Election Integrity Concerns, Global Beef Herd Crisis, and First Grade Education in the 1930s

On Wednesday, November 5, 2025, the day after election day, Kim Monson examines the troubling results of local and national elections with citizen watchdog Mike Rawluk and sixth-generation rancher Trent Loos, explores firsthand accounts of 1930s education with 97-year-old Colonel Bill Rutledge, and honors veterans with USMC Memorial Foundation President Paula Sarlls. Honoring Those Who Served Start listening at 8:15 – Hour 1 Paula Sarlls, president of the USMC Memorial Foundation, announces the upcoming Veterans Day celebration at the official Marine Memorial in Golden, Colorado. The event on Saturday, November 8th at 2 p.m. features Navy SEAL and four-time heavyweight world champion Jesse Clay as guest speaker. The memorial celebrates the 250th birthdays of the Army, Navy, and Marine Corps. Sarlls explains the memorial’s Buy a Brick program as a meaningful way to honor veterans from all branches of service. The Walk of Service allows families to memorialize loved ones who served, creating a lasting tribute to their sacrifice. “Well, it’s a time to honor and remember. We honor those who serve and are serving today, and we remember those Memorial Days really from remembering the fallen, but we do that too on Veterans Day. It’s mainly for those that are still with us and to just let them know that their service meant something and that we appreciate what they did.” Paula Sarlls, President, USMC Memorial Foundation Election Results and Citizen Engagement Start listening at 15:51 – Hour 1 Mike Rawluk, citizen watchdog with the Ralston Valley Coalition, analyzes the disappointing election results for conservatives across Colorado. Propositions LL and MM both passed, with LL allowing the state to keep excess tax revenue at 64.6% approval and MM increasing taxes on high earners at 58% approval. Rawluk highlights the critically low 28% voter turnout compared to 75% in 2024, noting that unaffiliated voters actually outnumbered both Democrat and Republican turnout in Jefferson County. He also reports progress on the Glow Park project, where citizen engagement brought concerns about mission creep in state land use to the Capital Development Committee’s attention. “If you’re seeing something that you’re not quite sure about, and you say this doesn’t quite fit with a law, this doesn’t quite fit with the community, getting engaged and getting the facts together really seems to go a long way.” Mike Rawluk, Ralston Valley Coalition First Grade Education in Depression-Era America Start listening at 32:24 – Hour 1 Colonel Bill Rutledge, 97-year-old retired U.S. Air Force veteran, provides firsthand accounts of first grade education in 1934-1935 Kentucky. Without kindergartens or preschools, children entered first grade with no formal academic preparation, learning entirely from their teachers in face-to-face instruction. Rutledge explains that teachers stayed with their students for the first three years, creating remarkable continuity and individualized attention. Miss Elizabeth Duncan, his first teacher, went on to teach for 40 more years. He recalls the limited vaccinations available, with only smallpox and diphtheria shots administered in first grade, and notes he never encountered a child with autism in six different schools across three states. “And as far as the autism, I went to six different schools in three different states. And not only did I obs...