Abigail Hill, Nocona High School valedictorian, is the 2026 UIL feature writing state champion. Nocona faculty have been looking through school records and UIL records to see when Nocona last had someone won state. UIL record archives only date back to 1983 and they didn’t see anyone listed as winning a gold medal in Academic UIL. According to Nocona records, she is the first UIL Academic Champion since 1973. (Courtesy photo)

By Andy Newberry, MSU Texas
Midwestern State University junior Rykir Evans is not only building his skills during a NASA internship—he’s creating memories that will last a lifetime.
Evans has been a remote student at MSU Texas this semester while completing the internship. During that time, he had the opportunity to meet American naval aviator and NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman, as well as NASA Chief Flight Director Gene Kranz.
“It definitely has been an amazing experience thus far, and meeting all of the super inspirational figures in flesh and blood was definitely surreal,” Evans said.

Read the full story in Thursday’s Bowie News.

(Top photo) Rykir Evans had a chance meeting with Reid Wiseman NASA astronaut and commander of the Artemis II lunar fly-by mission. He also met famed NASA chief flight director Gene Kranz, who directed the first lunar landing mission, Apollo 11.

Join the Bowie High School Band for a chamber music concert featuring state solo/ensemble qualifiers at 6 p.m. on May 18 in the junior high auditorium.
This concert is an opportunity for these state qualifiers to showcase all their hard work, talent and dedication. It also is their final change to take the state to build confidence and shake off those last minute nerves before heading to state competition.