KCUR-FM: Frank Morris

Cities Turn Sewage Into 'Black Gold' For Local Farms

KCUR-FM: Frank Morris — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 21:22:00 +0000

On a normal day, Kansas City, Mo., processes more than 70 million gallons of raw sewage. This sewage used to be a nuisance, but Kansas City, and a lot of municipalities around the country, are now turning it into a resource for city farmers hard up for fertilizer.

After the sewage has been processed at a treatment plant, it's piped out to Birmingham Farm on the north side of the Missouri River.

Tim Walters is the chief agronomist for Kansas City who runs Birmingham.

After Years Of Struggle, Veteran Chooses To End His Life

KCUR-FM: Frank Morris — Sun, 07 Apr 2013 21:42:00 +0000

After a dozen years at war, an estimated 2 million active-duty service members will have returned home by the end of 2013. Some reintegrate without much struggle, but for others it's not so easy. The psychological wounds of war can sometimes prove to be just as fatal as the physical ones.

For injured veterans such as Tomas Young, life is a daily struggle. But this Iraq War veteran, who says his physical and emotional pain is unbearable, has decided to end his life.

At War

Before the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, Young was an athletic, rambunctious 22-year-old.

Drought-Stricken Plains Farmers 'Giddy' Over Heavy Snow

KCUR-FM: Frank Morris — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 21:42:00 +0000

Two rapid-fire snowstorms belted Kansas with more than 2 feet of snow this week.

Ag Department Warns Budget Cuts Will Affect Food Inspectors

KCUR-FM: Frank Morris — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 11:36:00 +0000

Transcript

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

And if the mandatory spending cuts do take affect tomorrow, the secretary of agriculture says he will be forced to furlough food safety inspectors. Without those inspectors, food companies could grind to a halt. But many in the meat industry say the USDA is mostly cooking up a scare.

Frank Morris of member station KCUR has that story.

FRANK MORRIS, BYLINE: Food processing companies, ones that ship across state lines, get lots of scrutiny from the USDA.

Major Storm Blankets Kansas City

KCUR-FM: Frank Morris — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 10:42:00 +0000

Transcript

LINDA WERTHEIMER, HOST:

A lot of kids have the day off from school today, thanks to a huge winter storm in the Midwest. A foot of snow fell on Kansas City, one of the worst storms in the city's history. That city declared a state of emergency, as did several others in the region. Frank Morris, of member station KCUR, reports.

FRANK MORRIS, BYLINE: The storm hit hard right before morning rush hour with wind, muffled thunder and lightning diffused through a sky that seemed almost saturated with snow.