Manhattan

• Riley County is drafting a six-month moratorium on data centers and battery energy storage systems to evaluate potential zoning rules. →
• The City of Manhattan opened a pedestrian walkway on Hayes Drive while the road remains closed for construction for several weeks. →
• The Riley County Law Board was urged to expand or relocate the Riley County Jail due to severe overcrowding and an aging facility. →
• A large crane will be placed in downtown Manhattan this summer for a Riley County project that has uncovered historic tunnels and wells. →
• The Riley County Public Works Department will begin a major paving project on Winkler Mills and Fancy Creek roads starting May 11, 2026. →
• Riley County Police Department Reports 4 Arrests May 3-4 →
• Keep an umbrella handy today as we're looking at cloudy skies and a 40% chance of rain showers with a high of 59 and some breezy northeast winds.

🌾 Kansas

• Institutional Shareholder Services filed a federal lawsuit April 29 against Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach challenging Senate Bill 375, the Proxy Advisor Transparency Act, alleging the anti-ESG disclosure law violates the firm's free speech rights. →

• The Trump White House sent a letter praising the Republican-led Kansas Legislature for its conservative work during the 2026 session, a move that carries weight as GOP candidates — including Senate President Ty Masterson — vie for a Trump endorsement in the governor's race. →

• Prosecutors filed a motion in Barton County District Court to charge a 14-year-old boy as an adult in the killing of Great Bend Middle School eighth-grader Rubi Perez, whose body was found April 9 after she was reported missing the day before. →

• Western Kansas wheat farmers faced a freeze warning Tuesday night threatening drought-stressed crops that are running roughly a month ahead of schedule due to a warm winter, with some heads already formed and vulnerable to cold damage. →

• USDA and National Weather Service data show severe to extreme drought gripping much of the Plains heading into summer, with above-normal temperatures forecast for May through July and Kansas winter wheat 70% headed — far ahead of the 28% five-year average — leaving crops exposed to frost damage. →

🇺🇸 US

• Investor-owned U.S. utilities plan to spend at least $1.4 trillion on capital expenditures through 2030 — more than 21% above prior projections — to power surging electricity demand from AI data centers, with PJM Interconnection approving transmission projects at a cost nearly 1,300% higher than its 2021 plan. →

• The U.S. national debt has exceeded 100% of GDP for the first time since World War II, with publicly held debt at $31.265 trillion against a $31.216 trillion GDP, as the government runs a projected $1.9 trillion deficit this fiscal year. →

• The anticipated "great wealth transfer" of roughly $110 trillion held by baby boomers is unfolding as a slow drip rather than a windfall, as longer lifespans, rising healthcare costs and increased personal spending on luxury retirement and travel delay inheritance for younger generations. →

• The White House is weighing a cybersecurity-focused executive order that would create federal oversight standards for the most powerful AI models, a shift from the Trump administration's hands-off approach prompted by concerns over Anthropic's Mythos model. →

• The Middle East cease-fire faltered as Iran launched drones at UAE oil infrastructure and fired cruise missiles at U.S. warships and commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, which U.S. forces intercepted while destroying six Iranian speedboats threatening ships in the strait. →

Weather

MAY 5, 1961: ALAN SHEPARD BECOMES THE FIRST AMERICAN IN SPACE

Alan Shepard’s Freedom 7 capsule completed a 15-minute suborbital flight, reaching 116 miles above Earth. The mission was a pivotal early victory for NASA in the Cold War space race against the Soviet Union.

Found a mistake? Have a news tip or feedback to share? Contact our newsroom using the button below: