

Ten Trillion and Counting
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/tentrillion/
(Public Broadcasting System)

U.S. Bureau of the Public Debt
http://www.publicdebt.ustreas.gov/
(Borrows the money needed to operate the federal government and to account for the resulting debt. See the National Debt to the penny. The Bureau also provides a Twitter page for the Debt.)
The Debt to the Penny and Who Holds It
http://www.treasurydirect.gov/NP/BPDLogin?application=np

Budget Deficit and National Debt Reduction
http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/DeficitandN
(C-Span Video Library. A panel of former Congressional Budget Office directors talked about federal budget deficits and the national debt)

The Debt Limit: History and Recent Increases
http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/105193.pdf
(by D. Andrew Austin, 2008, Congressional Research Service)

U.S. Dept of the Treasury Page For Kids
http://www.treasurydirect.gov/kids/kids.htm
(Includes information on the National Debt at a level understandable for children, teens and those of us adults who have problems balancing our own checking accounts!)

Article contact: Bill Sowers
(Check out recent additions to our collection)

Mental Health in Kansas

One of the many tasks of the state agency, Social and Rehabilitation Services, is to "support persons with mental illness in their recovery and in living safe, healthy, successful, self-determined lives in their home and community. Services are provided at a community-based level and include medication management, out-patient therapy, case management, mental health rehabilitation, personal support, and crisis services." SRS partners with Community Mental Health Centers to provide a safety net of service to ensure that all of Kansas is covered.

Under Kansas Statutes Annotated (KSA) 19-4001 et. seq., and KSA 65-211 et. seq., 27 licensed Community Mental Health Centers (CMHCs) currently operate in the state. The primary goal of CMHCs is to provide quality care, treatment and rehabilitation to individuals with mental health problems in the least restrictive environment. These Centers have a combined staff of over 4,000 providing mental health services in every county of the state in over 120 locations. Together they form an integral part of the total mental health system in Kansas.

According to the Association for Community Mental Health Centers of Kansas, the independent, locally owned centers are dedicated to fostering a quality, free standing system of services and programs for the benefit of citizens needing mental health care and treatment. The primary goal of CMHCs is to provide quality care, treatment and rehabilitation to individuals with mental health problems in the least restrictive environment. The Centers provide services to all those needing it, regardless of economic level, age or type of illness. In Kansas, more than 97 percent of all citizens seeking public mental health care are seen at CMHCs. The remaining 3% are served through psychiatric residential treatment facilities, state hospitals, nursing or other residential care facilities, or private organizations or services.

Kansas Community mental health center directory:
http://www.acmhck.org/BusinessDirectoryII.aspx

Find your local community mental health center by map:
http://www.srs.ks.gov/services/Pages/MapCMHC.aspx

SRS provides support for peer-to-peer assistance programs called Consumer-Run Organizations in which adults support each other in the community:
http://www.srs.ks.gov/agency/mh/Pages/Services/GrantsandContracts/CROs.aspx

Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facilities (PRTF) in Kansas:
http://www.srs.ks.gov/agency/mh/Pages/Policies/Licensing/PRTFs/PRTFClassII.aspx

Alternatives to PRTF’s from Kansas Health Solutions:
https://www.kansashealthsolutions.org/members/download.php?id=145&filename=PRTF%20Waiver%2001.11.10.pdf

Nursing facilities and residential care facilities are other pieces of the mental health conglomerate of SRS-supported organizations:
http://www.srs.ks.gov/agency/mh/Pages/Services/NFsMH.aspx

Manual for Parents of children with Severe Emotional Disturbance (SED) and the SED Waiver:
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=1&sqi=2&ved=0CBwQFjAA&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.kmap-state-ks.us%2FDocuments%2FContent%2FProvider%2520Manuals%2FPD%2520SED%25201-04.pdf&ei=ggcWTtFvh9zRAcrnpV8&usg=AFQjCNEg9RC_pxtzcMF1OFH3EzJa2SFD5Q

Family Guide to Systems of Care for Children with Mental Health Needs (From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services):
https://www.kansashealthsolutions.org/members/download.php?id=44&filename=family%20guide.pdf

Article contact: Kim Harp

4th of July

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!

Independence Day, commonly known as The 4th of July, is a day celebrating the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the rights and freedoms bestowed upon us by the men and women who struggled to establish a new nation over 230 years ago.
It is a day of parades, picnics, outdoor concerts and of course fire work displays.

Below are links to some information on the Day, celebrations in Kansas and associated topics.

SOME BASIC RESOURCES
Basic Readings in U. S. Democracy
http://infousa.state.gov/government/overview/demo.html

Our Flag / U.S. Congress, Joint Committee on Printing, 2003. (H. doc./108th Congress, 1st session; 108-97)
http://www.senate.gov/reference/resources/pdf/ourflag.pdf
(You'll need Adobe Acrobat software to view this document online)

Fun facts about the Fourth of July (U.S. Census Bureau )
http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/facts_for_features_special_editions/cb10-ff12.html

Today in History – July 4th from the Library of Congress
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/jul04.html

Decarlation of Independence (National Archives "Charters of Freedom" web site)
http://www.archives.gov/national_archives_experience/charters/declaration.html

The Fourth Of July (from FirstGov.gov)
http://www.firstgov.gov/Topics/Independence_Day.shtml

Star Spangled Banner (Smithsonian)
http://americanhistory.si.edu/starspangledbanner/
(Though the original poem was written during the War of 1812 we're including it here as it is very much a part of 4th of July celebrations)

KANSAS 4th OF JULY ACTIVITIES
4th of July Celebration at Fort Leavenworth
http://www.travelks.com/s/index.cfm?CID=1128&QString=trip

Fourth of July Celebration
http://www.visitwamego.com/things-to-do/festivals-and-events/4th-of-July/default.aspx
(Wamego)

Freedom Festival
http://www.freedomfest.shermanfairgrounds.com/
(Goodland)

HutchFest
http://www.hutchfest.com/
(Hutchinson)

KCRiverFest 2011
http://kcriverfest.com/
(Kansas City, Missouri)

RiverFest
http://www.wichitariverfest.com/
(Wichita)

Star Spangled Spectacular
http://www.starspangledspectacular.org/
(Overland Park/Shawnee Mission)

Sundown Salute
http://www.sundownsalute.org/home.html
(Junction City)

SEARCHING OUR ONLINE CATALOG (ATLAS)
Click on any of the following headings to browse through lists of material available at the State Library of Kansas, the Kansas State Historical Society (partial holdings for KSHS ) and other research libraries in Topeka, Kansas.

Fourth of July
United States. Declaration of Independence
United States. Continental Congress
United States--History--Revolution, 1775-1783
Check out the ATLAS Catalog for other resources: http://topekalibraries.info/search

If you see something you'd like to borrow from the State Library of Kansas or have further questions feel free to contact us

Stay Safe this Summer

The summer solstice has come and gone yet the hottest days of summer are still looming. Summer in Kansas means fishing on the lakes, harvesting, baseball, festivals, picnics and camping. Fun activities full of wonderful memories! We want to keep those memories happy and ensure the safety of all families as we enjoy the great Kansas outdoors this summer. Several Kansas government state agencies offer tips and assistance on how to stay cool and safe this summer.

Beat the Heat! Tips from the Department of Health and Environment:
http://www.kdheks.gov/beh/extreme_heat.htm

Whether in lakes, rivers or pools- swim with a buddy!
http://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/swimming/

Don’t forget your sunscreen and prevent accidents:
http://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/swimming/injury/

Make sure your kids are not locked in hot cars this summer with tips from Safe Kids Kansas:
http://www.safekidskansas.org/

Before you take a trip, check out these tips on carseat safety:
http://www.ktsro.org/child-passenger-safety

Other driving safety considerations:
http://www.nsc.org/SAFETY_ROAD/DRIVERSAFETY/Pages/driver_safety.aspx

http://www.ksdot.org/burTrafficSaf/brochures/albrochrs.asp

As you bike on Kansas trails keep these tips in mind:
http://www.safekidskansas.org/wheeled_sports.html

http://www.ksdot.org/burrail/bike/

As always, use your best judgment and better safe than sorry!

Article contact: Kim Harp