PARSONS ? Home for the first time since his paralyzing accident eight months ago, state Rep. Gene O’Brien was quick to notice what’s new in Parsons.

“There are so many changes I can’t count them all,” the Democratic lawmaker said Friday, two days after arriving from Denver, where he is going through physical rehabilitation.

O’Brien, 59, a contractor, suffered severe back injuries Nov. 11 when he fell about 12 feet from scaffolding and landed on a concrete floor at a cement factory in Branson, Mo. He was hospitalized in Springfield, Mo., for more than a month and missed this year’s legislative session.

He will resign his House seat Monday, and on Thursday will preside over the Labette County Democrat Central Committee as it chooses someone to serve out his term until it ends next January.

Running the meeting will be an emotional task.

“This is hard. But I know whoever we pick will do a good job for the district,” O’Brien said.

First elected to the Kansas House in 1998, O’Brien said he was overwhelmed by the support he had received from friends and constituents since the accident. A mound of mail awaited him when he arrived home.

“I’ll never get through it all. I know I’ll never get them all answered because there’s just too much,” he said.

“Several said I should just go ahead and keep my (House) seat even though I’m in a wheelchair,” he added. “But I know that I couldn’t run a good campaign right now. Labette County deserves a good state representative. I can’t fill that bill right now.”