MANHATTAN, Kan. - A couple of weeks ago some friends started to ask me if I was interested in running for office again. "New election cycle, why not give it another go," they said. Several wanted someone "with new eyes" looking at how local government operates and work to make it better for everyone. I know others were disappointed when I did not run for city commission in April 2009.
My previous experiences at running for elected office included a run for the legislature when I was 18, - that was many, many moons ago - and my 2008 bid to unseat Kathy Martin on the State Board of Education. Neither went in my favor, but both were great experiences.

So after thinking about it for a week, I walked precincts collecting the signatures I needed to file by petition in a bid to run for the Riley County Commission. I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised when everyone I talked while walking the neighborhoods expressed their support for my effort.

BASEHOR, Kan. - Congress has provided funds through the Citizen Corps to assist local communities in quick response to emergency situations--particularly when first responders may be overwhelmed. These local programs, called Community Emergency Response Teams, allow groups of trained citizens to literally "care for themselves" by being first on the scene when disaster strikes. They're able to self organize and provide immediate assistance to their friends and neighbors while waiting for first responders. A multi-part training program is available, free of charge, to those who are interested.

EMPORIA, Kan. - A recent Kansas Supreme Court decision upheld the Wabaunsee County Commission's decision to enact a countywide ban on commercial wind turbines. I don't fault the Court's reasoning -- I am very disappointed in Wabaunsee's elected officials and in the citizens of Wabaunsee who supported the restrictions.

TOPEKA, Kan. - A 72-year-old woman from the Wichita metro area has died from infection with the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus.

It is important to note that the number of deaths confirmed to be caused by pandemic H1N1 influenza under-represents the true number of deaths; many more deaths may have been caused by the virus in Kansas. Numbers are not complete because routine testing for H1N1 was stopped earlier this year because once a patient has acquired a flu-like illness, those with the swine flu are offered the same medications as thought with just seasonal flu.

The great majority of all influenza or pneumonia-related deaths that occur (pneumonia is the most common severe complication of influenza) do not have a confirmatory lab result associated with them.

Though the vaccine is not yet widely available in all counties to all Kansans, Dr. Jason Eberhart-Phillips, Kansas State Health Officer, points out, "Healthy adults are susceptible to severe complications of the pandemic H1N1 flu virus."

HAYS, Kan. - The Ellis County Zoning and Planning Commission met in its monthly meeting on Wednesday, November 18.

The one piece of business discussed by the commission came from Commissioner Keith Campbell. Mr. Campbell proposed that the commission adopt a bylaw which said that when considering board business, if a commissioner "anticipated the opportunity" to personally benefit by the action of the board in the value of $1000 or more, that commissioner should publicly state that. Any recommendation then going forward from the zoning board to the Ellis County Commission would include the notification of the anticipation of opportunity.

MCDOWELL CREEK, Kan. - We've heard of "earthshaking decisions"--but the Kansas Supreme Court's October 30 decision affirming Wabaunsee County's ban on commercial-scale wind-energy conversion systems (CWECS) was an earth-saving one. It allows predominantly rural Wabaunsee County to protect its endangered tall grass prairie from industrial-scale wind "farms." The Nature Conservancy has called CWECS one of today's greatest threats to grassland ecology, in particular the keystone species of grouse, including prairie chickens. The green flag which wind energy wraps itself up in has prevented many people from taking seriously the environmental damage which CWECS can inflict. But Wabaunsee County looked through the green rhetoric and came down firmly on the side of the prairie.

YOCEMENTO, Kan - The lesser prairie chicken may be threatened with extinction because of choices we are making.

Since European settlement of the Plains States began in the mid-1800's, we've been chipping away at the habitats of the lesser prairie-chicken (LPC). As excessive grassland was plowed for crop production, LPC populations dwindled. Biologists estimate that about 90% of the LPC population was destroyed by the 1980's.

This species needs undisturbed open spaces to perform its famous mating dance. It is relatively intolerant of human structures and activity. Kansas is home to almost half of the world's LPC population. New Mexico, Texas, Colorado, and Oklahoma also host this rare breed of prairie grouse.

OTTAWA, Kan. - On Saturday, September 26, the Franklin County Democratic Party held a food drive in Ottawa. Country Mart, a local grocery store, was generous enough to allow the county party set up outside their doors. A group of dedicated local Democrats stood outside for six hours and collected an amazing amount of food, tolietries, and other household essentials. The drive benefited two Ottawa pantries, Hope House and ECKAN.

The community of Franklin County and Ottawa answered the call of help to those less fortunate. In such difficult economic times the volunteers received several large, generous donations. Through this food drive, the citizens of Ottawa displayed an amazing showing of giving and compassion to our fellow community members who need the donations.

MOUND CITY, Kan. - Welcome to rural Kansas. Linn County consists of roughly 10,000 citizens. Oh yes, they are sticklers for heading to the polls. They also host tea bagger parties, promote Americans for Prosperity, deny President Obama his legal citizenship status, and tout the greatness of one state senator who has become synonymous with every aspect of the party of No ideas, Sam Brownback.

Reared only minutes from my own backyard, Brownback is considered most everyone's hometown hero.

After realizing his self-assumed greatness was not scoring brownie points on the hill, dropping out of his bid as a GOP presidential contender; Brownie has hit pay dirt. With former Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius now acting Secretary for the Department of Health and Human Services with Obama's Administration, Brownback spots an opportunity to return to his home state finally presenting itself.

Kansas, look out, we may be on a fast track time warp returning us to an era of gunslingers and black lung.

Welcome to the Kansas Free Press!

So, what is the Kansas Free Press? KFP is a brand new state-wide online newspaper, in blog format, written exclusively by citizen journalists. Our Kansan writers will write about people, politics, and policies that effect Kansans, the future of Kansas and our way of life.

Why citizen writers? Writing about the local politics and people of Kansas, our citizen journalists are chiefly moved to jump into a public conversation about the future of Kansas. Citizen writers desire to participate directly in democracy - by gathering information about what happens in school board meetings, community events, county commission meetings or in the state legislature.

Our writers want to examine what the people of Kansas value most and how our community and governments responds to those values. They want to be more informed about their governments - and they want to ensure other citizens have good information, too.