He also sells a Gundry MD Multi-Purpose Lectin-Free Flour Mix.

Both coconut flour and blanched almond flour are on Dr. Gundry’s lectin-free “yes” list and appear frequently in his recipes and videos. He does not pick only one. He typically uses blends rather than a single flour.

Almond flour

Use blanched almond flour only. The skins contain lectins that many of his patients react to. Unblanched or “almond meal” is not recommended. He often rates it well (an “A” in his flour tier lists) and uses it for cookies, cakes, muffins, and pie crusts.

Coconut flour

He likes it a lot. It is high in fiber and contains some MCTs. In several Gundry MD videos he calls it one of his favorites and even groups it with “superfood” options. The catch: it is extremely absorbent, so you cannot swap it 1:1 for wheat or almond flour. Recipes usually need extra liquid (or eggs) and often mix it with other flours.

Other lectin-free flours he recommends

These appear on his official lists and in his cookbooks/baking talks:

• Cassava flour (often the closest “all-purpose” stand-in)
• Green banana flour
• Tiger nut flour
• Chestnut flour
• Hazelnut flour
• Millet flour
• Sorghum flour
• Sweet potato flour
• Arrowroot starch
• Tapioca starch
• Ground flaxseed

He also sells a Gundry MD Multi-Purpose Lectin-Free Flour Mix.

How he actually substitutes

There is no perfect 1:1 wheat replacement. Common combinations he describes:

• Cookies: almond flour + coconut flour + a little xanthan gum
• Cakes: almond + coconut, or almond + millet + tapioca for a lighter crumb
• Pie crust: almond flour + tapioca starch
• Bread-style items: often include cassava, coconut, or green banana flour plus fiber (psyllium)

If you need a nut-free option, cassava flour or coconut flour (with extra liquid) are the usual swaps he and his team mention.

Caveat he repeats often: Even these approved flours, once finely ground, raise blood sugar more than the whole food would. He treats baked goods as occasional, not daily staples, and prefers versions that add extra fiber such as psyllium.

Compass Datacenters is the live proposal. Everything else in Shawnee County right now is either process, pause, or pushback around that one project.

The project itself

Dallas-based Compass Datacenters filed a Conditional Use Permit (CU-26-203) with Shawnee County on July 24, 2026, for a hyperscale campus on just over 600 acres of unincorporated land southwest of Topeka in the Wakarusa area. The site is described as 3303 SW 77th Street / SW 85th Street, west of US-75, adjacent to the 2012 South Topeka Economic Growth Corridor that already holds the Walmart Distribution Center and the Mars plant. It sits on land currently zoned light industrial, west of Kanza Fire Commerce Park.

Proposed build:

• 10 single-story buildings, phased
• 400 megawatts of IT capacity
• Dedicated Evergy on-site substation paid 100% by Compass
• Target full operations around 2031; construction roughly 2028–2031

Compass’s own numbers (filed studies plus its project site):

• ~300 on-site operations jobs plus ~400 more in the metro through suppliers/contractors (~700 total once running)
• ~1,700 construction jobs per year during build, typically three-quarters local
• About $810 million spent in Kansas during construction
• Compass claims ~$55 million in property tax to Shawnee County in the first full year of operations (it says that is roughly half of what the county collected from all properties in 2023). Local realtor Mike Morse has used a higher $3 billion appraisal and estimated ~$122 million total annual property tax, including ~$37 million to the county, ~$28 million to the city if annexed, and ~$43 million to Auburn-Washburn USD 437.

Water and power claims from Compass:

• Closed-loop cooling (25% glycol / 75% water). No municipal water for cooling; initial fill trucked in. Restroom/break-room use they peg at ~230,000 gallons per building per year.
• No large battery farm. Backup generators on biofuel, tested in daytime.
• They say they will not raise residential electric rates because they pay for their own transmission, distribution, and substation (“co-serve” model with Evergy).
• Noise modeled below 50 dB at the property line.

The first CUP filing was labeled incomplete by county Land Use & Development on August 4. Compass resubmitted before the noon August 28 deadline. County staff can keep reviewing it; commissioners cannot take final action while the county moratorium is in force.

Timeline of how it got here

Spring–early summer 2026. Interest was already public. GO Topeka president Rhiannon Friedman confirmed Evergy was in introductory talks with a company (later Compass) looking south of Topeka. County Counselor Rich Eckert said the county expected both a data-center application and a battery energy storage (BESS) application within about two months. The site being discussed was already industrially zoned near Mars and Walmart.

June 11. County commissioners approved zoning text amendments so data centers and energy-storage facilities require a Conditional Use Permit instead of being allowed by right in industrial districts. They also raised permit fees. A packed meeting of residents asked for a one-year moratorium; commissioners said no at that time. Signs read “No data centers.”

July 14. Topeka City Council voted unanimously for a 12-month moratorium on data centers and battery storage inside city limits. Sponsors: Murray McGee, Christina Valdivia-Alcala, Michelle Bradberry. They later expanded it (August 11) to block new utility connections for those uses even outside city limits. Mayor Spencer Duncan framed the pause as time to study water, power, noise, emergency services, and location—not a permanent no.

July 15. Landowners Ben and Carol Marple (family land off SW 77th and Burlingame Road since 1857) said a Compass representative scheduled a meeting on GO Topeka–owned ground west of US-75 and then left when a TV crew arrived. GO Topeka said it knew of interest but was waiting for a formal application. Carol Marple said she was the only neighboring owner contacted and that Compass indicated 40 acres would not be enough.

July 24. Compass files the CUP.

July 28. Open house at Washburn Rural High School Innovation Center. Some attendees later said it was insufficient; Protect Kansas organized its own town hall.

July 30. County commissioners authorize an RFQ for an independent engineering firm to review data-center applications.

August 4. Application ruled incomplete.

August 13. County commissioners vote 2–1 for a six-month moratorium on new data-center applications and bar final action on the pending Compass file until February 18, 2027. Kevin Cook and Aaron Mays yes; Bill Riphahn no (he wanted a vote before his term ends). Cook said the point was transparency—no “application snuck in in the middle of the night.” Staff and outside engineers can still review Compass. New applications freeze until mid-February 2027.

August 19. City Council special meeting with Compass and Evergy (no public comment). Mayor Duncan said most questions got answers; a couple did not.

August 28. Compass resubmits.

Who is involved

GO Topeka / Greater Topeka Partnership. This is the economic-development shop. Friedman publicly confirmed early Evergy–developer talks and pointed to industrial parks just outside city limits as a logical location. GO Topeka owns land near the proposed area (the meeting site west of 75 and Walmart). Former chamber president Juliet Abdel told the 2025 Legislature that several data-center prospects had already expressed interest to GO Topeka and backed the state sales-tax exemption. Current chamber leadership (Matt Ross) says it is studying pros and cons, sees large taxable value and jobs as potentially significant, and is not aware of any local incentives beyond the state package. No public evidence that GO Topeka has offered or been asked for a local TIF/CID/IRB deal on this file.

Mike Morse (almost certainly who you meant by “Mike Morris”). Partner at Kansas Commercial Real Estate Services in Topeka, SIOR, longtime local broker. He has been the most quoted local advocate on the tax math: data centers as the fastest realistic way to cut the mill levy, Compass as “multiple Mars plants” without the abatements Mars got, and an estimated $122 million annual property-tax haul at a $3 billion appraisal. He has also said bad operators exist and Kansas is late enough to learn from other states’ mistakes. He is not the applicant and is not described as owning the land.

Farmers / nearby landowners. The visible face is the Marple family. Their 1857 homestead sits next to the proposed footprint. They have questioned outreach and transparency, appeared at Protect Kansas events, and argued the project would swallow more than the initial 40-acre conversation suggested. The site itself is described as agricultural land immediately west of existing industrial uses. Opposition groups treat conversion of that farmland as part of the case against the project.

City of Topeka. Not the permitting authority (the site is unincorporated), but it has used every lever it has: 12-month development moratorium, expanded ban on utility hookups, Committee of the Whole to study impacts, and a special hearing with Compass and Evergy. Council members Valdivia-Alcala and others cite resident fear, lack of transparency, and infrastructure risk. Duncan’s line is case-by-case after studies, not a blanket ideological no. If the city later annexes and provides water/sewer, Compass says taxes would flow to Topeka (~$42 million/year in their estimate). The city’s utility restriction is the closest thing to an active “block” on a county-site project.

Shawnee County. Planning staff run completeness and technical review. Commissioners set the CUP requirement in June, hired (or are hiring) outside engineers, then imposed the six-month freeze on decisions in August. Official posture from Amanda Monhollon and Rich Eckert: no prejudgment; evaluate on the record, comprehensive plan, and public input. They cannot comment on Compass’s background while the application is pending.

Protect Kansas. Local group led by Meghan Ryan (public-health background), with Aimee Gillette and Colleen Campbell. They packed county and city meetings, held a ~100-person town hall after the Compass open house, and argue the studies do not exist to prove net community benefit. They want independent reviews, enforceable water/power conditions, and a harder pause. They also surfaced Compass’s Tel Aviv campus work with Azrieli and reporting that a 2024 Israeli facility was used to store IDF AI surveillance of Palestinians—raising a “what else would this campus host?” question that county officials have declined to address while the CUP is live.

Evergy. Partner on power. Public line: they will only serve a load they can serve without hurting reliability, and the customer pays the incremental cost. They requested (and received) a large-customer rate so data centers pay their share of the grid.

Moratoriums and what they actually do

Body	What passed	What it stops	What it does not stop	Expires
City of Topeka	12-month pause on data centers and BESS inside city + later utility-connection ban	New city approvals and (after Aug 11) new utility service for those uses	County CUP process	~July 2027
Shawnee County	6-month freeze	New applications; final yes/no on Compass	Staff review, engineering consultant, planning-commission hearings	Feb 17, 2027 (final action allowed Feb 18)

Neither moratorium kills the Compass file. Both buy time and signal political risk. Cook’s county resolution was explicitly sold as a transparency document after residents complained about a rushed or back-room process.

Broader Kansas context

This is not isolated. Kansas passed SB 98 in 2025: sales-tax exemption for qualified data centers that invest at least $250 million and create 20 jobs. That is the only incentive Compass publicly claims. Other hyperscale fights are underway in De Soto (Beale/Mount Sunflower already approved; Digital Realty proposed), Leavenworth/Tonganoxie (Project Bluestem), and several other KC-area and western Kansas sites. Citizen petitions to ban “high-impact” data centers produced lawsuits by the cities of Edgerton, El Dorado, and Emporia against their own residents. Shawnee County chose zoning + CUP + temporary freeze instead of a citizen-petition war.

There was also an old (February 2024) CBRE marketing piece floating Heartland Motorsports Park as a possible data-center site; that is not a live 2026 proposal.

The real fight, stripped down

Proponents (Compass, Morse, some labor/growth voices such as Ty Dragoo): Enormous new taxable value with no local property-tax abatement, construction jobs Topeka already has the trades for, self-funded power kit so ratepayers are not the piggy bank, closed-loop water, industrial zoning in a corridor the county already designated for growth, and a path to lower mill levies.

Opponents (Protect Kansas, many nearby residents, a majority of speakers at the June and July hearings): Water and grid risk even with “closed loop” marketing, noise and character change on remaining ag land, few permanent high-skill jobs relative to the footprint, distrust after incomplete first filing and the canceled Marple meeting, national pattern of communities discovering costs after the fact, and Compass’s overseas surveillance-adjacent work. They want studies before any path to approval, not during.

Governments: City used the sharpest available tools because the site is just outside its line but would use its utilities and affect its politics. County opened a legal path (CUP), then hit the brakes on decisions after the public reaction. GO Topeka recruited/facilitated interest and owns nearby land but has not been shown writing a local incentive check.

As of August 30, 2026, the application is back in the county’s hands, frozen from a final vote until mid-February 2027, while the city moratorium and utility ban remain in place and an outside engineering review is being procured. That is the entire live data-center fight in Shawnee County right now: one 600-acre, 400 MW Compass campus, two overlapping pauses, and a very public argument over whether the tax math is worth the infrastructure and land-use bet. 

We need the sales tax

Union at Tower District is their first Topeka community (and third in Kansas, after projects in Lawrence and Wichita). It is a ~$59–70 million, 250-unit development of one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments for households earning 30–60% of area median income.

• Location: 1104 SE Quincy Street (southeast corner of SE Quincy and 11th Street), near downtown Topeka.
• Buildings: Two four-story and one three-story buildings on about four acres.
• Amenities: Community center, fitness center, playground, dog park/courtyard, on-site management.
• Timeline: Groundbreaking June 3, 2025. Construction is underway; the first building was expected to open spring/early summer 2026, with full completion targeted for January–March 2027. Applications have been accepted.

Financing and public partners include:

• City of Topeka RHID tax incentives (approved ~$12 million cap with a 20-year term and sale clawback).
• Shawnee County revenue bonds (Stifel underwrote $35 million; not-to-exceed $65 million).
• Kansas Housing Resources Corp. 4% LIHTC and tax-exempt bonds.
• Citi Community Capital (construction and permanent lender).
• WNC (federal credit investor) and Advantage Capital (state credits).
• Impact Housing Indiana Corp. (a nonprofit founded by Kyle Bach that provides resident services).

Other partners include BVH Architecture, REGA Engineering, and SBB Engineering.

Kyle Bach launched the company (originally Mecca Companies) in 2006. It is an Indianapolis/Fishers, Indiana-based vertically integrated firm focused on affordable, workforce, student, and market-rate multifamily housing. They develop, build, own, and manage properties. Union at Tower District is listed on their portfolio as under construction.

This is a public-private deal that went through Topeka City Council (RHID/development agreement) and Shawnee County Commission (bonds) approvals in spring 2025. No other Topeka projects by the company turned up in current reporting.

Sales tax exempt?

Yes. The Shawnee County multi-housing revenue bonds (also described as industrial revenue bonds or IRBs) for Union at Tower District included a sales tax exemption on construction materials and supplies.

County bond counsel Bob Perry told commissioners the bonds would allow an exemption “for material supplies that would otherwise be subject to sales tax.” City staff and the developer’s representatives likewise described the county IRB as the mechanism for the sales-tax exemption on materials. One estimate given during city discussions put the value of that exemption at roughly $1.5 million.

This is a standard Kansas tool for qualifying housing projects: the county issues the bonds (here, intent approved at up to $65 million), which lets the project claim the exemption on qualifying building materials without creating repayment liability for the county. The city separately approved the RHID tax abatement; the county bonds handled the materials sales-tax piece. 

"Kevin Cook" Buy the the man a [hot Dog] some therapy time

Title: A Hot Dog, a Witness, and a County Commissioner

---

I pulled up to talk to my county commissioner. That is supposed to be an ordinary thing in Shawnee County. You have a question. You see the man who holds the office. You roll the window down, or you step out, and you talk.

What I did not expect was to be accused of electioneering.

I might have bought somebody a hot dog.

That sentence still makes me pause, not because a hot dog is a scandal, but because of how quickly a simple conversation was turned into a crime scene. Kansas is not vague about electioneering. The statute is about polling places and advance voting sites. Two hundred and fifty feet. Campaign materials. An attempt to persuade voters where they vote. A class C misdemeanor if you do it there.

A hot dog, purchased somewhere that is not a polling place, is a hot dog. If mustard has become a campaign contribution, someone should send a memo to the Governmental Ethics Commission before the next county fair.

I was running at the time — for county commissioner against Kevin Cook in 2024, and later for mayor. The office on the yard sign is not the point. The point is what happened when a constituent showed up.

I was not alone. I had a passenger. He is the sort of man who does not let people get under his skin. Even-keeled. Unimpressed by theater. He sat in that car and watched a public official come at me with a tone so sharp, and a posture so aggressive, that the veins stood out in his neck.

It was not anything I said. It was my presence.

That is the part the press conference never covers. The public version of Kevin Cook is the man on the morning show talking about parks, mental health, and momentum. Fair enough. Those are the talking points. What my friend saw was something else: how fast the temperature rises when the wrong person appears in the wrong parking lot.

I have thought about that day more than I wanted to. Not because I need a grudge. Grudges are expensive and they do not pave a road. I have thought about it because temperament is part of the job description, whether anyone prints it on the ballot or not. Constituents will show up. Opponents will show up. People you do not care for will show up. The work is to keep the voice even and the veins down.

If mere arrival is enough to produce that kind of anger, the public is entitled to a fuller picture than the one that fits in a thirty-second clip.

My friend has no interest in politics as sport. He does not perform outrage. He does not need a headline. He simply watched a man snap. I do not think most people in this county have seen that version. He and I have.

I am trying, these days, to say hard things without raising my own voice. So I will leave it here: public office is not a private club. If a conversation with a constituent — and possibly a hot dog — can do that to a man, the hot dog is not the story.

The story is the snap.

Henry McClure
Time kills deals
785-383-9994 · www.henrymcclure.live

ghrelin

That “hole in the stomach” is real physiology, not just willpower failing.

When you eat early and stay up late, several things stack:

The stomach empties. A normal mixed dinner leaves the stomach in roughly 2–4 hours. After that the organ is empty. Empty-stomach cells start pumping out ghrelin, the main hunger hormone. Ghrelin tells the brain “find food.” It also makes the stomach contract.

Hunger contractions (the actual “hole” feeling). Once the stomach is empty it runs a housekeeping cycle called the migrating motor complex. Every 80–120 minutes it produces strong, rhythmic contractions (phase III). Those are the gnawing, hollow, rumbling pangs people describe. They are not an emergency; they are the gut clearing itself and signaling that the last meal is gone.

Your body clock is already biased toward evening hunger. Even when calories and meal timing are controlled, hunger has a built-in circadian peak in the biological evening (around 8 p.m. for most people) and a trough in the morning. Staying awake late puts you right in that high-hunger window while the stomach is also empty. Sleep itself blunts some of the overnight ghrelin rebound; staying up does not.

Blood sugar can dip. After the early meal is digested, glucose can drift down. The brain treats that as a reason to seek quick energy, which is why late-night hunger often feels like “I need something now.”

So the combination is: empty stomach + rising ghrelin + evening circadian hunger peak + being awake instead of asleep. That is the hole.

What actually helps if the goal is to stop eating late

• Time dinner so the gap to bedtime is closer to 2–3 hours rather than 5–7. An early dinner plus a late bedtime is the exact setup that recreates the hole.
• If the gap has to stay long, a small, protein-forward snack (not a second dinner) 2–3 hours before bed usually prevents the full empty-stomach + ghrelin surge without wrecking sleep or digestion.
• Protein and fiber at dinner slow emptying and blunt the later ghrelin rise better than a carb-heavy early meal.
• Ghrelin comes in waves. Water, tea, or just waiting 15–20 minutes often lets a wave pass.
• Going to bed earlier is the cleanest fix if the late-night hours are the problem.

Late eating is generally worse for sleep, reflux, and next-day hunger hormones than finishing earlier and going to bed at a matching time. The hole appears when those two clocks get out of sync.

Exposing corruption

If anyone missed Mayor Spencer Duncan’s 11-minute AI-generated speech explaining why he’s taking the first step toward raising property taxes on Topekans, you didn’t miss much. Most of it made no sense, and many of his words have already been contradicted by his own actions.

His excuse? Cutting the budget could hurt public safety.

Guess what? Our city already doesn’t feel safe.

Police are taking longer than ever to respond to calls, if they even do. State Troopers and Sheriff’s deputies are often getting to emergency calls before our own police officers. Houses are burning, along with people and family pets, because of low water pressure or inoperable fire hydrants. Streets aren’t getting plowed in the winter. Homeless people walk around carrying knives, swords, bats and whatever other weapons they can get their hands on. Junkies are everywhere!

This city is out of control, and the problem isn’t simply a lack of money. It’s how the money is being spent. Budget the city like you’d budget your own household. When you’re broke, you cut unnecessary spending. You don’t make big purchases. You don’t hand out donations. You pay for the necessities FIRST.

Before asking Topekans for another dime, get control of the money you already have and let us know where the money is really going. FORENSIC AUDIT is long overdue.

Fw: Dornwood

---

From: Angela Lake <lakeangela98@gmail.com>
Sent: Friday, August 28, 2026 1:29 PM
To: mcre13@gmail.com <mcre13@gmail.com>
Subject: Dornwood

 

Dear Mr McClure

Hi! You came out to Dornwood a few years ago and talked with us about the problems and the improvements that were needed. We are still fighting to get those improvements done, and we really need your help.

I’m trying to bring more attention to Dornwood and put this issue in the public eye. Our kids and our community deserve better, and we need the community to come together and support this effort.

Would you be willing to meet with me and talk about how you could help us bring attention to Dornwood and finally get the improvements we’ve been asking for?

Thanks so much 

Angela Lake

President TBSA 

What counts as a “substantial interest”

The Capital-Journal’s exclusive, published today, examines claims by the tenant advocacy group Topeka Tenants that District 1 Councilwoman Karen Hiller has a conflict of interest on the proposed landlord registry. Hiller chairs the Public Health and Safety Committee that has been reviewing a pilot program.

cjonline.com

What Topeka Tenants says
The group issued a statement arguing Hiller has shown bias in committee discussions and votes, and that her status as a landlord plus campaign donations from real-estate interests create a conflict. They contend this has contributed to the proposal being “slow-walked.”

cjonline.com

What the newspaper found

• Hiller owns three homes: the one she lives in and two she rents out. The current pilot would apply only to properties with five or more units, so her rentals would not be covered now. A later expansion could change that.
• In her 2025 re-election campaign, roughly $2,900 (about 23 percent of total donations) came from people or entities in real estate or the landlord industry. Named examples include North Homes LLC ($1,000), developer Jim Klausman’s Kansan Towers LLC, and the attorney for the Shawnee County Landlord Association.
  cjonline.com

Hiller’s response
She told the paper she bought the two neighboring houses and that her 30-year background in tenant-landlord matters makes her well-qualified to work on the issue. She has publicly said she has concerns about the current draft, wants more work done before a vote, and does not want the city to lose momentum on other property-maintenance initiatives already under way. She declined to put the pilot to a committee vote; the city manager later brought it to the full council.

cjonline.com

The article does not conclude there is a legal conflict under Kansas ethics rules. It presents the tenants’ appearance-of-conflict argument, the donation data, Hiller’s ownership of two small rentals, and her stated reasons for caution. The pilot remains under discussion and has not been adopted.

What counts as a “substantial interest”

Kansas local officials, including city council members, are covered by a specific set of state conflict-of-interest statutes in K.S.A. 75-4301a through 75-4306. These rules are administered by the Kansas Public Disclosure Commission (formerly the Governmental Ethics Commission) and focus on financial “substantial interests,” disclosure, and self-dealing contracts—not on general political appearance or campaign donations.

What counts as a “substantial interest”

A local official has a substantial interest in a business if any of these apply to the official or the official’s spouse:

• Ownership of more than $5,000 or 5% (whichever is less) in the preceding 12 months.
• $2,000 or more in taxable compensation from the business in the preceding calendar year.
• Goods or services worth $500 or more received without reasonable consideration in the preceding 12 months.
• Serving as an officer, director, partner, or proprietor (except certain nonprofits).
• Receiving $2,000 or more in fees or commissions tied to a particular client.

Owning rental houses as a personal landlord generally falls under the ownership or proprietor test if the properties are held in a way that meets the dollar or percentage thresholds. Simply being a tenant in a lease does not create a substantial interest in the landlord.

Disclosure requirements

Elected local officials must file a Statement of Substantial Interests with the county election officer (typically when they become a candidate and annually if interests change). If they have not filed one and a matter before them would affect a business in which they have a substantial interest, they must file a written report of the interest before acting.

Restrictions on acting

• An official may not make or participate in making a contract with a business in which they have a substantial interest, unless they completely abstain. Competitive-bid contracts and contracts with prices fixed by law are exceptions.
• Abstaining from all action on a matter is treated as not “acting” on it.

The statutes do not automatically bar an official from voting on general ordinances that apply to an entire class of people (for example, all landlords of five-or-more-unit buildings) even if the official owns smaller rentals that might later be covered if the ordinance expands. The key questions are whether the official has a current substantial interest in a specific business that would be affected and whether the official participates in a contract with that business.

Enforcement and limits

Violating the contract-prohibition statute can result in forfeiture of office. The Commission issues advisory opinions that officials can request; following an opinion creates a presumption of compliance. Cities may adopt additional ethics rules, but they cannot weaken the state requirements. Campaign contributions from an industry are not treated as a “substantial interest” under these statutes.

In short, Kansas law requires disclosure of defined financial interests and prohibits self-dealing on contracts. It does not create an automatic recusal for every policy that could someday affect an official’s private property if the official’s current holdings fall outside the immediate scope of the measure. Officials who want certainty on a specific situation can request an advisory opinion from the Kansas Public Disclosure Commission.What counts as a “substantial interest”

Going barefoot strengthens your feet, sharpens balance, and can lower stress—especially on safe, natural surfaces. The strongest evidence is musculoskeletal; grounding and some wellness claims are more preliminary.

Here are five of the most commonly cited reasons, with why they matter.

1. It strengthens the muscles in your feet and ankles

Modern cushioned or supportive shoes do a lot of the work that your intrinsic foot muscles (there are dozens of them) should be doing. Walking barefoot forces those muscles, tendons, and ligaments to stabilize and propel you.

A 2021 study found that switching from conventional supportive shoes to more minimal footwear produced about a 57% increase in foot strength over six months. Habitually barefoot people (and kids who spend a lot of time without shoes) often develop stronger feet, more defined arches, and fewer toe deformities such as bunions.

Stronger feet support better mechanics all the way up the chain—ankles, knees, hips, and back.

2. It improves proprioception, balance, and posture

The soles of your feet are packed with nerve endings that tell your brain where you are in space. Shoes mute that feedback. Barefoot contact increases sensory input, so you make finer adjustments to stay upright.

Even a few minutes of barefoot walking has been shown to help posture and stability. This is especially relevant as we age, when foot-muscle weakness and reduced sensory input raise fall risk. Better proprioception also improves coordination and gait.

3. It encourages a more natural gait and greater range of motion

Shoes (especially those with heel lift, narrow toe boxes, or heavy cushioning) change how your foot lands and how your joints move. Barefoot walking typically produces shorter strides, more midfoot contact, and freer motion through the toes, arches, and ankles.

That can mean less restriction, improved flexibility, and in some analyses lower peak loads in certain tissues compared with heavily shod walking. Over time it may help maintain healthier foot shape and reduce strain from unnatural positioning.

4. It can reduce stress and support recovery (especially outdoors)

Walking barefoot on grass, dirt, or sand combines movement, nature contact, and direct skin-to-earth contact (“grounding” or earthing). People often report feeling calmer; some studies link it to lower perceived stress, better sleep, normalized cortisol patterns, higher serotonin, and reduced markers of inflammation in certain groups.

A forest-trail study found serotonin rose more in the barefoot group than in sneaker wearers after repeated sessions. Separate work on nature connectedness found barefoot walking increased feelings of restoration compared with shod walking in the same settings. The electrical-grounding mechanism itself remains debated and the evidence is still early-stage, but the combination of sensory input, movement, and time outside is well-supported for mood.

5. It lets your feet function as they evolved to—and it often just feels good

Feet evolved to sense texture, temperature, and terrain and to adapt in real time. Removing shoes restores that rich sensory experience, which some research links to better attention and working memory. It also lets feet breathe and move through their full range instead of staying in a warm, enclosed, often cramped environment.

Many people simply enjoy the tactile feedback and the lighter, more connected way of moving.

Important caveats: These benefits apply mainly to healthy people on clean, reasonably safe surfaces (home floors, grass, sand, well-maintained trails). People with diabetes, neuropathy, poor circulation, plantar fasciitis, bunions, or other foot/ankle problems should be cautious or avoid it—small injuries can become serious. Transition gradually; sudden long sessions on hard surfaces can cause soreness or injury. Minimalist shoes are a common middle ground that capture much of the muscular and sensory benefit with more protection.

Start with short indoor sessions or soft outdoor ground, listen to your feet, and build up. For most healthy adults, some regular barefoot time is a low-cost way to give the feet the work they were designed to do. 

putt putt to the pizza hut

 The two boards make a clean comparison, but they are not apples-to-apples on every line. Breadsticks went from a 6-pack to an 8-pack, and the Family Night combo swapped a pitcher for four individual drinks. The 2026 prices also look like list/menu prices; Pizza Hut’s actual ticket is usually lower because of carryout specials, $7 Deal Lover’s items, Tuesday personal-pan deals, and app coupons. Even so, the graphic is useful for seeing how list prices moved versus general inflation.

Inflation baseline (1988 → 2026)
U.S. CPI-U: $1 in 1988 has the purchasing power of about $2.74 in 2026. That is a 174% cumulative increase, or roughly 2.69% per year on average. Every 1988 price below is multiplied by 2.74 to get the “if it only kept up with inflation” 2026 price.

Item-by-item

Item	1988	Inflation-adjusted (×2.74)	2026 menu	vs. inflation
Personal Pan	$1.99	$5.45	$7.49	+37%
Medium 1-topping	$4.99	$13.67	$16.99	+24%
Large 1-topping	$6.99	$19.15	$21.99	+15%
Extra topping	$0.75	$2.06	$2.29	+11%
Supreme / Meat Lover’s	$7.99	$21.89	$24.99	+14%
Veggie Lover’s	$7.49	$20.52	$23.99	+17%
Breadsticks	$1.39 (6)	$3.81	$6.49 (8)	higher per piece
Cheese sticks	$2.29	$6.27	$7.99	+27%
Cinnabon dessert pizza	$2.49	$6.82	$8.49	+24%
Small drink	$0.69	$1.89	$2.79	+48%
Medium drink	$0.89	$2.44	$3.29	+35%
Large drink	$1.09	$2.99	$3.79	+27%
Pitcher (4 drinks)	$2.99	$8.19	$7.99	slightly cheaper
Family Night special	$10.99	$30.11	$34.99	+16%

What stands out

• Pizzas themselves are not wildly out of line with CPI. A large 1-topping is only about 15% above the inflation-adjusted 1988 price. Specialty pies are in the same 14–17% range. Extra toppings almost exactly tracked inflation.
• Drinks and sides ran hotter. Fountain drinks, especially the small, rose well above general inflation. Breadsticks look worse once you adjust for the extra two sticks; per-stick the increase is much larger.
• The pitcher is the relative bargain on the 2026 board—it came in a few cents under the inflation-adjusted 1988 price.
• The Family Night combo is only modestly above inflation even after the pitcher-to-four-drinks swap.

Context that the boards don’t show

Restaurant (food-away-from-home) prices have historically outpaced overall CPI because of labor, rent, insurance, and delivery economics. Wages also rose more than 2.74× over the same period for many households, so “how it feels” depends on whose paycheck you use. And almost nobody pays the full list prices shown on the 2026 board; current deals routinely put a large 1-topping in the $8–$12 range and a personal pan at $3 on Tuesdays.

Bottom line: the pizzas on these boards rose a little faster than the overall cost of living, but not dramatically. The bigger sticker shock is in the drinks, sides, and the fact that the 1988 Family Night special ($10.99) felt like a complete meal for a family, while $35 today still does—just with a thinner margin after inflation.

Fact check

Molly, 

Will you fact check the attachment, please. 

H

Henry McClure 

Time Kills Deals 

785.383.9994

444

Executive Summary — Good Golly Ms. Molly

Executive Summary — Good Golly Ms. Molly
2024 GO Topeka Public budget vs. 990 actuals

The attached sheet is the JEDO-approved 2024 GO Topeka Public operating budget (Dec 2023 / Feb 14, 2024 packet). It is labeled budgeted and non-GAAP. The watchdog figures come from 2024 Form 990 actuals and the Greater Topeka Partnership (GTP) audit. Budget and actual are not the same document.

What the sheet does show
It is the plan for how JEDO-funded “GO Topeka Public” would charge payroll and GTP shared services:

• Payroll / benefits: $847,044 budgeted vs. $941,190 allocated on the 990 (~$94k hotter).
• Shared services: $585,000 budgeted vs. $660,000 actual (~$75k hotter).
  Packet split: $248k marketing/communications + $337k finance/admin/HR.
• Combined payroll + shared services: $1.43M planned vs. $1.60M reported.
• Occupancy: $135,827 on this sheet vs. $335,934 on the GO Topeka 990 — this page does not close that gap.

Structure matches the watchdog finding: GO Topeka has no employees of record. Payroll is dumped into G&A ($749,896) and WMBD ($97,148); Attraction, small-business, and talent columns show $0 payroll. GTP staff are charged in.

What it does not close

1. GTP’s full pool: $1.76M reimbursed salaries + $1.48M shared-service revenue across all affiliates (GO Topeka, Downtown, Visit, Chamber, etc.). This page is Public only.
2. Downtown Topeka figures ($486k / $456k / $1.84M) — not on this page.
3. The ~$200k occupancy difference.
4. An employee-by-employee matrix.
5. Balance-sheet items ($18.33M cash, ETLC $1.74M loan, $9.5M remodel, lease liability) — year-end audit, not this operating budget.

How to read the two sets

• This sheet = what JEDO voted to fund going into 2024.
• 990 / audit = what the related nonprofits reported after year-end, including private-side activity and GTP’s full reimbursement pool.

They line up on structure (zero GO Topeka employees, shared-services charge, incentives dwarfing operating cost). They do not reconcile dollar-for-dollar. The remaining ask is still valid: one schedule that ties this $585k / $847k budget to the $660k / $941k 990 lines and then to GTP’s $3.24 million reimbursement total.

 

Partly. This sheet is the 2024 GO Topeka Public budget JEDO approved (Dec 2023 / Feb 14, 2024 packet). It is labeled budgeted and non-GAAP. The watchdog numbers came from 2024 Form 990 actuals and the GTP audit. Budget and actual are not the same document.

What this sheet does fill in

It shows how JEDO-funded “GO Topeka Public” was planned to charge payroll and GTP shared services.

Line	This 2024 budget (Public)	Watchdog 990 actual	Match?
Payroll / benefits	$847,044	Allocated salaries $941,190	Same idea, actual ~$94k higher
Other compensation	$6,080	(rolled into allocated pay)	—
Other employee-related	$73,636	(benefits/taxes mix)	—
Shared services	$585,000	$660,000	Same bucket, actual ~$75k higher
Payroll + shared services	$1,432,044	$1,601,190	Directionally same; actual ran hot
Occupancy	$135,827	$335,934 on GO Topeka 990	Does not fill that blank
Public / JEDO revenue	$10,985,862	990 contributions ~$4.31M is a different cut	Different grouping
Business incentives	$7,872,980	Not the 990 salary lines	Separate

The $585,000 shared-services budget is explained in the same packet’s summary: $248,000 marketing/communications + $337,000 finance/admin/HR. That is the GTP charge to the JEDO-funded side. So this sheet answers “what was shared services supposed to be?” It does not by itself prove the 990’s $660,000 actual or GTP’s $1.48 million of total shared-service reimbursements across all affiliates.

What it does not close

1. GTP’s $1,758,989 reimbursed salaries + $1,482,000 shared-service revenue. Those are GTP 990 totals for every affiliate (GO Topeka, Downtown, Visit, Chamber, etc.). This page is only GO Topeka Public.
2. Downtown Topeka $486,702 / $456,000 / $1.84M. Not on this page.
3. GO Topeka occupancy $335,934. Budget occupancy here is $135,827 ($71,147 ongoing + $64,680 special initiatives). That leaves ~$200k unexplained versus the 990. Different books, different allocation, or costs sitting on GTP and pushed over later.
4. Employee-by-employee matrix. Payroll is dumped into G&A ($749,896) and WMBD ($97,148). Attraction, small-business, and talent columns show $0 payroll. That is the allocation model the watchdog flagged: GO Topeka has no employees of record; GTP staff are charged in.
5. Cash $18.33M, ETLC $1.74M loan, $9.5M remodel, lease liability. Year-end balance sheet and audit notes, not this operating budget. ETLC on this page is only a small column ($45,852 other revenue, $83,028 interest, $105,069 depreciation).

How to read the two sets together

• This sheet = what JEDO voted to fund going into 2024.
• 990 / audit = what the related nonprofits reported after year-end, including private-side activity and GTP’s full reimbursement pool.

They line up on the structure (zero GO Topeka employees, shared-services charge, incentives dwarfing operating cost). They do not reconcile dollar-for-dollar. The remaining watchdog ask is still valid: one schedule that ties this $585k/$847k budget to the $660k/$941k 990 lines and then to GTP’s $3.24 million reimbursement total.

Fw: Yurii Levchenko Has a New Business!

Henry McClure

785.383.9994 

Sent from my T-Mobile 5G Device
Get Outlook for Android

---

From: Fr. Nikolai Meyers <frnmeyers@gmail.com>
Sent: Wednesday, 26 August 2026 07:30:01
To: Fr. Nikolai Meyers <frnmeyers@gmail.com>
Subject: Yurii Levchenko Has a New Business!

 

Saints Peter & Paul

Orthodox Church

Topeka, KS

August 26th, 2026

Saints Adrian & Natalia

Dear Faithful of Saints Peter and Paul, 

The blessing of the Holy Trinity be upon you!

Yurii Levchenko, a member of our community, is starting a new business. Please read the message below and help him get his business off the ground!

Fr. Nikolai 

Hi everyone! 

My name is Yurii , and I’m a member of our church. I came to the United States from Ukraine through the U4U (Uniting for Ukraine) program.

Earlier this month, I made a career change and started a new journey in the appliance repair industry. I’m currently going through hands-on training and building my experience in this field. I’m learning quickly, working hard, and already making good progress.

I recently opened my own appliance repair company, and I’m currently offering diagnostic and repair services for:

• Washers

• Dryers

• Refrigerators

• Dishwashers

• Ovens & ranges

• Microwaves

I also have my EPA Section 608 certification, which allows me to work with refrigerants in refrigeration equipment.

As a way of giving back to our church community, I’m offering 30% off diagnostics and repairs for church members and their immediate family members.

I’ve also made a personal commitment to donate 20% of my earnings toward the construction of our new church. This is a way for me to grow my business while also helping people and supporting our church.

🙏 I could also really use your help

One of my goals right now is to learn how to work with home warranty companies and service networks in the Kansas City, Missouri / Kansas area.

I’m looking to connect with companies such as:

Old Republic Home Protection

First American Home Warranty

Choice Home Warranty

Cinch Home Services

2-10 Home Buyers Warranty

American Home Shield / Frontdoor

Assurant Home Warranty

AFC Home Warranty — America’s First Choice

Achosa Home Warranty

Home Warranty of America (HWA)

Liberty Home Guard

Select Home Warranty

Asurion Service Network

America’s Preferred Home Warranty

Complete Appliance Protection

If anyone in our church currently works with these companies, has worked with them in the past, or knows someone in the industry, I would really appreciate any advice or introductions.

I’m especially looking for help understanding:

• How the home warranty/service network system works

• How to get my company approved as a service provider

• Who I should contact

• What insurance, licensing, and other requirements I need

• How technicians receive service calls

• How to get started and build long-term relationships with these companies

I’m also happy to compensate someone for professional consulting or hands-on assistance if you have experience in this industry and can help me get started.

Even a simple introduction, phone number, contact, or piece of advice could make a big difference for me.

I’m open to talking with anyone who may be able to help, and I’m ready to put in the work on my end.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this and for any help or advice you can offer!

My phone 7852896809