MANHATTAN, Kan. - Manhattan's Monthly Film Series is please to announce that Kevin Willmott, Junction City native and professor of film at the University of Kansas, will be on hand to moderate the screening of his most recent film, The Only Good Indian, when it is screened on Tuesday July 6th, 6:30 pm, at the Manhattan Public Library Auditorium.

The Only Good Indian was written and produced by Thomas L. Carmody and stars J. Kenneth Campbell, Wes Studi, and newcomer Winter Fox Frank.

Set in Kansas during the early 1900s, a teenage Native American boy (played by Winter Fox Frank) is taken from his family and forced to attend a distant Indian "training" school to assimilate into White society. When he escapes to return to his family, Sam Franklin (played by Wes Studi), a bounty hunter of Cherokee descent, is hired to find and return him to the institution. Franklin, a former Indian scout for the U. S. Army, has renounced his Native heritage and has adopted the White Man's way of life, believing it's the only way for Indians to survive. Along the way, a tragic incident spurs Franklin's longtime nemesis, the famous "Indian Fighter" Sheriff Henry McCoy (played by J. Kenneth Campbell), to pursue both Franklin and the boy.

WICHITA, Kan. - The Kansas National Organization for Women will honor Dr. George Tiller on the one year anniversary of his brutal assassination. A candlelight vigil will be held to pay tribute to this honorable man's life, work and legacy.

We will gather at 8:00 p.m. on May 31st in Old Town Square, just as we did last year on the evening of his murder. See pictures of last year's vigil here!

Candles will be provided for an in-kind donation.

Speakers will share their memories of Dr. Tiller and messages of peaceful resistance against extremist anti- abortion messaging, legislation and the continued harassment of the doctors that provide necessary abortion care.

WICHITA, Kan. - Dolores & the Picken' Fritter with Henry Harvey will kick off the afternoon's festivities at noon at the Peace Picnic this Memorial Day, May 31, 2010, at Riverside Park in Wichita.

The Peace Picnic, organized by the Peace and Social Center of South Central Kansas and People of Faith for Peace, both Wichita-based peace organizations, has been an annual event for several years. The picnic provides a time and place for people working for peace to meet, socialize, relax, and think about a peaceful world.

LAWRENCE, Kan. - Connie Schultz, nationally syndicated columnist for the Cleveland Plain Dealer, will give this year's lecture for the Jana Mackey Distinguished Lecture Series, entitled "Words from the Heart: Gender, Justice and Advocacy" on Wednesday, April 28 at 7:30 p.m. at the Dole Institute of Politics at the University of Kansas.

"We selected Connie Schultz to be this year's speaker because of her dedication to issues of concern to Jana," said Kathy Rose-Mockry, chair of the Jana Mackey Distinguished Lecture Series board. "Connie has spent her career fighting for the same causes Jana did--women's rights, equality, social justice and serving others."

The Jana Mackey Distinguished Lecture Series was established in 2009 to commemorate late women's rights activist and KU law student Jana Lynne Mackey.

MANHATTAN, Kan. - Women, have you ever been walking home alone at night, and jumped at every twig that snaps, or has your heart skipped a beat when a shadow crosses your path, do you go over self defense scenarios in your head? Many of us are aware of the rules for walking alone at night: do not listen to your headphones, do not talk on your phone, have your keys ready in your hand. The reality is often times, women do not feel safe walking alone after dark. Many women I know will not even walk alone at night on the K-State campus, a place where we feel safe and at home most of the time. It is time to "Take Back the Night"!

MANHATTAN, Kan. - Over 200 people demonstrated their support for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) equality in Manhattan and Riley County on Saturday in first Pride march and rally the community has seen. Marchers represented individual LGBTs, allies, various community and K-State organizations and two of Manhattan's religious congregations: the Unitarian Universalism Fellowship and First Congregation - United Church of Christ.

Lead marchersMarching down Poyntz Avenue with a police escort the participants were met by a smattering of supporters along the route that took them west on Poyntz, then north on 11th Street and down Moro through Aggieville, ending at Triangle Park.

Jonathan Mertz, Chair of Flint Hills Human Rights Project, said: "I was driving the pickup at the end of the parade. When I turned onto to Poyntz to follow the walkers I had this view of a mass of people with signs and rainbow flags walking up the street and more people were running to join the crowd. It took my breath away."

WICHITA, Kan. - For those in the Wichita area this weekend, Saturday May 1st come join Kansas House candidate Brandon Whipple at OJ Watson park from 1 to 3 PM for a picnic

Join your neighbors for an afternoon at the park! Bring the family and enjoy fun games, great food and meet your Kansas House candidate Brandon Whipple.

"Even in times of crisis, our Legislature must support education." - Brandon Whipple, Wichita Eagle, April 13, 2010.

The event is free, but we are asking for a $5 donation if you will be eating.

WICHITA, Kan. - Sarah Palin is coming to the Intrust Arena in Wichita, Kansas on May 2. It is a fundraiser for a Christian school. We can only speculate as to what her contract with the school entails as the documents have surely been shredded by now... for everyone's protection of course.

Her appearance in Wichita doesn't surprise me, the demographic here seems right up her alley. There has been an onslaught of 'tea bagger' mentality in our state with sovereignty resolutions, tenth amendment activists packing the gallery of our state house producing a sea of American flags, camo and orange safety gear (I guess some analogies between lobbying and hunting, could be made), the expansion of concealed carry laws, pushes to opt out of national heath care reform before its passage and now that it has passed calls for our state attorney general to join the ranks of the rabid by challenging the national healthcare legislation. It all seems like such a waste of time, energy and money... cue the ½ term Alaskan Governor, please.

LEAVENWORTH, Kan. - For over twenty years the Kansas Sample Festival, organized by the Inman-based Kansas Sampler Foundation, has provided attendees the possibility of being immersed in Kansas culture. That tradition continues May 1st and 2nd in Leavenworth's Ray Miller Park, 4201 South 4th Street, as vendors from across the gather for the 2010 Kansas Sample Festival.

The opening ceremony for the Festival takes place on Saturday, May 1st, at 9:00 a.m. This ceremony provides an opportunity for Kansas communities to show their stuff and prick the interest of those in attendance about the possibilities that lay just beyond the entrances to the various exhibition tents.

The tents open Saturday at 10:00 a.m. and close at 5:00 p.m. On Sunday the exhibitions open at 10:00 and close at 4:00 p.m. Admission fee is $5.00 for adults and $3.00 for child aged 7 - 14. Weekend passes are also available at $8.00 for adults and $4.00 for children.

The 2010 Festival is breaking all previous records with over 320 exhibitor registrations received to date representing over 150 Kansas communities. Exhibitors include Kansas municipalities, attractions, entrepreneurs, and entertainers. These will be spread throughout the park in colorful tents on a wide open grassy field shaded by old trees in Ray Miller Park.

MANHATTAN, Kan. - Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people and their allies will make history as they hold the first Pride March ever in Manhattan on Saturday 24 April. The march will start at 2:00 pm in front of the Riley County Courthouse and will proceed down Poyntz Avenue to 11th Street, then north on 11th to Moro, through Aggieville, ending in Triangle Park with a rally that goes until 4:30 pm.

Along with speeches and entertainment, the rally will feature openly gay musician Tom Goss. Goss will also be in concert with Jeremiah Clark later on the 24th beginning at 9:00 pm at Mel's Tavern in downtown Manhattan.