McPherson – Week of January 15 2025

1. BPU Manages 15 Outages During Winter Storm
2. School Board Extends Superintendent's Contract, Addresses PowerSchool Data Breach
3. Eight McPherson Businesses Receive COVID Resiliency Grants
4. County Commission Swears In New Members, Names Leadership
5. Local Scout District Reports Record Year, Honors Eagles Scouts
Bullpup Sports & Activities Report

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Emergency logs

Obituaries

Column: Central Kansas Craft Coffee

1. BPU Manages 15 Outages During Winter Storm

During the recent winter storm, McPherson Board of Public Utilities (BPU) managed 15 power outages across its service area. The most significant outage occurred in the northwest section near Northview, where a line break required shutting down an entire circuit. This outage affected 650 residents for one hour, with the complete circuit shutdown implemented for repair crew safety and repair efficiency. BPU reports that the electrical system maintained stability through the storm conditions, with service being restored systematically as repairs were completed.

Article Source: City of McPherson

2. School Board Extends Superintendent's Contract, Addresses PowerSchool Data Breach

At Monday's school board meeting, the board unanimously approved extending Superintendent Dr. Shiloh Vincent's contract through 2027. The meeting addressed several pressing issues, including recent cold weather conditions that impacted school operations. Dr. Vincent detailed how the district is managing state-mandated instructional hour requirements of 1116 hours for grades 7-12 and 1086 hours for K-6, while emphasizing that safety remains the primary consideration in weather-related decisions. The board also discussed a significant cybersecurity incident involving Power School, the district's student information system, which was compromised around December 22. While the full impact is still being assessed, the district expects to receive detailed information between January 7-21, with potential exposure limited to basic directory information for current students and possibly social security numbers for pre-2005 students.

Article Source: USD 418

3. Eight McPherson Businesses Receive 'COVID Resiliency' Grants

The City of McPherson administered a COVID Resiliency grant (No. 23-CR008) funded through the Kansas Department of Commerce's Small Cities Community Development Block Grant program. The grant provided $142k in funding. Eight businesses within McPherson city limits received support for improvements designed to enhance their resilience against future health emergencies.   

The funded improvements included: 1 outdoor dining installation, 3 website developments, 7 point of sale/order/inventory/ecommerce systems, 8 office equipment packages, and 1 floral cooler.  

The grant specifically targeted business sustainability during potential future health emergencies, focusing on upgrades that would allow businesses to maintain operations during situations similar to the COVID-19 pandemic. Crystal Hinnen from Ransom Financial Group served as the grant administrator, overseeing the distribution and implementation of funds.

Article Source: City of McPherson

4. County Commission Swears In New Members, Names Leadership

The McPherson County Commission conducted its first meeting of 2025 with the swearing-in of two commissioners. Tom Kueser and David O'Dell took their oaths of office for Districts Two and Three respectively. Following the ceremonial proceedings, the commission moved swiftly to establish its leadership structure for the coming term. Keith Becker was appointed as chairman of the commission, while newly sworn-in commissioner David O'Dell was selected to serve as vice chairman. Both leadership appointments received unanimous approval from the three-member commission. The meeting, which marks the last to be held in the current facility before relocating to the Public Works building on Avenue A, also included standard procedural matters and department reports.

Article Source: McPherson County

5. Local Scout District Reports Record Year, Honors Eagles Scouts

The Pawnee District of Quivira Council Boy Scouts of America celebrated significant achievements at their annual awards ceremony last Thursday. The district, which serves McPherson County and surrounding areas, recognized seven new Eagle Scouts and reported exceeding all growth benchmarks for 2024. The district recorded 1,452 Cub Scout ranks earned and 81 Cub Scout ventures completed, along with 9,496 BSA rank advancements and 739 merit badges awarded. Community service remained a key focus, with scouts contributing 739 service hours and collecting 4,257 pounds of food for local food banks. McPherson Mayor Tom Brown, who attended the ceremony, noted his involvement with three Eagle Scout projects over the past eight years and emphasized the organization's role in developing future community leaders.

Article Source: City of McPherson

Bullpup Sports & Activities Report

Basketball

Recent Games:

•       Bullpups vs. Mulvane

•       Bullpups vs. Winfield

Upcoming Tournament:
 61st Annual McPherson Invitational
 January 23–25, 2025 at the MHS Roundhouse
 (See bracket for details.)

Rescheduled Game:
 The Augusta games originally slated for January 7th have been moved to Thursday, February 6th.

Boys Wrestling

33rd Annual Burlington Invitational (1/11)

Team Scores:

1.     Silver Lake (252)

2.     McPherson (213.5)

3.     Caney Valley (165.5)

Area Top-Four Finishers:

1.     106#: 1st Parker Hulvey (McPherson)

2.     113#: 3rd Aiden Wilson (Erie), 4th Noah Garcia (McPherson)

3.     120#: 1st John Robben (McPherson)

4.     126#: 1st Curt Shannon (Humboldt), 3rd Nathan Prescott (McPherson)

5.     132#: 2nd Keaton Crane (McPherson)

6.     138#: 2nd Ryan Hoyt (Burlington), 3rd Ean LaCrone (Iola), 4th Kaeson Curtis (McPherson)

7.     150#: 2nd Aden McManus (Burlington), 3rd Seth Welch (Erie)

8.     157#: 2nd Kale Pratt (Iola)

9.     175#: 1st Jase Fitzmorris (McPherson)

10.  190#: 1st Cole Mathes (Humboldt), 2nd Brock Richardson (McPherson)

11.  215#: 4th Catch DeLaney (McPherson)

12.  285#: 4th Carter Leathers (McPherson)

Girls Wrestling

8th Burlington LadyCat Invitational (1/11)

Team Scores:

1.     Fort Scott (184)

2.     Wellsville (159.5)

3.     McPherson (155.5)

Area Top-Four Finishers:

1.     100#: 1st Madison Shepard (Uniontown)

2.     105#: 4th Mercedes Ladwig (McPherson)

3.     110#: 3rd Lexi Patterson (McPherson)

4.     120#: 1st Olivia Lyons (Burlington)

5.     125#: 3rd Amara Dossett (McPherson)

6.     130#: 3rd Addilyn Wacker (Iola)

7.     135#: 1st Haylei Potter (Burlington), 4th Madi Cope (Erie)

8.     140#: 4th Sydney Cummins (McPherson)

9.     145#: 2nd Temperynce Bruner (McPherson), 3rd Serenity Boothe (Anderson County), 4th Raiellen Blanchard (Humboldt)

10.  155#: 1st Taevyn Baylor (Humboldt)

11.  170#: 2nd Paige Ferrera (Burlington)

12.  190#: 2nd Zoie Hesse (Iola), 3rd Savanah Koch (Humboldt)

13.  235#: 1st Ciara Rawson (McPherson), 3rd Gabiriela Vargas-Garcia (Humboldt)

(Full results available via Ad Astra Radio.)

Debate

Novice State Debate (1/10–11)

Notable Honors:

•       Oliver Bowman: Top 10 Speaker (Novice)

•       Reagan Lawson: 4th Overall Novice Speaker in Kansas

Team Highlights:

•       Ellie Frye & Ben Schmitz: Runners-Up in Novice State Policy Debate

(Photo and more details on MHS Bullpups Twitter.)

Sponsors (click me!)

Sources

1. https://www.facebook.com/CityOfMcPhersonLocalGovernment/videos/1171381951008866

2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1n3iXdxEK_k

3. https://www.facebook.com/CityOfMcPhersonLocalGovernment/videos/1171381951008866

4. https://www.mcphersoncountyks.us/949/BOCC-Recent-Agendas-Minutes-and-Video

5. https://www.facebook.com/CityOfMcPhersonLocalGovernment/videos/1171381951008866