Opinion

THE POSTSCRIPT, Carrie Classon

I was weeding through my closet, as I need to do much more often than I do. I bring my used clothing to my parent’s house, up north, because they have a very nice thrift store that employs the developmentally disabled people. It appears my old clothes find new owners quickly, so I don’t feel as bad about dumping my ill-considered clothing choices.

I brought the latest batch up north right before leaving for Mexico when I realized I owned about six more pairs of capris than I would ever wear. I had them in sizes that didn’t fit and colors that didn’t match, so I piled them all into a duffel, along with a blue sweater that I thought my sister might like. I thought I’d wear the sweater while writing, but it has big, bell-shaped sleeves, and I discovered trying to type with giant sleeves was not practical.

GUEST COLUMN, Clay Alspach, Alliance for mRNA Medicines

The U.S. government is turning its back on a medical breakthrough that has saved millions of lives, halting $500 million in federal funding to develop new mRNA vaccines against potentially deadly respiratory viruses like COVID-19 and the flu.

This deeply misguided decision by leaders at the Department of Health and Human Services is all the more confounding because it undercuts one of the most dramatic successes of President Donald Trump's first administration: "Operation Warp Speed," which brought to market in record time the mRNA vaccines that helped protect hundreds of millions of Americans and people around the world during the global COVID-19 pandemic and allowed workplaces, schools and the economy to reopen faster.

GUEST COLUMN, Dan Dikin, Wichita cigar lounge operator

Over the past six months, my phone and social media feeds have been flooded with ads inviting me to bet on real-life events. At first, I didn’t think much of it. Sports betting has been legal in Kansas for a few years now, and as a Chiefs fan, I’ve even placed a wager or two myself.

But these new ads seemed different. After I did some digging, I realized they weren’t coming from sports betting platforms at all. They were actually from “prediction market” platforms that let people bet on everything from whether it will rain next Tuesday to who will win the Sunflower Showdown. But if I’m honest, if I didn’t take the time to do the research, I wouldn’t have known the difference. They looked and felt like ads for sports bets.

GUEST COLUMN, J. Basil Dannebohm

A few weeks ago, I received a letter from a business owner in Ellinwood. It read in part:

“I recently asked some locals about how the Christkindlmarket came about. I got two different stories. One said it was you and another said it was the historical society. Can you tell me which is true?”

It would be my honor.

In 2013, overwhelmed with a sense of hiraeth and nostalgia, I returned home to serve as Chamber Administrator. Dusting off old traditions was a hallmark of my time in the role. I came back to Ellinwood with fond memories of the After Harvest Festival, Fest in Dem Park, and the Main Street Christmas Open House.