County Public Works Director terminated; Manufacturing Month in McPherson; Main Street closed until December; McPherson College ranked by US News; Rain eases drought
Ad Astra Podcast
Week of October 02 2024
Hello citizens of McPherson. This is the McPherson Citizen General Brief for the week of October 2nd, 2024 AD. I'm here to bring you the latest local news and sports. Let's dive into today's top stories. County Public Works Director terminated Manufacturing Month in McPherson Main Street closed until December. McPherson College ranked by U.S. News. Rain eases drought. 1. McPherson County Public Works Director Tom Kramer terminated. McPherson County Public Works Director Tom Kramer was terminated, effective immediately. By county commissioners following a brief executive session on Monday with no explanation provided. Earlier in the meeting, commissioners approved a design contract with Kirkham Michael for Bridge Replacement Project on Arapaho Road, a project overseeing by Kramer and funded by a Kansas Department of Transportation Grant. Kramer had noted that only one consultant had responded to his solicitation for proposals due to other consultants being tied up with federal and state projects. Attempts to reach county administrator Rick Wick for comment by AD Astra Radio were not returned by mid-afternoon Monday. Source McPherson County AD Astra Radio 2. McPherson proclaims October 2024 as Manufacturing Month. McPherson has officially proclaimed October 2024 as Manufacturing Month with October 4th designated as Manufacturing Day. The city, recognized for its deep industrial roots, will join hundreds of manufacturers nationwide in highlighting the modern realities of manufacturing and its vital role in the economy. McPherson's industrial sector, which includes over 35 manufacturers, supports more than 8,500 jobs and generates an annual payroll exceeding $400 million. Key industries in the region include energy, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, and agricultural machinery. The city's leadership encourages residents to participate in this month-long observance, emphasizing the critical contributions of local manufacturing to the community's economic growth. Source City of McPherson 3. Main Street Closure Due to Elm Street drainage project to continue until December. The ongoing Elm Street drainage project has led to the closure of the busy Euclid and main intersection in McPherson, causing significant inconvenience for local residents and businesses. While the intersection of Euclid and Ash has reopened, the Main Street closure is expected to last until December as contractors work to resolve issues, including a surveying error that required a custom steel plate to be fabricated. Additionally, the relocation of traffic signal wiring has added to the project's complexity and cost. City officials are working to keep the public informed with updates, but the extended closure of such a central route is likely to impact traffic and local commerce for several weeks. Source City of McPherson 4. McPherson College secures high rankings in U.S. News and World Report 2024-25. McPherson College has once again earned recognition in U.S. News and World Reports 2024-25 rankings, securing No. 21 in Regional Colleges Midwest, No. 28 in Best Value Schools, and No. 16 in Social Mobility. The college's student debt project, which helps students graduate with little to no debt, and a 48% six-year graduation rate, including 40% for Pell Grant recipients, are key factors contributing to its rankings. The relatively strong graduation rate among Pell Grant recipients, students from lower-income backgrounds, directly contributes to its high ranking in social mobility, showcasing the college's role in advancing educational opportunities for all. Source at Astra Radio, U.S. News 5. Rainfall Improves drop conditions in McPherson County. Recent rainfall has improved drop conditions in McPherson County and surrounding areas. The latest U.S. drop monitor shows that all of McPherson County is now classified as abnormally dry, a notable improvement from prior drought levels. Neighboring counties, including parts of Rice, Ellsworth, Salene, Dickinson, Marion, and Harvey, have also seen improvements. Western Harvey and most of Reno County were upgraded from severe to moderate drought, while Northern Marion County remains completely drop-free. This shift reflects the beneficial impact of the late September rain, source at Astra Radio, drop monitor. McPherson High School Sports Roundup, week of September 24th to October 1st, football, homecoming thriller, McPherson Outlast's Winfield in overtime, 29-23 rankings, Wichita Eagle, Class 4A rankings, one, and over central, two, Bishop Me Age, three, Womego, four, Cape Inn, Mount Carmel, five, Wellington, six, Lewisburg, seven, Bueller, eight, Shinute, nine, McPherson, ten, Eudora, add Astra Radio, Class 4A, one, and over central, two, Cape Inn, Mount Carmel, three, Bishop Me Age, four, Lewisburg, five, Womego, six, Bueller, seven, Shinute, eight, Wellington, nine, Ottawa, ten, Fort Scott, McPherson Girls Tennis Doug Gayer Classic, the McPherson Girls Tennis Team delivered an outstanding performance at the Doug Gayer Classic on September 24th, 2024. The McPherson Red Team secured first place overall with a total of 73 points while the McPherson White Team finished in fifth place with 43 points. Singles results, Maron Sandbo finished in second place. Dragon Rodriguez secured third place. Doubles results, Avery Unruquinn Leibold took home first place. Kennedy Tully McKenna Paul reached the semifinals and finished in fourth place. Volleyball, 924, McPherson split the triangular, winning against Wichita Collegiate two to zero, but falling in their opener to Wellington. 928, the Newton Tournament proved challenging for McPherson as they dropped matches to Bueller and Dale and over central and Eisenhower. However, the Lady Pups rebounded with two wins over Newton and Wichita Northwest. 10-1 at the Clearwater Triangular, McPherson defeated Clearwater and Winfield. Soccer, 924, McPherson Boys Soccer secured a three to zero shutout victory over Bueller. 926, a tough match against Newton saw McPherson fall two to zero. 10-1, McPherson lost a closely contested match two to one to Rose Hill. Cross Country, at the Rim Rock Farm Classic in Lawrence, McPherson runners performed impressively against tough competition. For the boys, Caleb Muleer placed third out of 306 runners with a time of 16 minutes and 14 seconds and Ethan Elder finished 19th at 1700 hours. 70, in the girls race, Lexi Patterson led McPherson finishing 24th with a time of 20 minutes and 45.90 seconds closely followed by Eva Rami in 26th Girls Golf. 927, McPherson tied for third place with Bueller at the Bueller Invitational, both teams posting a score of 348. Brody Coon led McPherson with 85 finish shooting a 76. 930, McPherson claimed the team title at the Andale Invitational with a total score of 336, narrowly defeating Andover. Brody Coon finished second individually with a 75 and teammates Andy Bushbaum and Parabauer also secured top 10 finishes. Article Source, Wichita Eagle, at Astra Radio, 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 read us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. 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