McPherson

• McPherson County officials formally certified the results of the USD 418 special bond election, which saw 36% turnout, confirming both propositions passed after dismissing social media concerns regarding election integrity. →
• The county building renovation is 89% finished, with final touches like courtyard turf and building power washing expected to be complete by late April. →
• The Health Department’s annual report emphasized the success and impact of its low-cost lab-testing program for local residents. →
• The county is considering a new fee structure that includes sanitation permit refunds and double penalties for unpermitted structures built between 2007 and 2022. →
• Certified bridge inspector Ron Unruh was honored with a formal proclamation upon his retirement after 49.5 years of service with the county. →
• The MAC Wrestling Club shattered its previous record by sending 33 wrestlers to the Kansas state tournament after 33 of its 48 competitors placed in the top four at districts. →
• The Moundridge Wildcats boys basketball team finished their season with a 21-4 record following a 44-38 loss to Berean Academy in the substate championship game. →
• Expect a beautiful, sunny day in McPherson with a high near 80 degrees and a light breeze out of the west, watch for possible storms tonight.

🌾 Kansas

• The Kansas Senate introduced SB 531 to prohibit construction of large-load data centers in counties where a drought emergency has been declared within the preceding three years, citing competition for water resources with agricultural users drawing from the Ogallala Aquifer. →

• A Kansas Senate bill would require the state education department to publish a separate building report card for virtual schools, responding to a 74% enrollment surge since 2020 and criticism that performance data is currently blended with sponsoring districts. →

• The Kansas House and Senate agreed to form conference committees to resolve differences on SB 33, which would change how countywide retailers' sales tax revenue is distributed among local governments based on property valuations rather than taxes levied. →

• The Wichita Board of Education voted 4-2 to approve a timeline for closing four elementary schools between 2027 and 2029, facing declining enrollment projections and a $42 million budget gap. →

• Star tight end Travis Kelce will return to the Kansas City Chiefs for the 2026-27 NFL season rather than test free agency, the NFL Network reported Monday. →

🇺🇸 US

• President Donald Trump said Monday he expects the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran to be over "very soon," calling the 10-day campaign that has devastated Iranian infrastructure and killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei a "short-term excursion." →

• Oil prices surged past $119 a barrel Monday as the Iran conflict escalated, with Brent crude futures hitting their highest level since mid-2022 before retreating after G-7 finance ministers announced they stood ready to release oil from national strategic reserves. →

• Oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz have collapsed from a normal flow of approximately 20 million barrels per day to near zero over the past week, with Pakistan deploying warships Monday to escort its merchant vessels through the region. →

• Anthropic filed a federal lawsuit Monday challenging the Trump administration's decision to designate the AI company a supply-chain security threat and cancel its government contracts, arguing the administration exceeded its legal authority in retaliating against the company for disagreeing with Defense Department plans for AI use. →

• An analysis by The New York Times found that 300 billionaires on both the left and right and their immediate relatives contributed more than $3 billion — 19% of all federal campaign contributions — in the 2024 election cycle. →

Weather

March 10 1876: First speech transmitted by telephone

The first discernible speech is transmitted over a telephone system when inventor Alexander Graham Bell summons his assistant in another room by saying, “Mr. Watson, come here; I want you.” Bell had received a comprehensive telephone patent just three days before.

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