Opinions

In late March, 1877, newspapers across the state of Kansas carried the tragic story of the death of J. Clarke Swayze, editor of the Topeka Blade.

The final week of the general session began with our leaders in the House trying to pass a budget, address some critical issues to keep Kansas government operational and adjourn the session as quickly as possible to prevent unnecessary spread of the coronavirus across the state.

You probably already know this — but things are going to get weird for awhile. The only question is degree. The Ellsworth County Independent-Reporter has always prided itself on being one of the leading weekly newspapers in Kansas. Good stories. Better than average photographs.

When Texans turned their great herds of longhorn cattle north to railheads in Kansas, they were probably not thinking about the revolution that they were setting in motion. Driving cattle was nothing new. Cattle had been driven to far away markets since the early days of colonial America.

The past week of the legislature saw the concern over Covid 19 increase significantly. While we started the week aware of the issue, by the end we were more focused on it. One legislator became ill with some symptoms and was tested.

No medical questions, please. Otherwise, the Ellsworth County Independent-Reporter plans to track coronavirus-related postponements and cancellations on our website, www.indyrepnews.com. We also will include updates from local, state and federal governments.

We’ve written this before, but it can’t be said enough — Ellsworth and other Ellsworth County towns are indeed fortunate to have well-trained, dedicated volunteers to serve on their fire departments.

In 1762 the French ceded Louisiana, including the lands west of the Mississippi River, to Spain through a secret treaty. Capt. Francisco Riu, the first Spanish governor of Louisiana, did not arrive in New Orleans until 1766. Rebellion and border tension plagued the transition.

It was a short week of legislative meetings, but a long week of planning for how to address issues in our remaining days in session. The week marked the beginning of the second half of session and we got to look at the bills coming over from the Senate. There was some work in committees.

In recognition of the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote, the Independent-Reporter is asking readers to share stories of significant women in their lives.