Teachers throughout USD 480 do a lot of great work every day, and people in the community now have the chance to show them some appreciation.
The USD 480 Teacher of the Year Program, which runs in alignment with the Kansas Department of Education (KSDE) Teacher of the Year Program, seeks to recognize excellence in teaching, is currently taking nominations for the 2026 honors. USD 480 Communications Director Tyler Parks went into more detail about the process.
In recent years, one activity that seems to have caught on amongst many of America’s youth is robotics.
Many teams can be found representing schools, organizations, businesses and even churches. Now a group of local families has formed a team of homeschool students, and despite still being in its infancy, the team is already doing quite well.
The Neon Knights Robotics Team is made up of students from some area communities, including Liberal, and Coach Kathy Harris said the team was started last year by families the homeschool coop, Heritage Homeschoolers.
The weather is starting to heat up throughout the U.S. and to help with that, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC),in partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Weather Service (NWS), announced the launch of a new Heat and Health Initiative to protect Americans from heat exposure. The new initiative has three resources, which combined give proactive actions people can take to protect themselves: stay cool; stay hydrated; know the symptoms, according to a release from the CDC.
“First, the HeatRisk Forecast Tool, developed by both CDC and NOAA, provides a seven-day heat forecast nationwide that tells you when temperatures may reach levels that could harm your health,” the CDC release noted. “Second, CDC’s HeatRisk Dashboard, a consumer-friendly product, integrates the HeatRisk Forecast Tool data with other information, including details on local air quality, to inform the public on how best to protect themselves when outdoor temperatures are high and could impact their health. Third, newly developed CDC clinical guidance helps clinicians keep at-risk individuals safe when temperatures rise.”
