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Kansas’ new tourism tagline as relevant as ever

There is a special irony in unveiling a new state tourism tagline amidst a global pandemic that’s grounded flights, canceled trips, and shuttered travelers in their homes. But in a providential twist, the new tagline happens to be exactly what we need--a celebration of perseverance in the face of…

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Blue Catfish Success at El Dorado Lake

In the summer of 2011, an 80lb flathead catfish was caught and documented by biologists who were electro-fishing in El Dorado Reservoir. In August of 2012, the new state record blue catfish was pulled from the Missouri River in Northeast Kansas, weighing 102.8 lbs. With these two special events, the…

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Kansas: A Bow Hunter’s Delight

Deer hunting is so many different things to different people. It's a source of food, a tradition, a sport, or simply a way to find peace and quiet in a crazy world. All of these things play a part in why I keep hunting year after year, but the biggest draw for me is the actual deer themselves. It's…

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An Inauguration for Mitt Romney in Norton

Willard Mitt Romney may not get the big party in Washington, DC, but he will have his own inauguration on January 21, 2013.No, it’s not the Kansas way of making sure it is winner takes all, but instead a tradition in Norton of recognizing the men who tried for, but lost the run for the White House…

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Bald Eagle viewing in Kansas

As far as my bird-watching experience goes, the most memorable experience I’ve had is being up close and personal with a falcon while visiting the United States Air Force Academy. Then, while aiding in a story on birding weekends in Great Bend for KANSAS! magazine, I was intrigued to learn what…

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Luther’s Smokehouse in LeRoy Famous for Jerky

Does anyone else find it odd that beef jerky, meant to have a long shelf life, always seems to be completely devoured in just a few days? My family’s favorite dried, salty meat sticks come from Luther’s Smokehouse, where it is dried perfectly to bend but not break, isn’t too chewy, and has a peppery…

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The adrenaline rush of deer hunting in Kansas

My hunting partner and I had split up. I was stationed at the end of a long, snaking draw grown up with tall grass and small locust trees, he at the other. We considered ourselves bowhunters, but we were young, inexperienced, and posed little danger to the deer. In fact, I had never been within bow…

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