LATEST NEWS

The Hays school board will consider adopting an agreement to bring the Russell school district into the West Central Kansas Special Education Cooperative in 2024. Hays USD 489 and the other school districts in the co-op — Ellis, Victoria and La Crosse — have already voted to approve a plan that has been phasing Russell into the new co-op.

RUSSELL COUNTY—One person was injured in an accident just after 4p.m. Tuesday in Russell County. The Kansas Highway Patrol reported 1997 Toyota Tacoma driven by Carlos Hernandez, 70, Aurora, Colorado, was stopped eastbound on Interstate 70 two miles east of the Russell exit. The driver pulled the SUV towing a Honda CRV into the driving lane.

Fort Hays State University will recognize approximately 1482 graduates during its spring commencement ceremonies on Friday and Saturday, May 12 and 13. Graduates who have chosen to participate in person will be honored in two ceremonies Friday and two ceremonies Saturday at Gross Memorial Coliseum. All graduates will be recognized in two virtual ceremonies Saturday afternoon.

Grow Hays, the nonprofit economic development organization serving Ellis County, will soon release its annual report highlighting economic factors in the county. Among insights generated by the report, it highlights a significant increase in sales tax, valuations and transient guest tax collections. According to Grow Hays Executive Director Doug Williams,...

Construction on a new Ellis County Public Works facility took another step forward Tuesday when the Ellis County Commission approved a contract for architectural design services. Last June, the commission approved the purchase of 75 acres of land north of Hays to serve as the future home of the Public...

Tractor safety classes offered by Midway Extension District, Cottonwood Extension District, Post Rock Extension District, River Valley Extension District & Central Kansas Extension District,. – This summer, thousands of Kansas teenagers will begin their first job working for a farmer or rancher. For those that are ages 14 or 15,...

America is known for producing men who contributed significantly to the America’s and the world’s rich history. Samuel Dinsmoor is one of many such people. He was a farmer, teacher, and politician known for his unique art including sculptures made totally from concrete.

WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) - Concerns about TikTok security elevate the discussion to Congress and a potential ban in the U.S. With that comes worry from TikTok users across the country, including college students who use the app on a daily basis. Friday, 12 News discussed the issue with a group of students at Fort Hays State University.

HAYS, Kan. – The Fort Hays State softball team picked up a pair of wins to run their win streak to eight games in a sweep of Nebraska-Kearney on Saturday. The Tigers celebrated the official naming ceremony of Fleharty Family Field with wins by scores of 2-0 and 10-2 (6 inn.). The Tigers are now 21-10 overall, 4-2 in the MIAA, while the Lopers moved to 12-18 overall, 3-3 in the MIAA.

The TMP-Marian softball team is set to open the season Friday at home against the Russell Broncos. The Monarchs and head coach Melissa Schoepf return a lot of experience from last year’s team that finished 12-10, losing in the 3A regional semifinals. That includes six who started as underclassmen in the semifinals.

The weekend could bring much-needed moisture to the Hays area, the National Weather Service in Dodge City said. The is a 20 percent to 30 percent chance of rain or thunderstorms beginning after midnight Thursday, increasing to 40 percent through the day Friday. The chance of precipitation returns Saturday afternoon,...

A small fire at the top of a pole on the U.S. 183 Bypass caused a brief power outage in downtown Hays early Wednesday morning. Midwest Energy spokesman Mike Morley said the fire was reported at approximately 7:30 a.m. Minutes later, Midwest remotely opened the circuit, causing an outage for about 900 customers downtown.

The National Weather Service has issued a Dense Fog Advisory until noon Wednesday. Visibility will be one quarter mile or less at times in dense fog in Russell, Lincoln, Barton, Ellsworth, Saline, Rice, McPherson and Reno Counties. Hazardous driving conditions will occur at times due to low visibility. If driving,...

It may not look like much now, but work has begun on Hays Fire Department's Fire Station No. Three at 1732 W. 41st. Construction of the station was approved by Hays City Commissioners in August, after being designated a city priority in 2021 and funded by the city's share of a 1/4-cent sales tax in Ellis County designated for emergency services.

GREAT BEND - The Hays High girls soccer team opened their season with a 10-0 win at Great Bend Thursday. Freshman Annie Humphrey scores four goals. Kinslee Newell adds two. The Indians will be at the McPherson Invitational next week.

Director of Public Works Jesse Rohr addressed the Hays City Commission on Thursday regarding rezoning and planning to accommodate the new Hays High School. First, Rohr went over the 13th Street Reconstruction Engineering Design Contract. The specific section of 13th Street undergoing the reconstruction starts around Anthony Drive and extends east to Commerce Parkway. This project would widen the two-lane street to a three-lane street and extend the existing 8-foot side path.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment on Wednesday reported just four new COVID-19 cases had been identified in Ellis County from March 11 and 17. KDHE reports updated case numbers weekly on Wednesdays. Ellis County remained in the moderate-incidence category (see map below), and several counties in northwest Kansas...

On this episode of Forward Ever: Leading in Challenging Times, host Gary Shorman speaks with Fort Hays State University President Tisa Mason.

HAYS, Kan. - The Fort Hays State baseball team fell in the series finale with Pittsburg State on Saturday, 11-6. The Tigers (13-19, 4-12 MIAA) and Gorillas (21-7, 13-3 MIAA) fought back and forth in the contest before a four-run ninth inning by the Gorillas put the game out of reach.

Jerome Tang shares uplifting message with parents of K-State student killed in crash. Remembering the life of a student he’d met, he decided to make a call unrelated to the game, momentarily stepping aside from the massive stage. Evergy issues notices of increase on bills to pay for energy...