An evangelical minister who emphasizes the Christian roots of the U.S. will be the featured speaker at the 52nd annual Kansas Prayer Breakfast.

David Barton will speak at the gathering scheduled for March 27 in Topeka. Barton is founder of the Texas-based WallBuilders organization, an evangelical Christian group that supports a biblical view of U.S. history.

Last year, the publisher Thomas Nelson withdrew Barton’s book, “The Jefferson Lies,” citing historical errors. The book challenged the belief that Jefferson was largely secular and promoted the separation of church and state.

At his presentation at this month’s Kansas Prayer Breakfast, Barton plans to speak on the history of prayer as practiced by early U.S. leaders.

Kansas Commodity groups – including the Kansas Wheat Commission – are helping to reduce hunger in Kansas communities by participating in the “Neighbor to Neighbor” statewide food drive, taking place until March 19.

The food drive, which is jointly hosted by the Kansas Department of Agriculture, Dillon’s Food Stores, Harvesters – The Community Food Network, the Kansas Food Bank, the Second Harvest Community Food Bank and the Kansas agricultural community, concludes March 19. At that time, the groups hope to raise 50,000 meals for Kansas families during the drive. Kansans can contribute to the campaign at Dillon’s Food Stores statewide or at other locations in communities across the state.

As of March 1 – or halfway through the event – 7,093 meals had been raised.

To participate in the Neighbor to Neighbor Statewide Food Drive, folks can either drop off food at a Dillons Food Store, or

at your local county food pantry. If you wish, you can tell the folks at your local food pantry that you want to participate in the Neighbor to Neighbor program.

Volunteers from the Kansas Wheat Commission will meet with grocers on March 16, in Dillons Grocery Stores in Manhattan and Garden City to collect canned goods and visit about wheat foods.

“Across Kansas, I am always amazed at the generosity our citizens show to their neighbors in need,” Governor Brownback added. “This food drive gives them an opportunity to help their fellow Kansans, to reduce hunger across the state and to support our state’s farmers and ranchers. When you are shopping for groceries for your family this month, I encourage you to take part in this important campaign. While one food drive won’t end hunger in Kansas, together, we can make a difference.”

Governor Brownback teamed up with staff from the food banks to compete against Kansas Secretary of Agriculture Dale Rodman and his team of representatives from Dillon’s Food Stores. The teams boxed food items for Kansas senior citizens in need. The Kansas State FFA officer team and representatives from Kansas agricultural organizations were also on hand for the event. Governor Brownback’s team put together 109 boxes in 15 minutes; however, Secretary Rodman’s team was able to fill 176 boxes in that same amount of time.

“Today’s farmers and ranchers work 365 days a year to raise food to feed your family and mine. They work to continuously improve their practices to raise safe, wholesome food. About 30 years ago, one farmer fed approximately 56 people. Today, one farmer feeds 155 people. I hope all Kansans will join us in this important effort to help our neighbors and will also take a minute to say thank you to the men and women who raised that food,” Secretary Rodman said.

At the kick-off event, Dillon’s food stores made an initial donation of 8,000 pounds of non-perishable food items. That food items will be used to build a display that will be available for Kansans to see in the Kansas State Capitol beginning Feb. 19 and ending March 1.

 The Outlaws – Live in 1981

In their southern rockin’ boogie prime, this is a nicely recorded concert from  Florida’s Guitar Army – The Outlaws!

 Series Episode #5  Johnny Paycheck

Various Concert  Clips

U.S. Senators Pat Roberts and Jerry Moran
 have sent a letter to Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, expressing their disappointment and requesting the justification behind awarding the United States Air Force’s Light Air Support (LAS) contract to foreign based Embraer over Kansas based Beechcraft.

Given both the Defense Department and the nation’s fiscal situation, this decision was particularly disappointing considering the Air Force rated Beechcraft’s bid as 30 percent less expensive than Embraer’s.

The following is the text of the letter sent to Secretary Hagel:

“We write today regarding the United States Air Force’s (USAF) Light Air Support (LAS) contract award to Embraer.  This announcement is not only disappointing to workers in our state, but it raises significant concerns for the entire U.S. defense industrial base.”

“The Air Force’s decision to select the Embraer over the Beechcraft aircraft has several implications. The Air Force rated Beechcraft’s AT-6 as the lowest cost competitor.  According to USAF documents, Beechcraft’s bid was 30 percent lower than Embraer’s.  As the nation is facing immense financial hurdles, including a trillion-dollar cut to the Department of Defense over the next decade, it seems unwise to select a higher-priced supplier with a product of inferior quality.  Furthermore, that supplier is based outside the United States.”

“Beechcraft’s proposal included the preservation of 1,400 domestic jobs at 181 companies in 39 states.  With our national unemployment rate at nearly 8 percent, it is imperative that programs funded by the taxpayer maintain a focus on increasing job growth and spending here at home. While the U.S. aviation manufacturing industry continues to recover, now is the time to invest in U.S. jobs and manufacturing and not abroad.”

“As we understand it, the Air Force’s rejection of the Beechcraft bid was largely premised on whether the AT-6 could receive certification. This is an unreasonable concern given the history of its aircraft certification in both the civil and military spheres. Additionally, the accelerated timeline in this competition is due directly to the failures of the Air Force in the previous LAS procurement process, which caused nearly a year’s delay.”

“Additionally, where the award provides an initial contract to deliver 20 airplanes to Afghanistan worth $427.5 million under the Building Partnership Capacity Program (BPC), it also establishes a program of record for all 27 Allied Nations in the BPC.  The BPC program’s intention is to share U.S. capacities, expertise, maintenance, part supply, and so on with BPC allies. However, by awarding the LAS contract to a foreign-based entity, the Department has risked building true partnership capabilities.”

“The full consequences of this award to our national security, the American industrial base and workers, and the American taxpayer are staggering. In short, we request the Department provide a thorough, compelling explanation for your decision to award the LAS contract to a higher, foreign bidder at a time when financial restraint, at the Department of Defense and across the federal government, is mandatory.”

Fort Riley officials are continuing to meet with state and local officials on ways to share resources and services in the wake of automatic federal budget cuts.

The military is expected to take a large proportion of the $85 billion in federal spending reductions through September.

Officials at the northeast Kansas post said Friday they’ve been working with local cities and counties to discuss how to cooperate and share resources.

About 2,700 civilian employees at Fort Riley could be furloughed one day a week without pay starting in April.

Officials acknowledge nearby communities are likely to feel the pinch with fewer dollars being spent in the local economy.