Kansas Tornado

While Kansas is known to have its share of tornadoes, I've never seen one with my own eyes in my 12 years here.

But videos like the one above make me glad I haven't. Severe weather photographer Douglas Kiesling talks with NBC's Amy Robach about capturing a mile-wide Kansas tornado on tape that roared through the state last night.

Greensburg, KS: One Year Later

Today is our church's 54th annual auction, filled with lots of good buys, great food, and fun rides for the kids. Last year at this time, everyone was discussing the tornado that ripped through Greensburg, KS the night before--basically wiping the town off the map.

But the city is rebuilding and President Bush is coming to give the high school commencement address.

While Greensburg is 2 1/2 hours south of Little River, our town does have a few ties to the area. In particular, there's a Meade County family that wrote a book for kids, entitled, "Where Is God in the Storm?" KWCH-12 out of Wichita has a nice feature on the book. The book was written by Shandi Lang and illustrated by her young daughter, Grace.

Michael Vick Coming to Kansas

Former NFL quarterback Michael Vick is coming to Kansas.

The ex Atlanta Falcon QB, who pled guilty in August to dog fighting charges, was transfered from a Virginia prison to a federal prison in Leavenworth, Kansas to enter a drug treatment program.

If he successfully completes his program, Vick could be released a year early, although he still faces state charges on dog fighting in Virginia.

Two Members of Congress Visit Little River

People who live in the big city rarely think about how that food on their plate reaches their store or restaurant. It just shows up, right? Fortunately, there's one influential member of congress from the big city who is thinking about the question.

Last Wednesday, Democratic congresswoman Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut visited Little River, Kansas at the invitation of our congressman Jerry Moran. As chair of the House Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration Appropriations Subcommittee-- which oversees a $98 billion budget-- DeLauro came to see firsthand what Kansas farmers do.

Several area agricultural producers met the congressional pair at Cheryl's Cafe for lunch and then went out to visit the farm of Kendall Hodgson, whose a member of our church. Kendall is a no-till farmer who raises wheat, soybeans, milo, corn, alfalfa and also beef cattle. In discussing the challenges that Kansas farmers face, DeLauro also heard from local farmers Kenny Carlton, Nathan Olander, and Randall Olander.

Afterwards, Congressman Moran said in his newsletter:

"With rural areas losing representation in Congress, [DeLauro's visit] was a unique opportunity to bridge the gap between two members of Congress who represent two very different parts of the country. I wish there were more examples in Congress of representatives, regardless of party label, working together to solve problems and improve life for Americans. I am thankful for Congresswoman DeLauro’s interest, time and commitment to issues we care about in Kansas."

I too echo the appreciation. When Democrats and Republicans work together like this, it's a newsworthy event that deserves greater attention.

I Went 650 Feet Underground

I really did!

650 feet is more than the height of the St. Louis arch. More than the Washington Monument. And more than the Statue of Liberty.

650 feet--deep into the earth. How did I do it?

Well, I didn't dig to China.

I went to the Kansas Underground Salt Museum. Located in Hutchinson, Kansas, the underground museum is an old section of an active salt mine.

The adventure begins with a minute and a half elevator plunge that takes you 650 feet under the earth. When you get out of the elevator, you basically enter one huge continuous tunnel-- featuring several main roads with hundreds of sectional rooms. In all, the mine tunnels stretch more than 67 miles.

The ceiling of the mine is 10-17 feet, supported by 40' x 40' pillars throughout. Each "room" is approximately 2,500 square feet or bigger. The floor for our tour is a smooth road made of "saltcrete," a combination of salt and concrete. The temperature underground is consistently 65-68 degrees year round. And without lights, its completely pitch black. We got a taste of that!

You go through the mine by riding an electric tram. A guide points out features of the mine and tells you about its history. You'd think going so deep underground would be scary, but it's actually a very comfortable experience. If you can ride an airplane, you can easily enjoy the mine. My three kids--preschool and elementary age--went and had a great time.

Salt was accidentally discovered in Hutchinson in the 1880's when a man found salt instead of oil. Interestingly, this salt vein runs underground from Kansas and run south continuously into Mexico.

Today, salt from the active mine is used to melt ice on roads, horse feed, and pharmaceuticals.

The underground museum is the only one of its kind in the Western Hemisphere. Next door to the museum is the Underground Vaults and Storage Company. The company stores critical records and Hollywood archives like Johnny Carson shows, the original print of Gone With the Wind and hundreds of other movies.

Jesus tells his disciples in Matthew 5:13, "You are the salt of the earth." Just as salt preserves food and enhances flavor, so do Christians who inhabit the earth.

Of course, Jesus was referring to the salt crystals that gathered by the sea, not salt mined from underground. But being deep inside the earth, surrounded by nothing but salt, you get a deeper appreciation for Jesus' word picture.

Bush Visits Greensburg

President Bush visited Kansas today and toured the tornado stricken town of Greensburg.

After flying over the town in a helicopter, his caravan drove through the streets, and then he met with dozens of the town's people. In all, President Bush spent three hours in Greensburg.

"My mission is to lift people's spirit here," he said. "I'm struck by the character of the people in the plains, who refuse to have their spirit affected by this storm...America is blessed to have such people."

Each of the Wichita televisions stations--KSN, KAKE, and KWCH--provided live coverage. The Wichita Eagle is providing continual updates. Meanwhile, the Hutchinson News is reporting on flooding in the region.

The cynic in me says that every politician--Republican and Democrat alike--is using Greensburg for their own political posturing. For example, Barack Obama claimed in a speech that "10,000 people died" in Kansas. The actual number is 12.

On the otherhand, the neighbor in me is glad to see our politicians going to bat for people when they're help is truly needed.

The Spirit of Greensburg, Kansas

If a tornado was moments away from destroying your house and town, what would you be praying about?

Denis Boyles at NationalReviewOnline tells this inspiring story of how one teenager prayed as a F-5 tornado was roaring through Greensburg:

The minority leader of the Kansas house is Dennis McKinney, a much-admired conservative Democrat who represents the heavily Republican constituency that includes Greensburg. Until 9:45 last Friday night, McKinney had a house in town...

[Soon after the tornado warning was issued, McKinney got a call] from a young man who lived next door. He explained to McKinney that he was too far away and didn’t think he could make it back home in time to take care of his wife and baby. His house had no storm cellar, no place for them to go. Could he tell them they could seek refuge in McKinney’s basement? McKinney said of course. He sent his 14-year-old daughter, Lindy, down to the basement and went out to wait for the woman and the baby.

But it was too late. As his house started exploding around them, McKinney turned back toward the basement stairs. Debris showered down on him; he lost his flashlight. His daughter helped him into a bath in the basement, and he threw his body over hers to protect her. As the house disintegrated above them, Lindy McKinney suggested they pray for the mother and child next door. “And that’s what we did,” McKinney told me. “My daughter — she didn’t pray for us. She didn’t pray for herself. She prayed for the people next door.” The significance was still settling on McKinney. His voice suddenly hoarse, he said, “As a father, I don’t think I’ve ever been so proud.”

When the wind subsided, McKinney climbed out through the wreckage of his home into the darkness and found the house next door had vanished, leaving only a thick carpet of debris. Suddenly, he heard the sound of a woman’s voice crying for help. Working with another neighbor, the two men pulled the mother and baby out. Their only injuries: a few scratches.

Meanwhile, the clean up continues. Reports indicate that the Red Cross and Salvation Army are doing great work. Altell gave away 42 phones and set up a repeater tower in Haviland, so Greensburg residents seeking shelter there could make necessary phone calls. Here in Little River, students from the high school are collecting money to help Greensburg seniors with graduation.

Locally, a day without rain helped flood waters receed off roads. I heard a report of one family whose basement was flooded, destroying a washer/dryer and 3 freezers full of food. A collection is being taken up in the community to help this family.

We're OK, But Greensburg Is Not

With Kansas in the national news because of weekend tornadoes, several out-of-town friends and relatives have asked how we are in Little River.

We're fine. There were several small tornadoes to the east and west of us, but nothing got close to us. We did get a lot of rain though, which created some local flooding. The little river (Little Arkansas) that winds through our town is out of its banks for the first time in years. North of us at Kannopolis Lake, the 100 acre + lake is up 13 feet. Last fall, the lake was so low you couldn't get a boat in. Salina, KS--45 minutes northeast of us--has extensive flooding. South of us, the rural community of Saxman is being evacuated.

Greensburg, KS--which got hit by a F-5 tornado on Friday night--is 2.5 hours southwest of Little River, about 110 miles away. 95 % of the town was destroyed. One person was found alive after two days in rubble. Rebuilding the town will be very difficult.

Information on how to give help is available here. Meanwhile, everyone's prayers are needed.

K-State - KU Basketball Battle

When Bob Huggins became the head basketball coach at Kansas State in March of last year, one of first things he said was, "Mark down February 19th on your calendar."

I did.

And thanks to my sister-in-law, I had the privilege of watching K-State battle Kansas last night at Bramlage Colesieum in Manhattan.

Huggins mentioned the date with the goal of seeing K-State break its 24 game home losing streak to Kansas. But that wasn't meant to be this year as KU prevailed in a tough defensive battle, 71-62.

Huggins was ill before the game and probably more sick afterwards.

But for me, just being there was a lot of fun!

Smart Birds

These birds know where to go when they need a little care!

Hawk at Sunset

I finally shot me a bird last night.

No, I'm not a hunter, but I was excited about shooting this picture of a hawk. They're all over this area. I've been wanting to get a snapshot of one, but they're difficult to get because they fly away whenever they see you.

This was taken again with my Fuji E-900 and cropped slightly with Picassa (a great photo organizer for your computer). That's all.

Kansas Sunrise

Instead of rushing to church early Sunday morning, I went out and took some pictures of the sunrise. It didn't do anything fancy. I simply pointed my Fuji E-900 at God's masterwork.