Rice County Economic Development

10/08/2026

09/30/2026

📣 Child Care Aware® Training Coming to Lyons!

If you work with young children and families, supporting a breastfeeding family can be an important part of providing quality, family-centered care. 💛

Join Child Care Aware of Kansas on October 5 from 6:00–8:00 PM at 701 E. Main, Lyons for:

🍼 How to Support the Breastfeeding Family

This training will cover:
• Practical ways to support breastfeeding families
• What families need from their child care providers
• The latest information on proper breastmilk handling and storage
• Tips to help create a supportive environment for breastfeeding families

💲 $8 per person

📍 701 E. Main, Lyons, KS
📅 October 5
⏰ 6:00–8:00 PM

Registration is available at yourcape.org.

Have questions? Contact Ashley at [email protected]. We’d love to see local providers and others who support families take advantage of this opportunity. 💕

09/28/2026

Today marked the final meeting of the Kansas Future Fellows cohort, a journey I’ve been grateful to be part of since February through All In For Kansas Kids and the Center for Public Partnerships at KU.

Our final meeting brought us together in person one more time to put our futures-thinking mindset into practice, imagining what could be possible for the future of early childhood and challenging ourselves to think beyond the way things have always been done.

Over these past several months, I’ve had the opportunity to connect with people working across the early childhood system in so many different capacities. We shared ideas, challenged assumptions, explored possibilities, and tossed around countless ways we could work toward a stronger, more connected, and more sustainable system for Kansas children, families, providers, and communities.

Some ideas may become projects. Some may lead to new partnerships. And some may simply change the way we think about the work in front of us.

Either way, I’m walking away with new connections, new perspectives, and an even stronger belief that the future of early childhood is something we have the opportunity to shape, together.

Grateful for this cohort, the people I’ve met along the way, and the reminder that sometimes the biggest change starts with being willing to imagine something different. 💜

09/22/2026

09/14/2026

09/11/2026

Don’t forget about this opportunity!

🎄 RICE COUNTY… WE NEED YOUR CREATIVITY! 🎄

What would an ornament look like if Rice County could tell its story in one piece?

We’re looking for artists, makers, students, businesses, crafters, history buffs, and creative minds of ALL kinds to help us create something special for the Governor’s Holiday Ornament Collection! ✨

One ornament could tell a story about our people.
One could celebrate a landmark.
One could showcase our history, agriculture, communities, traditions, or something we haven’t even thought of yet!

Rice County can send ornaments to the State Capitol to represent our county on the State Holiday Tree.

And here’s where YOU come in:

🎁 Create an original ornament that represents Rice County.

The Rice County Commission will select up to THREE ornaments to send on to the State Capitol. All other submissions will be proudly displayed right here at the Rice County Courthouse during the Christmas season!

IMPORTANT DEADLINE

Your ornament must be submitted to the Rice County Courthouse by SEPTEMBER 24, 2026 so we have time to select, prepare, and submit our county’s ornaments before the State’s October 1 deadline.

📏 Ornaments should be 6–9.5 inches and weigh 8 ounces or less. See the full guidelines below for additional requirements.

No glitter, please!✨🚫

💡 DON’T HAVE A CREATIVE BONE IN YOUR BODY?**
That’s okay!
TAG SOMEONE WHO DOES! 👇

Tag your artsy friend.
Tag the person who can make anything.
Tag a talented teacher, student, crafter, woodworker, artist, business, or local creative.

SHARE THIS POST with anyone you think would be AMAZING at this!

Let’s see just how creative Rice County can be. ❤️

Make it. Create it. Build it. Tell our story.

Then let’s put a little piece of Rice County pride on the State Holiday Tree! 🎄🏛️✨

📅 SUBMIT BY SEPTEMBER 24, 2026
📍Rice County Courthouse

Full guidelines below!

Sterling Chamber Main Street - SCMS
Lyons Chamber of Commerce
Rice County Community

09/09/2026

Our most popular exhibits can now come to your home, school, church or community event. It’s serious fun on the road!

09/03/2026

🎄 RICE COUNTY… WE NEED YOUR CREATIVITY! 🎄

What would an ornament look like if Rice County could tell its story in one piece?

We’re looking for artists, makers, students, businesses, crafters, history buffs, and creative minds of ALL kinds to help us create something special for the Governor’s Holiday Ornament Collection! ✨

One ornament could tell a story about our people.
One could celebrate a landmark.
One could showcase our history, agriculture, communities, traditions, or something we haven’t even thought of yet!

Rice County can send ornaments to the State Capitol to represent our county on the State Holiday Tree.

And here’s where YOU come in:

🎁 Create an original ornament that represents Rice County.

The Rice County Commission will select up to THREE ornaments to send on to the State Capitol. All other submissions will be proudly displayed right here at the Rice County Courthouse during the Christmas season!

IMPORTANT DEADLINE

Your ornament must be submitted to the Rice County Courthouse by SEPTEMBER 24, 2026 so we have time to select, prepare, and submit our county’s ornaments before the State’s October 1 deadline.

📏 Ornaments should be 6–9.5 inches and weigh 8 ounces or less. See the full guidelines below for additional requirements.

No glitter, please!✨🚫

💡 DON’T HAVE A CREATIVE BONE IN YOUR BODY?**
That’s okay!
TAG SOMEONE WHO DOES! 👇

Tag your artsy friend.
Tag the person who can make anything.
Tag a talented teacher, student, crafter, woodworker, artist, business, or local creative.

SHARE THIS POST with anyone you think would be AMAZING at this!

Let’s see just how creative Rice County can be. ❤️

Make it. Create it. Build it. Tell our story.

Then let’s put a little piece of Rice County pride on the State Holiday Tree! 🎄🏛️✨

📅 SUBMIT BY SEPTEMBER 24, 2026
📍Rice County Courthouse

Full guidelines below!

Sterling Chamber Main Street - SCMS
Lyons Chamber of Commerce
Rice County Community

08/27/2026

Today was one of those days that reminds you why we do this work. ❤️

KMW officially broke ground on their new facility on the north side of Sterling, marking a huge step forward for a company that is already an important part of our community.

This isn’t a new business coming to town — this is an existing Sterling business choosing to grow here. That makes this milestone even more exciting.

We were also honored to welcome KMW leadership from the Czech Republic to Sterling for today’s groundbreaking and celebration. 🇨🇿🇺🇸

Growth like this doesn’t happen overnight. It takes vision, investment, a strong workforce, and a community that believes in what’s possible.

Today, we got to celebrate all of that. 🏗️👏

Congratulations to the entire KMW team! We can’t wait to see this next chapter take shape.

SmallTownBigThings KansasBusiness