MainxEuclid closed / McPherson power expansion / Fire truck upgrade / MCCF scholarship program / New United Way Director / King Midas and Mufflers gets exhibit / Sports
Ad Astra Podcast
Week of September 24 2024
Hello citizens of McPherson. This is the McPherson Citizen General Brief for the week of September 24th, 2024 AD. I'm here to bring you the latest local news and sports. Let's dive into today's top stories. In today's pod, we're tracking main Euclid intersection closed, McPherson Power Expansion, Fire Truck Upgrade, MCC F Scholarship Program, New United Way Director, King Midas and Mufflers gets exhibit sports / intersection of main and Euclid closed until December. The intersection at Euclid and Ash Streets is now completed and set to reopen. Phase two of the Elm Street drainage project will begin today, focusing on the main street intersection. This phase is expected to last through December 2024. Limited parking will be available on the side opposite to construction to minimize the impact on nearby businesses. The city of McPherson Public Works Department advises that no official detour is planned during the closure. For more information, contact Public Works at 620-245-2545 or sign up for civic-ready alerts for the latest updates. One McPherson Plan's 100 MW Power Expansion aims for 2030 the city is partnering with Burns and McDonald to add 100 MW of new power generation capacity to the local energy fleet. The project requires a generation interconnection application to the southwest power pool which must be submitted by the end of October 2024. Approval is expected to take three to four years with construction extending the project timeline by another two to three years. The new energy capacity is projected to go live by 2030, addressing growing demand and aging infrastructure. City officials see this as a crucial step to prevent future electricity shortages. Editors note, for comparison, 100 MW of power can supply electricity to roughly 65,000 to 100,000 homes at once, depending on average consumption. It's equivalent to powering a small city or several large industrial facilities. In terms of physical size, it would take a 500-600-acre solar farm or 100 windmills to generate 100 MW. Two McPherson Fire Department to upgrade fleet with two new brush trucks for $473,000 the city has approved the purchase of two new brush trucks for the fire department, replacing the aging engine too. The decision came after a proposal to spend $473,000 on two trucks built on international CV chassis, each capable of carrying 600 gallons of water. The new trucks will serve the department's needs in fighting wildland fires. Wise fire in Selena was chosen for the purchase due to its proximity and additional features. The existing engine too, a 2006 international pumprer, will be sold after the new trucks arrive. The department expects to receive the new vehicles within a year, enhancing its ability to manage wildfires. Three MCCF launches professional recruitment program offers scholarships to McPherson County Community Foundation has a new initiative, the McPherson County Professional Recruitment Program. This reverse scholarship aims to attract college or trade educated professionals to McPherson County by offering financial assistance towards student loans or relocation costs for those who move to participating communities and work for local businesses. Fundraising efforts are underway to officially launch the program. For more information, interested parties can contact Michelle Huddle at 620-245-9070 or email Michelle@McPhersonFoundation.org. For Laura Parks named new executive director of United Way of McPherson County Laura Parks, a Wichita native in McPherson College Alumni, has been appointed as the new executive director of the United Way of McPherson County. With 17 years of experience at the Kansas Department for Children and Families, Parks specialized in vocational rehabilitation, focusing on helping individuals with disabilities access accommodations and employment opportunities. Her previous roles also included participation in Kansas women in state employment and serving on special education transition councils for McPherson and Ellis counties, where she collaborated with Kansas youth programs. Five King Midas and the Mufflers gets exhibited McPherson Museum, a new exhibit celebrating McPherson's legendary rock band King Midas and the Mufflers. Opened on September 20th at the McPherson Museum, dubbed Kansas longest performing rock and roll band, King Midas got its start in 1965 and, after nearly six decades, continues to perform. In recognition of their long-standing contribution to the state's music scene, the band was inducted into the Kansas Music Hall of Fame in 2006. The exhibit pays tribute to their legacy, showcasing memorabilia and the band's enduring impact on Kansas music history. Sports high school bullpups fall short against Chanute, 27 to 14 volleyball triangular at circle the McPherson volleyball team bounced back with two wins the last Tuesday at the circle triangular. After dropping the first set to circle, the bullpups rallied to win the next two, taking the match two to one. They followed that with a two to zero sweep over Augusta. Haley Hageman led the team with 17 kills, Riley Whitfield contributed 33 assists, Ava Romero tallied 16 digs, and Brooke Doyle added five blocks. With the victories, McPherson extended their win streak to three. They will host a triangular against Wichita Collegiate and Wellington on September 24th. Cross-country at Bueller the McPherson cross-country teams competed in the Bueller Invitational and Hutchinson on Thursday. The boys finished fourth led by Caleb Muleer who took second with a time of 1711 and Ethan Elder who finished eighth with 1741. The girls placed sixth with strong performances from Lexi Patterson and Evorami who finished thirteenth and fourteenth respectively. Girls tennis invitational at Bueller the McPherson girls tennis team claimed second place at the Bueller Invitational. Marin Sandbo finished third in singles with a three to one record while Dragon Rodriguez took sixth going two to two. In doubles the pair of Avery Unruh and Quinn Leibel finished second with a two to one record and Avery Eveland and Aaron Olsen secured fourth place going two to two. The bullpups will next compete in the Doug Gayer Classic at McPherson on September 24th. Girls golf at McPherson Invitational the McPherson girls golf team hosted the McPherson Invitational at Turkey Creek Golf Course finishing sixth out of 14 teams. The team recorded a combined score of 350 just three strokes behind Bueller. Brody Coon led the bullpups finishing fifth overall with a personal best of 73 followed by Andy Buschbaum in 11th place with a 79 and Reese Elliott with a personal best 85. The team heads to Heston for their next meet on September 27th. Boy soccer versus Salina South the McPherson Boy soccer team suffered a four to zero loss to Salina South on Thursday marking their third match in four days. The team struggled offensively managing only three shots on goal while allowing 17 with four finding the back of the net. This tough home loss puts the bullpups at three to four for the season. They will face rival Bueller at home on September 24th. As of 749 p.m. on September 24th McPherson was leading Bueller three to zero. College McPherson college triumphs over Ottawa in 31 to 14 victory. The McPherson Bulldogs improved to two to one on the season with a 31 to 14 win over the Ottawa Braves on September 21st at McPherson Stadium. The Bulldogs controlled the game from the start taking an early lead and never looking back while Ottawa dropped to zero to three. McPherson opened the scoring with a methodical 17 play 80 yard drive capped off by a two yard touchdown run from Jaleel Brown. The Bulldogs struck again shortly after when quarterback Tristan Sabo connected with Trayvon Lewis Johnson on a 60 yard bomb giving McPherson a 14 to 0 lead at the end of the first quarter. Ottawa's only bright spot came in the second quarter when quarterback Taylor Eggers punched in a one yard run to cut the lead to 14 to 7. However the Bulldogs answered back in the third quarter as Sabo through his second touchdown pass of the night a 21 yard strike to Brown extending McPherson's lead to 21 to 7. McPherson's defense was relentless holding Ottawa to just 71 rushing yards and forcing a key interception late in the game. The Bulldogs ground attack proved too much for Ottawa to handle as McPherson racked up 233 rushing yards with Jaleel Brown leading the charge with 99 yards on 19 carries. Sabo also contributed 91 rushing yards showcasing his dual threat ability. In the fourth quarter McPherson sealed the victory with a one yard touchdown run from Jeremiah Mosley followed by a 36 yard field goal from Maxwell Barba. Although Ottawa added a late score the Bulldogs defense stifled any hopes of a comeback with an interception by Christopher Rochelle. That's all for today's brief. Join us again next week for more news and updates. This show was produced by Greg Loving wishing you a great day ahead. Please follow and rate us on Apple podcasts or Spotify. It helps other listeners find us. Stay informed and add extra per aspirate. [MUSIC PLAYING]