Salina

• City officials are initiating a review of the Schilling Road and Ohio Street intersection after safety concerns were raised regarding hazardous driving conditions caused by subdivision traffic. →
• The city will host a public engagement session on April 7 at the Temple to gather resident priorities for a new cultural plan and launch a community-wide digital survey. →
• The planning commission approved rezoning and replatting for a new medical clinic at the former Kansas Gas Service site, requiring the developer to fund future traffic studies on Ohio Street. →
• Officials toured the Smoky Hill Museum's basement to review a pressing need for expansion, setting the stage for facility funding discussions in the 2027 city budget. →
• Arts advocates are warning that a State Senate proposal to eliminate funding for the Kansas Arts Commission would pull critical operational support from the Stiefel Theatre, Salina Symphony, and other local venues. →
• Both 5-year-old girl and her 8-year-old brother were killed after being shot by another child with an unsecured shotgun. →
• A Salina woman was arrested after making nearly 70 nuisance 911 calls and setting fire to her apartment while ten other residents were inside. Ericka Lashawn Barber faces dozens of charges including aggravated arson, resisting arrest, and communicating false emergency information. →
• The Central Mustangs improved to 6-0 after sweeping a doubleheader against Northwest, led by Bodie Rodriguez's dominant complete-game performance in the series opener. Rodriguez and Oscar Perez provided key offensive power as the team secured 5-1 and 6-5 victories to keep their perfect record intact. →
• Kansas Wesleyan Baseball surged five spots to No. 12 in the latest NAIA Coaches’ Poll, equaling the highest national ranking in program history. →
• The Parks and Recreation Advisory Board approved a $2 million donation to create a natural hillside and trail system at Lakewood Park using silt dredged from the river. →
• A $1.6 million gift will fully fund a new pedestrian trail connecting downtown to the Smoky Hill River without requiring city or federal grant money. →
• After a frosty start this morning, expect plenty of sunshine today with a high near 68 and light northwest winds.

🌾 Kansas

• Senate Bill 334, which lowers educational requirements for nursing educators in Kansas, will become law without Gov. Laura Kelly's signature despite her concerns that relaxed standards could compromise patient care. →

• Gov. Laura Kelly signed bipartisan legislation prohibiting drivers from using cell phones in school and construction zones, with $60 fines taking effect July 1, 2027, after an initial warning period. →

• Independence voters choose Monday between Councilwoman Dr. Bridget McCandless and former union leader Kevin King in a mayoral race dominated by the controversial Nebius AI data center approved with billions in tax breaks. →

• Wichita Public Schools is considering a new bond proposal for the November ballot after voters narrowly rejected a $450 million bond last year, with district buildings averaging more than 60 years old. →

• Kansas farmers are facing soaring input costs as the war in Iran disrupts global supply chains, with urea fertilizer prices jumping from $370 to $850 a ton as the blocked Strait of Hormuz drives up fertilizer and oil prices. →

🇺🇸 US

• An Air Force weapons systems officer shot down over Iran on Friday was rescued Saturday night by Navy SEAL Team 6 after evading Iranian forces for more than 24 hours in a complex special operations mission involving hundreds of troops and dozens of aircraft. →

• President Trump threatened to begin bombing Iran's electric grid and bridges Tuesday unless Tehran reopens the Strait of Hormuz, prompting Iranian warnings of more extensive retaliation if attacks on civilian targets continue. →

• Five shipments of likely sodium perchlorate, a key missile propellant precursor, have arrived in Iran from China as Beijing works to help reconstitute Iran's ballistic missile program targeted by U.S. and Israeli strikes. →

• The four Artemis II astronauts will conduct the first close-up lunar observations by humans in more than 53 years Monday, surpassing Apollo 13's spaceflight distance record before passing behind the moon at 6:47 p.m. Eastern. →

• President Trump is asking Congress for $1.5 trillion in defense funding for fiscal 2027, a roughly 40 percent increase, plus a separate $200 billion supplemental to fund the Iran war and increase munitions production. →

Weather

April 6 1930: Twinkie Invented

Baker James Dewar experimented with injecting cream filling into out-of-season shortcakes to keep his company’s machinery in use when strawberries weren’t available. The resulting cream-filled cake, which he named the Twinkie, became one of America’s most iconic snack foods.

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