McPherson

• The McPherson Public Schools Board of Education ratified a new teacher contract increasing base pay and raises for veteran staff. →
• The Lindsborg City Council unanimously approved a $6,000 contract renewal for Flock license plate readers and ordered a policy review. →
• McPherson Police Chief Mikel Golden published an op-ed calling for the expansion of mental and behavioral health services across Kansas. →
• McPherson City Commission created an Economic Development Fund, routing 1 mill per kilowatt-hour of BPU electric sales into it. →
• Johni Doughman resigned as director of McPherson Main Street after leading the downtown promotion nonprofit for two years. →
• The McPherson High School girls volleyball team announced its 2026 schedule, featuring 11 home dates at the Roundhouse. →
• NEWBERRY: McPherson College hosted its Back-to-School Extravaganza, connecting students with campus clubs and local McPherson businesses. →
• Fitness trainer Shelly shared a video demonstrating simple stretches that people can easily incorporate into their daily routines. →
• Expect plenty of sunshine today across McPherson with light winds and a high reaching 92°F.

🌾 Kansas

• A Pawnee Heights student died Tuesday after collapsing during football practice on the first day of school, and an autopsy was scheduled to determine the cause. →

• A federal inspector general report found the $1.25 billion National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility in Manhattan, Kansas, remains unable to operate its two highest containment levels three years after opening. →

• The Topeka City Council questioned Compass Datacenters and Evergy representatives Wednesday about a proposed 10-building data center campus and annexation but took no vote. →

• Kansas City, Kansas, Public Schools canceled classes Thursday for a second consecutive day as power outages from severe storms continued to disrupt operations. →

• The Gardner City Council voted this week not to renew its contract with Flock Safety, ending use of the city's automated license-plate reader. →

🇺🇸 US

• The federal government's total debt topped $40 trillion for the first time on Aug. 18, arriving months earlier than forecast after the Supreme Court struck down tariffs that had generated billions in revenue. →

• David Morens, a former senior adviser at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, pleaded guilty Aug. 18 to conspiring to hide federal records related to efforts to restore a terminated coronavirus research grant for EcoHealth Alliance. →

• The Federal Trade Commission voted 2-0 Wednesday to open public comment on a draft policy that would require companies to disclose when they use personal data to set individualized prices for shoppers. →

• Chinese launch company LandSpace landed the first stage of its Zhuque-3 rocket in Gansu province Aug. 19 after placing a satellite in orbit, becoming the first Chinese company to recover an orbital-class booster. →

• Liberia agreed to receive up to 1,200 non-Liberian deportees from the United States over 12 months under an arrangement disclosed Wednesday, with an initial 20 deportees expected Aug. 20. →

Weather

AUGUST 20, 1920: EARLY FOOTBALL LEAGUES CONSOLIDATE INTO PRECURSOR OF THE NFL

In Canton, Ohio, owners of four Ohio League teams formed the American Professional Football Conference, bringing order to a chaotic patchwork of semi-pro clubs and escalating salaries. Led by Jim Thorpe as its first president, this new organization laid the groundwork for what soon became the National Football League.

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