Lawrence

• Commissioners delayed a decision on recovering $558,000 in grant funds for six months to give Bert Nash time to salvage a scaled-down version of a stalled supportive housing project. →
• The city commission voted 3-2 to allow a developer to keep $46,000 in housing funds despite reducing the number of affordable units, citing project viability amidst market volatility. →
• The city will host a public forum in May to gather feedback from residents and developers on the first year of implementation of the updated Land Development Code. →
• Extension programs are prioritizing soil conservation and field trials to reduce nutrient runoff into Clinton Lake, the county's primary drinking water source. →
• Local officials are developing targeted educational resources to assist an increasing number of new rural landowners in the county. →
• The 22nd annual Kaw Valley farm tour is expected to draw 3,000 visitors, providing a significant revenue stream for local agricultural producers with an average visitor spend of $120. →
• A new statewide food systems team is providing consultations to over 300 businesses to bolster the regional food ecosystem ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. →
• A local 4-H initiative is training youth in civic engagement through visits to the Statehouse and direct dialogues with state legislators. →
• The KU Field Station is launching the Rice Woodland Trail, the first public trail ever established at the Baldwin Woods Forest Preserve. A grand opening ceremony will soon mark the debut of this new outdoor access for the community. →
• It’s going to be a beautiful, mostly sunny day in Lawrence with a high near 84 and just a light breeze out of the south.

🌾 Kansas

• A proposed Google data center near Sharon in Barber County has divided residents over economic benefits versus concerns about water usage, noise and lack of public information, as neighboring counties impose data center moratoriums. →

• SkyWest Airlines cut the ribbon on a new Overnight Maintenance Base at Salina Regional Airport on Thursday, expected to add jobs and support fleet operations alongside groundbreakings for a Salina Family Healthcare community center and a General Atomics facility. →

• Fort Hays Tech Northwest will receive federal funding for renovation of its rural advanced manufacturing innovation lab to prepare students for manufacturing careers across Kansas. →

• Newman University opened a Smart Mobile Agriculture Lab in Garden City to provide hands-on training for agriculture students at its Wichita and southwest Kansas campuses, funded through federal resources secured by Sen. Jerry Moran. →

• WSU Tech and Foley Equipment opened a nearly 4,000-square-foot ThinkBIG Lab at WSU Tech's City Center Campus to expand hands-on training for students pursuing careers as heavy equipment technicians. →

🇺🇸 US

• The Trump administration is in preliminary talks with GM and Ford executives about using automakers' factories and personnel to produce munitions and military supplies, echoing World War II practices, as wars in Ukraine and Iran deplete U.S. weapons stockpiles. →

• U.S. stocks hit record highs Wednesday with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite setting new marks as investors grew confident in eventual U.S.-Iran peace talks, while oil prices rose modestly to around $96 a barrel for Brent crude. →

• A New York jury found Ticketmaster and parent company Live Nation illegally monopolized U.S. live event markets, with states expected to seek a forced sale and damages for overcharging fans. →

• Twenty-seven percent of Americans now hold a favorable view of China, up 6 points from last year and nearly double the 2023 low of 14%, according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted in March. →

• Iran faces a $270 billion reconstruction bill after U.S. and Israeli forces struck at least 17,000 targets over five weeks, pushing Tehran toward negotiations for sanctions relief despite casting the cease-fire as a victory. →

Weather

APRIL 16 1881: BAT MASTERSON’S LAST GUNFIGHT ERUPTS IN DODGE CITY

On this day, famed lawman and gunslinger Bat Masterson fights his final documented shootout on the streets of Dodge City, Kansas, then a booming and volatile cattle town. Rushing back to defend his brother in a business dispute, Masterson trades gunfire by the railway, wounding a man before paying an $8 fine and leaving Dodge City that evening.

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