Week of October 02 2024
County Public Works Director terminated; Manufacturing Month in McPherson; Main Street closed until December; McPherson College ranked by US News; Rain eases drought
1. McPherson County Public Works Director Tom Kramer Terminated
2. McPherson Proclaims October 2024 as Manufacturing Month
3. Main Street Closure Due to Elm Street Drainage Project to Continue Until December
4. McPherson College Secures High Rankings in U.S. News & World Report 2024-25
5. Rainfall Improves Drought Conditions in McPherson County
McPherson High School Sports Roundup
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Emergency logs
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 a bridge replacement project on Arapaho Road, a project overseen 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 Witte 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 4 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 & World Report 2024-25
McPherson College has once again earned recognition in U.S. News & World Report’s 2024-25 rankings, securing #21 in Regional Colleges Midwest, #28 in Best Value Schools, and #16 in Social Mobility. The college's Student Debt Project, which helps students graduate with little to no debt, and a 48% 6-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: Ad Astra Radio, US News
5. Rainfall Improves Drought Conditions in McPherson County
Recent rainfall has improved drought conditions in McPherson County and surrounding areas. The latest U.S. Drought 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, Saline, 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 drought-free. This shift reflects the beneficial impact of the late September rain.
Wichita National Weather Service (NWS) Area
Source: Ad Astra Radio, Drought Monitor
McPherson High School Sports Roundup
Week of September 24 – October 1
Football
Homecoming Thriller: McPherson Outlasts Winfield in Overtime, 29-23
Rankings
Wichita Eagle
CLASS 4A
1. Andover Central; 2. Bishop Miege; 3. Wamego; 4. Kapaun Mt. Carmel; 5. Wellington; 6. Louisburg; 7. Buhler; 8. Chanute; 9. McPherson; 10. Eudora
Ad Astra Radio
Class 4A
1. Andover Central; 2. Kapaun Mount Carmel; 3. Bishop Miege; 4. Louisburg; 5. Wamego; 6. Buhler 7. Chanute; 8. Wellington; 9. Ottawa; 10. Fort Scott.
McPherson Girls Tennis – Doug Gayer Classic (9/24/24)
The McPherson Girls Tennis team delivered an outstanding performance at the Doug Gayer Classic on September 24, 2024. The McPherson Red team secured 1st place overall with a total of 73 points, while the McPherson White team finished in 5th place with 43 points.
Singles Results: * Maryn Sandbo (McPherson Red) finished in 2nd place. * Dragon Rodriguez (McPherson Red) secured 3rd place.
Doubles Results: * Avery Unruh / Quinn Liebl (McPherson Red) took home 1st place. * Kennedy Tully / McKenna Paul (McPherson White) reached the semifinals and finished in 4th place.
Volleyball
9/24: McPherson split the triangular, winning against Wichita Collegiate 2-0 (25-23, 25-10) but falling in their opener to Wellington.
9/28: The Newton Tournament proved challenging for McPherson, as they dropped matches to Buhler (25-19, 25-19), Andale (25-19, 25-15), Andover Central (25-22, 25-11), and Eisenhower (25-18, 25-23). However, the Lady Pups rebounded with two wins over Newton (25-18, 25-17) and Wichita Northwest (25-23, 9-25, 25-21).
10/1: At the Clearwater Triangular, McPherson defeated Clearwater (25-16, 25-20) and Winfield (25-8, 25-14).
Soccer
9/24: McPherson boys' soccer secured a 3-0 shutout victory over Buhler.
9/26: A tough match against Newton saw McPherson fall 2-0.
10/1: McPherson lost a closely contested match 2-1 to Rose Hill.
Cross Country (9/28)
At the Rim Rock Farm HS Classic in Lawrence, McPherson runners performed impressively against tough competition. For the boys, Caleb Muehler placed 3rd out of 306 runners with a time of 16:14.00, and Ethan Elder finished 19th at 17:00.70. In the girls' race, Lexi Patterson led McPherson, finishing 24th with a time of 20:45.90, closely followed by Eva Ramey in 26th (20:46.30).
Girls Golf
9/27: McPherson tied for 3rd place with Buhler at the Buhler Invitational, both teams posting a score of 348. Brodie Kuhn led McPherson with a T5 finish, shooting a 76.
9/30: McPherson claimed the team title at the Andale Invitational with a total score of 336, narrowly defeating Andover. Brodie Kuhn finished 2nd individually with a 75, and teammates Andi Buschbom (80) and Pera Bauer (84) also secured top-10 finishes.
Article Source: Wichita Eagle, Ad Astra Radio
Sources
1. https://www.mcphersoncountyks.us/949/BOCC-Recent-Agendas-Minutes-and-Video; https://www.adastraradio.com/adastra-news/mcpherson-county-public-works-director-terminated-following-executive-session-at-conclusion-of-county-commission-meeting-sept-30
2. https://www.facebook.com/CityOfMcPhersonLocalGovernment/videos/1704278823682312
3. https://www.facebook.com/CityOfMcPhersonLocalGovernment/videos/1704278823682312
4. https://www.adastraradio.com/adastra-news/mcpherson-college-ranks-in-u-s-news-world-report-best-college-list-2; https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges
5. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ad-astra-radio-daily/id1694025121?i=1000670934423; https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/Maps/CompareTwoWeeks.aspx
6. https://www.kansas.com/sports/varsity-kansas/varsity-football/article293211604.html
https://www.adastraradio.com/hutch-sports/kansas-high-school-football-rankings-week-5
https://www.adastraradio.com/adastra-sports/ad-astra-radio-thursday-high-school-scoreboard-9-26-24
https://www.adastraradio.com/adastra-sports/ad-astra-radio-saturday-high-school-scoreboard-9-28-24
https://www.adastraradio.com/adastra-sports/ad-astra-radio-tuesday-high-school-scoreboard-10-2-24