Based on numerous reports, past accomplishments and evaluations, the departure of Kansas Board of Regents President and CEO Andy Tompkins will be a major loss for Kansas and the Regents. Tompkins was held in high regard prior to his move to the Regents five years ago; he has strengthened this reputation and will be difficult to replace.

Apparently, the regents made a quick decision soon after Tompkins informed them he planned to step aside to name Blake Flanders, the Regents vice president for workforce development, as his replacement.

Tompkins received much praise and a standing ovation from the regents, state university presidents and students after making his public announcement this week.

A news report told of Regents Chairman Kenny Wilk saying Flanders will continue the positive culture created by Tompkins, as well as continue progress on the board’s strategic plan.

The big question is what is in the “strategic plan”? Unfortunately, the regents don’t seem to carry much clout with state legislators or the governor who appoints members of the board. State funding has decreased year after year, and it is questionable whether regents have a good handle on what is going on at the various schools they are supposed to oversee. If they do know what is happening, it appears they do not have the courage to take corrective actions. Are they planning ahead for future top vacancies at Kansas University or are they merely going to rely on highly paid headhunters?

Are regents thinking about the search and replacement process when Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little, who is around 70, steps aside? Are they putting together a scouting and recruiting effort to identify potential future “all-stars” to become university chancellor, not settling for who might be looking for a job but rather recruiting people who are happy where they are but look to KU as a wonderful opportunity.

In the meantime, faculty morale and unrest, at least at KU, continue to slip.

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What has happened to the Kansas Relays? In past years, the Relays were national news with teams from throughout the country participating, along with all-star track and field personalities sponsored by large athletic equipment manufacturers.

Downtown Lawrence was festooned with Relays banners. It was a big event, drawing large numbers of high school and junior college teams from a wide geographic area with one high school team coming from Hawaii. It served as an excellent recruiting tool for the university and Lawrence.

The event was moved to the Rock Chalk Park facility, out of the “embarrassing” Memorial Stadium environment. The public was told the new track would be one of the nation’s best and would attract the nation’s best.

With the 2016 Summer Olympics only a short time away, it seems logical that many of the nation’s elite would want to compete in the KU Relays. Not this year. In the past, the Texas, Kansas, Drake and Pennsylvania relays were the best.

Hopefully, this again will prove to be the case, but, so far, such predictions have failed to materialize.

KU track coach Stanley Redwine is one of the nation’s best, and Kansas Athletics has more money these days than ever before. So why not use some of these dollars to build the KU Relays into the event it used to be?

It is interesting today’s schedule of events was canceled due to predicted bad weather. When the event was held in Memorial Stadium, on the outdated track, events were conducted during tornado warnings, sleet and heavy rain, but in those days, Memorial Stadium provided a safe shelter and facilities.

With Rock Chalk Park designed to attract and accommodate large numbers of participants and spectators, are adequate, strong storm shelters available?

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What does it say about our national security system when a 61-year-old Florida mailman can fly a small ultralight gyrocopter through highly protected airspace and land untouched on the lawn of the U.S. Capitol? This is just the latest embarrassing example of the lack of security being provided for national strategic targets. What’s the excuse this time?

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It is difficult to understand the relatively sudden expression of opposition or concern about projected traffic numbers of Bob Billings Parkway when the interchange connecting the street to the South Lawrence Trafficway is completed.

Plans for the improved 15th Street/Billings Parkway were announced years ago, years before many of the residences and businesses were built along this route. There is no excuse for residents, homeowners, builders or city officials not to have looked ahead and known what was likely to happen. The street was to serve as a direct, easy-to-navigate route from the SLT to KU, not a tranquil residential street. Adding roundabouts and numerous traffic signals defeats the original purpose of the road.

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Lawrence is known for its almost obsession to protect so-called “historic” buildings. As one noted expert on city development once asked, “What buildings have been built in Lawrence in the past 50 years that will be considered historic and untouchable 50 years from now?”

What can be so special about a rusty Quonset hut near Eighth and Pennsylvania streets? Why is this rundown building so historic? Some of those who want to preserve the structure claim the hut represents a rare form of architecture that is worth preserving.

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U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill of Missouri hit the nail on the head earlier this week when she called attention to the “one and done” trend for university basketball players and said it’s time to reform NCAA basketball. She said she has no problem with players going straight to the NBA, but if they choose college, they shouldn’t be called “students” because they are being recruited “for an NBA tryout, not going to college.”

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If the recent Hillary Clinton trip to Iowa is a sign of what’s to come, the public should be accustomed to exaggerations, or lies, about her history and cover-ups from the national media. Apparently, it is going to be a testing ground for how much voter support can be generated or bought by a $2 billion campaign fund.