Top articles from the Kiowa County Press in Eads, Colorado, for the week ending May 23, 2026.

Governor Jared Polis vetoed a bill for the second time that would have eliminated Colorado's unique requirement for unions to win a second election with 75% support before negotiating worker fees.

Governor Jared Polis vetoed four bills from the 2026 legislative session, including measures that would have cut funding for youth programs, imposed strict social media warrant deadlines, and taxed in-game purchases.

Extreme drought expanded across roughly a third of southeast Colorado and exceptional drought continued to grip the central mountains

Vice President JD Vance told 931 newly commissioned Air Force Academy officers in Colorado Springs that humans, not machines, must make decisions about life and death as artificial intelligence transforms warfare.

Colorado's lieutenant governor warns that federal Medicaid cuts will strip health coverage from 130,000 state residents and burden hospitals with billions in unpaid care costs.

During an evening test fire on May 28, 2026, a Blue Origin New Glenn rocket exploded, engulfing the launchpad in a massive fireball.

Amazon’s announcement that it would open its logistics network to other companies has major implications for consumers trying to ‘shop small.’

The American Federation of Teachers is pushing for stricter limits on classroom technology, calling for no screens in pre-K through second grade and stronger safeguards around artificial intelligence in schools.

Federal data shows homelessness dropped 3.3% nationwide last year, marking the first decline since 2016 and contradicting Trump administration claims that current policies are failing.

Listen to top audio articles and podcasts from the Kiowa County Press for the week ending May 30, 2026.

Federal regulators pause the proposed merger of Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern, requesting more details about competitive impacts and public interest concerns by late July.

Medicaid cuts are forcing mental health facilities to close nationwide and threatening to leave more people with addiction and psychiatric crises without coverage or care options.

The Trump administration fired over 200 immigration judges without explanation while hiring new "deportation judges" to accelerate removal cases across the country.

Tony Lee Stewart, a Cheyenne Wells native who became a skilled welder, stock dog trainer, and competitive dart player, died May 10 at age 71.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife opens Nee Noshe Reservoir near Eads to emergency fishing starting June 1 as drought threatens to dry out the fishery entirely.

Chester "Chet" DeVaughn, a longtime teacher and coach who spent decades shaping students across Nebraska and Colorado, died May 23 at age 76.

From the 139-year history of the Kiowa County Press in Eads, Colorado.

Top articles from the Kiowa County Press in Eads, Colorado, for the week ending May 23, 2026.

Listen to top audio articles and podcasts from the Kiowa County Press for the week ending May 30, 2026.

Pearls of faith from Pastor Richard Zabriskie.

Pearls of faith from Pastor Richard Zabriskie.

Listen to top audio articles and podcasts from the Kiowa County Press for the week ending May 30, 2026.

Top articles from the Kiowa County Press in Eads, Colorado, for the week ending May 23, 2026.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife opens Nee Noshe Reservoir near Eads to emergency fishing starting June 1 as drought threatens to dry out the fishery entirely.

Cheyenne Wells enjoys sunny skies and mild temperatures through the weekend before a cold front drops Sunday's high to near 68.

Cheyenne Wells will warm into the low 90s this weekend under mostly sunny skies while nearby showers stay west and south of the county.

Events in southeast Colorado for June 2026.

This year, the Cheyenne County 4-H Council is excited to host the 10th annual Celebrity Pig Show at the Cheyenne County Tumbleweed Fair.

Cheyenne Wells will see a warm Memorial Day with a high near 87, followed by a windy Tuesday in which sustained south winds of 25 to 30 mph.

California is considering handing oil refineries and other major polluters billions of dollars in free emission allowances.

Eleven weeks into the Iran war and a global energy shock, California drivers are paying the highest gas prices in the nation, an average of $6.15 a gallon this week.

A gallon of regular gasoline Monday cost an average of $4.52, according to AAA up from $4.14 a month ago and $3.14 a year ago.

North Dakota and other states are looking for solutions to keep grocery stores in business in rural areas.

Utah election officials removed 27 noncitizens from voter rolls after a yearlong review of more than 2 million registered voters, finding no widespread problem with ineligible voting.

The U.S. Postal Service proposes requiring states to submit voter lists before mailing ballots under Trump's executive order restricting mail voting.

Four Colorado gubernatorial candidates pitched their visions to business leaders in Glendale, with Democrats and Republicans alike emphasizing the need to keep companies from leaving the state.

A federal judge declined to immediately block Trump's executive order restricting mail-in voting, saying it was premature to challenge the directive before implementation.

Mental-health experts say North Dakota farmers need permanent support systems to address depression, anxiety, and suicide rates driven by financial strain, weather, and isolation.

Colorado's 2020 wildfire season shattered records as the East Troublesome Fire and others burned unprecedented acreage across the state, driven by historic drought and warming temperatures.

Amazon’s announcement that it would open its logistics network to other companies has major implications for consumers trying to ‘shop small.’

A proposed Indigenous School of Medicine in Rapid City would be the nation's first medical school designed to train Native American physicians using culturally integrated curriculum and flexible timelines.

The USDA declared all 33 New Mexico counties disaster areas due to drought, making farmers and ranchers eligible for emergency loans up to $500,000.

Mental-health experts say North Dakota farmers need permanent support systems to address depression, anxiety, and suicide rates driven by financial strain, weather, and isolation.

Extreme drought expanded across roughly a third of southeast Colorado and exceptional drought continued to grip the central mountains

Vermont becomes the first state to ban paraquat, a toxic herbicide linked to Parkinson's disease, after Governor Phil Scott signed the legislation this week.

During an evening test fire on May 28, 2026, a Blue Origin New Glenn rocket exploded, engulfing the launchpad in a massive fireball.

Staff Sergeant Benjamin Pennington, 26, of Fort Carson died in Operation Epic Fury, one of 13 American deaths in Trump's Iran war that has devastated Colorado Springs.

Governor Jared Polis vetoed four bills from the 2026 legislative session, including measures that would have cut funding for youth programs, imposed strict social media warrant deadlines, and taxed in-game purchases.

The USDA Rural Utilities Service has invested $10.4 billion in rural electric infrastructure since January 2025, continuing the legacy of the Rural Electrification Act signed 90 years ago.

A nonprofit and former South Dakota lawmaker sued the state Friday, claiming a new law banning abortion pill advertising violates free speech rights under the First Amendment.

An ICE agent charged with shooting a Venezuelan man during a Minneapolis immigration raid was arrested Friday in Texas after investigators found he lied about the incident.

Oklahoma's Supreme Court invalidated Tulsa's agreement with the Muscogee Creek Nation to prosecute tribal citizens in tribal courts instead of municipal court.

Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers joins Republican counterparts in suing to block the Trump administration's reclassification of marijuana to a less restricted federal category.

Nevada fire officials warn that record low snowpack and abundant dried fuels could fuel large-scale wildfires across the state during the coming warm months.

Environmental groups sue Florida over hundreds of tons of toxic emissions from the Everglades detention center without required air quality permits.

Solar-powered trains run on the Sun’s energy to operate, via solar panels placed on train stations, on the roofs of trains, or most commonly, from the rail tracks.

Arizona meteorologists warn of record-breaking heat, flooding and wildfires this summer as a powerful El Niño pattern forms in the Pacific Ocean.

During an evening test fire on May 28, 2026, a Blue Origin New Glenn rocket exploded, engulfing the launchpad in a massive fireball.

Amazon’s announcement that it would open its logistics network to other companies has major implications for consumers trying to ‘shop small.’

Alaska's proposed natural gas pipeline struggles to remain profitable even with the governor's tax break, as rising construction costs could push the project beyond economic viability.

The USDA declared all 33 New Mexico counties disaster areas due to drought, making farmers and ranchers eligible for emergency loans up to $500,000.

During an evening test fire on May 28, 2026, a Blue Origin New Glenn rocket exploded, engulfing the launchpad in a massive fireball.

A proposed Indigenous School of Medicine in Rapid City would be the nation's first medical school designed to train Native American physicians using culturally integrated curriculum and flexible timelines.

The American Federation of Teachers is pushing for stricter limits on classroom technology, calling for no screens in pre-K through second grade and stronger safeguards around artificial intelligence in schools.

New Mexico is tripling its loan repayment program for physicians to up to $300,000 to combat a shortage of more than 5,000 health care professionals statewide.

Rural life and humor, with characters from the mind of Slim Randles.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife opens Nee Noshe Reservoir near Eads to emergency fishing starting June 1 as drought threatens to dry out the fishery entirely.

The U.S. Forest Service and South Dakota signed a five-year agreement to jointly manage national forest lands through timber harvesting, prescribed burning, thinning, and habitat restoration.

The Trump administration is streamlining environmental reviews for oil projects on Alaska's North Slope federal lands, a move industry says will speed development but environmentalists warn could rubber-stamp drilling without adequate protection of Arctic ecosystems.

During an evening test fire on May 28, 2026, a Blue Origin New Glenn rocket exploded, engulfing the launchpad in a massive fireball.

Amazon’s announcement that it would open its logistics network to other companies has major implications for consumers trying to ‘shop small.’

Those big orange balls don’t help with electricity flow or improve the efficiency of the power lines, but they do have a very important job.

Memorial Day is an apt time to reflect on the long-term consequences of war. Among them are substance use, mental health problems, homelessness and jail time for those who served in the military.