Hutchinson

• The city council is considering a temporary ban on data centers and battery energy storage systems to develop specific zoning regulations for these facilities. →
• The county is developing formal zoning regulations for data centers and battery energy storage systems, focusing on water conservation, noise, and setbacks instead of enacting a temporary moratorium. →
• Mayor Scott Meggers issued a formal apology following a dispute over off-agenda budget questions regarding a $40,000 efficiency study, leading to the adoption of stricter parliamentary procedures. →
• The city council is exploring changes to how the Hutchinson Recreation Commission operates following recent budgetary and procedural disputes. →
• Photographer Nick Hemphill alleges the City of Hutchinson used his footage 12 times without compensation in a $26,000 promotional video. The city has paused use of the video while it reviews how third-party footage was sourced from outside organizations. →
• A proposal was introduced to raise the local transient guest tax to provide more funding for city tourism and development projects. →
• Hutchinson High School students earned three ribbons and 17 certificates of recognition at the 51st Annual High School Art Exhibition at Fort Hays State University. →
• Central Christian School was evacuated and cleared by Hutchinson police following a bomb threat on Wednesday; no explosives were found and school activities have resumed. →
• The Kansas State Fairgrounds launched a tree beautification project to restore its canopy after losing 50 trees to weather and disease, offering donors memorial and maintenance sponsorship opportunities. →
• Campus and Hutchinson split a Tuesday doubleheader as the Salthawks rebounded from a 12-2 opening loss with a 5-0 shutout in the nightcap. Brodie McCuan led the Hutchinson victory, striking out seven batters over 6 2/3 scoreless innings while contributing two hits and an RBI. →
• Expect a breezy and warm day with highs near 84, but keep an eye on the sky as isolated thunderstorms could pop up after 2 p.m.

🌾 Kansas

• The Kansas City Royals unveiled plans for a $1.9 billion downtown ballpark at Crown Center, requiring $600 million from Kansas City taxpayers, hundreds of millions from the state, and at least $800 million from the team. →

• At least three Kansas schools were evacuated Wednesday after bomb threats, including Wichita's Southeast High School, Hutchinson's Central Christian School, and Buhler USD 313's Union Valley Elementary, with no devices found. →

• Kansas State University plant pathologist Kelsey Andersen Onofre is urging wheat growers to scout fields for stripe, leaf, and stem rust as the spring disease window opens and the crop breaks dormancy. →

• Great Bend High School revived Community Service Day Wednesday with 900 students and staff completing 36 projects across the city, resuming a tradition last held in 2019. →

• Local groups in Hays are working to install a $350,000 weather radar near the airport to fill an 80-mile gap that leaves Ellis County with limited low-altitude storm data, with $50,000 raised and two of three grants secured. →

🇺🇸 US

• A U.S. Navy destroyer is escorting an Iranian oil tanker in the Indian Ocean after Iranian forces seized two cargo vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, straining a cease-fire President Trump extended Tuesday. →

• Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth fired Navy Secretary John Phelan on Wednesday after months of infighting over shipbuilding reform and attempts to bypass the chain of command. →

• Republicans fear President Trump's push last summer to redraw congressional district lines has backfired after Virginia voters approved an aggressive Democratic gerrymander and California adopted a favorable redistricting map. →

• Dem-aligned House Majority PAC reserved $272 million in television and digital advertising for November's midterms, targeting Republican-held seats from Miami to Phoenix as Democrats aim to capitalize on Trump's declining approval ratings. →

• Chinese manufacturers are moving beyond low-cost goods into advanced industries including electric vehicles, solar panels and batteries, threatening producers across developed economies with massive scale and government subsidies. →

Weather

APRIL 23, 1985: NEW COKE DEBUTS IN A MARKETING DISASTER

Coca-Cola replaced its 99-year-old formula with a sweeter “New Coke” to fend off Pepsi, but loyal customers revolted, flooding the company with thousands of angry calls and letters. Just 79 days later, the company restored the original formula as Coca-Cola Classic, and New Coke became a symbol of high-profile product flops.

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