Bryan Thompson
Stories by Bryan Thompson
Great Plains Ranchers Look To Rebuild In Wake Of Massive Fires
Gena Kirk did not realize the largest wildfire in Kansas history was closing in on the Kirk Ranch on March 6 until she got a call from her brother-in-law. After realizing that her herd was in danger, she jumped into her pickup and sped up the hill where several of her cattle were grazing. As…
Drop-In Centers In Rural Kansas Aim To Address Dangers Of Isolation
The social and health effects of isolation on some rural Kansas residents spurred three Catholic nuns to convert a storefront in Concordia into a drop-in center where women can find support and resources. Seven years after the center opened, two dozen women on average come through each day in the town of about 5,000 to…
Some Kansas Farmers May Turn To Local Produce In Search Of Profit
Low crop prices have many Midwest wheat and corn farmers looking for ways to supplement their incomes. One possibility for conventional farmers: producing food for farmers markets. “Food is a multi-billion-dollar economy in Kansas,” says Missty Lechner of the American Heart Association, who works with local governments to encourage the development of local food systems….
Low Wheat Prices Could Hit Kansas Rural Economy Hard
This year was a very good year for growing wheat, but that means it could be a very bad year for wheat farmers. There’s a glut on the global wheat market and prices for winter wheat – which is grown all up and down the Great Plains, from Texas to North Dakota– wheat prices this…
Kansas Kids Count Shows Improvements But Persistent Problems
An annual report on child well-being in Kansas shows some positive trends, but they’re overshadowed by persistent problems. Among the improvements cited in the 2015 Kansas Kids Count report: There are fewer uninsured children in Kansas. “That dropped to 5.5 percent in 2014,” says Shannon Cotsoradis, president and CEO of Kansas Action for Children. “That’s an all-time low,…
Cargill Executive Says Climate Change Threatens Food Production
Climate change is real and must be addressed head-on to prevent future food shortages. That’s the message Cargill Executive Director Greg Page delivered Monday night to an audience at Kansas State University in Manhattan. “Climate change is not a particularly popular subject in much of the heartland,” he said. “But at Cargill, we have come to believe…
Obesity And Diabetes Rate High In Kansas And Missouri
Almost one in three adults in Kansas and Missouri is not just overweight but obese, according to a new report from the Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The State of Obesity: Better Policies for a Healthier America notes that obesity rates nationwide have stabilized, but at a level that’s still…
Rethinking Mental Health’s Role In Rural Kansas
A new partnership in southwest Kansas aims to build mental health services and help strengthen a couple of rural hospitals at the same time. The nonprofit United Methodist Health Ministry Fund is leading an effort to make the health system work better for people in rural Kansas. The fund’s president, Kim Moore, says the current…
Five years after the Indoor Clean Air Act
When it took effect five years ago, the Kansas Indoor Clean Air Act had some restaurant and business owners concerned. But their worries about the state law prohibiting smoking in most public places — including workplaces, public buildings, bars, and restaurants — have largely gone unrealized. The law had its start in cities such as…
Why Kansas rural hospitals struggle to survive
There are a lot of small, rural hospitals in Kansas. Without them, many Kansans would have to travel long distances for care. What’s more, in many small towns, the hospital is one of the largest employers — making it vital to the local economy.