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Saints!

Friday
March 29th, 2024

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Sending your blueberry preserves or special salsa or summer sausage may be even more meaningful this year than usual since we’ve been encouraged to be apart for months. It’s like sending a little part of you.

It is important to note that the risk of getting sick with COVID-19 from eating or handling food and food packages is considered very low, Nwadike said. It is always important, though, for everyone to use good food safety and COVID-prevention practices including frequent hand washing.

Keep perishables pleasing

Perishable foods will stay at a safe temperature longer if frozen solid first, Nwadike said. Once completely frozen, pack the food with a cold source, such as a frozen gel pack or dry ice.

The post office or shipping company may be able to recommend the best packing and shipping method to get perishables to their destinations as quickly as possible.

“Although you may want the gift to be a surprise, with perishable foods you should notify the recipient and make sure someone will be home to receive it on the expected delivery date,” Nwadike said. “For packing, use a sturdy box made of heavy foam or corrugated cardboard. Use crushed newspaper or foam ‘peanuts’ to help cushion the item and fill empty space. Air space in the box can cause the food and cold source to thaw more quickly.”

Mark the package “Keep Refrigerated” and list the contents on the outside of the package. Include instructions on proper temperature and storage inside the box for the recipient.

Going retail

If time is short or your cooking or baking skills could use a little more refining, consider ordering mail order or online food gifts. With a range of food companies based in Kansas and Missouri alone, it’s a way to support local businesses in this most challenging of years.

Don’t be hesitant, however, to ask the company how they keep food cold in transit (if perishable) and if their boxes are clearly marked “keep refrigerated” and come with proper arrival and storage information for the recipient.

Sweet foods such as fruitcakes, candy, jams and jellies can be shipped at room temperature and seldom pose health problems, because the sugar and other preservatives generally postpone deterioration, Nwadike said.

There are exceptions, however, when it comes to cheesecake and similar foods, which must stay cold (under 40 degrees F) to prevent spoilage. Those foods should be shipped frozen with directions to refrigerate upon arrival.

The main thing, Nwadike said, is to enjoy the holidays and if sending a homemade or specially ordered food can enhance someone’s day – even if you can’t be there – then all the better.

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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