Within Reason with Mike Matson

Seeking a seat in the Kansas House, Stacy Kohlmeier joins us to talk about what inspired her run for office and what she hopes to see for the future of Kansas.

Cowboy culture isn't just about wearing a cool hat, Ron Wilson joins us to talk about the cowboy poets who capture the essence of western life.

Running for governor with the the belief that one person can make life a little better for her nearly three million neighbors, State Senator Cindy Holscher joins us to talk about her run and vision for Kansas.

Shaped by military service, community involvement, and repeated campaigns, Republican candidate Kaleb James joins us to talk about his second run for state legislature.

Making health care feel more human. Kaci Copas-Richardson and Shannon McMahon from Stormont Vail Health join us to talk about how volunteers are shaping the healthcare system.

While kids have been enjoying their summer,  Manhattan-Ogden school district has been preparing for the upcoming school year. Eric Reed, Manhattan-Ogden Superintendent joins us to talk about what to expect once August rolls around.

The Kansas Museum of History provides an overarching view of the rich and vibrant history that brought us up to now. Today, were joined by Sarah Bell, Director of the KMH, where she provides details on the updated renovations as well as what to look forward to when you visit.

Nurses are the first line of defense when it comes to any medical department, and it requires good training up front in order to provide that care. For the Flint Hills area, the nursing program at Manhattan Area Technical College aims to do just that. We're joined today by Easlyn Koch, Director of Nursing at MATC, as well as Louisa Asbury, a teacher of nursing at the college, in hopes to share what the nursing program looks like and to inspire a love of medicine in the next generation.

The Crisis Center in Manhattan provides a safe space for people escaping domestic violence and sexual assault, and act as a shield between victims and perpetrators. Today, Executive Director of the Center, Kathy Ray, joins the show to talk about what domestic violence might look like, ways to get out, and the services that they provide to victims and their families.

The military garrison is the backbone of any army installation, and that goes especially for the Big Red One. While combat units train to be ready to go at a moments notice, the garrison manages upkeep of base infrastructure and ensures that everyday functions never stop supporting our troops. We're joined today by Col. Jerry Nunziato, Commander of the Garrison at Fort Riley, where he hopes to convey how he keeps the gears oiled and moving.

Real tangible change takes a more than just ideals, it takes action and dedication. Today, we're joined by Bob Smith, a leading military historian who looks to educate on the steps taken by the continental army to secure their goals, as well as how those steps relate to our upcoming 250th anniversary.

With the 250th anniversary of The United States, it's important to remember that it's not just the thirteen original colonies that make up the history of America. We are joined today by Adam Hodge, Head of Reference at the Kansas State Historical Society. He hopes to share his love for history, and the new exhibit coming to the Historical Society titled "Kansas 1776"

On today's episode of Within Reason with Mike Matson, A quarter-century of public transit in this region Don't forget to like, subscribe, and turn on notifications for more in-depth interviews with community leaders.

As the democratic race grows closer, and the field grows wider, it's important to make sure each candidate gets their voice out there. We're joined today by democratic primary candidate Noah Taylor, who's running for the Kansas Senate seat. Today, Taylor hopes to share his goals if elected, and how he plans to fight for the Kansas electorate.

4th of July is just around the corner, and Wamego plans to celebrate with bang. We're joined today by Wamego's Boomtown USA volunteers, Chris Hupe and Neil Ebert, who are in charge of setting up the "Pyrotechnic Musical" for the big day. They hope to share what their job entails, and why they come back year after year to put on the community event.

One of the overlooked aspects of healthcare is the patient experience, creating an environment that makes a patients stay as easy and streamlined as possible. Today, we visit with Renea Wilson and Christie Bergeron, who manage the Patient Experience Team who aim to connect with their patients. They share the work that they put in in order to keep this system running, and how they hope to streamline the patient experience.

With the Manhattan Juneteenth celebration just around the corner, we have invited on two leaders of the celebration committee to share their perspective. Today, Committee Leaders Betti Jones and Zelia Wiley, join the show to share what the celebration means to them, and how they continue to grow the Juneteenth celebration.

With just 29 days until advanced voting opens for the 2026 primary election, it's important to start educating ourselves on possible candidates and prepare for voting. We invited Senate candidates on the show, and today were joined by Patrick Schmidt, a Democratic candidate for the United State Senate. As a current Kansas Senator, he joins the show to explain what he's hoping to accomplish if elected and how he plans to get there.

Live stock health can be just as important as your own personal gut health, especially as environmental stressors for cattle increase. Axiota Animal Health has been a leading local advocate working to improve the quality and lifespan of live stock, improving the quality of meat and bringing down overall costs. Today, we're joined by Axiota CEO Bill Weldon, who will share what steps his company has taken to provide these services and what he hopes to accomplish in the future.

Sometimes the only way to truly learn something is by doing it. For leadership opportunities, it's hard to find places that offer a risk free environment in order to learn what might be needed of them. However, the American Legion Boys State of Kansas they aim to fill that exact niche. Today's guests, Kyle Wheatley and Alexandro Garcia with the ALBS, join the show to share what opportunities they aim to provide, as well as how those opportunities have impacted the Flint Hills region.

In any community, expansion requires a bolstering of infrastructure in order to support that development and continued growth., and that is no different in the rapidly expanding Manhattan. We're joined today by the president and CEO of WTC Fiber, Jeff Wick, who is in charge of providing fiber internet to the Flint Hills region. Additionally, Wick also chairs on the economic development committee of the Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce, and joins the show today to share his expertise in public development, and private public partnerships.

The Kansas State Edge 3.o proposal would expand the north campus with extravagant amenities aimed at boosting jobs, tourism, and private investment in Manhattan. Joe Knopp, a local Manhattan attorney, joins the show today to share his expertise on the project, and what possible outcomes of the new Edge 3.0 District could mean for the Flint Hills area.

The Flint Hills Metropolitan Planning Organization has been having conversations for years, but they have now started making some significant moves. Jared Tremblay, Director of the FHMPO, joins the show today to share what recent work has been done to make concrete steps towards a new connection as well as a recent study conducted to test connection viability.

As the gubernatorial primary grows closer, we have invited the candidates onto the show to share their positions, and how they plan to earn your vote. Today, we're joined by Vicki Schmidt, a republican candidate from the Topeka area gunning for the Governor's seat. She will share what she wants to see from her government, and how she plans to get those changes through.

Sarah Hancock and Erica Buckwalter, with he Friends of The Sunset Zoo, join the show today to share the joys of being a zoo keeper here in Manhattan, and how they inspire curiosity in the next generation.

As the school year wraps up, the USD 383 school board continues to work into the summer creating the best district possible for students. Today, President of the board, Jayme Morris-Hardeman joins the show to share how it feels to wrap up the 2025-26 school year, and what work will look like going into the summer months.

The Museum of Art and Light here in Manhattan is quickly becoming a local favorite of it's residents, and a crown jewel of the city. Today we're joined by Executive Director of MoAL Erin Dragotto, and Sydney Bouhaniche who is the Creative Director of Immersive Exhibhitions. They share what it means to them to get to share art with the community, and how the upcoming immersive Picasso exhibit will blend traditional art and modern technology.

As healthcare continues to be one of the fastest growing sectors within the US, hiring qualified nurses and doctors is one of the most important factors in providing the most comprehensive care possible. Today's guest, Terri Dean, Director of Talent Acquisition at Stormont Vail Health, joins the show to share what it takes to get qualified doctors to rural residents, and what she looks for in those qualified candidates.

As we get into Mental Health Awareness Month, we are joined by Pawnee Mental Health Services who provide community support for those struggling with mental illness. Mike Rezkalla, President and CEO of Pawnee Mental Health, as well as Community Services Director Shelli Schottler, join the show to share how PMHS provides that support, what they hope to accomplish in the future, and what people can do at home to improve their own mental health.

After three weeks into his stint as Manhattan City Commissioner, Andrew Von Lintel weathered a mental health episode due to both life and work stresses. As May is Mental Health Awareness month, Von Lintel joins the show to share what his experience was like, how he recovered, and what steps he's taken in order to maintain stability and public trust for the commission.

There are currently 13 candidates running in the Republican primary, gunning for the Governor's seat. That includes today's guest, Joy Eakins, who is a small business owner in Wichita. Joy shares what she would like to see from local government and what she's doing differently from other GOP candidates in order to secure her win.

As one of the oldest and biggest venues in the area, Wareham Hall is one of the crown jewels of Manhattan. As renovations continue to restore the theater, tons of planning and work hours has brought us just over a year away from reopening the doors. Today, Executive Director of the renovation project, Blade Mages joins the show to share how he's leading the creative effort behind the project.

As soldiers rotate to and from deployment, it becomes important to make the transition between civilian life and active duty as smooth as possible. Being ready and prepared for anything is the Big Red One's foremost mission, and today, Col. Matthew Kelly, as well as CMS Michael Gossman, join the show to talk about how they accomplish that goal.

Within Reason with Mike Matson: Molly Mendenhall + Kayla Knier, Kansas Statewide Homeless Coalition

Within Reason with Mike Matson: Lieutenant Governor/Kansas Commerce Secretary David Toland

Within Reason with Mike Matson: John Ford, Riley County Commissioner

As medicine and technology advances, the line between science fiction and reality slowly blurs. Today's guests, Erin Plummer and Daniel Regier with Stormont Vail Health, join the show to talk about advancements in the medical field due to advanced robotics in the Da Vinci System, and how this machine is reducing surgical invasion and patient recovery time.

Riley county has spent a long while trying to decide how, or whether they even want to in the first place, to create a County Administrator position, keeping in line with the typical municipal government. Today, former Manhattan Mayor Mike Dodson, as well as retired Manhattan Chamber Executive Lyle Butler, join the show to talk about what they see as the pros and cons to implementing this new city position

As more candidates throw their hats in the ring, Sandy Spidel Neumann joins the show today to share her campaign. With what she says is currently lacking representation, she hopes to be elected the 1st District senate seat in order to bring needed change to federal governance.

The Run For the Roses fundraiser started a few years ago with the aim of benefiting the K-State Garden. Today, Terry Olson and Jan Stewart with the K-State Garden, join today's show to share what benefits the garden brings to the community and how the support provided by the fundraiser will continue to help the gardens prosper.

The KSU Foundation provides opportunities for students who wouldn't otherwise get those opportunities. Today, Sara Prince, the KSU Foundation Associate VP for Development, joins the show to talk about the K-State Day of Giving. The K-State DoG is a day meant to show school spirit and raise money for the school, providing the support needed to fund scholarships and new equipment.

Lauren Reinhold, a Laurence based attorney, is campaigning around Kansas running for the US House in the 1st District. She sees a lapse in governmental support for the working class as a guiding push to run for Congress. Today, Reinhold joins the show to share she hopes to bring if she is elected, and what she will bring back to her constituents.

As the first round of legislative sessions comes to a close, it's important to take a look back at what has been accomplished. Today, District 18's Senator Kenny Titus joins the show to give us that insight into the previous session, how he feels about the current state of the legislation, and what to keep an eye out for going forward.

heart health is important to everybody, but not everybody gets it right, and once you have a heart event then you need to work back up to full strength. Stormont Vail Health provides a safe and encouraging environment in order to get you back up to full health. Tiffany Naccarato with Stormont Vail Health joins today's show to share what a heart event might look like, and how people like her get you back to full strength afterwards.

It's imperative to keep skills alive, no matter how small or unimportant they might be. The "Domestic Science Club" aims to keep household skills alive and educate women in their careers, as well as creating a space for women to come together and build a sense of community. Nancy Bolsen and Lynda Bachelor, with the Manhattan DSC, join today's show to share how the club is accomplishing it's goal locally in educating the women of tomorrow.

As we grow closer to the race to decide our new Kansas Senator, we invited candidates to join the show and share motivations and campaign goals. Today, Democratic candidate and Johnson county immigration attorney, Anne Parelkar, joins the show to share what her driving forces and her goals if she is elected to office.

As we continue into the second year of President Trump's term, approval of the federal government is waning. Today's guests, leader of Indivisible MHK Phil Nel, as well as Manhattan Mayor Karen McCulloh, join the show to talk about the upcoming No Kings Protest slated for March 28th. They aim to allow people to voice disagreements and remind leaders that the will of the people still matters.

The Meadowlark Hills retirement community is a local non-profit here in Manhattan, with the aim to strengthen community ties and address unmet social needs. Today, managers at the retirement community, Sarah Duggan and Michelle Haub join the show to share the work that they do at the non-profit, and how they provide care and comfort for families.

From sudden sniffles to a sprained ankle, the Stormont Vail Health Walk-In Clinics take care of injuries that are less critical than is needed for the emergency room. Today, Darryl Peterson with the Stormont Vail Walk-In Clinics joins the show to talk about the difference between the ER and a walk-in clinic, and the importance of the services that fill the gap between first aid and urgent care.