McPherson County to exceed revenue-neutral rate in 2025; McPherson City updates; Heavy rainstorm 9/5; McPherson College opens Boiler House; New animal shelter fees
Ad Astra Podcast
Week of September 10 2024
Hello, citizens of McPherson. This is the McPherson Citizen Journal, daily brief for the week of September 10, 2024, 2024 AD. I'm here to bring you the latest news headlines. Let's dive into today's top stories. Today in McPherson News, we're tracking McPherson County to exceed the revenue neutral rate for 2025. McPherson City updates, rainfall roundup, McPherson College opens the Boilerhouse Cafe, new animal shelter fees, plus stay tuned for high school varsity sports updates. Wendy's is temporarily closed for remodeling and will reopen in December. So, if you're craving a frosty, you'll have to wait until the holidays. McPherson County to exceed revenue neutral rate for 2025. The McPherson County Commission has approved a resolution to exceed the revenue neutral rate during a public hearing on the 2025 budget. This means the mill levy will increase from 28.907 to 30.628 mils. Rising costs for wages, infrastructure, and post-pandemic inflation are the key reasons behind this decision. Some residents raise concerns about property tax hikes and inflated property valuations. Officials have encouraged citizens to protest if they believe their appraisals are inaccurate. The commission emphasized that the increase was necessary to maintain roads, bridges, and county employee wages. Efforts to minimize tax hikes had delayed this adjustment for years. Also, the McPherson County Planning and Zoning Department reported issuing 10 permits in August, with a total valuation of $1.73 million, which includes $1.5 million for a new chicken barn. Year-to-date fees have exceeded last year's total by $3,000. McPherson City approves payment for fire station number two. Honors police officers. The McPherson City Commission approved a progress payment of $387,000 to hutton construction for ongoing work on fire station number two. The new station is nearing completion, and the exterior work should be finished soon. Two police officers, Sergeant Leslie Caballero and Sergeant John Yates, were honored with the next gen under 30 awards for their leadership and community contributions. They, along with another city staff member, will have lunch with the governor in Topeka to celebrate their achievements. In other news, the city commission authorized legal action against lock and load Midwest LLC for supplying defective cement blocks in the Lakeside Pond Bank restoration project. A civil lawsuit is being filed to recover the costs associated with the faulty materials. Ad Astra investigates. The Elm Street drainage project is nearing completion despite some delays due to recent rain and construction adjustments. Rainfall Roundup. On September 5, McPherson experienced heavy rainfall, causing flooding in low-lying areas. The storm also brought 60 miles per hour wind gusts, recorded at McPherson Airport. A local rain gauge in East McPherson recorded 2.10 inches of rain, which is 1.37 inches above the monthly average. A second wave of storms added even more rain later in the evening, though surrounding areas experienced varying intensities. McPherson College opens new Boilerhouse Cafe. McPherson College has opened a new cafe, the Boilerhouse, in the center of campus. The cafe is named after the repurposed building that once housed the college's Boiler system. It features indoor and outdoor seating, a limited menu of sandwiches, salads, wraps, and homemade ice cream from Indigo mood in Linzborg. The cafe is open Monday through Friday and is available for both Dine In and Carry Out, with online ordering through the Sodexo app coming soon. This is part of several expansion projects happening at McPherson College. If you're on campus, be sure to check it out. McPherson Animal Shelter introduces new fees. The McPherson Animal Shelter has introduced new adoption and impound fees after partnering with a new veterinarian. This ensures that all animals are spayed or neutered, vaccinated, microchipped, and receive other necessary treatments before adoption. Adoption fees for puppies under five months range from $100 to $200. The impound fees have also been updated to a $35 charge for the first day and $10 daily afterward. This partnership is aimed at improving the health and well-being of pets entering new homes. High school varsity sports updates. Volleyball, McPherson bullpups faced a tough challenge at the Andale triangular. Despite winning the first set against Andale, the bullpups dropped the next two sets and were unable to rebound against Mulvain, falling in straight sets. Head coach Christy Doyle remains optimistic, noting the team is playing hard and hustling. Cross-country. Both the boys and girls' teams finished seventh at the Great Bend Invitational. Standout performances included Caleb Muleer's third place finish and Lexi Patterson finishing 11th in the girls' race. Soccer. McPherson boys' soccer dominated circle with a seven to zero shutout. Manny Morales and Boren Heng each netted two goals. The bullpups head to May's south for a tournament this week. Football. McPherson's football team faced a tough opener, falling 28 to 6 to Great Bend. However, Catch Delaney, who scored the team's only touchdown, was named player of the game. Coach and fans alike were impressed with his standout performance despite the loss. Keep an eye on Delaney this season. What a name. That's all for today's brief. Join us again next week for more news and local updates. This show was produced by Greg Lovell, wishing you a great day ahead. Stay informed and add Astrid Astra for Aspra. [ Silence ]