Opinions

There’s no shortage of jokes about farmers and ranchers asking for a discount or inquiring if a free hat can be included with a purchase. My grandfather once told me, “It never hurts to ask – the worst they can tell you is ‘No’.”

Savvy Senior Dear Savvy Senior, If my mother needs to move into a nursing home, what are the eligibility requirements to get Medicaid coverage? Caretaking Son Dear Caretaking, The rules and requirements for Medicaid eligibility for nursing home care are complicated and will vary according to the state your mother lives in. With that said, here’s a general, simplified rundown of what it takes to qualify.

Random Thoughts When it comes to college football, where are the powerhouses located? The Deep South comes to mind, running from the Carolinas, Georgia and Florida, all the way west to Texas. The Upper Midwest has traditionally been great.

From the Editor’s Files A reader was very excited to show me something when she stopped by the Times-Sentinel office last week, and I was excited to see what she had, especially when I saw that it was another community newspaper. The newspaper she brought me immediately reminded me of our own operation here in Sedgwick and Sumner counties.

Savvy Senior Dear Savvy Senior, I recently received an email that I needed to update my online Social Security account. Is this legit or is it a scam? Suspicious Susan Dear Susan, The Social Security Administration did indeed send out a legitimate email last month to notify recipients that they are making changes to the way you access Social Security’s online services, including your personal “my Social Security” account.

Paul Rhodes | Publisher & Editor It was a quiet Sunday evening on Main Street in Cheney, and I had come to the office to take my every-other- week turn at cleaning chores. As the owners of the business, Travis Mounts and I are used to wearing numerous hats around the office.

Random Thoughts There are only a few days left in the summer Olympics, and there have been so many great stories. There have been a few made-up controversies for political reasons that have tried to suck up the headlines, and there have been genuine stories of concern regarding broader issues, including whether the Seine River is actually safe to swim in.

Dear Savvy Senior, My 77-year-old mother, who loves to cook has had several kitchen-related accidents over the past year. What tips can you recommend for making a kitchen safer and more practical for seniors, without doing a big expensive remodel.

Enrollment is starting to take place at school districts throughout the TSnews coverage area, and my life is going on as normal. I'm pretty happy about that.

What did you do on your vacation to South Padre Island? That's a question I've been asked this week, and the answer is simple: As little as possible. As much as we could, we spent big chunks of time just sitting on the island's ocean-side beach, listening to the waves roll in.