We spotlight the Manhattan Polar Plunge and how one brave jump funds health screenings, Unified sports, and leadership for 10,000 Special Olympics Kansas athletes. Katelyn Andrist and Corporal Rachel Pate share how athletes and officers build real inclusion, one cheer and costume at a time.

• Polar Plunge purpose, date, location, and $100 fundraising minimum
• Healthy Athletes screenings and statewide impact
• Unified sports with K‑State volunteers and community teams
• Law Enforcement Torch Run partnership and officer participation
• Costume tips, heated tents, and event flow
• Why saying athletes’ names and showing up matters
• How to register, form teams, and out-fundraise RCPD
• Statewide plunges and school-led “cool school” events

Register at soks.org for the Manhattan Polar Plunge on February 14 at Tuttle Creek Lake State Park. Registration opens at 10 a.m., teams start at 11 a.m.

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We showcase how Manhattan Area Technical College aligns new programs with real employer demand, turning education into high-wage jobs and community growth. From a community-driven campus to regional testing and NBAF-ready talent, we map the path from skill to paycheck.

• New plumbing, electrical, and cybersecurity-focused IT programs
• Community building as shared training and meeting space
• Employer connections that speed hiring for high-demand roles
• NBAF job alignment in electricians, ops techs, and lab techs
• Workforce housing pressures tied to talent growth
• Regional testing center drawing thousands across states
• Enrollment gains and second welding cohort launch
• Graduate earnings including linemen averaging $103k
• Strong ROI with lower tuition and faster completion
• Funding gaps and tangible ways to support technical education

You can always find out more about the mission that they have and the work and how you can help at the website, which is manhattantech.edu

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We share a candid talk with RCPD Director Brian Peete on preventing targeted violence by training first responders to recognize behavioral indicators and respond with empathy. The conversation spans homelessness, social media, political rhetoric, and the mission of Prevent the Aftermath to build standardized, research-based training and tools.

• community empathy versus criminalization of crisis
• differences between East Coast and Manhattan KS approaches
• what behavioral indicators look like in real cases
• why many incidents have domestic roots
• limits of facility hardening without proactive prevention
• active shooter trainings and current national gaps
• social media signals and triage
• depolarizing rhetoric to reduce risk
• building a standardized assessment tool and training plan
• how donations accelerate national rollout

“Preventtheaftermath.org is the website.” “Right now we need donations… we’re trying to raise $200,000 to $250,000… then we can begin training first responders.” “Be that light in the world that you want to see in the world.”

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