Fall 2020: Local Roots, Global Impact: Fredonia’s Olympian Janell Smith Carson
In the mid-1960s, almost a full decade before the banner of Title IX would pave the way for the proliferation of female athletics throughout the country, a wiry, young teenage girl from Fredonia, Kansas, proudly carried a different banner – that of United States Olympian. Janell Smith Carson qualified...
Fall 2020: Publisher’s Pick – Where to Eat
Enjoying a meal at the Dutch Country Cafe in Garnett is satisfying on so many levels beyond just a full belly. When you walk (or waddle) out – likely with a container of leftovers you couldn’t finish at the table – you’ll be glowing from the experience of a...
Fall 2020: Emmett Kelly Museum
Emmett Kelly was born in Sedan, Kansas, in 1898 and brought his iconic character “Weary Willie” to life in 1937. The Emmett Kelly Museum was opened in 1967 to honor the character and the man behind him and is filled with artifacts and memorabilia about the famous clown. The...
Summer 2020: Local Roots/Global Impact: 50 Years a Journalist, Forever a Kansan
Though he’s lived away for nearly 50 years, Sam Ford’s second home and much of his heart remain in Southeast Kansas. In our Summer issue Sam gave us insight into what it was like growing up in Southeast Kansas in the 50’s and 60’s and took us on a...
Summer 2020: Meet the Mural Man…Leading the SEK Mural Movement
Artist Jim Stukey (from our Summer cover) isn’t afraid of large surfaces: His canvases are the brick, plaster and stucco exteriors – and sometimes interiors – of often very tall, very wide buildings. His murals are part of a movement that has picked up speed in recent years in...
Spring 2020: A Girl & Her Art
Whitney B. Powell (our Spring cover artist) is not only an amazingly talented individual, she also is an inspirational human. Read about how she is creating masterpieces while facing down a debilitating disease and embracing life with wholehearted enthusiasm. Want to read more about Whitney? Check out the Spring...
Spring 2020: Local Roots/Global Impact: From Sedan to the NFL (And Back Again)
Sedan native and SEK rancher Mark Stewart has created his dream life – with one boot on the farm and one shoe on the AstroTurf as an official in the National Football League. “I’ve found my dream jobs…I either get to go play with my cows, or else I...
Spring 2020: Decades of Wheels
From the Batmobile to the Scooby Doo Mystery Machine, you can find classic movie cars and many vintage models shined up and on display right here in this Baxter Springs museum that is an anchor for downtown revitalization. Want to know more about Decades of Wheels and the...
Winter 2019: Making the Most of Second Chances
This is the heartwarming story of Nathan Berg and his incredible depth of resilience as he overcame major health and career challenges to live his best life on his own terms as a husband, dad and Southeast Kansas sawmill operator. “Stubborn people live longer,” he said. Want to...
Winter 2019: “Hey, Cowboy!”
You may recognize Justin McKee as the horseback announcer at the annual PRCA rodeo during the Coffeyville Inter-State fair. Or maybe you’ve seen him on television announcing professional bull riding events or at another rodeo venue somewhere around the country. Legendary for his announcing voice, when he hears, “Hey,...