McPherson City Digest

Animal Shelter Upgrades Facilities and Adoption Packages The McPherson Animal Shelter has updated its interior with new rust-resistant kennels and a fresh coat of paint, while also expanding its standard adoption package to include spaying or neutering, vaccinations, and heartworm testing. Facility managers noted that future plans involve upgrading the onsite crematorium and continuing to invest in ongoing staff development.

Hess Park Seeded with New Grass Amid Phased Upgrades Following the installation of a new irrigation system last season, the McPherson Park Department seeded new grass at Hess Park in mid-February. These landscape improvements are part of a broader, phased development plan that will eventually introduce a new shelter, a restroom facility, and spring tree plantings to the Canterbury area park.

Library Teams with Neighborhood Forest for Free Tree Giveaway The McPherson Public Library and Park Department are partnering with the Neighborhood Forest program to supply local children with free trees or plants to celebrate Earth Week and Arbor Day. Families interested in participating in the green initiative must sign up their children through the library by March 15.

Park Department Installs Fish Habitats in Local Parks Taking advantage of freezing temperatures prior to a mid-February thaw, the McPherson Park Department successfully placed temporary fish habitats on the ice at Lakeside and Hess Parks. As the ice melted, the structures sank directly into the waterways to provide cover for local fish populations, which is expected to enhance angling conditions for the annual Youth Fishing Derby scheduled for June.

Bartlett Graduates from Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center McPherson Police Officer Ian Bartlett officially graduated from the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center's Class #353 on Feb. 27. Following his graduation from the academy, Bartlett is scheduled to immediately begin a 14-week in-house field training program alongside veteran members of the department.

Ottensmeier Promoted to Detective Rank Officer Micheal Ottensmeier, who originally joined the McPherson Police Department in February 2025 boasting three decades of prior law enforcement experience, has been promoted to the rank of detective. The city formally celebrated his promotion with a pinning ceremony held during the March 3 City Commission meeting.

City Hosts Kansas Animal Control Association Annual Meeting More than 60 animal control professionals from across the state converged at the McPherson Community Building in February for the annual Kansas Animal Control Association meeting. The comprehensive three-day conference featured a variety of industry speakers and concluded with a day of tactical training held at the McPherson Police Department's shooting range.

Third-Graders Enjoy Kansas Day Trolley Tours The McPherson Convention & Visitors Bureau provided complimentary trolley tours to participating local third-grade classrooms to coincide with regional Kansas Day festivities. During the excursions, which wrapped up on March 6, students toured McPherson while learning about local history and participating in interactive state trivia challenges.

McPherson Upgrades Emergency Alert System to Everbridge The City of McPherson has transitioned its emergency notification capabilities to the Everbridge platform, officially joining the broader South Central Kansas regional system. The opt-in alert system is designed to deliver critical emergency notices and community news across 14 respective counties via landline, mobile phone, email, or text message.

Deerfield Estates South Offers New Housing Opportunities Residential construction continues to progress on new homes located within the Deerfield South Estates subdivision in southeast McPherson. These newly built properties are currently available to prospective buyers with significant price reductions, and eligible purchasers can also apply for down-payment assistance programs.

Sonic Drive-In Donates Employee Birthday Drinks The Sonic Drive-in located on East Kansas Avenue has partnered with the City of McPherson to donate promotional drink tickets for the 2026 calendar year. These complimentary tickets will be distributed exclusively to municipal employees throughout the year in celebration of their respective birthdays.

Source: McPherson Chamber of Commerce Newsletter

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