Year after year, Lehigh has been in the dark when it came to having city Christmas lights during the holidays. But this year, Lehigh will shine, thanks to donations from other Kansas communities.

According to Ruth Coyle, a Lehigh resident and the one who contacted area communities, the city of Lehigh will receive used Christmas decorations from 12 Kansas communities—some as far away as Minneapolis and Marysville.

When the first big snowfall hits Hillsboro this season, downtown business owners will have a bit more motivation to get their sidewalks shoveled in a timely manner.

The Hillsboro City Council passed at its Nov. 20 meeting a change in the city’s snow-removal policy that would require business owners to clear their sidewalks within 24 hours after the snowfall ends.

Phyllis Richert photo

 It fell silently, gently and didn’t hang around very long, but downtown Hillsboro and much of Central Kansas received its first snowfall of the winter season on Friday night. About 2 to 3 inches of the wet white stuff blanketed the ground by Saturday morning. Sunshine and above-freezing temperatures took care of most of the accumulation during the day.

As winter settles in, energy usage turns into higher energy bills and, according to the Department of Energy, 2007 energy costs are increasing.

While there isn’t much you can do about the rising costs, there are several ways to save on your utility bills this winter—some that won’t even cost a dime.