Kansas Public Radio

He's been called the greatest fossil collector who ever lived - and he was born 153 years ago this week in the small town of Carbondale, Kansas. Sometimes referred to as "Mr. Bones," his real name was Barnum Brown. Commentator Katie Keckeisen has his story.

Council Grove, Kansas, is a small town with a rich history and a unique distinction: With a population of about 2,200, it is the smallest town in the United States with a daily newspaper: the Council Grove Republican.

Kansas lawmakers are back in session in Topeka. The governor wants them to address the state's ongoing water problems. But will they? Commentator Rex Buchanan has more on the state's long-running water problems - problems that many are now calling a crisis.

One legend of the Old West involves a Mexican-American lawman who grew up in Topeka. The lawman once fought off dozens of gunfighters in New Mexico in a battle that lasted more than 30 hours. After 4,000 rounds were fired, the lawman emerged unscathed. Commentator Katie Keckeisen has more on the legend of Elfego Baca and his connection to Kansas.

You've heard of an apple core. It's the part most people throw away. Today, we'll hear about a different kind of core - a core sample of the Earth. The University of Kansas is creating more space to store and display rock core samples. Commentator Rex Buchanan tells us why we should care.

The tallgrass prairie is mostly confined to the Kansas Flint Hills in eastern Kansas. But earlier this year, some of that grass - up to 5 feet tall - started sprouting further west, out in the Smoky Hills of central Kansas. What's going on here? Commentator Rex Buchanan explains.

October 14 is the 135th anniversary of the birth of Dwight D. Eisenhower, our nation's 34th president. Eisenhower grew up in Abilene, which is where his presidential library is located. The author of a new book tries to separate fact from fiction in Eisenhower's eventful life story.

Right now is one of the best times of the year for bird watchers. As Commentator Rex Buchanan tells us, as many as 800 million birds will soon be moving through this part of the world as they migrate south.

In the Flint Hills, south of Wamego, an Australian company is drilling deep holes in search of hydrogen. Could this be a new source of energy for the Sunflower State? Commentator Rex Buchanan tells us more.

A new book by the author and historian Caleb Gayle tells the story of Edward McCabe, one of the leaders of Nicodemus, a Kansas town founded by the formerly enslaved.