Want to advertise here?

McPherson

• Greg reports on USD 418 enrollment trends, past and present →
• Phil and Katie Walters are urging community support for the March 3rd school bond to replace the outdated 1930s-era McPherson Middle School and modernize district facilities. They argue the investment is necessary to attract young families and maintain the community's standard of excellence. →
• A long-time local educator is calling for a 'yes' vote on a school bond issue, arguing that the community should prioritize modern facilities and student potential over past frustrations regarding district transparency. →
• Longtime resident and former economic development board member Kyle Hawk is advocating for a YES vote on the USD 418 school bond, arguing that modern facilities are a critical 'leg' of the community's economic vitality. →
• The Board of Education will hold a work session to analyze student performance and discipline metrics as part of its strategic plan just days before a scheduled March 3 bond election. →
• The McPherson girls dominated Augusta with a 67-35 victory, while the boys' team fell in a 61-59 heartbreaker; both teams will host Mulvane on February 24th. →
• The McPherson Bullpups finished 28th at the KSHSAA 5-1A State Swimming Championships, highlighted by Cooper Bohme’s top-10 finishes and personal bests in the 200 and 500 Freestyle. →
• The Moundridge boys basketball team improved to 19-3 on the season following dominant victories over Hutchinson Trinity and Remington this week. →
• The McPherson 2nd grade Lady Pups finished 2-1 to secure third place at the MAYB Wichita Shootout and will compete next week for an undefeated league title. →
• The City of McPherson has completed the installation of permanent shade structures at The Plaza gathering space, a project funded by $23,000 in private donations and community grants. →
• Kelsey Clark was selected as the winner of the 2026 All Schools Day Button design contest, receiving a $200 prize for her artwork chosen from a record 130 submissions. →
• Expect clear skies and a high of 40°F today with no chance of rain, though temperatures will drop to a chilly 27°F tonight.

🌾 Kansas

• The Ranger Road Fire has burned an estimated 283,283 acres across Oklahoma and Kansas, killing hundreds of cattle and forcing evacuations in Ashland and Englewood, with the blaze 55% contained as of Sunday. →

• State officials begin implementing Senate Bill 244, which requires individuals to use multi-occupancy restrooms matching their sex at birth in government buildings, though Gov. Laura Kelly's office says vague language complicates compliance before the law takes effect within two weeks. →

• Kansas has added 46 agriculture education programs since 2020, a 5% increase, but schools continue to struggle hiring qualified instructors due to demanding workloads and lower pay than industry positions. →

• Athletic directors at the University of Kansas, Kansas State University and Wichita State University are seeking state funding to offset rising Division I athletics costs driven by revenue sharing with athletes and other expenses. →

• Kansas legislators recessed until Tuesday after reaching the turnaround deadline Thursday, which marked the cutoff for non-exempt bills to be considered in their chamber of origin. →

🇺🇸 US

• The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 Friday that President Trump exceeded his authority in imposing sweeping tariffs on imports from nearly every U.S. trading partner, finding that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act does not authorize the president to unilaterally impose duties without congressional approval. →

• President Trump moved swiftly to replace tariffs struck down by the Supreme Court, announcing Saturday he would raise a new global tariff to 15% from 10%, effective immediately, invoking Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974. →

• U.S. Army Green Berets are retraining for Arctic warfare in northern Sweden near the Arctic Circle, where temperatures hover around minus-30 degrees Fahrenheit and the extreme cold has proved as formidable as any human adversary. →

• Months before Jesse Van Rootselaar became the suspect in a mass shooting that devastated a rural British Columbia town, OpenAI employees flagged and internally debated her ChatGPT interactions describing gun-violence scenarios, with about a dozen staffers weighing whether to alert Canadian law enforcement. →

• Mexico's special forces killed Nemesio "Mencho" Oseguera, the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and the country's most powerful drug kingpin, in a planned operation with supplementary intelligence from U.S. authorities, triggering an immediate and violent cartel response across the region. →

Weather

February 23, 1945: Marines Raise Flag on Iwo Jima

U.S. Marines raised the American flag atop Mount Suribachi during the Battle of Iwo Jima, one of World War II's bloodiest Pacific campaigns. The iconic moment was captured by Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal in what became one of the most famous war photographs in history. The battle would continue for another month, ultimately claiming nearly 7,000 American lives and more than 20,000 Japanese casualties.

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

Contact Us