McPherson

• Moundridge Superintendent Cody Rierson has been named the second finalist to lead McPherson Public Schools (USD 418), joining assistant superintendent Ty Rhodes in the search to replace outgoing superintendent Shiloh Vincent. →
• The McPherson County Commission will consider purchasing a 2027 plow/dump truck from MHC Kenworth for $252,686, alongside funding for concrete blocks and electrical work. →
• A $284,000 federal grant for traffic safety enhancements in Moundridge and Lindsborg is stalled due to a tedious legal review by the Federal Highway Administration. →
• Tricia Smith, director of Friends of Maxwell, will detail prairie preservation efforts and a $16,414 state tourism grant during a public presentation Monday at The Cedars. →
• The 16-piece McPherson Community Brass ensemble, directed by Christopher Teichler, will perform a public concert at The Cedars retirement community on April 20. →
• The McPherson Board of Public Utilities will meet on April 20 to review utility operations across administration, electric and water distribution, and electric production. →
• The McPherson Public Library is preparing to mark National Library Week with local community activities. →
• The McPherson Bullpups varsity girls softball team secured two wins against Mulvane with scores of 17-12 and 11-3, backed by a relentless offense that produced 31 hits and 28 runs across both games. →
• The McPherson Middle School boys tennis team achieved an 11-0 sweep against Arkansas City, winning all seven singles matches and four doubles matches without dropping a single set. →
• The McPherson Bullpups middle school track teams hosted a meet on April 16, highlighted by a first-place finish for the seventh-grade girls and a second-place finish for the eighth-grade boys. Numerous students achieved individual and relay victories across various events, including distance runs, jumps, and throws. →
• It’s going to be a beautiful sunny day in McPherson with a high of 77, though you’ll want to watch out for those southwesterly winds gusting up to 29 mph.

🌾 Kansas

• Kansas's first 3D-printed home in Topeka has completed its wall construction, with the two-bedroom structure costing about $170 per square foot compared to $225 or more for traditional builds and expected to be move-in ready by June. →

• Connie Palacioz, a 101-year-old World War II-era "Rosie the Riveter" who helped build B-29 Superfortresses in Wichita and later volunteered on the B-29 DOC restoration project, died Sunday. →

• Former U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg rallied Kansas Democrats at Century II in Wichita on Friday, urging the party to pay closer attention to Kansas voters ahead of the 2026 midterms. →

• A Legislative Post Audit review found that an estimated $700,000 to $1.2 million in federal SNAP benefits may have been paid to recipients living outside Kansas during fiscal years 2023 and 2024, less than 1% of state spending. →

• The U.S. Department of Education determined Friday that four Kansas school districts — Kansas City, Olathe, Shawnee Mission and Topeka — violated Title IX and FERPA through their gender-inclusive policies and threatened to terminate federal funding if agreements are not reached. →

🇺🇸 US

• U.S. manufacturing production rose 2.3% since January 2025 despite losing 100,000 factory jobs, driven by AI infrastructure demand that has fueled 16 consecutive quarters of capacity expansion—the longest sustained growth streak in nearly two decades. →

• Users who deactivated Facebook or Instagram for six weeks before the 2020 election reported measurable improvements in happiness, depression and anxiety compared with those who stayed on the platforms, according to a National Bureau of Economic Research working paper. →

• Florida's population boom is reversing as working-age residents leave for more affordable states while the influx of newcomers slows, threatening an economy dependent on continued growth and real-estate development. →

• Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket successfully reused and re-landed its first stage Sunday but failed to deliver AST SpaceMobile's BlueBird 7 satellite to its intended orbit, forcing the spacecraft to be de-orbited. →

• U.S. forces fired on and boarded the Iranian-flagged cargo ship Touska after it violated the American blockade of Iran, marking the first use of force since the blockade took effect. →

Weather

APRIL 20 2010: DEEPWATER HORIZON EXPLOSION TRIGGERS MASSIVE GULF OIL SPILL

An offshore drilling rig operated for BP exploded and sank in the Gulf of Mexico, killing 11 workers and injuring 17 others. The blowout unleashed roughly 4.9 million barrels of crude oil, causing the largest offshore oil spill in U.S. history and long-term damage to Gulf coast ecosystems and economies.

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