McPherson

• Following overwhelming community pushback, KDOT will focus on expanding Highway 56 along its current footprint through Galva rather than building a bypass through farmland. →
• The McPherson County Jail is at its 60-inmate maximum capacity, requiring the county to pay for transfers to Rice County while inmates await space at Larned State Hospital. →
• The McPherson City Commission unanimously approved an agreement to join the state wildfire response program, allowing the local fire department to assist with statewide fires under a fully reimbursed mutual aid contract. →
• Lindsborg was selected as Kansas’ representative for the 2026 Best of the Midwest Awards, recognized for its walkable streets, Swedish heritage, and iconic Dala horses. →
• The McPherson Skate Park closed on March 23 for upgrades involving the installation of repurposed equipment, with a reopening date yet to be determined. →
• The Rempe family successfully defended their title at the McPherson Public Library's Jigsaw Jamboree, finishing their puzzle in 62 minutes and supporting a donation drive for the McPherson College Caring Closet. →
• Eisenhower Elementary student Isabel Perry has been named the 2026 state champion in the annual Arbor Day Tree Poster Contest after winning at both the local and state levels. →
• A well-known McPherson County landmark known as 'The Old Farmhouse' collapsed on Sunday due to persistent Kansas winds. →
• ☀️ Mostly sunny skies in McPherson today with a high near 72.

🌾 Kansas

• Legislative negotiators proposed capping local property tax increases at 3% above the prior year's levy, with exceptions for new construction and requiring 80% approval from governing bodies to exceed the cap. →

• The House Taxation Committee advanced a plan to cut school district property taxes while offsetting lost revenue through a 2% tax on sports wagers and sales tax on lottery tickets. →

• The Kansas House voted 101-21 to approve portable benefit plans allowing independent contractors to maintain continuous benefits across gig and freelance jobs, sending the bill to Gov. Kelly's desk. →

• Gov. Laura Kelly announced more than $19 million for 44 water infrastructure projects and a $7.5 million investment by Indra to build a radar manufacturing facility in Olathe creating 140 jobs. →

• Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce signed a three-year, $54.735 million contract that functions as a one-year deal spreading his cap hit across multiple seasons as he returns for his 14th NFL season. →

🇺🇸 US

• President Trump extended his 48-hour deadline to strike Iranian power plants until Friday, citing "productive conversations" with Iranian officials, though Tehran publicly denied any negotiations were underway. →

• Open-source intelligence analysts identified at least 35 C-17 military transport flights from U.S. bases to the Middle East since March 12, with 11 more en route, suggesting a significant buildup of forces across multiple branches timed to arrive before Trump's Friday strike deadline. →

• An Air Canada Express jet struck a firefighting vehicle on a LaGuardia Airport runway late Sunday, killing two pilots and injuring 41 others including passengers, crew and two rescue officers. →

• Up to 150 Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers were deployed to airports across the United States on Monday as TSA agents work without pay during the partial government shutdown. →

• A survey of roughly 750 chief financial officers found that artificial intelligence had essentially no employment effect in 2025 and is expected to reduce overall head counts by only about 0.4% this year. →

Weather

March 24 1946: Soviets Pull Troops from Iran, Early Cold War Showdown Averted

The Soviet Union agreed to withdraw its forces from Iran within six weeks, ending one of the first major postwar confrontations with the United States. Although Truman claimed tough U.S. pressure forced the move, the withdrawal actually followed a secret oil concession deal with Iran, and the episode deepened mutual suspicion that helped set the tone for the emerging Cold War. Control over Iran’s oil resources loomed large throughout the standoff, driving competing Soviet, British, and American efforts to secure concessions and shaping the U.S. decision to back Tehran.

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