K-State Extension, Midway District

🎮 Helping Kids Game Safely Starts With You 🎮

Parental involvement makes a big difference when it comes to safer gaming! Parental involvement makes a big difference when it comes to safer gaming! 💻👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

Take time to learn about the games your child is playing—or wants to play. A quick check on ratings, gameplay style, content, and age-appropriateness can go a long way in keeping their experience positive and safe.

✨ When you stay involved, you’re not just monitoring—you’re guiding your child toward better choices online.

✅ Review game ratings and content
✅ Talk about in-game interactions and safety
✅ Play together or ask them to show you how it works

Staying curious and connected helps build trust—and safer gaming habits! 💜

https://www.missingkids.org/content/dam/netsmartz/downloadable/tipsheets/gaming-safely.pdf

🌎Today is World Elder Abuse Awareness Day.

Along with the Social Security Administration, we want to elevate awareness about imposter scams that target older adults.

💲Recent reports from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) show that financial losses among consumers aged 60 and older have quadrupled between 2020 and 2024, reaching $2.4 billion. In 2025, the FTC received over 375,000 reports of government imposter scams, with losses totaling $917 million. Scammers are using increasingly sophisticated tactics, including artificial intelligence, to target older adults with tech support, sweepstakes, romance, and government impersonation scams.

As part of a national “Never Ever” campaign, federal agencies are working together to help everyone recognize and avoid government imposter scams. Remember:

👉Never ever will someone from the government say: “Your money isn’t safe. Move it to protect it.” Only a scammer will.
👉Never ever will someone from the government threaten to suspend your government benefits if you don’t pay immediately. Only a scammer will.
👉Never ever will someone from the government demand that you pay with a payment app, cryptocurrency, wire transfer, or gift cards.

For more information on Elder Abuse and how to protect yourself or a loved one from imposter scams, contact Midway District FCS Agent Jessica Kootz at [email protected] or 785.472.4442 or 785.483.3157.

🍓Walt is here to remind you to order your June basket from Gene's Heartland, Ellsworth! You get a FRESH produce bundle for only $15+tax. (This produce is straight off the truck!)

Orders must be placed and paid for by Wednesday, June 16 at NOON by stopping in or calling Gene's Heartland, Ellsworth directly at 785.472.4111.

Pick up your basket at our NEW distribution site, American Legion Post 174 - Ellsworth, KS, on Friday, June 19 from NOON - 12:45p.

‼️Note our distribution site for 2026 is American Legion Post 174 - Ellsworth, KS‼️

👏🏻This program is brought to you by continued support from our outstanding partners: American Legion Post 174 - Ellsworth, KS, Ellsworth County Medical Center, and Gene's Heartland, Ellsworth.

Midway District Ranchers learn what we know about New World Screwworm and what it could look like in the future. The webinar will be held on June 16 from 12:00-1:00 p.m. Register here - https://ksu.zoom.us/meeting/register/T2VNnainStSkIUEf0E5ImQ #/registration

Check out this story to learn more about Paul Mai and MaiCo Industries! 👇🏻

The Midway District Russell office will be closed this afternoon from 2:15 - 5:00 pm. You can call our Ellsworth office at 785-472-4442 with any immediate questions or to contact us.

🍓It’s time to order your June basket from Gene's Heartland, Ellsworth! You get a FRESH produce bundle for only $15+tax. (This produce is straight off the truck!)

Orders must be placed and paid for by Wednesday, June 17 at NOON by stopping in or calling Gene's Heartland, Ellsworth directly at 785.472.4111.

Pick up your basket at our NEW distribution site, American Legion Post 174 - Ellsworth, KS, on Friday, June 19 from NOON - 12:45p.

‼️Note our distribution site for 2026 is American Legion Post 174 - Ellsworth, KS‼️

👏🏻This program is brought to you by continued support from our outstanding partners: American Legion Post 174 - Ellsworth, KS, Ellsworth County Medical Center, Gene's Heartland, Ellsworth, and Grow Ellsworth County.

The Midway District Ellsworth office will be closed this afternoon from 4:00 - 5:00 pm. Due to staff being out of the office. You can call our Russell office at 785-483-3157 with any immediate questions or to contact us.

No one enjoys a power outage! And no wants to eat spoiled food following a power outage. Check out this article for food safety tips when mother nature wrecks havoc on our power source! 👇🏻

The weather has been packing a punch in many areas lately! Here's some resources to help you deal with power outages and keeping your food safe in the refrigerator and freezer. https://extension.k-state.edu/foodsafety/topics/disaster.html

🌐 June is Internet Safety Month!

It’s the perfect time to pause and talk about something that affects us all—keeping kids safe online. 💻👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

With so much of our daily lives happening online—from school and work to staying connected with friends—internet safety matters now more than ever.

That’s why it’s so important to start conversations with kids and give them the tools they need to make smart choices in the digital world. 🌟

👇 Check out these 5 simple tips to help keep kids safer online while learning, playing, and exploring from home.
Let’s work together to create safer online experiences for our kids! 💜

https://www.missingkids.org/content/dam/netsmartz/downloadable/tipsheets/Internet-Safety-at-Home-EN-ES.pdf