Lawrence

• The county is rolling out proactive well-water testing and updated septic soil procedures, supported by a $50,000 state grant to assist low-income families with repairs. →
• The cancellation of the proposed permanent supportive housing project represents a 20% loss in the county's overall goals for behavioral health housing units. →
• The commission approved a controversial 82-unit development in the Oread neighborhood that requires the demolition of five buildings to meet city density mandates. →
• The Historic Resources Commission will launch a study to determine if regulatory review zones effectively protect neighborhoods or primarily serve as a hindrance to development. →
• The 'Douglas County Thrives' pilot program is moving forward with a focus on supporting single female heads of households through direct community data and lived experiences. →
• The loss of a $150,000 federal SNAP education grant has led to the elimination of two full-time positions and the halt of localized nutrition education programming. →
• KDHE issued an air quality health advisory April 16 after widespread prescribed burning in the Flint Hills elevated AQI values across the region, advising vulnerable populations to stay indoors and all Kansans to limit outdoor activity until rain clears the smoke. →
• The McPherson Gem & Mineral Club will host its 32nd annual three-day show and sale from May 1-3 at the McPherson County 4-H Building, featuring a swap, main show, and final sale. →
• Shelly, the owner of Prescott Performance Lab in McPherson, shared a video demonstration of hip mobility exercises along with links for online training services. →
• Expect a warm, breezy, and partly sunny start with highs near 83, but keep your umbrella handy as heavy rain and thunderstorms move in this afternoon.

🌾 Kansas

• NextEra Energy Resources has filed plans to erect more than 100 wind turbines in Rice County that would generate up to 300 megawatts of renewable energy, with operations targeted to begin in 2028 subject to county approval. →

• Two of three Kansans nominated by President Donald Trump to the U.S. District Court faced pointed questioning Wednesday before the Senate Judiciary Committee about their connections to the August 2023 raid of the Marion County Record. →

• The Kansas City, Missouri, City Council voted 11-1-1 Thursday to pass an ordinance providing the financing framework for a $1.9 billion stadium project for the Royals at Washington Square Park near Crown Center. →

• Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor issued an unusual public apology Wednesday for remarks she made about fellow Justice Brett Kavanaugh during a recent appearance at the University of Kansas School of Law. →

• A juvenile has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with the death of 14-year-old Rubi Perez, an eighth grader at Great Bend Middle School, Barton County Attorney J. Colin Reynolds announced Thursday. →

🇺🇸 US

• A record 40 Democratic and allied senators voted Wednesday to block a shipment of American-made bulldozers to Israel, followed by 36 senators voting against a separate bomb shipment, marking the largest congressional rejection of U.S. military aid to Israel in history. →

• First-quarter campaign fundraising reports show Democratic candidates posting massive hauls in competitive 2026 Senate races, with Texas Democrat James Talarico raising a record-setting $27 million while Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff raised roughly $14 million. →

• A compromise House proposal to renew the Section 702 surveillance program for five years failed to advance early Friday, forcing the House to vote for a two-week extension until April 30. →

• The U.S. government is preparing to make a version of Anthropic's powerful new AI model Mythos available to major federal agencies amid concerns the tool could sharply increase cybersecurity risk. →

• A newly struck 10-day cease-fire between Israel and Lebanon appeared to be holding halfway into its first day, with President Trump saying the U.S. might hold discussions with Iran this weekend and is "very close to making a deal." →

Weather

APRIL 17 1970: APOLLO 13 RETURNS SAFELY TO EARTH

After an oxygen tank explosion crippled the spacecraft 200,000 miles from Earth, NASA aborted the planned moon landing and fought to keep the crew alive. Astronauts Jim Lovell, Jack Swigert and Fred Haise looped around the moon in a damaged ship and splashed down safely in the Pacific, turning near-disaster into a celebrated rescue.

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