David Condos, Kansas News Service
David Condos is the western Kansas correspondent for the Kansas News Service and High Plains Public Radio.
Stories by David Condos, Kansas News Service
No Place Like Home? The Wizard of Oz Still Shapes the World’s View of Kansas for Better and Worse
The Wizard of Oz and Kansas have been inseparable since farm girl Dorothy Gale first skipped down the yellow brick road. But having an enduring image from the Dust Bowl 1930s might also hold Kansas back from what it wants to be today.
With the Ogallala Aquifer Drying Up, Kansas Ponders Limits to Irrigation
Water levels in the Ogallala Aquifer continue to plummet. But after decades of inaction, Kansas' approach to water conservation might be shifting.
‘This is Do or Die’: Western Kansas Farmers Push to Save the Ogallala Aquifer Before it’s Too Late
After decades of irrigation, the aquifer that makes life possible in dry western Kansas is reaching a critical point. But a new plan could save more of what’s left.
A Hotter, Drier Future Could Change How We Eat, Breathe and Get Our Water
This year’s drought could be a dress rehearsal for a drier, hotter future that scientists predict climate change has in store. Long-lasting droughts could alter the way we live.
Here’s How This Year’s Drought has Battered the Midwest — and What it Might Mean for Next Year
From deadly wildfires to choking dust storms to decimated crop harvests, this year’s drought has left its mark across the country. For the hardest hit areas, such as the Great Plains, recovering from the far-reaching impacts of this historically dry year won’t be easy.
This City in Kansas Really Conserves Water, But That Might Not be Enough to Survive
Thanks to decades of conservation efforts, Hays has become a place where thinking about your water use is a way of life. But as climate change brings drier, hotter weather to Kansas, more cities may have to follow a similar path.
How the Drought Killing Kansas Corn Crops Could Make You Pay More for Gas and Beef
Drought is taking its toll on western Kansas cornfields this year. And all that dead corn could mean higher prices for ethanol-infused gasoline and corn-fed beef.
Here Are 7 Ways 2022 Stacks Up Against the Worst Droughts in Kansas History
How bad is the Kansas drought? Among the worst droughts in recorded history. But some other years were more extreme. Here are the numbers.
Western Kansas Wheat Crops are Failing Just When the World Needs Them Most
Russia's war in Ukraine has disrupted global food supplies, driving up demand and prices for wheat. But after months of drought, many western Kansas farmers won’t have a crop to sell.
How Kansas Could Lose Billions in Land Values as its Underground Water Runs Dry
The water in the Ogallala aquifer is worth billions of dollars to western Kansas, but it’s rapidly disappearing. And it's been a challenge to find ways to slow the depletion.