Newsletter-Late-Week

County puts data centers, battery systems on hold

The McPherson County Commission put six-month moratoriums on building data centers, battery energy storage systems, and hydrogen energy facilities in unincorporated areas, but some of these sorts of operations went in before the government acted, and commissioners will let them continue while the new technologies are studied for possible regulation or prevention. The moratoriums don’t apply to incorporated areas, and commissioners said that if a municipality made an “island annexation” of unconnected land, such as by a power substation, that also would be exempt, even while the county works on a new comprehensive plan for the next 20 years.

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City budget would double police retirement payments

Scott Bontz News-Record In 2026 budget discussion on either side of its regular meeting Monday night, the Lindsborg City Council hashed out whether to more than double the cost for a police retirement program and whether to fund the Old Mill & Swedish Heritage Museum at all, after a 19-year-old policy statement was found that could be read to preclude such help for nonprofits. The consensus was to make the police insurance change and again give the museum $30,000 of the $50,000 it asked for.

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IN BRIEF

IN BRIEF Gallant delays trial for new attorney Court records last month indicated Emile Gallant was plea bargaining on federal drug and gun charges, but he decided to switch attorneys and ask for a new trial date so his new lawyer can study the case. Last month, his public defender asked to postpone his trial a month for plea negotiations with the prosecution.

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IN BRIEF

Few meals available for Senior Center visitors There won’t be hot meals through the Lindsborg Senior Center next week, as the temporary program at Messiah Lutheran Church ends this week, a week earlier than planned, and the aging agency that hires for the center’s lunches works out how to resume deliveries. Marian Lindshield, the Senior Center’s director, said she will have frozen meals available for people who otherwise couldn’t manage.

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