Fort Hays State University celebrated the achievements of approximately 981 students during its fall 2025 commencement ceremonies, held Friday and Saturday, Dec. 12-13, at Gross Memorial Coliseum in Hays.

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Melissa Saaranen and Clare Ballard are gauging community interest in bringing an exciting new non-profit to town: a combined maker space and creative reuse center. The pair hopes to create a hub where residents can experiment, share resources, and collaborate on projects—inviting people of all ages to make, create, and learn together.

785-994-6370 (home) or 785-476-5206 (cell) Phone: January happens to be my least favorite month of the year. We celebrated Christmas with family the week following Christmas with a taco supper and gift exchange.

Here in the library, we have been busy these first few weeks of 2026. Our “I MATTER” Monday group met on Monday, January 12, for Gamer Club, LEGO Club, and some to play board games. We had a total of 43 in attendance. Members of the Gamers Club brought their own devices and enjoyed battling against each other in various games in the community room; their giggles and mild trash talk could be heard throughout the library.

KANSAS CITY—On Friday, January 9th, the Kansas City Zoo introduced Aspen, a female Masai giraffe born to four-year-old Alika on December 29th, 2025. A neonatal exam has been performed, and shows that the calf is in good health.

U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran of Kansas, an occupational resident of Washington, D.C., for three decades, says he looked forward to reading weekly editions of the Plainville Times for the latest news from his hometown.

Developmental Services of Northwest Kansas is proud to announce a grant award from the Dane G. Hansen Foundation. The Hansen Foundation awarded DSNWK $100,000 to purchase two ramp-accessible vehicles to address the increasing demand for accessible transportation. With the addition of these two fleet vehicles, DSNWK remains committed to providing reliable, dignified, and inclusive transportation for individuals with evolving mobility needs.

The Council of the City of Woodston met in the Council Chamber at City Hall on Monday, December 8th, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. Mayor April Yakish called the meeting to order. Council members present were Kate Terry, Thomas Yakish, Bill Dibble, Charles O'Neill, and Larry Morgan. Kenny Lay signed in as a guest. Employees present were Shari Reichard, Andrew Saaranen, and Richard Brockman.

This semester, 7th-grade STEAM (Science, Teachnology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics) students at Stockton Grade School turned creativity, teamwork, and entrepreneurship into a successful student-run business— one that not only paid off a pretend bank loan but also generated over $800 to support new school playground equipment.