A design and preliminary engineering agreement for The Saline River Bridge project was unanimously approved by Ellis County Commissioners on October 14, 2025. Ellis County will receive a $4,360,000 state grant next year for the Saline River Bridge project.
Early voting for the November 4, 2025 Fall Election ends on Monday, November 3, 2025 at noon. Early voting hours at the County Administrative Center are 8 a.m.
The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) reopened K-23 to through traffic between I-70 and Hoxie on October 24, 2025. The $19M project is the first modernization project under the Eisenhower Legacy Transportation Program to be completed in northwest Kansas.
There are many more “Fall” events this coming weekend than just turning back your clock when daylight saving time ends on Sunday, November 2, 2025 at 2 a.m. At the October 23, 2025 Hays City Commission Meeting, Convention and Vistors Bureau (CVB) Executive Director Melissa Dixon’s highlighted a variety of upcoming scheduled November community events, calling the Commissioners’ and residents’ attention to special events occurring this upcoming weekend.
The new Hays Middle School will have new cafeteria, computer and math tables when it opens next January. On October 13, 2025 the USD489 Board of Education approved (4-2) the $181,236.17 purchase of the tables.
New classroom additions for O’Loughlin Elementary are taking shape while the renovation of the former high school into new Hays Middle School (HMS) progresses with demolition and new classroom framework. In USD489 Superintendent Ron Wilson’s Bond Construction Update to the Board of Education (BOE) on October 13, 2025, he provided photos and highlights of both the O’Loughlin and HMS Bond Construction projects.
Lee Ann June, Executive Director of The Bricks and The Bricks Board Members will provide Hays City Commissioners with an update this Thursday, October 23rd. During the October 23, 2025 Hays City Commission Meeting, Commissioners are also expected to award CC Steel, LLC of Fargo, N.D.
New Executive Director for the Northwest Kansas Planning and Development Committee (NWKP&DC) Deb Minkler appeared before the Ellis County Commission on October 7, 2025. Executive Director Minkler opened her remarks by stating that the former NWKP&DC Director Randy Hrabe continues to work with the organization parttime to “transfer some of his 37 years of knowledge” to her.
The Ellis County Workforce Committee, established earlier this year, now has close to 30 members, according to Sarah Wasinger, President / CEO of The Chamber. At the October 7, 2025 County Commission Meeting, President / CEO Wasinger shared an update last week on The Workforce Committee established in March, 2025.
Hays City Commissioners will hold their first meeting this month with a work session at 4 pm on Thursday, October 16th. No votes or formal decisions are made during work sessions.