State puts marriage statistics on Web

Each Monday, The Eagle highlights a government record that is available to the public. Open records help people keep government in check and help them better understand how government affects their lives.

For recent You Oughta Know columns, go to www.kansas.com/oughta.

The record: Marriage and divorce statistics for the state going back to 1997

Why you'd want them: To compare marriage and divorce rates by year and learn more about the state of marriage in Kansas. For example, Sedgwick County had the highest marriage and divorce rates in 2007, the last full year for which there are records.

Where you get the records: From the Kansas Department of Health and Environment's Web site, www.kdheks.gov/hci/annsumm.html. Click on the year in which you are interested and then on "Marriages/Dissolutions (Divorces and Annulments)."

How much it will cost: The information is free.