A new book details the life and times of a Pulitzer Prize winning author Willa Cather, who wrote novels about life on the Great Plains. KPR Commentator Rex Buchanan reviews the book Chasing Bright Medusas, by Benjamin Taylor.

From the KPR News Archives, we dug out a radio feature that first aired on Kansas Day 2011, during the state's 150th birthday party. We hope you enjoy it.

Kansas is taking steps to conserve water in western Kansas. One of the strategies is to improve the efficiency of crop irrigation. But merely improving irrigation techniques won't do the trick. Commentator Rex Buchanan talks more about water woes in western Kansas... and what's being done about it.

There are plenty of places in Kansas to see the state's official animal, the American Bison. Commentator Rex Buchanan tells us about a few of them.

Officials in both Kansas and Missouri are looking for ways to upgrade big power transmission lines within and across state lines. Commentator Scott Carlberg says the main concern is not so much the physical structures, but the process and the politics behind building them.

KPR Commentator Rex Buchanan takes a look at the new book Gathering Strays, by retired English Professor Jim Hoy, who grew up ranching in the Flint Hills.

Like other places during the late 1800s and early 1900s, Topeka was a hot-bed for spiritualism and seances. Commentator Katie Keckeisen tells us about a fraudster who scammed people in Topeka and Spring Hill, Kansas. Katie will also give a talk about spiritualism on Friday, the 13th of October, at the Topeka Shawnee County Public Library.

We all have a role to play in becoming more energy efficient. As individuals and as a society, the decisions we make will affect our planet and our wallets. Some of those decisions involve the buildings we have yet to build.

A former slave came to Kansas and conquered the competitive business of growing... potatoes. Junius Groves, of Edwardsville, earned millions growing his crop. So, move over Idaho potato growers, Commentator Katie Keckeisen tells us more about this forgotten farmer.

Kansas is producing more renewable energy than ever before. So is the nation. Commentator Scott Carlberg says that's great, but we need a smarter power grid.