Week of November 07 2024

1. No Contested Local Races in McPherson
2. McPherson Progresses Infrastructure Projects
3.  McPherson County Sheriff’s Office Transitions to 9mm Handguns
4. CHS Inc. Reports $1.1 Billion Net Income for 2024, McPherson Refinery Affected by Lower Margins
5. Rainfall Roundup
6. Bullpup Sports Update

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1. No Contested Local Races in McPherson

In a quiet election cycle for McPherson County, local voters headed to the polls Tuesday with no contested county races on their ballots. Among those running unopposed was David Bohnenblust of McPherson, who is set to take over as the 2nd District County Commissioner, succeeding Tom Kuesner of Canton. Kuesner chose not to seek re-election, leaving Bohnenblust as the sole candidate. Meanwhile, Cassie Chick, recently appointed to the County Treasurer role following Teresa Nelson’s retirement, was also unopposed. McPherson County voters will also weigh in on the retention of two 9th Judicial District Judges, Jason Lane and Michael Llamas, both based in Newton. This vote spans McPherson and neighboring Harvey County.  

McPherson voters delivered a significant margin for Donald Trump, who took 70% of the county’s votes compared to Kamala Harris’s 24%. Across the state, Kansas’ Congressional delegation held steady, with all three incumbents winning re-election. In the Big 1st District, Republican Tracey Mann won comfortably, as did Ron Estes in the 4th District. In the 3rd District, Democrat Sharice Davids also retained her seat. In McPherson County, Mann outpaced Trump, securing 603 more votes than the former president.  

Other local elected offices include:  

County Commissioner, District 3: David A. O'Dell (Republican) 

Register of Deeds: Laurie B. Wiziarde (Republican) 

County Clerk: Hollie D. Melroy (Republican) 

County Attorney: Jennifer Wyatt (Republican) 

County Sheriff:  Jerry P. Montagne (Republican)  

In an election season that is setting records in some states for turnout, campaign spending and existential angst, a new survey of races nationwide offers another chart-topping statistic: Seven in 10 elective offices in this year’s general election are being sought by only one candidate. BallotReady,  a nonpartisan organization promoting civic engagement, which conducted the research, said the share of uncontested races at all levels of government, from local fire districts to Capitol Hill, was greater than in any of its past surveys in 2020, 2022 and 2023. “Democracy is not working the way it should,” Alex Niemczewski, chief executive of the organization, said on Wednesday. “Voters don’t have a choice.”

Article Source: Ad Astra Radio, NYT

2. McPherson Progresses Infrastructure Projects

At their November 5 meeting, McPherson city officials advanced several infrastructure projects. The Fire Station #2 project received approval for exterior paving work, increasing the overall budget to nearly $3 million. Plans for a 40 x 100 x 9-foot garage to support public lands moved forward with a $100k contract awarded to Sturdy Built of Hutchinson. The water treatment plant reached a 24/7 operation milestone, enhancing water quality and supply stability. Updates were also provided on the Elm Street drainage and Euclid extension project, where recent storm sewer and paving work was completed; however, no specific timeline for project completion was given.

Article Source: City of McPherson

3.  McPherson County Sheriff’s Office Transitions to 9mm Handguns

The McPherson County Sheriff’s Office will transition deputies from 40-caliber to 9mm handguns following the approval of a $4,048 purchase. The change aligns with other local law enforcement agencies, such as the police department, which also use 9mm handguns. Sheriff’s officials cited multiple benefits of the switch, including lower ammunition costs, improved accuracy, and operational consistency during joint efforts like SWAT team deployments. Deputies will also have the option to buy back their current 40-caliber handguns through the distributor, ensuring a smooth transition. The budgeted funds for the new weapons will cover Glock handguns with a full lifetime warranty, and future budget considerations may include new holsters and red-dot laser sights.

Article Source: McPherson County

4. CHS Inc. Reports $1.1 Billion Net Income for 2024, McPherson Refinery Affected by Lower Margins

CHS Inc., the largest agribusiness cooperative in the U.S. and a vital employer in McPherson with one of its two refineries, reported a net income of $1.1 billion for fiscal year 2024, down from $1.9 billion the previous year. The drop in earnings reflects the challenges of evolving market conditions, notably in CHS’s Energy and Ag segments. For the fiscal year ending August 31, CHS reported $39.3 billion in consolidated revenues, a decline from $45.6 billion in 2023, largely due to lower commodity prices. In McPherson, the local refinery felt the impact of less favorable refining margins and reduced pricing on heavy Canadian crude, which contributed to a $646.4 million decrease in pretax Energy earnings. Despite these declines, the cooperative noted positive performance from its equity investments, especially from CF Nitrogen. The Ag segment, however, faced softening oilseed crush margins and challenging conditions in U.S. grain exports, reducing its earnings from last year’s peak.

Article Source: CHS

5. Rainfall Roundup

Over the past weekend, my rain gauge in Turkey Creek received 2.5 inches of rainfall between Friday and Monday, providing a much-needed boost to the area’s moisture levels. This rainfall pushed the month-to-date (MTD) total to 2.17 inches above the monthly average. However, the year-to-date (YTD) total remains 0.62 inches below the average.

Article Source: Rain Drop App

6. Bullpup Sports Update

Football 

Bullpups Claw Past Cowboys 41-20 in Playoff Opener with Explosive Fourth Quarter

Playoff bracket

Volleyball 

The Lady Pups made a strong showing at the state tournament, finishing 4th overall.  

Cross Country 

The McPherson cross country teams turned in standout performances at the state meet in Wamego.

Boys Team: Achieved an impressive 3rd place finish, led by: * STATE CHAMPION: Caleb Muehler, 16:33.40 * 3rd Place: Ethan Elder, 16:49.81

Girls Team: Finished 7th overall. Top runners included: * 21st: Lexi Patterson, 21:32.44 * 22nd: Eva Ramey, 21:33.35  

Soccer 

In a hard-fought regional championship rematch of last season’s state 3rd place game, McPherson fell to Wichita Trinity Academy with a final score of 2-0. The Bullpup Soccer team concludes a successful season, finishing with a record of 9-8-1.  

Basketball 

The Bullpups’ first home basketball game is scheduled for December 3rd, kicking off the winter sports season.

Article Source: Ad Astra Radio

Sources

1. https://www.adastraradio.com/mac-news/mcpherson-county-voters-to-have-no-contested-local-race-on-tuesday-general-election-ballot
https://www.adastraradio.com/mac-news/mcpherson-county-general-election-results
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/30/us/election-uncontested-races.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare

2. https://www.facebook.com/CityOfMcPhersonLocalGovernment/videos/415287048345859

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

4. https://www.chsinc.com/news/2024/11/06/chs-reports-fiscal-year-2024-earnings

5. app