Hays

• The Ellis County Commission approved a $359,112 purchase of a new jail video and access control system for the Ellis County Jail. →
• An Ellis resident presented a 300-signature petition to the Ellis County Commission opposing a $3.5 million EMS and fire station. →
• The Hays Buffaloes Special Olympics basketball team won a silver medal at the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games in Minnesota. →
• The Shawnee County Election Commissioner reminds residents that the voter registration deadline for the August 4 primary is July 14. →
• It’s going to be a gorgeous, mostly sunny Thursday in Hays with a light breeze and a high near 91°F.

🌾 Kansas

• State Sens. Cindy Holscher and Ethan Corson both endorsed legalizing recreational and medical marijuana Tuesday as they compete for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination in Kansas' Aug. 4 primary. →

• The USDA rated 67% of Kansas corn in good-to-excellent condition as of July 5, well above the five-year average, while only 26% of the winter wheat crop earned the same rating amid western drought. →

• A Legislative Division of Post Audit report released this week found property tax exemptions tied to industrial revenue bonds cost Kansas schools, cities and counties up to $1.1 billion between 2010 and 2024. →

• The Hamideh family acquired Wichita-based restaurant chain Spangles from founders Craig and Dale Steven, effective July 9, ending 48 years of Steven family ownership. →

• Emporia Neighbors United submitted nearly 1,400 signatures Wednesday seeking to halt or force a public vote on the proposed Flint Hills Digital Campus data center. →

🇺🇸 US

• U.S. and Iranian forces exchanged fresh strikes Thursday, with American jets hitting Iranian air defenses and coastal missile sites while Tehran fired missiles and drones at U.S. bases in Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar. →

• Vice President JD Vance touted a multi-agency crackdown on H-1B and PERM visa fraud Wednesday, revealing that investigators have subpoenaed dozens of companies, including Cognizant, over alleged wage-kickback schemes. →

• Democratic Senate nominee Graham Platner dropped out of Maine's race Wednesday night amid a sexual assault allegation he denies, leaving state party officials to select a replacement to face Sen. Susan Collins. →

• The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday allowed Texas to continue enforcing a law requiring app stores to verify users' ages and secure parental consent before minors can download apps. →

• President Trump announced Wednesday at a NATO summit in Ankara that the U.S. will grant Ukraine a license to manufacture Patriot air-defense interceptors domestically. →

Weather

JULY 9, 1877: WIMBLEDON TOURNAMENT BEGINS

The All England Croquet and Lawn Tennis Club opened its first lawn tennis tournament at Wimbledon, with 22 amateurs entered in the Gentlemen’s Singles. The club’s new rectangular court, clock-face scoring system, and other formal rules laid the foundation for modern lawn tennis and helped launch what became the world’s premier grass-court championship.