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March 28th, 2024

touch of class article

The work does not need to be labor-intensive. Instead of a rake, many homeowners have gone to using a mower with a bag attached, which chops and collects the leaves and opens the opportunity to use the litter as compost.

“That compost can then be used for vegetable gardens or annual flower beds,” Upham said. “Transport them to the garden or bed and apply a 2- to 3-inch layer of leaves on the surface of the soil, then till them in. Repeat the process every couple of weeks until you run out of leaves, the weather becomes too cold, or the soil becomes too wet.

“With luck, you should be able to make three to four applications this fall.”

Another option is to mow the leaves with a mulching mower and let shredded leaves filter into the turf’s canopy. Upham notes that a side-discharge mower may work, though it typically does not shred the leaves as thoroughly.

“Mulching leaves is most effective if you do it often enough that leaf litter doesn’t become too thick,” he said. “Mow while you can still see grass peaking through the leaves.”

The process, Upham added, is supported by a study from Michigan State University in which researchers used a mulching mower for five consecutive years and found no long-term effects of the shredded leaves on turf quality, thatch thickness, organic content or soil test results.

“If you mow leaves and have a cool-season lawn, it makes sense to be on a fall nitrogen fertilization program and core aerate in the fall – things you should be doing anyway,” Upham said. “If you have a warm-season lawn, you can still use this technique, but wait until next May or early June to fertilize and aerate.”

Upham and his colleagues in K-State’s Department of Horticulture and Natural Resources produce a weekly Horticulture Newsletter with tips for maintaining home landscapes. The newsletter is available to view online or can be delivered by email each week.

Liberal Local News

Governor Kelly signs bill honoring wartime chaplain Father Emil Kapaun

kapaun funeral church pageThe remains of Father Emil Kapaun are brought out from the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency headquarters at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, in September 2021. Last Friday, Gov. Laura Kelly signed a bill directing the creation of a memorial honoring Kapaun and his service. FILE PHOTO/TRAVIS HEYING/THE WICHITA EAGLEELLY GRIMM • Leader & Times

 

Father Emil Kapaun has been a prominent figure for Kansas Catholics for many years, having served as a chaplain in the Burma Theater of World War II, then served again as a chaplain with the U.S. Army in Korea, where he was captured and ultimately died in a prisoner of war camp. 

His remains were unaccounted for until 2021, when they were finally returned to Kansas and interred in Wichita.

Last Friday, Gov. Laura Kelly signed Senate Bill 431, which directs the Capitol Preservation Committee to create a memorial honoring Chaplain (Captain) Kapaun, according to a release from the State of Kansas.

“Father Emil Kapaun was known for his selfless, dedicated service and providing care to all, regardless of their religion or beliefs,” Gov. Kelly noted in the State of Kansas release. “I am proud to honor his legacy and sacrifices for our country by signing this bipartisan bill. Father Kapaun is the most highly decorated chaplain in United States Army history. After serving as a Roman Catholic priest in the Diocese of Wichita, he tok his ministry to World War II and the Korean War. He was captured in the Battle of Unsan while refusing to leave the wounded and ultimately died as a prisoner of war in North Korea.”

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Other Interests

NATIONAL HEADLINES

Opinion

Key bills still have a chance to pass

RYCKMAN RECAP, Ron Ryckman, 38th District Senator

 

This last, Week 11, for most committees to meet in the Legislature was kind of different from past years, in that there didn’t seem to be any big “crunch” to get everything done. 

We did work a fair number of bills — particularly in Ag and Fed and State, but used our full hour of meeting time only once — and that without even approving the bill which consumed most of it (SB 446, seeking to limit foreign property ownership) because it had simply become too cumbersome. 

The big news, I suppose, was that both houses held hearings on Medicaid expansion for the first time in four years, yet without moving it out of committee. The House provided some hope that tax relief might have another shot; however, with a two-tier instead of single rate like that adopted by the Senate, there is still a lot of “negotiating” to do to get a finished product that is “veto proof.” We’ll know more after their formal Floor consideration next week, but right now I’m optimistic we can come up with something taxpayers have been waiting on far too long.

Three totally unrelated measures that have generated a lot of constituent interest and do have a good chance of making it through are S Sub HB 2124, dealing with operational enhancement for “little guy” microbreweries; HB 2783, prohibiting government agencies from restricting the sale of motor vehicles based on energy source; and SB 527/HB 2813, making it a crime to coerce a woman into having an abortion. 

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