In the first season of My Fellow Kansans, we examined the forces and consequences of Kansas politics, the history behind it, and the likelihood of another course-changing election last November.
This season we’re turning to rural Kansas, because it too has a storied past. But as once-thriving towns continue to shrink, does it have a future? That, fellow Kansans, depends on whom you ask.
The future of rural Kansas is our topic in season two of My Fellow Kansans--a podcast from the Kansas News Service.
Our conversation begins October 18.
44 Available Episodes (45 Total)Average duration: 00:19:19
Jan 24, 2020
Introducing Statehouse Blend Kansas 2020
00:14:45
In this episode of Statehouse Blend Kansas, host Jim McLean looks at the legislative session. Lawmakers are already at odds on the hot-button issues of abortion and Medicaid expansion. Republican leaders are pushing for quick passage of an anti-abortion amendment to the Kansas Constitution. Meanwhile, Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly and Republican Senate Majority Leader Jim Denning are joining forces to break a nearly decade-long stalemate on expansion.
Dec 13, 2019
S2 Bonus Episode: Free college and a town's prospects
00:20:11
A town loses population one decade after the next. Then a wealthy native son makes a generous offer: I'll pay the college tuition of every kid who graduates from high school here. Beyond putting college in reach for more families, the donation hopes to draw people to Neodesha, Kansas. Except ... it might just encourage people already in the region to change addresses. And the town is short on housing.
Nov 22, 2019
S2 Episode 6: The Wild West, Cattle And Immigrants
00:32:07
While population numbers decay across so much of the Great Plains in Kansas, Dodge City, Liberal and Garden City stand out as growth stories. Their cattle trade draws immigrants, and those newcomers drive change. Dodge City likes to play up its gunslingin' Wild West reputation, formed in its earliest days in the cattle business. Now giant industrial meatpacking plants define the economy of a modern cowtown.
Nov 14, 2019
S2 Episode 5: Even Remade, A Town Struggles
00:26:11
Greensburg, Kansas, already found itself in a struggle for survival before getting leveled by a tornado in 2007. Then outside help and new hope emerged with the idea of rebuilding the town as a green, environmentally sustainable place. But the town's still lost more than a third of its population since the twister. It hopes for a rebirth, but powerful forces continue to drive depopulation even after its makeover.
Nov 11, 2019
My Fellow Kansans Live
00:00:55
My Fellow Kansans is coming to Johnson County Library Nov. 13 for a live podcast event. Host Jim McLean will lead a discussion about rural issues with a panel of special guests, including state Rep. Eileen Horn. If you live in the area, we hope you'll join us. RSVP at KCUR.org/Kansans .
Nov 08, 2019
S2 Episode 4: Ailing Rural Health Care
00:24:22
The closing of a rural hospital marks a particular loss for a community — greater distances to travel for health care, fewer jobs, and the sense that a town is on the wane. This episode of the podcast looks at the forces that have led to an epidemic of shuttered small-town hospitals, and some things being tried to resuscitate rural health systems.
Oct 31, 2019
S2 Episode 3: Rural And Shrinking, But Smartly
00:22:06
Rural communities continue to empty out, victim to powerful economic forces that nudge people to larger cities and suburbs. If the depopulation in some places appears all but inevitable, some social scientists suggest it need not mean doom. There are ways to shrink smarter , focusing on improving the quality of life for people who remain rather than chasing businesses that might never come.
Oct 24, 2019
S2 Episode 2: Bigger Farms, Ever Smaller Towns
00:27:23
Many of Kansas’ small towns look weathered, worn and neglected after more than a century of exodus. The unending trend toward bigger farms, and fewer farmers, has sped that depopulation. That rise of modern farming techniques continues to pose a threat to rural cities and towns, particularly across the commodity crop-growing Great Plains.
Oct 18, 2019
S2 Episode 1: Rural Problems and Prospects
00:24:36
One decade after the next, since the days of the Homestead Act, remote Kansas cities and towns have seen their sons and daughters move on to bigger, more vibrant places. That's had profound impacts on rural economies, rural health care and the vibrance of communities whose past looks rosier than the future. Jim McLean examines the factors that could make a difference between towns withering away or making the best of a modern, rural reality.
Oct 09, 2019
Coming Soon: My Fellow Kansans Season 2
00:01:55
Rural Kansas has a storied past. But as once-thriving towns continue to shrink — does it have a future? That depends on who you ask. In season two of My Fellow Kansans, host Jim McLean explores rural Kansas to discover what the future holds for rural communities across the state. Our conversation begins October 18. Subscribe now.
Jan 24 | 00:14:45
Introducing Statehouse Blend Kansas 2020
Dec 13 | 00:20:11
S2 Bonus Episode: Free college and a town's prospects
Nov 22 | 00:32:07
S2 Episode 6: The Wild West, Cattle And Immigrants
Nov 14 | 00:26:11
S2 Episode 5: Even Remade, A Town Struggles
Nov 11 | 00:00:55
My Fellow Kansans Live
Nov 08 | 00:24:22
S2 Episode 4: Ailing Rural Health Care
Oct 31 | 00:22:06
S2 Episode 3: Rural And Shrinking, But Smartly
Oct 24 | 00:27:23
S2 Episode 2: Bigger Farms, Ever Smaller Towns
Oct 18 | 00:24:36
S2 Episode 1: Rural Problems and Prospects
Oct 09 | 00:01:55
Coming Soon: My Fellow Kansans Season 2
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