Manhattan

• Authorities have successfully recovered a submerged diesel fuel tank from Tuttle Creek Lake and are continuing cleanup efforts and daily water quality monitoring. →
• Riley County opened five construction bids ranging from $3.77 million to $5.94 million for a sewer improvement project that has been nearly 14 years in the making. →
• The commission issued a letter of support for an unannounced industrial project exploring the area, which would involve significant investment and required road infrastructure improvements. →
• Following resident outreach, a manufacturer may donate $100,000 worth of PVC pipe for the Keats sewer project, which would be deducted from the final contractor bid via a change order. →
• Commissioners authorized $2.07 million for IT and GIS department renovations, including a targeted 200-kilowatt rooftop generator to protect election servers and digital infrastructure. →
• Registration is now open for Camp Kindergarten, a free four-week program designed to prepare Manhattan children for school success through classroom routines and skill-building activities. Parents must apply by May 1 for the June sessions, with priority given to children who have not attended preschool or are from at-risk families. →
• Secretary of the Army Daniel P. Driscoll visited Fort Riley to inspect the 1st Infantry Division’s combat readiness and technological innovation initiatives. His tour included reviewing drone training and equipment operations followed by a ceremony welcoming new soldiers to the division. →
• Shelly from Prescott Performance Lab shares a quick video tutorial on how to easily repurpose leftover chicken breasts into new meals. →
• Expect a beautiful, sunny day in the Little Apple with a high near 87 and light westerly winds.

🌾 Kansas

• Gov. Laura Kelly signed legislation Thursday banning cell phone and personal electronic device use during school hours at Kansas public and accredited private schools, requiring students to turn off and securely store devices with exceptions for medical needs. →

• The Kansas Senate voted 31-9 Thursday to send legislation to the governor prohibiting handheld mobile phone use while driving in school and construction zones, drawing opposition over concerns about pretextual stops and discriminatory enforcement. →

• The Kansas Senate passed legislation 31-9 requiring county sheriffs to enforce ICE detainers and barring sanctuary policies, with the state covering legal costs, sending the substitute bill back to the House. →

• Nearly 80% of roughly 2,000 respondents in a University of Kansas straw poll voted no confidence in Chancellor Doug Girod and CFO Jeff DeWitt amid concerns over finances, transparency and using general funds to cover a projected $15 million athletics deficit. →

• No. 4-seeded Kansas opens NCAA tournament play Friday night against No. 13-seeded California Baptist at 8:45 p.m. Central on CBS in San Diego. →

🇺🇸 US

• The Pentagon has sent the White House a request for $200 billion in additional funding for the war with Iran, a figure certain to draw scrutiny from Congress. →

• The U.S. and its allies have escalated operations to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, deploying A-10 Warthog attack jets and Apache helicopters to strike Iranian naval vessels and shoot down drones threatening the waterway. →

• A record 7.7 million borrowers had defaulted on $181 billion in federal student loans by the end of last year, with another three million at least three months behind on payments, according to recently released Education Department data. →

• Tesla plans to begin shipping mass-produced Semi trucks from its Nevada Gigafactory this summer after years of delays, with analysts projecting 5,000 to 15,000 deliveries in 2026. →

• The Federal Communications Commission on Thursday approved Nexstar's $6.2 billion purchase of rival local broadcaster Tegna, saying the deal will help counter the growing leverage of national programmers. →

Weather

March 20 1854: Republican Party founded

In Ripon, Wisconsin, former members of the Whig Party meet to establish a new party to oppose the spread of slavery into the western territories. The Whig Party, which was formed in 1834 to oppose the “tyranny” of President Andrew Jackson, had shown itself incapable of coping with the national crisis over slavery.

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