Hays Kansas

A Fourth of July tradition that has defined summer in western Kansas for three decades is over.

Hundreds of murals dot the Kansas landscape, lending a touch of outer space to downtown Leavenworth with a “Star Trek” Spock mural, or in numerous communities reminding people they’re visiting the Sunflower State with splashes of the golden flowers and meadowlarks.

The cities of Hays and Russell near an inflection point in their quest to import badly needed water

The outcomes could determine what roles state officials and local governments will play in securing quality water supplies for future generations.

Conflict pits cities seeking reliable water source against farmers clinging to supply

Despite Democrats flipping three Kansas House seats in Johnson County — the state’s most populated area — Republican strength in rural communities remains as strong as ever. That gives rural lawmakers more say in important budget and policy-making discussions.

Thanks to decades of conservation efforts, Hays has become the California of Kansas — a place where thinking about your water use is a way of life. For now, it’s an outlier. But as climate change brings drier, hotter weather to Kansas, more cities may have to follow a similar path.

For Kansans living in Liberal, Dodge City and Hays, there’s only one airline that flies to and from the local airport. So when that airline filed paperwork this spring to terminate services, it sent shockwaves through these remote towns.

In rural places like western Kansas, the physical distance between support services and victims of domestic and sexual violence adds to the psychological and cultural barriers that might keep someone from seeking help.

Shops in Hays have been told to turn over their stocks of delta-8 THC products to law enforcement, or they could face criminal repercussions.