western Kansas

Based in Garden City, Kansas, High Plains Public Radio is the only public radio station serving the five-state, mostly rural High Plains region. After Congress cut $1 billion to public broadcasting, its founders say a grant to create a brand-new network for local news and information arrived with serendipitous timing.

Western Kansas has inserted itself into the corn belt, and even though there's better crop options for the climate, huge industries and government subsidies make it hard for farmers to switch. Plus: The average American eats more than 40 quarts of popcorn a year, but the snack isn't grown on that many farms.

A new report reflects how Kansas is falling short of some its commitments to improve the state's foster system.

In western Kansas, rural hospitals have been closing or are perpetually understaffed, leaving residents to drive anywhere from an hour to multiple hours for doctors appointments. Plus: Scientists are working on a new framework that factors climate trends into how we think about drought.

Western Kansas is the place for a quiet, rural lifestyle. But with that comes shortages when you need to see a doctor. Many will drive an hour or more to receive quality health care. But some of the problems may not be easily fixed.

Public media organizations in small towns and rural areas relied more heavily on funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting than their urban counterparts. Now that funding is rescinded, here's how two in Kansas and Missouri are planning for the future.

Many towns in western Kansas lack gyms and fitness centers. Some small communities are building outdoor walking trails to encourage better health and attract new residents.

Western Kansas is running out of the water needed to fuel irrigated agriculture. Why is it so hard for farmers to switch to alternative crops?

The price of beef is at all-time highs, but a major policy initiative of the incoming Trump Administration could drive them higher. In an industry that's already strapped for workers, mass deportations could put some ranchers and feedlots out of business.

Kansas farms have expanded their operations and are now bigger than ever, which has led to an economic boom. But that also means fewer farmers, and that has contributed to depopulation in rural parts of the state that were socially isolated to begin with.

Robert Benecke captured 19th-century western Kansas landscapes before massive European migrations to the area transformed them. In the intervening years, the dust bowl, mass extinction of bison, and expansion of mechanized agriculture have all led to a profusion of trees, ponds and lakes across the Sunflower State.

More than 30 years ago, a group of southwest Kansas counties tried to secede and form their own state called West Kansas. It’s largely forgotten now, but the political divisions that caused it remain.