Registered

David Lee wants to talk growth

July 27th, 2020  |  32 mins 40 secs

allen county, allen county kansas, growth, infrastructure, politics, rural

In today’s episode, we headed out to LaHarpe’s City Hall to speak with David Lee. Lee is running for a seat on the Allen County Commission. He faces Craig Mentzer and Eugene Weatherbie in the August 4 Republican primary.

Lee believes Allen County has the tools for robust economic development, and much of our conversation focused on his ideas on how to ensure the county prospers—and how his experiences make him, as he says, uniquely qualified for the job.

John Brocker says he knows the right people

July 23rd, 2020  |  27 mins 29 secs

allen county, allen county kansas, business, infrastructure, internet, iola, politics, realtor

John Brocker has been a businessman and realtor in Iola for 45 years. He served as president of the Kansas Association of Realtors in 2012. This year, he’s running for a seat on the Allen County commission, the same seat he briefly held until losing to Bruce Symes, the District 3 incumbent, in 2018.

In today’s episode, the fifth in our series covering local candidates, we speak with Brocker about what’s motivating him to run again, his priorities if he wins the Aug 4 Republican primary against Symes, and how his business background would guide his decisions as commissioner.

Armando Hernandez pledges cooperation in Topeka

July 17th, 2020  |  25 mins 47 secs

9th district, allen county, kansas, neosho county, politics

In today’s episode, we spoke with Armando Hernandez of Chanute. He’s challenging Rep. Kent Thompson of LaHarpe for his seat in the Kansas House’s 9th District, which includes Iola, Humboldt and Chanute. The Republican primary is August 4, but you can cast your ballot now—advanced voting has already begun.

A retired chiropractor and currently employed as a computer service technician, Hernandez has a strong interest in economic development, healthcare and bipartisanship. In his words, Republicans and Democrats “can work together. We always have.”

Bruce Symes: We need steady hands on the tiller

July 16th, 2020  |  33 mins 33 secs

agriculture, allen county, allen county kansas, covid-19, infrastructure, politics, roads, rural

In today’s episode, as we continue speaking with local candidates facing primary challenges in the upcoming Aug. 4 election, we talked with Bruce Symes. He’s seeking a second term as Allen County Commissioner, representing District 3. A former Register reporter, he now teaches at Allen Community College. We reached him by phone, as he was in Wichita accompanying his father undergo a heart procedure.

Craig Mentzer’s push for affordable internet access

July 13th, 2020  |  31 mins 2 secs

agriculture, allen county, allen county kansas, broadband, infrastructure, internet access, politics, rural

For today’s episode, Richard and I headed out to Craig and Denise Mentzer’s home in rural Allen County, southeast of Neosho Falls. Craig is running for a seat on the Allen County Commission and faces Eugene Weatherbie and David Lee in the August 4 Republican primary.

As we spoke in their sunroom, a multi-million dollar rain, as Craig called it, gentle fell and tapered off as our conversation advanced. We spoke on a wide variety of topics, from his interest in affordable rural internet access, infrastructure and farming.

The easiest vote Kent Thompson ever cast? A yes for Medicaid expansion

July 9th, 2020  |  27 mins 56 secs

9th district, allen county, kansas, neosho county, politics

In this week's episode, we speak with Kent Thompson at his real estate and auction office in Iola. This is the first in a series of episodes with locals seeking elected office and face a primary opponent this August 4.

A rural LaHarpe resident, Thompson has represented Kansas's 9th House District, which covers Allen County and much of Neosho County, since 2013. He faces Armando Hernandez of Chanute in this August's primary.