I was almost 10 years old when my family came from Baghdad, Iraq, to the United States. Life in America, though challenging at first, was gracious and straightforward compared to life under authoritarianism, characterized by…

Dear Kansas Board of Healing Arts: The time has arrived. Come get your boy. That’s right, Kansas Sen. Mark Steffen, R-Hutchinson, has managed to shimmy under the already incredibly low bar he previously set. He’s taken…

Kansas lawmakers should not miss this historic opportunity to eliminate the state sales tax on food. This change would improve the lives of virtually all Kansas families and would be especially meaningful to the 280,000…

Tension comes with the territory when you serve as a judge, said Marla Luckert, Chief Justice of the Kansas Supreme Court.  After all, sometimes they are deciding matters of life and death.  In the case…

Many Kansas Republicans likely guffawed in disbelief when Governor Laura Kelly recently insisted she was “a major local-control advocate.” The image of Democrats as favoring big government programs, with Republicans fighting to keep government small…

Alina is one of the lucky ones. She’s not dead from starvation or a Russian bullet or missile in Mariupol. The world is witnessing the horror of Russian war crimes in Ukraine — as revealed…

Ten to 15 years ago, political science professors discovered renewed interest in civic engagement.  Retired U.S. Senator Bob Graham and his collaborator Chris Hand published the first edition of their book “America: The Owner’s Manual”…

Kansas farmers, ranchers and rural communities are dealing with challenging conditions these days. Stress is high and uncertainty abounds. Farming has never been easy, but there are a lot of variables at play now that…

The bright yellow bicycles situated on the east side of Iola Public Library are a nice addition to its new gazebo. The bikes are courtesy of Thrive Allen County’s free bike share program. The program…

Johnson County has long touted its quality of life. As a regional leader in sustainability, it takes pride in receiving national recognition as a great place to live. That’s why it’s disheartening to see Johnson…