By TONY GUERRERO Hays Post

Former Gov. Jeff Colyer returned to his hometown of Hays Tuesday to reflect on his career and outline his plan for Kansas' future.

"I'm thrilled and honored to be home. I'm a fifth-generation Hays person. Fort Hays educated my parents, my grandparents, and it was part of my education as well," he said.

Colyer, the only Kansas governor from Hays, served as the state’s 47th governor from January 2018 to January 2019. In May, he announced his 2026 gubernatorial campaign in a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZZgu8UQVjg">YouTube video</a>.

Speaking at an event hosted by the FHSU College Republicans and a returning Turning Point USA chapter, he highlighted his record of steering the state budget from crisis to surplus.

"When I left office, instead of handing over a $500 million deficit and $800 in the checking account of the state of Kansas, I handed Laura Kelly an $800 million surplus, and we didn't raise taxes to do that," he said.

Colyer also touted cutting about 5,500 state jobs he deemed unnecessary. He criticized wokeism and DEI in education, urging instead a focus on reading, STEM, coding and artificial intelligence skills.

"Only one out of three third graders can read at the third-grade level in Kansas," Colyer said.

Colyer said the curriculum at the state and local school board levels needs to be reviewed and revised, noting ACT scores have fallen over the past seven years.

Toward the end of the evening, an attendee asked Colyer to define what he meant by wokeism in relation to his criticism of education.

"My definition is that it is something that gets rid of any sort of merit that is a politically inspired outcome," Colyer said.

Colyer said he resolved long-running K-12 finance lawsuits, noting that for 50 years before his tenure, every Kansas governor, regardless of party, had been sued and lost over inadequate school funding.

He said the funding did not come from new taxes but from cost savings that freed up about $1 billion annually, which was directed to education.

"What we did is privatized the Medicaid program a couple of years ago so that every person who was on Medicaid can have their choice of three different insurance policies," Colyer said. "That's how we were able to make government more efficient and allowed us to take care of K-12 education."

Another priority Colyer outlined, if elected governor again, is ensuring that the next generation can build a future in Kansas, with access to higher-value jobs and safer communities.

Colyer said local property taxes are going "crazy" and Kansas is one of the highest-tax states in the region.&nbsp;

"The reason I'm running for governor is because of people like you," Colyer said to the audience full of students and community members. "I want our kids to see their future in this state, and that their best future is in this state. Not in Texas, Arizona, Tennessee, it's here in Kansas."

Colyer discussed working with President Donald Trump during his first term and how Trump appointed him in February 2020 to chair the National Advisory Commission on Rural Health.

He said rural hospitals were a key focus, noting they had struggled to stay afloat for decades.

"Over the matter of weeks, we distributed billions of dollars. They all stayed open and were able to serve people. We did a lot in rural health to start improving, but we got a lot more to do both on the federal level and on the state level," he said.

He also pointed to water challenges in rural Kansas, noting their impact on energy, agriculture, data centers and population in the southwest region of the state.

Colyer also answered student questions on pursuing truth at universities and on protecting the unborn, pointing to his record as governor, where he said he signed 20 pro-life laws.

Colyer opened the event with his background in Hays, such as how attending Thomas More Prep-Marian influenced his life to become a surgeon, inspired by his mother's battle with breast cancer.

Former Gov. Jeff Colyer shares vision for Kansas at FHSU

I used this column once a few years ago, but as fall closes in on us, and I can almost smell the comforting scent of woodsmoke in the air, I think it’s a good fit for this week’s column. 

Ages ago when I wore a much younger man's clothes, I heated my home with wood. Cutting firewood is hard on the back but was always enjoyable to me, and I’ve had some interesting experiences whilst collecting my winter’s fuel, to include smashing the rear windshield out of my dad’s pickup with an errantly tossed chunk of hard hedge wood.

When I was still in my late twenties, my dad and I got permission to cut dead trees from a patch of Ohio woods that sat well off the road at the end of a long, hilly, winding tractor path. 

We spent a day cutting and dragging several trees into the alfalfa field that bordered the woods. The following Saturday we again wound our way up the rutted tractor path, looking forward to a rewarding day of simply cutting-up and hauling the now easily-accessible wood. All that greeted us as we entered the field were dozens of neat little rows of sawdust, the only evidence left after someone had cut up and made-off with all our firewood.

A few years later, I found a good-sized uprooted tree in the small woodlot I owned. The hole left in the ground beneath the roots was the size of a Volkswagen and three feet deep. 

With the tree already flat on the ground, I cut all the limbs and dragged them out of my way, then with the main trunk ready to chunk up, I started cutting at the upper end and worked my way toward the giant root ball.

 I hadn’t made it very far when something happened to the saw, requiring a tool that was still at the house. I started to set the saw in the crater beneath the roots, but for some reason changed my mind and placed it on the ground a few feet away. When I returned with the tool, I thought I had stepped through a worm-hole into another dimension or something, 'cause the downed tree and the saw were both gone. I wandered around in circles and finally stumbled onto the saw on the ground, but where was the uprooted tree?

 It took me awhile to realize that removing all the limbs and cutting off the upper part of the tree had allowed the weight of the root ball to stand the remaining trunk of the tree back upright into the crater. Good thing I decided against putting my saw there; even better that I hadn’t sat down in there for a nap!

The granddaddy of all firewood mishaps took place on a dreary fall Saturday while cutting down a huge dead wild cherry tree that stood just across the driveway from our house. My firewood cutting skills were the stuff of legends….once I got a tree on the ground, but putting it there without catastrophe often eluded me. 

I clambered as high into the behemoth as I could get and encircled the trunk with a log chain, then attached an old hay rope salvaged from the barn and ran it yards out into the open field where dad sat waiting on the trusty Farmall H.

 Cutting was a slow process with a chainsaw barely half the length of the tree’s diameter, but a notch was soon cut toward the open field. As I cut on the other side, I motioned for dad to put tension on the rope and chain. 

The tree began to list slightly, so I cut a bit further then stepped back, figuring to watch our prize topple into the open field. However, the sound of cracking wood was drowned out by the sound of snapping rope fibers as the old hay rope gave up the ghost. 

Half a year’s firewood teetered and wobbled for a few seconds before crashing the opposite direction across the drive and onto the power lines, putting the whole neighborhood out of power, during an Ohio State football game no less, which was akin to losing power at the nursing home during Wheel of Fortune. The neighbors' anger was matched only by the power company guys who had to come out on a Saturday. 

It seems our firewood heated the entire neighborhood that day…

Steve can be contacted by email at stevenrgilliland@gmail.com.

Explore Kansas Outdoors: Firewood Follies

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1300 Main Hays, KS 67601 785-259-4039

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Bid on this Confortotal 12,000 BTU Mini Split Air Conditioner and Heat Pump 110V Ductless, 1 ton, with WIFI Compatible with Alexa from All Seasons Plumbing, Heating, and A/C in Hays.&nbsp; This unit can heat or cool up to 550 square feet.&nbsp; Perfect for a garage, she-shed or man-cave, or a part of your home that needs some extra cooling or heating.&nbsp; This item includes installation in Ellis County.&nbsp; If you live outside of Ellis County, there will be a mileage fee added.&nbsp; Call Tommy Coker if you have any questions at 785-259-4039.&nbsp; This item must be installed by no later than January 30th, 2026.

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127 N. Lincoln Russell, KS 67665 785-483-7811

<a href="https://www.rabezauction.com/gocart/search.cfm?mid=65&amp;search=all">$100 CERTIFICATE</a>

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Premier Tillage in Quinter purchased by Unverferth Manufacturing Co., Inc. 

RUSSELL — Housing Opportunities, Inc. (HOI) is excited to share that construction at Flintwood, our new senior housing community in Russell, is moving steadily forward. The development is taking shape beautifully, and we are on track to welcome residents soon.

We are also pleased to announce that applications are now being accepted for those interested in making Flintwood their home. This modern, affordable housing community is designed specifically for seniors and will provide safe, comfortable living with the support of HOI’s ongoing commitment to quality housing.

If you or someone you know would like to apply, please contact Housing Opportunities, Inc. at 620-792-3299 to learn more and start the application process.

Construction continues at Flintwood senior housing in Russell; applications accepted

By RUSSELL ARBEN FOX Insight Kansas

On September 21, the day before the autumn equinox, about 20 people gathered in Memorial Park in Winfield, to mark the conclusion of a local celebration of “Sun Day.” It was a hot Sunday afternoon, and downtown Winfield was pretty quiet. But that didn’t defeat the spirit that was felt by the participants, and the pride they had in doing their part for the cause.

<a href="https://www.sunday.earth/">Sun Day</a> was the brainchild of Bill McKibben, an environmental journalist and activist who has educated millions over the decades with his writings on climate change, renewable energy, local food production, and the conservation of natural spaces. Given the many failures which environmentalism has faced when confronted by the consumptive habits of modern America, McKibben’s work has often been rather dour.

Yet of late McKibben has been enthusiastic, even downright giddy—because amazing innovations in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/solar-panels-are-1000-times-more-powerful-with-new-tech-breakthrough/">photovoltaic cells</a>, <a href="https://www.eenews.net/articles/grid-batteries-defy-trump-crackdown-on-renewables/">solar grid batteries</a> and more over the past decade have changed the game: renewable means of generating electricity are now, <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/wind-and-solar-energy-are-cheaper-than-electricity-from-fossil-fuel-plants/">even without government subsidies</a>, cheaper than doing so by burning fossil fuels.

This, McKibben felt, is news to be celebrated. 

Hence, Sun Day—a national day of action, with close of <a href="https://www.sunday.earth/events">500 events</a> scheduled across the United States and around the world, involving art and music, workshops and worship, all focused on helping people to appreciate the momentousness of this technological and environmental moment, and hopefully. thereby encouraging them to take advantage of and build upon these new opportunities to get power directly from the sun.

Such encouragement is still very much needed. Just because the technology exists doesn’t mean that the transition to it will be simple. The upfront costs are significant, the needed infrastructure is difficult to install, and the financial realities of solar power (from negotiating with China, where most of the advances in the technology are taking place, to negotiating with local energy companies, who want to maintain the profitability of their grids) are complicated to say the least. 

On top of that, falsehoods about renewable energy—some of which can be <a href="https://energyandpolicy.org/charles-koch-distorts-the-facts-prevents-clean-energy-businesses-from-succeeding/">traced back to Kansas’s own Koch Industries</a>--flow far too easily from both the <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/trump-called-climate-change-a-con-job-at-the-united-nations-here-are-the-facts-and-context">White House</a> and <a href="https://www.kansascity.com/opinion/readers-opinion/guest-commentary/article259977165.html">Topeka</a>, leading too often to <a href="https://www.kcur.org/2023-11-08/communities-skeptical-of-solar-kansas">county-level resistance</a> to increasingly affordable solar panel installations.

Nonetheless, personal experiences—and business savings—with renewables are combining with political education to build momentum. 

Despite cuts in support for alternative energy sources in the Big Beautiful Bill, <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/09/03/evergy-says-federal-changes-wont-affect-planned-solar-projects-in-kansas-and-missouri/">Evergy still plans to move ahead</a> with its plans for solar projects in Kansas and Missouri (though it’s hedging its bets with new natural gas projects as well), and <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/massive-kansas-solar-farm-sparks-165122426.html?guccounter=1">NextEra Energy in Jackson County</a> isn’t far behind. The growing demand by Kansans for rooftop or deck solar panels are <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/02/14/kansas-homeowners-urge-lawmakers-to-ban-punitive-rooftop-solar-restrictions/">leading to fights with homeowner associations</a>, all while more <a href="https://www.agriculture.com/solar-energy-is-powering-irrigation-11711496">farmers</a>, <a href="https://www.kumc.edu/about/news/news-archive/kumc-solar-panels.html">hospitals</a>, and <a href="https://www.columbiatribune.com/story/news/local/2025/07/14/solarize-columbia-campaign-can-make-solar-panels-cheaper/84532449007/">homeowners</a> are seeing the light (literally).

A personal confession of interest here: we installed solar panels on our Wichita home over three years ago, and aside from one breakdown with our connection to the grid early on—which was, I admit, an expensive pain—our electric bills have been a tiny fraction of what they once were ever since.

 Looking around Kansas’s largest city, I see solar start-ups and increased interest&nbsp;everywhere. A full transition to renewables is still years, if not decades, away. But on Sun Day, in downtown Winfield, this more environmentally sustainable and financially affordable future seemed closer to me, and my fellow renewable energy advocates, than it ever has been before.

Dr. Russell Arben Fox teaches politics at Friends University in Wichita.

Insight Kansas: A sunny day, and a better day, in Kansas

<a href="https://hayspost.com/pages/state-farm-weather-window">For a full look at the weather forecast, click here.</a>

Three-day weather outlook

💰 Cash Grab begins Monday!

By&nbsp;TAMARA ROBERTSON Cottonwood Extension District

October marks the start of a new 4-H year, and with it comes National 4-H Week, which will be observed October 5–11. 4-H is the largest youth organization in the country, empowering young people to grow as leaders and active community members. 

In Ellis County, 4-H is thriving with seven clubs and more than 200 members actively participating in community and educational events.

4-H is for youth ages 7–18 and helps foster essential life skills. Children ages 5–6 can also get involved through the Cloverbud program, which introduces them to 4-H through fun, hands-on activities. With more than 45 projects to choose from, members can develop skills in areas ranging from traditional livestock showing to STEM, photography, and much more.

4-H members and leaders live across Kansas, in all 50 states, and in 82 other countries worldwide. In Kansas alone, there are more than 17,000 4-H members participating in community clubs, and Ellis County is excited to welcome new members and families to this dynamic program.

During National 4-H Week, members are encouraged to wear their club shirts, share information about their 4-H projects, and participate in “48 Hours of 4-H,” a state-wide community service initiative that encourages hands-on service in all communities. We invite everyone to join us in wearing green on Monday, October 6.

Some of the major community events hosted or supported by 4-H in Ellis County include the 4-H Food Challenge, 4-H Day, Ellis County Fair and various community service projects. 

During the 2025 4-H Day, over 30 entries were presented, featuring talent, music, demonstrations, project talks, poems, speeches, and the Cloverbud Show and Tell. 

At the 2025 Ellis County Fair, 862 entries were submitted by 4-H members. Many of these outstanding projects were also entered at the Kansas State Fair and will be on display in the Hays Arts Council Main Street window from October 1st through the 23rd.

The 4-H motto, “To Make the Best Better,” is reflected in the organization’s continued efforts to grow and reach more youth. This year, the 4-H Promotional Committee sent flyers to all K–5th grade students in Ellis County to encourage new members to join—over 1,900 flyers in total. 

Beyond recruitment, Ellis County 4-H stays connected with the community through presentations to local clubs and outreach with students across the county.

4-H would not be possible without the support of the community. At its roots, 4-H is a family program where parents and family members help youth with project work and other activities. Volunteer leaders are also vital to the program. Each club needs two or more&nbsp;adult leaders who teach, organize, assist club officers, support meetings, and guide new families. Ellis County is fortunate to have more than 50 screened volunteers who dedicate their time and expertise, and the organization is always recruiting additional volunteers to help continue its mission.

Enroll in your child’s future today, with Ellis County 4-H!

Tamara Robertson is the 4-H Youth Development Agent with K-State Research and Extension, in the Cottonwood Extension District. For more information on this article or other 4-H Youth Development resources, email Tamara at tarobertson@ksu.edu or call Cottonwood Extension District – Ellis County Office at 785-628-9430.

ROBERTSON: Celebrating National 4-H Week Oct. 5-11

October 12,&nbsp;9:30 AM Alton UMC Harvest Praise Service 408 Mill St., Alton 67623 Join us at 9:30 AM!

October 12, 11:30 AM-3:00 PM Fall Family Fun Day Roadside Park, Hwy. 24, Downs

Bring your lawn chairs, sit and chat, enjoy music and fun! Yard games, Kids games, Golf Cart Poker Run, and more! Enjoy the park amenities together as a community!

October 12, 5:00-7:00 PM Free Square Dancing Lessons Front Porch Event Center and Bakery, 602 Mill St., Alton, KS Sept. 28, Oct. 12, October 26, November 9, November 23, December 28 Graduation Party

&nbsp;These are free lessons with the hope of stress-free learning, entertainment, and fellowship. You are asked to bring a finger food each time for all to enjoy. For more information call Peg Anschutz at 785-483-0660.

October 18, 1:00-4:00 PM Annual Pumpkin Party Downs Community Garden, 1312 Kansas St. Downs, KS

Bring the whole family and enjoy an afternoon of games, crafts, and fun!

October 25,&nbsp;5:00-9:00 PM Tangled Web Trick or Treat in the Park Lyman T. Earl Park, Alton, KS

There will be crafts, games and prizes!&nbsp;Any questions, call Robbin at 785-346-2128 Ext. 3

October 31,&nbsp;3:30-5:00 PM

Join us downtown Osborne as the chamber businesses pass out Halloween treats!

October events in Osborne County

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Western Plains Arts Association

COLBY — Oakley High School auditorium will be the&nbsp;Western Plains Arts Association (WPAA) next program with "The Sons of the Pioneers" returning to entertain on Sunday, October 12.

The program will start at 3 p.m. Tickets will be available to purchase at the door or by WPAA season ticket which can also be purchased that day at the door.

We thank Dane G. Hansen and Logan County Community Foundation for their grants for this program along with area sponsors.

"The Sons of the Pioneers", the most influential and revered of all western music groups, celebrate an unparalleled 91 continuous years of performance, thrilling audiences with enchanting harmonies and picturesque images of the majestic American West. 

In 2025, the legendary group extends its remarkable run through nine decades, carrying the legacy of the outfit’s landmark, Grammy-honored music to new ears. Originals like “Cool Water,” “Tumbling Tumbleweeds,” and “The Timber Trail” have come to define western music itself and are also deeply rooted in American culture. 

When Roy Rogers (then Leonard Slye) and gifted songwriters Bob Nolan and Tim Spencer founded the group in late 1933 and developed their trademark “Pioneer sound,” little did they realize they were launching a juggernaut that would become the longest-lived popular music group in American music history, creating a vast catalog of treasured music along the way.

Through the years, more than 40 gifted singers and instrumentalists have rotated into the group to build the Pioneers’ historic musical legacy. The Pioneers are the most decorated group in the history of western music, earning membership in the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Western Music Association Hall of Fame, the National Cowboy Hall of Fame, the Texas Swing Hall of Fame, and the Hollywood Walk of Fame, to name a few. 

The group’s music has been honored by the Grammy Hall of Fame, and the Smithsonian Institution named the group one of America’s “National Treasures.” 

They enjoy meeting those who attend and would gladly take pictures after the program.

'The Sons of the Pioneers' to perform in Oakley Oct. 12

&nbsp;Submit events to&nbsp;<a href="mailto:admin@hayspost.com">admin@hayspost.com</a>. Cover photo courtesy Pixabay

Special thanks to <a href="https://www.visithays.com/183/Events">The Hays Convention and Visitors Bureau</a> and<a href="https://www.fhsu.edu/"> Fort Hays State University</a> for their contributions to the community calendar.

Community Calendar

Thanks to the Hays VFW Post #9076  Honor Guards for adding the POW flag to the American flag  that they donated for the flag pole at the location of the Bob &amp; Pat Schmidt Community Center on Friday, Sept. 26.

The POW flag was a welcomed addition to complete the pole near the Hays Senior Center new location.



Hays VFW Post #9076 donates POW flag to Community Center, Hays Senior Center flag pole 

KIRWIN — The&nbsp;94th annual Kirwin Lions Club Old Settlers Day is Saturday, Oct. 4

Start the day with a 5K Run/Walk or bike ride around Kirwin Lake.

Games on the Kirwin Square start at 10:30 a.m. Play bingo, try your hand at virtual golf, participate in cornhole, eat some delicious food and check out the vendors.

One of the area's largest Demolition Derbys begins at 7 p.m. with a $6,000 total purse.

94th annual Old Settler's Day is Saturday in Kirwin

On Friday, October 3, the Ellis County Sheriff’s Office will be closed. 

All other services for Ellis&nbsp;County will remain open as scheduled. Emergency response will continue as normal operations.

This closure is to provide Sheriff’s Office staff the opportunity to attend Hays Police Department’s Sgt.&nbsp;Scott Heimann funeral services.

The Sheriff’s Office will resume regular hours on Monday, October 6.

Ellis County Sheriff's Office closed Friday; other county departments remain open

UPDATE: The annual Tootsie Roll Drive has been postponed to next weekend, Oct. 10-12.&nbsp;

It's time for the 55th annual drive for helping people with intellectual disabilities sponsored by the Knights of Columbus in Hays, Munjor, Catherine and Schoenchen.

On Friday through Sunday, Oct. 10-12, local Knights of Columbus members will hand out Tootsie Rolls in front of many Hays businesses.

Donations received during Tootsie Roll weekend will benefit the intellectually disabled as well as our citizens and our community.

Of the money collected, 80% stays in Hays and is given to local organizations that work with these special citizens. The balance of the money goes to our state "Commitment to Humanity" fund which helps finance projects like the Special Olympics.

Last year the Knights of Columbus underwrote the Kansas Knights of Columbus Special Olympics Basketball Tournament at Gross Memorial Coliseum in Hays with an amount of approximately $26,000.

Plan to attend the Special Olympics Basketball Tournament to be held March 20 and 21, 2026 in Hays. Last year there were more than 1,000 participants. The opening ceremonies are most impressive.&nbsp;

Knights of Columbus Tootsie Roll Drive moved to Oct. 10-12 in Hays

Kansas Department of Health and Environment

TOPEKA — The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) has issued a boil water advisory for the Ellis Co. RWD 1C public water supply system located in Ellis County.

This does not affect those customers who receive their water from the City of Hays.

Customers should observe the following precautions until further notice:

The advisory took effect on October 1, 2025 and will remain in effect until the conditions that placed the system at risk of bacterial contamination are resolved. 

KDHE officials issued the advisory because of a loss of pressure due to maintenance in the distribution system. Failure to maintain adequate pressure may result in a loss of chlorine residuals and bacterial contamination.&nbsp;

For consumer questions, please contact the water system at 785-628-2186, or KDHE at 785-296-5514. For consumer information please visit KDHE’s PWS Consumer Information webpage:

<a target="_blank" href="https://links-1.govdelivery.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fwww.kdhe.ks.gov%2F468%2FDisruption-in-Water-Service%3Futm_medium=email%26utm_source=govdelivery/1/01000199a022ea63-1bd80ec1-c03d-4601-b957-f390024f89f4-000000/ToAKe-X5727ojZ7HWDa_7wESy4L4a9Mg7Zmd9085wHY=425">https://www.kdhe.ks.gov/468/Disruption-in-Water-Service</a>

Restaurants and other food establishments that have questions about the impact of the boil water advisory on their business can contact the Kansas Department of Agriculture’s food safety &amp; lodging program at&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="mailto:kda.fsl@ks.gov">kda.fsl@ks.gov</a>&nbsp;or call 785-564-6767.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Regardless of whether the public water supplier or Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) announced a boil water advisory, only KDHE can issue the rescind order following testing at a certified laboratory.

Boil Water Advisory issued for Ellis Co. Rural Water District 1C by KDHE

The Hays City Commission and USD 489 Board of Education (BOE) candidate election forum is set for Monday, October 6 at Beach/Schmidt Performing Arts Center on Fort Hays State University’s campus.

Candidates for the USD 489 BOE will open the forum at 6 p.m. and conclude by 7:00 p.m. After a 15-minute intermission including refreshments, Hays City Commission candidates will take the stage at 7:15 p.m. and will conclude by 8:45 p.m.

In a partnership with the American Democracy Project, FHSU Student Government Association, FHSU Docking Institute of Public Affairs, Tiger Media Network, and The Chamber in Hays, Kansas, this election forum provides voters in the City of Hays and USD 489 district boundaries the opportunity to learn about each of the candidates and their stances on important community issues. A special thank you is extended to event sponsors Midwest Energy and The Hays Daily News.

To submit questions in advance of the forum, email sarah@hayschamber.com.

Thank you to Tiger Media Network for offering a livestream/replay of the event for those who are unable to attend in person. The event link can be found <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTIXUNR_XQP7TX183o_vxCw">here:&nbsp;https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTIXUNR_XQP7TX183o_vxCw</a>

Important fall 2025 election dates and information:

· Early voting begins Tuesday, October 14th at the Ellis County Administration building located at 718 Main St. and ends at noon on Monday, November 3rd.

· Polling locations can be found here: https://www.ellisco.net/432/Polling-Site-Locations

· To view other races on the ballot and for general information, visit: <a href="https://www.ellisco.net/759/2025-Election">https://www.ellisco.net/759/2025-Election</a>.

Hays school board, city commission candidates public forum scheduled for Monday night

By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/maria-sherman">MARIA SHERMAN</a>

Who is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/taylor-swift">Taylor Swift’s</a>&nbsp;heir apparent? Her 12th album,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-new-album-life-of-showgirl-c4262686b5b68ee210f7571b8716ab51">“The Life of a Showgirl,”</a>&nbsp;offers an answer. It’s Taylor Swift.

Her last album,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-tortured-poets-department-review-b24d2275df5cf78ffa9069c61b9825ec">“The Tortured Poets Department,”</a>&nbsp;ended with the cautionary “Clara Bow,” an allegory that seemed to suggest her tenure atop the cultural mainstream was inherited from stars of the past, like the namechecked&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/stevie-nicks">Stevie Nicks</a>&nbsp;— and that a new generation of younger, elastic female pop performers could soon take her place. In 2025, there are many to choose from: Consider&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/chappell-roan">Chappell Roan’s</a>&nbsp;full-throated theatrics,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/olivia-rodrigo">Olivia Rodrigo’s</a>&nbsp;fiery punk-pop feminism,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/sabrina-carpenter">Sabrina Carpenter’s</a>&nbsp;cheeky sexuality. In the knotty themes of Friday’s “The Life of a Showgirl,” best illustrated in the title track, Swift asserts that the baton hasn’t been passed, but rather shared. Because she isn’t going anywhere.

“And all the headshots on the walls / Of the dance halls are of the b------ / Who wish I’d hurry up and die,” she sings with a wink, “But I’m immortal now, baby dolls / I couldn’t if I tried.” Notably, if she has a chosen successor in someone else, it’s the album’s sole feature: Carpenter, who sings on the stomp-clap closer in her&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sabrina-carpenter-mans-best-friend-review-1f3bd6c87b64bc3329e7e7c94f034083">newly adopted twang.</a>&nbsp;The mournful glissando of lap steel — the album’s most country moment — arrives only with Carpenter’s introduction. The western genre is Swift’s past and Carpenter’s future.

Suggestive bangers and a ‘New Heights’ namecheck

If Swift is co-signing Carpenter, she’s also learning from her. Carpenter has cornered the market on tight pop songs with pert, provocative messages; Swift does the same with the manspreading swagger of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/george-michael">George Michael-interpolating</a>&nbsp;“Father Figure,” which mentions a protege, and the funky “Wood.” (A carefully veiled PG-13 lyric: “His love was the key / That opened my thighs,” she sings. “Girls, I don’t need to catch the bouquet / To know a hard rock is on the way.”) Interwoven are suggestive, sensual ad-libs ... and a direct reference to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-travis-kelce-engaged-d585627eb98b69428ce206a2c8a9cb7d">fiance Travis Kelce’s</a>&nbsp;podcast.

Across a brisk 12 tracks — Swift’s tendency toward abundance doesn’t manifest itself in a double album this time around, but instead in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-life-showgirl-streaming-vinyl-guide-e6ae27ac62d972be042e849dc31e140c">her endless vinyl variants</a>&nbsp;— “The Life of a Showgirl” mostly delivers on its promise of up-tempo pop “bangers,”&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/taylor-swift-new-heights-podcast-e26d4150cd1fa7bf7cea189e48237663">to borrow her own vernacular.</a>&nbsp;Fans need not wait up for the long-anticipated “Reputation (Taylor’s Version),” because “The Life of a Showgirl” pulls from its essence. But this time, with a lot of affection, like&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/taylor-swift-television-programs-arts-and-entertainment-d1a0278150f040538767bab78067f352">a truer “Lover” era.</a>

Swift has long internalized criticisms and responded to them in her art, most directly in 2017’s “Reputation.” Here, she is once again concerned with her perception, articulated over booming, lush production on “CANCELLED!” or “Elizabeth Taylor.” On the latter, she sings, “Hollywood hates me / You’re only as hot as your last hit, baby.” Except this time, her love acts as an anchor. “I can’t have fun if I can’t have you,” she flirts.

For “The Life of a Showgirl,” Swift enlisted Swedish producers Max Martin and Shellback, the hitmaking duo she collaborated with on 2012’s “Red,” 2014’s “1989” and, of course,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/taylor-swift-music-arts-and-entertainment-c29acbc0b521419cb362e720b32ec018">“Reputation.”</a>&nbsp;Notably absent is her frequent producing partner&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jack-antonoff">Jack Antonoff.</a>&nbsp;It’s a wise decision: In years past, Swift, Shellback and Martin’s pop experiments shifted not only her career trajectory but the genre itself. Before “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” an EDM drop in the middle of a radio pop hit was unimaginable. After, the style would dominate for half the decade.

“The Life of a Showgirl” isn’t as seismic, but there are addictive and idiosyncratic Swiftisms here: acerbic wit and thick literary references in glassy pop hooks. Where a song like “Opalite,” if attempted by another other performer, would lose its weightlessness under its voluble aspirations, Swift manages to swoon. Stacked, opalescent harmonies and a vintage swing give the song, fittingly, an almost iridescent quality.

And there are bops, like the undeniable opener “The Fate of Ophelia” with its 1980s-via-Robyn synth-pop and momentary “Summertime Sadness” vocal delivery.

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