Kansas Department of Transportation

RENO COUNTY, Kan. —&nbsp;The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) announced on July 10, a $10 million project on a section of highway previously designated as K-14 in Reno and Rice counties is expected to begin Thursday, July 20.

This 17-mile section of what had been K-14 was replaced last month by a new K-14 alignment.

The KDOT project includes about a 12-mile section of highway in Reno County, from about 4.5 miles southeast of Nickerson to the Reno/Rice county line. The work will include a mill and hot-mix-asphalt overlay and bridge repair. This part of the contract amounts to about $4.6 million.

The project also includes about a 5-mile section of highway in Rice County, from the Reno/Rice county line to 1,370 feet north of Avenue U. The work will include grading and bridge repair and surfacing. This part of the contract amounts to about $5.4 million.

During the initial bridge work in both counties, traffic will be reduced to one lane at the Arkansas River bridge south of Sterling and at the Arkansas River bridge west of Nickerson. Traffic in these areas will be controlled by temporary signals, so motorists should be prepared to stop. Motorists also will be directed to drive at a reduced speed of 45 mph through the work zone. Motorists will face mostly minimal delays.

The work in both counties will be done in stages, with bridge repair first, followed by pavement work in 2024.

The project is expected to be completed in the summer of 2024.

APAC Kansas Inc., Shears Division, of Hutchinson, is the primary contractor.

For updated information on other KDOT highway projects and road conditions across the state, go to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kandrive.org/" target="_blank">www.kandrive.org</a>.

<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689026117317.png" alt="The map shows the approximate location of the project. Photo: Kansas Department of Transportation." />
 <figcaption>The map shows the approximate location of the project. Photo: Kansas Department of Transportation.</figcaption>
 </figure>Kansas Department of TransportationRENO COUNTY, Kan. —&nbsp;The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) announced on July 10, a $10 million project on a section of highway previously designated as K-14 in Reno and Rice counties is expected to begin Thursday, July 20.This 17-mile section of what had been K-14 was replaced last month by a new K-14 alignment.The KDOT project includes about a 12-mile section of highway in Reno County, from about 4.5 miles southeast of Nickerson to the Reno/Rice county line. The work will include a mill and hot-mix-asphalt overlay and bridge repair. This part of the contract amounts to about $4.6 million.The project also includes about a 5-mile section of highway in Rice County, from the Reno/Rice county line to 1,370 feet north of Avenue U. The work will include grading and bridge repair and surfacing. This part of the contract amounts to about $5.4 million.During the initial bridge work in both counties, traffic will be reduced to one lane at the Arkansas River bridge south of Sterling and at the Arkansas River bridge west of Nickerson. Traffic in these areas will be controlled by temporary signals, so motorists should be prepared to stop. Motorists also will be directed to drive at a reduced speed of 45 mph through the work zone. Motorists will face mostly minimal delays.The work in both counties will be done in stages, with bridge repair first, followed by pavement work in 2024.The project is expected to be completed in the summer of 2024.APAC Kansas Inc., Shears Division, of Hutchinson, is the primary contractor.For updated information on other KDOT highway projects and road conditions across the state, go to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kandrive.org/" target="_blank">www.kandrive.org</a>.<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

$10 million project set for previous K-14 in Reno, Rice counties

RENO COUNTY, Kan. —&nbsp;Several Reno County churches are coming together at a Convoy of Hope Wichita community event on July 29 at the Kansas State Fairgrounds. 

The event will take place at 9 a.m. to bring help and hope to families in need. Working together, they will offer free services to each and every guest.

The churches will be handing out free groceries, backpacks with school supplies, and more.

Additionally, they are creating 600 welcome bags.&nbsp; Businesses and organizations are invited for this opportunity to connect with over 600 family by placing a flyer, coupons, company pens, or other trinkets to promote their business.

Businesses and organizations wanting to contribute to the welcome bags can contact Steve Bowman at (620) 728-9064 to arrange to have anything picked up.&nbsp; 

The welcome bags are being put together on July 21, so anything contributed must be picked up prior to that date.

Groceries are one load per vehicle. Children must be present to reserve the backpack of school supplies. This event will happen regardless of weather. Supplies will be available as they last.

Entry will only be permitted through Gate 5 at the Kansas State Fairgrounds. Gates open at 7 a.m.

More information about the Convoy of Hope Wichita can be found on their<a href="https://www.facebook.com/convoyofhopewichita/"> Facebook page</a>&nbsp;or on their <a href="https://www.convoyofhopewichita.com/">website</a>.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689028307755.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>RENO COUNTY, Kan. —&nbsp;Several Reno County churches are coming together at a Convoy of Hope Wichita community event on July 29 at the Kansas State Fairgrounds. The event will take place at 9 a.m. to bring help and hope to families in need. Working together, they will offer free services to each and every guest.The churches will be handing out free groceries, backpacks with school supplies, and more.Additionally, they are creating 600 welcome bags.&nbsp; Businesses and organizations are invited for this opportunity to connect with over 600 family by placing a flyer, coupons, company pens, or other trinkets to promote their business.Businesses and organizations wanting to contribute to the welcome bags can contact Steve Bowman at (620) 728-9064 to arrange to have anything picked up.&nbsp; The welcome bags are being put together on July 21, so anything contributed must be picked up prior to that date.Groceries are one load per vehicle. Children must be present to reserve the backpack of school supplies. This event will happen regardless of weather. Supplies will be available as they last.Entry will only be permitted through Gate 5 at the Kansas State Fairgrounds. Gates open at 7 a.m.More information about the Convoy of Hope Wichita can be found on their<a href="https://www.facebook.com/convoyofhopewichita/"> Facebook page</a>&nbsp;or on their <a href="https://www.convoyofhopewichita.com/">website</a>.&nbsp;<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

Reno County churches hosting community event

HUTCHINSON, Kan. —&nbsp;Raj Bhala, Brenneisen Distinguished Professor of Law at KU and a Senior Advisor at Dentons is still watching with interest the more than five-year-old trade war between the United States and China. It's important to note that since the U.S. Dollar is still the world's chief reserve currency, that gives U.S. sanctions teeth other countries may not have.

"The United States can impose trade sanctions more effectively than other countries who have less widely used currencies," Bhala said. "The sanctions themselves tend to be of the sort of freezing dollar denominated accounts, freezing investments in dollars, freezing transactions in dollars. Because the dollar is so widely used, when the U.S. uses the sanctions weapons to prohibit dollar-denominated transactions, those weapons have worldwide effect."

The question is, will trade continue to be the weapon of choice for both China and for the United States, or will more conventional weapons of warfare be brought forward in the coming years.

"The trade war itself is not going to go away anytime soon," Bhala said. "We are in a long-term struggle, confrontation, strategic competition, whatever term you want to use, with the People's Republic of China. At least as long as it is governed the way it is, with President Xi Jinping's Chinese Communist Party and his policies. Anyone who is watching what is happening across the Indo-Pacific region, which is the most important strategic region for the United States, has to be concerned about escalation in at least two locations, the&nbsp;nine-dash line across the South China Sea and Taiwan, across the Formosa Strait."

The United States One China policy kept things at an uneasy equilibrium for decades, but it isn't clear how much more patience China will have to keep the status quo.

"The Chinese made the point that they want reunification sooner rather than later," Bhala said. "Although they prefer a peaceful reunification, they are not ruling out other means to bring Taiwan, in what their view is, back to the motherland."

A hot military conflict between the two nations would absolutely set the world of trade on its ear.

"Logistically, through the South China Sea and through the Formosa Strait, you're looking at about 50% of world trade flowing on ocean vessels, cargo ships. You're looking at a huge percentage, probably over half of semiconductor chips coming out of Taiwan and flowing through those critical strategic waterways. Any kind of military disruption would result in a horrific international economic catastrophe."

Both the Chinese and the Americans are looking to harden themselves against potential threats from the other as the trade war continues.

"Trade policy is national security policy," Bhala said. "National security policy is implemented partly through how one conducts one's trade relations. Right now, the name of the game is on supply chain management. Basically, what the U.S. is trying to do is de-risk or de-couple all of its supply chains with respect to strategic goods and services from China. To put it in simple terms, we simply do not want to be dependent on China or any of its allies for a good or service that is important for us."

The Chinese are attempting to do the same on the side of America and its allies.

"Imagine, basically, the largest two economies in the world, each trying to develop its own somewhat separate and independent supply chain for all the key goods and services that each need and at the same time, disrupt the other's supply chain. We want to disrupt China's, they want to disrupt ours. That's kind of really what's going on, to put it in stark terms."

Bhala's book, Trade War: Causes, Conduct, and Consequences of Sino-American Confrontation will be out in September.

<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/1/1579783750382.jpeg" alt="KU Trade Law Professor Raj Bhala" />
 <figcaption>KU Trade Law Professor Raj Bhala</figcaption>
 </figure>NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. —&nbsp;Raj Bhala, Brenneisen Distinguished Professor of Law at KU and a Senior Advisor at Dentons is still watching with interest the more than five-year-old trade war between the United States and China. It's important to note that since the U.S. Dollar is still the world's chief reserve currency, that gives U.S. sanctions teeth other countries may not have."The United States can impose trade sanctions more effectively than other countries who have less widely used currencies," Bhala said. "The sanctions themselves tend to be of the sort of freezing dollar denominated accounts, freezing investments in dollars, freezing transactions in dollars. Because the dollar is so widely used, when the U.S. uses the sanctions weapons to prohibit dollar-denominated transactions, those weapons have worldwide effect."The question is, will trade continue to be the weapon of choice for both China and for the United States, or will more conventional weapons of warfare be brought forward in the coming years."The trade war itself is not going to go away anytime soon," Bhala said. "We are in a long-term struggle, confrontation, strategic competition, whatever term you want to use, with the People's Republic of China. At least as long as it is governed the way it is, with President Xi Jinping's Chinese Communist Party and his policies. Anyone who is watching what is happening across the Indo-Pacific region, which is the most important strategic region for the United States, has to be concerned about escalation in at least two locations, the&nbsp;nine-dash line across the South China Sea and Taiwan, across the Formosa Strait."The United States One China policy kept things at an uneasy equilibrium for decades, but it isn't clear how much more patience China will have to keep the status quo."The Chinese made the point that they want reunification sooner rather than later," Bhala said. "Although they prefer a peaceful reunification, they are not ruling out other means to bring Taiwan, in what their view is, back to the motherland."A hot military conflict between the two nations would absolutely set the world of trade on its ear."Logistically, through the South China Sea and through the Formosa Strait, you're looking at about 50% of world trade flowing on ocean vessels, cargo ships. You're looking at a huge percentage, probably over half of semiconductor chips coming out of Taiwan and flowing through those critical strategic waterways. Any kind of military disruption would result in a horrific international economic catastrophe."Both the Chinese and the Americans are looking to harden themselves against potential threats from the other as the trade war continues."Trade policy is national security policy," Bhala said. "National security policy is implemented partly through how one conducts one's trade relations. Right now, the name of the game is on supply chain management. Basically, what the U.S. is trying to do is de-risk or de-couple all of its supply chains with respect to strategic goods and services from China. To put it in simple terms, we simply do not want to be dependent on China or any of its allies for a good or service that is important for us."The Chinese are attempting to do the same on the side of America and its allies."Imagine, basically, the largest two economies in the world, each trying to develop its own somewhat separate and independent supply chain for all the key goods and services that each need and at the same time, disrupt the other's supply chain. We want to disrupt China's, they want to disrupt ours. That's kind of really what's going on, to put it in stark terms."Bhala's book, Trade War: Causes, Conduct, and Consequences of Sino-American Confrontation will be out in September.<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

U.S. and China trade war still hot after five years

MCPHERSON, Kan. —&nbsp;The McPherson Chamber of Commerce has welcomed&nbsp;Advocate Counseling and Therapeutic Services of Kansas, LLC as a new Chamber member.

Jamie Whitehouse is a Licensed Clinical Marriage and Family Therapist who has provided therapy in Kansas since 2010 for children, teens, adults, couples, and families. She owns her private practice, Advocate Counseling and Therapeutic Services of Kansas (ACTS of KS) in McPherson, Kansas. Whitehouse and her graduate-level student interns provide counseling for children, teens, adults, couples, and families.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Whitehouse is trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (E.M.D.R.) and Accelerated Resolution Therapy (A.R.T.) to help those with PTSD, various extents of trauma, anxiety, childhood wounds, fears and phobias, and more.

Whitehouse is passionate about working with people who struggle with past trauma, anxiety, parenting issues, marital struggles, and general women's issues. She loves opportunities to walk alongside people in their journey of understanding why they do what they do and who they were created to be.&nbsp;

Whitehouse travels nationwide speaking and teaching about the Enneagram personality assessment to businesses, organizations, churches, small groups, families, couples, and individuals. She was also the professor and director of the psychology program at Central Christian College of Kansas for 12 years.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Advocate Counseling and Therapeutic Services of Kansas, within the McPherson Free Methodist Church, is located at 1010 S. Maple St. in McPherson, Kansas. Visit their website, <a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001XfExs79fDczmHrFb4U_npN-2i67knT6npLXQgu65diiouWIYk4ZznrZ85twMjcvl15NJPzXPED-D05D7omDhcqdbizUsLhHrCV-8NphRbJmzWV7I6q0QkfmjYM-WYmmJZzsw6JSRycJ1PafRY2I6GQ==&amp;c=dbE0o4m5n2-_Qf3FUrwxrxN-LQ0W7yUrTRs-KWtS3ebdUODrBoNIUg==&amp;ch=jXY65Y_ZNm48Lb3jUGz0EzWGG5327nhE9PwH-DEe3aTWMio4RgV_-w==">actsofks.com</a>, or call them at (785) 819-6905.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689027280683.jpeg" alt="Jamie Whitehouse, owner of Advocate Counseling and Therapeutic Services of Kansas. Photo: McPherson Chamber of Commerce.&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Jamie Whitehouse, owner of Advocate Counseling and Therapeutic Services of Kansas. Photo: McPherson Chamber of Commerce.&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>McPherson Chamber of CommerceMCPHERSON, Kan. —&nbsp;The McPherson Chamber of Commerce has welcomed&nbsp;Advocate Counseling and Therapeutic Services of Kansas, LLC as a new Chamber member.Jamie Whitehouse is a Licensed Clinical Marriage and Family Therapist who has provided therapy in Kansas since 2010 for children, teens, adults, couples, and families. She owns her private practice, Advocate Counseling and Therapeutic Services of Kansas (ACTS of KS) in McPherson, Kansas. Whitehouse and her graduate-level student interns provide counseling for children, teens, adults, couples, and families.&nbsp;&nbsp;Whitehouse is trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (E.M.D.R.) and Accelerated Resolution Therapy (A.R.T.) to help those with PTSD, various extents of trauma, anxiety, childhood wounds, fears and phobias, and more.Whitehouse is passionate about working with people who struggle with past trauma, anxiety, parenting issues, marital struggles, and general women's issues. She loves opportunities to walk alongside people in their journey of understanding why they do what they do and who they were created to be.&nbsp;Whitehouse travels nationwide speaking and teaching about the Enneagram personality assessment to businesses, organizations, churches, small groups, families, couples, and individuals. She was also the professor and director of the psychology program at Central Christian College of Kansas for 12 years.&nbsp;&nbsp;Advocate Counseling and Therapeutic Services of Kansas, within the McPherson Free Methodist Church, is located at 1010 S. Maple St. in McPherson, Kansas. Visit their website, <a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001XfExs79fDczmHrFb4U_npN-2i67knT6npLXQgu65diiouWIYk4ZznrZ85twMjcvl15NJPzXPED-D05D7omDhcqdbizUsLhHrCV-8NphRbJmzWV7I6q0QkfmjYM-WYmmJZzsw6JSRycJ1PafRY2I6GQ==&amp;c=dbE0o4m5n2-_Qf3FUrwxrxN-LQ0W7yUrTRs-KWtS3ebdUODrBoNIUg==&amp;ch=jXY65Y_ZNm48Lb3jUGz0EzWGG5327nhE9PwH-DEe3aTWMio4RgV_-w==">actsofks.com</a>, or call them at (785) 819-6905.<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

McPherson Chamber welcomes Advocate Counseling and Therapeutic Services

This is day 9 of the Kansas Wheat Harvest Reports, brought to you by the Kansas Wheat Commission, Kansas Association of Wheat Growers, Kansas Grain and Feed Association and the Kansas Cooperative Council.

Harvest continues to plod along into the second week of July, and farmers who still have wheat left to cut are facing rain delays and hail, leading to a long, drawn-out wheat harvest.&nbsp;

From July 3 to July 9, there were only 4.1 days suitable for fieldwork, according to the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) crop progress report for the week ending July 9, 2023. Harvest is now 59% complete, well behind 93% last year and 84% for the average.&nbsp;

Farmers are balancing a mix of emotions from frustration caused by having to wait for conditions to dry, stress of potential hail and other weather events, with joy from these recent rains.&nbsp;

Northwest of Hays, Eric Werth, General Manager at Golden Belt Coop acknowledges some of the struggles he has seen in Ellis county.&nbsp;

“We are really just waiting for it to dry out around here,” Werth says.

Werth speculates they are about 90% wrapped up with harvest for this year. Another stressor that Werth describes is the amount of weeds that the rain has brought with it.

After a late start on June 21, Werth reports that he is expecting probably 55% of the quantity they have gotten in years past. Yields are averaging around 30 bushels per acre, with some brighter spots getting up to 40 bushels per acre.&nbsp;

“That is definitely not the majority, though,” Werth says. “The [Westbred] Grainfield variety is one that seems to be doing well this year.”

Looking at test weights is encouraging for this area, though, seeing those come in around 62 pounds per bushel. However, proteins have been relatively low this year. He guesses they have taken in about 450,000 bushels so far. He said most of the wheat his elevator receives ends up at flour mills.&nbsp;

Seventeen miles west of the geographical center of the continental United States, Bruce Williams at Trinity Ag in Smith Center says his area has been subject to the rain delays as well.&nbsp;

“The thing that hurt us the most is we’ve basically cut very little since July 4th,” Williams noted. “There has been so much humidity.”&nbsp;

Williams said harvest began on June 24 this year, only four days off from when they usually start cutting, but after these recent rains, harvest has been slow to get back up and running. Having had big days on July 3 and 4, they have not had a single, full week of continuous cutting this harvest.&nbsp;

Initial drought stress caused some decent test weights in earlier loads to the elevator. Test weights were about 60-63 pounds per bushel, but these later storms have caused those numbers to dip into the 58 pound per bushel range. Proteins in the area have been as high as 12 to 14 percent. Yields have been all over the board, but even with farmers starting with their best fields, yields were only 35-40 bushels per acre. Many farmers have been abandoning their fields, as the weed pressure has been so intense. The kochia and pigweeds have been so dense that in some of the more extreme cases, you cannot even see the wheat as you drive past fields.&nbsp;

Along with the rain, northwest Kansas has been hit with hail storms. Fortunately, not much of the crop has been destroyed. Smith and Phillips counties are expecting to see more rain and storm chances in the upcoming week.&nbsp;

Elevators and farmers aren’t the only ones waiting for conditions to dry. Custom harvest crews like MJB Harvesting out of Grainfield, Kansas, are anxiously waiting to get out and begin harvesting. So far, MJB Harvesting has only been able to cut one field while in Kansas.

Mark Bosse, owner of MJB, shared that nearly all of their customers in Kansas have been affected by either hail or drought, or both. Fields that were going to be decent are now looking to only be 15-35 bushels per acre. The one field the MJB crew has been able to cut so far yielded about 35-40 bushels per acre. Several producers along the Gove and Lane county line will not even harvest their crop.&nbsp;

Composed of local people, high schoolers and J-1 visa employees, the MJB harvesting crew has been on the road since May 22. They started in Texas and will go all the way up into Montana. Although conditions were good in Texas, the wheat got bleak as they progressed north. Fortunately for them, crop conditions are looking up for areas north of Kansas, rounding out a very interesting wheat crop year.&nbsp;

Check back on July 12 as the Kansas Wheat crew continues to share results from the field with the next harvest report.&nbsp;

The 2023 Harvest Report is brought to you by the Kansas Wheat Commission, Kansas Association of Wheat Growers, Kansas Grain and Feed Association and the Kansas Cooperative Council. To follow along with harvest updates on Twitter, use #wheatharvest23. Tag us at @kansaswheat on&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001L4S4V4088er1olXZMhUdn3ZOj74xvSIBMXdxJYEwllHQ-lh3UBj3PmhrMq-CirB-u0DVZoST6_FnCxGZ58QfBYh-dQ1R0M_fgnAWT_-pon4CC7z6zOyEvu92enzW-ojLtsNxVrmo1AM6N_a3VpIBnfYudKuMwBia&amp;c=GTa4_DkqSAtP1RJlztJcqw-34oKlAyws8cYl7sttNYuoCJJ2ek_d7A==&amp;ch=j-8yzGYBSkEs4FNf23Crn_Qa5C10r0W07z7nTSWTaeCzIp0rPW9aMg==" target="_blank">Facebook</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001L4S4V4088er1olXZMhUdn3ZOj74xvSIBMXdxJYEwllHQ-lh3UBj3Pho0cnbH4WOJmaaWZ-PhwWwsCps9xJIx-2cRJqxIr5x-LTvHW4BIWm90mo643mcxdHFrqz_zTSk68xj75fC0h9imWarI6HNsxfY-FRbaU44o&amp;c=GTa4_DkqSAtP1RJlztJcqw-34oKlAyws8cYl7sttNYuoCJJ2ek_d7A==&amp;ch=j-8yzGYBSkEs4FNf23Crn_Qa5C10r0W07z7nTSWTaeCzIp0rPW9aMg==" target="_blank">Instagram</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001L4S4V4088er1olXZMhUdn3ZOj74xvSIBMXdxJYEwllHQ-lh3UBj3PuU1NKQDCspeVP5QEasL0lE1tzRl7hw5H-gmzXgAQvOeIvbLByq18W-oqLFlKY_cMqNeww_BalKixuc7s751Ldx40i59QIsJ4YYFako8uYaj&amp;c=GTa4_DkqSAtP1RJlztJcqw-34oKlAyws8cYl7sttNYuoCJJ2ek_d7A==&amp;ch=j-8yzGYBSkEs4FNf23Crn_Qa5C10r0W07z7nTSWTaeCzIp0rPW9aMg==" target="_blank">Twitter</a>&nbsp;to share your harvest story and photos.

<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689043934233.png" alt="Day 9 Kansas Wheat Harvest" />
 <figcaption>Day 9 Kansas Wheat Harvest</figcaption>
 </figure>Kansas WheatThis is day 9 of the Kansas Wheat Harvest Reports, brought to you by the Kansas Wheat Commission, Kansas Association of Wheat Growers, Kansas Grain and Feed Association and the Kansas Cooperative Council.Harvest continues to plod along into the second week of July, and farmers who still have wheat left to cut are facing rain delays and hail, leading to a long, drawn-out wheat harvest.&nbsp;From July 3 to July 9, there were only 4.1 days suitable for fieldwork, according to the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) crop progress report for the week ending July 9, 2023. Harvest is now 59% complete, well behind 93% last year and 84% for the average.&nbsp;Farmers are balancing a mix of emotions from frustration caused by having to wait for conditions to dry, stress of potential hail and other weather events, with joy from these recent rains.&nbsp;Northwest of Hays, Eric Werth, General Manager at Golden Belt Coop acknowledges some of the struggles he has seen in Ellis county.&nbsp;“We are really just waiting for it to dry out around here,” Werth says.Werth speculates they are about 90% wrapped up with harvest for this year. Another stressor that Werth describes is the amount of weeds that the rain has brought with it.After a late start on June 21, Werth reports that he is expecting probably 55% of the quantity they have gotten in years past. Yields are averaging around 30 bushels per acre, with some brighter spots getting up to 40 bushels per acre.&nbsp;“That is definitely not the majority, though,” Werth says. “The [Westbred] Grainfield variety is one that seems to be doing well this year.”Looking at test weights is encouraging for this area, though, seeing those come in around 62 pounds per bushel. However, proteins have been relatively low this year. He guesses they have taken in about 450,000 bushels so far. He said most of the wheat his elevator receives ends up at flour mills.&nbsp;Seventeen miles west of the geographical center of the continental United States, Bruce Williams at Trinity Ag in Smith Center says his area has been subject to the rain delays as well.&nbsp;“The thing that hurt us the most is we’ve basically cut very little since July 4th,” Williams noted. “There has been so much humidity.”&nbsp;Williams said harvest began on June 24 this year, only four days off from when they usually start cutting, but after these recent rains, harvest has been slow to get back up and running. Having had big days on July 3 and 4, they have not had a single, full week of continuous cutting this harvest.&nbsp;Initial drought stress caused some decent test weights in earlier loads to the elevator. Test weights were about 60-63 pounds per bushel, but these later storms have caused those numbers to dip into the 58 pound per bushel range. Proteins in the area have been as high as 12 to 14 percent. Yields have been all over the board, but even with farmers starting with their best fields, yields were only 35-40 bushels per acre. Many farmers have been abandoning their fields, as the weed pressure has been so intense. The kochia and pigweeds have been so dense that in some of the more extreme cases, you cannot even see the wheat as you drive past fields.&nbsp;Along with the rain, northwest Kansas has been hit with hail storms. Fortunately, not much of the crop has been destroyed. Smith and Phillips counties are expecting to see more rain and storm chances in the upcoming week.&nbsp;Elevators and farmers aren’t the only ones waiting for conditions to dry. Custom harvest crews like MJB Harvesting out of Grainfield, Kansas, are anxiously waiting to get out and begin harvesting. So far, MJB Harvesting has only been able to cut one field while in Kansas.Mark Bosse, owner of MJB, shared that nearly all of their customers in Kansas have been affected by either hail or drought, or both. Fields that were going to be decent are now looking to only be 15-35 bushels per acre. The one field the MJB crew has been able to cut so far yielded about 35-40 bushels per acre. Several producers along the Gove and Lane county line will not even harvest their crop.&nbsp;Composed of local people, high schoolers and J-1 visa employees, the MJB harvesting crew has been on the road since May 22. They started in Texas and will go all the way up into Montana. Although conditions were good in Texas, the wheat got bleak as they progressed north. Fortunately for them, crop conditions are looking up for areas north of Kansas, rounding out a very interesting wheat crop year.&nbsp;Check back on July 12 as the Kansas Wheat crew continues to share results from the field with the next harvest report.&nbsp;The 2023 Harvest Report is brought to you by the Kansas Wheat Commission, Kansas Association of Wheat Growers, Kansas Grain and Feed Association and the Kansas Cooperative Council. To follow along with harvest updates on Twitter, use #wheatharvest23. Tag us at @kansaswheat on&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001L4S4V4088er1olXZMhUdn3ZOj74xvSIBMXdxJYEwllHQ-lh3UBj3PmhrMq-CirB-u0DVZoST6_FnCxGZ58QfBYh-dQ1R0M_fgnAWT_-pon4CC7z6zOyEvu92enzW-ojLtsNxVrmo1AM6N_a3VpIBnfYudKuMwBia&amp;c=GTa4_DkqSAtP1RJlztJcqw-34oKlAyws8cYl7sttNYuoCJJ2ek_d7A==&amp;ch=j-8yzGYBSkEs4FNf23Crn_Qa5C10r0W07z7nTSWTaeCzIp0rPW9aMg==" target="_blank">Facebook</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001L4S4V4088er1olXZMhUdn3ZOj74xvSIBMXdxJYEwllHQ-lh3UBj3Pho0cnbH4WOJmaaWZ-PhwWwsCps9xJIx-2cRJqxIr5x-LTvHW4BIWm90mo643mcxdHFrqz_zTSk68xj75fC0h9imWarI6HNsxfY-FRbaU44o&amp;c=GTa4_DkqSAtP1RJlztJcqw-34oKlAyws8cYl7sttNYuoCJJ2ek_d7A==&amp;ch=j-8yzGYBSkEs4FNf23Crn_Qa5C10r0W07z7nTSWTaeCzIp0rPW9aMg==" target="_blank">Instagram</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001L4S4V4088er1olXZMhUdn3ZOj74xvSIBMXdxJYEwllHQ-lh3UBj3PuU1NKQDCspeVP5QEasL0lE1tzRl7hw5H-gmzXgAQvOeIvbLByq18W-oqLFlKY_cMqNeww_BalKixuc7s751Ldx40i59QIsJ4YYFako8uYaj&amp;c=GTa4_DkqSAtP1RJlztJcqw-34oKlAyws8cYl7sttNYuoCJJ2ek_d7A==&amp;ch=j-8yzGYBSkEs4FNf23Crn_Qa5C10r0W07z7nTSWTaeCzIp0rPW9aMg==" target="_blank">Twitter</a>&nbsp;to share your harvest story and photos.<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

Day 9, Kansas Wheat Harvest Report

Correction: A previous version of this story used the word recused to describe Kail Denison's action prior to the President vote on Monday night. That was inaccurate.

The USD 308 School Board held their annual Reorganization Meeting July 10. 

During this meeting Cheryl Thompson nominated Valarie Gibson-Smith as President. The motion carried 6-0 with outgoing President Kail Denison supporting Gibson-Smith. Gibson-Smith immediately took her seat and presided over the remainder of the agenda.

The Vice President election was immediately held. Valarie Gibson-Smith nominated Laura Corey, which passed 6-0, with Laura recusing herself from the vote.

During the Superintendent’s remarks, Dr. Dawn Johnson advised the board that discussions were ongoing regarding the use of the Lincoln school building in the near future until the Facility Steering Committee is complete. For the 2023-24 school year, Lincoln will house three classrooms for the Head Start program. Dr. Johnson informed the Board of the upcoming Board Retreat and asked them to identify their personal objectives for the meeting and their input on community stakeholders to invite to the meeting.

Assistant Superintendent and Director of HR, Krystal Young, provided the board with an update on hiring efforts for the remaining open positions. Currently 2 positions are open. Young also presented recommended changes to the school handbooks that would bring certain written policies in-line with their intent. This included an updated written policy that banned the use of vaping and “Electronic Nicotine Delivery System” on school grounds. Handbook changes were approved 7-0.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655147159618.jpeg" alt="USD 308 Admin Building-Photo by Daren Dunn" />
 <figcaption>USD 308 Admin Building-Photo by Daren Dunn</figcaption>
 </figure>Correction: A previous version of this story used the word recused to describe Kail Denison's action prior to the President vote on Monday night. That was inaccurate.USD 308The USD 308 School Board held their annual Reorganization Meeting July 10. During this meeting Cheryl Thompson nominated Valarie Gibson-Smith as President. The motion carried 6-0 with outgoing President Kail Denison supporting Gibson-Smith. Gibson-Smith immediately took her seat and presided over the remainder of the agenda.The Vice President election was immediately held. Valarie Gibson-Smith nominated Laura Corey, which passed 6-0, with Laura recusing herself from the vote.During the Superintendent’s remarks, Dr. Dawn Johnson advised the board that discussions were ongoing regarding the use of the Lincoln school building in the near future until the Facility Steering Committee is complete. For the 2023-24 school year, Lincoln will house three classrooms for the Head Start program. Dr. Johnson informed the Board of the upcoming Board Retreat and asked them to identify their personal objectives for the meeting and their input on community stakeholders to invite to the meeting.Assistant Superintendent and Director of HR, Krystal Young, provided the board with an update on hiring efforts for the remaining open positions. Currently 2 positions are open. Young also presented recommended changes to the school handbooks that would bring certain written policies in-line with their intent. This included an updated written policy that banned the use of vaping and “Electronic Nicotine Delivery System” on school grounds. Handbook changes were approved 7-0.<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

Gibson-Smith President, Corey Vice President for USD 308 school board

SOUTH HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Iron Insurance Partners has announced that it has merged with Bergkamp Insurance Center, an agency based in South Hutchinson.

"We are thrilled to join forces with Bergkamp Insurance Center, a respected and trusted partner in Central Kansas," said Shawn Myers, Chief Executive Officer of Iron Insurance Partners. "Bergkamps’ knowledge in the trucking industry will leverage our expertise and experience to deliver innovative and customized insurance solutions that meet the needs of our clients."

Bergkamp Insurance Center is a family-owned business that provides insurance solutions to clients across Kansas and the Midwest. Founded by Donald Bergkamp in 1963, the company is now led by his sons Phil and Paul Bergkamp, who continue his legacy of excellence and service. The company has a team of six dedicated employees who work at its South Hutchinson location, offering personalized and professional advice to meet the diverse needs of its customers.

"By merging with Iron Insurance Partners, we are joining a company that shares our values and vision for the future," said Phi Bergkamp, co-owner of Bergkamp Insurance Center. "We are excited to offer our clients access to more resources and capabilities, while maintaining the same high level of service and personal attention that they have come to expect from us."

The merger will not affect the current staff or locations of either company. Clients will continue to work with their existing agents and service teams.&nbsp; Bergkamp will maintain their name and brand for the few years as they transition to a full Iron Insurance Partners integration.&nbsp;

For more information about Iron Insurance Partners and Bergkamp Insurance Center, please visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ironrisk.com/" target="_blank">www.ironrisk.com</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href="https://bergkampinsurance.flywheelsites.com/" target="_blank">https://bergkampinsurance.flywheelsites.com</a>

<a href="https://bergkampinsurance.flywheelsites.com/" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689054575725.jpeg" alt="Iron Insurance Logo" />
 <figcaption>Iron Insurance Logo</figcaption>
 </figure>Iron Insurance PartnersSOUTH HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Iron Insurance Partners has announced that it has merged with Bergkamp Insurance Center, an agency based in South Hutchinson."We are thrilled to join forces with Bergkamp Insurance Center, a respected and trusted partner in Central Kansas," said Shawn Myers, Chief Executive Officer of Iron Insurance Partners. "Bergkamps’ knowledge in the trucking industry will leverage our expertise and experience to deliver innovative and customized insurance solutions that meet the needs of our clients."Bergkamp Insurance Center is a family-owned business that provides insurance solutions to clients across Kansas and the Midwest. Founded by Donald Bergkamp in 1963, the company is now led by his sons Phil and Paul Bergkamp, who continue his legacy of excellence and service. The company has a team of six dedicated employees who work at its South Hutchinson location, offering personalized and professional advice to meet the diverse needs of its customers."By merging with Iron Insurance Partners, we are joining a company that shares our values and vision for the future," said Phi Bergkamp, co-owner of Bergkamp Insurance Center. "We are excited to offer our clients access to more resources and capabilities, while maintaining the same high level of service and personal attention that they have come to expect from us."The merger will not affect the current staff or locations of either company. Clients will continue to work with their existing agents and service teams.&nbsp; Bergkamp will maintain their name and brand for the few years as they transition to a full Iron Insurance Partners integration.&nbsp;For more information about Iron Insurance Partners and Bergkamp Insurance Center, please visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ironrisk.com/" target="_blank">www.ironrisk.com</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href="https://bergkampinsurance.flywheelsites.com/" target="_blank">https://bergkampinsurance.flywheelsites.com</a><a href="https://bergkampinsurance.flywheelsites.com/" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

Bergkamp Insurance Center, Iron Insurance Partners to merge

Here’s the latest booking activity from the Reno County Jail. This information is provided by the Reno County Sheriff’s Office and is not criminal history. The Hutch Post assumes no legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, or completeness, of this information. All suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.&nbsp;——————————————&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

7/10/2023 10:40 PM-Jacob	Ray Dick-Failure to Appear

7/10/2023 8:13 PM-Brittany	Marie Peterman-Failure to Appear

7/10/2023 11:59 AM-Ryan	Eugene Rutherford-Failure to Appear

7/10/2023 9:53 AM-Erick	Julian Jaquez-DL Violation; Drive While Habitual Violator

7/10/2023 9:12 AM-Andrea	Lea Anderson-Driving while license cancelled/suspended/revoked; misd; unknown conv

7/10/2023 6:17 AM-Hunter	Christian Cherry-Failure to Appear; Criminal Damage to Property; Without consent; &lt; $1,000

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1681919611658.jpeg" alt="Bracelets" />
 <figcaption>Bracelets</figcaption>
 </figure>Here’s the latest booking activity from the Reno County Jail. This information is provided by the Reno County Sheriff’s Office and is not criminal history. The Hutch Post assumes no legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, or completeness, of this information. All suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.&nbsp;——————————————&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;7/10/2023 10:40 PM-Jacob	Ray Dick-Failure to Appear7/10/2023 8:13 PM-Brittany	Marie Peterman-Failure to Appear7/10/2023 11:59 AM-Ryan	Eugene Rutherford-Failure to Appear7/10/2023 9:53 AM-Erick	Julian Jaquez-DL Violation; Drive While Habitual Violator7/10/2023 9:12 AM-Andrea	Lea Anderson-Driving while license cancelled/suspended/revoked; misd; unknown conv7/10/2023 6:17 AM-Hunter	Christian Cherry-Failure to Appear; Criminal Damage to Property; Without consent; &lt; $1,000

Daily Bookings

HUTCHINSON, Kan. —&nbsp;Hutchinson Police Department (HPD) reported a single-vehicle accident late last week resulted in one fatality.

On July 6 at approximately 12:36 p.m., HPD, along with the Hutchinson Fire Department and Reno County EMS, were dispatched to the 2100 block of N. Waldron for a crash involving a single vehicle and a power pole.  

It was discovered a 91-year-old male was heading south on Waldron when he suffered a medical condition and crashed into a pole.  An 88-year-old female was also in the vehicle. 

 Both male and female was transported to Hutchinson Regional Medical Center, and the female then to Ascension Via Christi hospital in Wichita for her injuries. On July 7, the female succumbed to her injuries. 

 Both the driver and passenger were wearing their seatbelts at the time of the crash. The name of deceased is not being released at this time.

The collision is being investigated by the Hutchinson Police Department Traffic Unit. Hutchinson Police Department asks anyone with any information regarding the crash to contact Traffic Officer Hammond or Traffic Officer Boudreaux at (620) 694-2854.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/2/1582822413263.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Hutchinson Police DepartmentHUTCHINSON, Kan. —&nbsp;Hutchinson Police Department (HPD) reported a single-vehicle accident late last week resulted in one fatality.On July 6 at approximately 12:36 p.m., HPD, along with the Hutchinson Fire Department and Reno County EMS, were dispatched to the 2100 block of N. Waldron for a crash involving a single vehicle and a power pole. It was discovered a 91-year-old male was heading south on Waldron when he suffered a medical condition and crashed into a pole. An 88-year-old female was also in the vehicle. Both male and female was transported to Hutchinson Regional Medical Center, and the female then to Ascension Via Christi hospital in Wichita for her injuries. On July 7, the female succumbed to her injuries. Both the driver and passenger were wearing their seatbelts at the time of the crash. The name of deceased is not being released at this time.The collision is being investigated by the Hutchinson Police Department Traffic Unit. Hutchinson Police Department asks anyone with any information regarding the crash to contact Traffic Officer Hammond or Traffic Officer Boudreaux at (620) 694-2854.<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

Fatality accident in Hutchinson 

SALINA, Kan. — In a trench 9 feet below the surface, a worker employed by Precision Plumbing LLC was connecting a plumbing line to the municipal sewer in Salina in January when he was buried under dirt and rocks after a trench wall collapsed.

The company’s foreman entered the trench and tried to dig the worker out. Soon after, he then became buried up to his knees when the trench wall collapsed further. For more than an hour, first responders worked to rescue the two workers. Both survived one of the construction industry’s most serious hazards.

In an investigation by the&nbsp;U.S. Department of Labor’s&nbsp;<a href="http://www.osha.gov/" target="_blank">Occupational Safety and Health Administration</a>,&nbsp;inspectors determined the trench had no protection against cave-ins and the employer allowed soil piles and equipment within 2 feet of the excavation’s edge. OSHA found Precision Plumbing’s violations of these federal trench safety regulations willful.

Inspectors learned that a superintendent with the site’s general contractor, Multicon Inc. — a Wichita-based construction company — had identified the trench collapse hazards to the Precision Plumbing foreman but left the site before making certain the subcontractor corrected the hazard.

“Fortunately, first responders rescued two workers when a 9-foot trench collapsed. This incident is a stark reminder of how soil can shift suddenly and bury a person within seconds,” explained OSHA Area Director Todd Underwood in Wichita, Kansas.&nbsp;“Many other workers are less fortunate. In fact, OSHA investigated the deaths of 39 workers in trench collapses in 2022 alone.”

<a href="https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/OPA/newsreleases/2023/07/OSHA2023149.pdf" target="_blank">OSHA’s investigation led the agency to issue Precision Plumbing, located in Cheney, two willful and six serious violations with proposed penalties of $333,949.</a>&nbsp;In addition to the willful violations related to the trench collapse, investigators found the company failed to do the following:

OSHA also cited Multicon Inc., the general contractor, for one serious violation for failing to protect employees from cave-in and engulfment hazards. The agency proposed penalties of $14,063.

OSHA has a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.osha.gov/sites/default/files/enforcement/directives/CPL-02-00-161_0.pdf" target="_blank">national emphasis program on trenching and excavations</a>.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.osha.gov/sites/default/files/publications/trench_safety_tips_card.pdf" target="_blank">Trenching standards require protective systems in trenches deeper than 5 feet</a>, and soil and other materials kept at least 2 feet from the edge of a trench. Additionally, trenches must be inspected by a competent person, be&nbsp;free of standing water and atmospheric hazards and have a safe means of entering and exiting prior to allowing a worker to enter.

Each June, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nuca.com/" target="_blank">National Utility Contractors Association</a>&nbsp;and OSHA recognize&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nuca.com/tsm#:~:text=June%20is%20Trench%20Safety%20Month,June%2020%20%2D%2024%2C%202022." target="_blank">Trench Safety Month</a>..

OSHA’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/trenchingexcavation/index.html" target="_blank">trenching and excavation webpage</a>&nbsp;provides additional information on trenching hazards and solutions. including a&nbsp;<a href="https://youtu.be/zV-sVn_AUEM" target="_blank">safety video.</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673053595660.jpeg" alt="Emergency responders at the scene of the accident in January Photos by Salina Post" />
 <figcaption>Emergency responders at the scene of the accident in January Photos by Salina Post</figcaption>
 </figure>OSHASALINA, Kan. — In a trench 9 feet below the surface, a worker employed by Precision Plumbing LLC was connecting a plumbing line to the municipal sewer in Salina in January when he was buried under dirt and rocks after a trench wall collapsed.The company’s foreman entered the trench and tried to dig the worker out. Soon after, he then became buried up to his knees when the trench wall collapsed further. For more than an hour, first responders worked to rescue the two workers. Both survived one of the construction industry’s most serious hazards.In an investigation by the&nbsp;U.S. Department of Labor’s&nbsp;<a href="http://www.osha.gov/" target="_blank">Occupational Safety and Health Administration</a>,&nbsp;inspectors determined the trench had no protection against cave-ins and the employer allowed soil piles and equipment within 2 feet of the excavation’s edge. OSHA found Precision Plumbing’s violations of these federal trench safety regulations willful.Inspectors learned that a superintendent with the site’s general contractor, Multicon Inc. — a Wichita-based construction company — had identified the trench collapse hazards to the Precision Plumbing foreman but left the site before making certain the subcontractor corrected the hazard.“Fortunately, first responders rescued two workers when a 9-foot trench collapsed. This incident is a stark reminder of how soil can shift suddenly and bury a person within seconds,” explained OSHA Area Director Todd Underwood in Wichita, Kansas.&nbsp;“Many other workers are less fortunate. In fact, OSHA investigated the deaths of 39 workers in trench collapses in 2022 alone.”<a href="https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/OPA/newsreleases/2023/07/OSHA2023149.pdf" target="_blank">OSHA’s investigation led the agency to issue Precision Plumbing, located in Cheney, two willful and six serious violations with proposed penalties of $333,949.</a>&nbsp;In addition to the willful violations related to the trench collapse, investigators found the company failed to do the following:<ul>
 <li>Make sure workers wore hard hats when exposed to overhead struck-by hazards.</li><li>Protect workers from drowning hazards due to an unsupported water pipe in the trench.</li><li>Provide workers with eye protection when workers were using chemicals.</li><li>Develop a program on chemical hazards and train workers on how to use chemicals safely.</li>
 </ul>OSHA also cited Multicon Inc., the general contractor, for one serious violation for failing to protect employees from cave-in and engulfment hazards. The agency proposed penalties of $14,063.OSHA has a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.osha.gov/sites/default/files/enforcement/directives/CPL-02-00-161_0.pdf" target="_blank">national emphasis program on trenching and excavations</a>.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.osha.gov/sites/default/files/publications/trench_safety_tips_card.pdf" target="_blank">Trenching standards require protective systems in trenches deeper than 5 feet</a>, and soil and other materials kept at least 2 feet from the edge of a trench. Additionally, trenches must be inspected by a competent person, be&nbsp;free of standing water and atmospheric hazards and have a safe means of entering and exiting prior to allowing a worker to enter.Each June, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nuca.com/" target="_blank">National Utility Contractors Association</a>&nbsp;and OSHA recognize&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nuca.com/tsm#:~:text=June%20is%20Trench%20Safety%20Month,June%2020%20%2D%2024%2C%202022." target="_blank">Trench Safety Month</a>..OSHA’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/trenchingexcavation/index.html" target="_blank">trenching and excavation webpage</a>&nbsp;provides additional information on trenching hazards and solutions. including a&nbsp;<a href="https://youtu.be/zV-sVn_AUEM" target="_blank">safety video.</a><a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

Investigators find Cheney contractor exposed employees to potentially fatal hazards as two workers avoid tragedy in Salina trench collapse

Emily Anderson is a Hutchinson host teen on the 2023 Ulster Project.

Your family: I have my mom and stepdad and ten siblings and pets.

Town and school you attend: Hutchinson High School

Favorite singer or group: Taylor Swift and Tate McRae

What is something your Northern Irish teen would not know about Hutchinson: We have a salt mine and we have the State Fair.&nbsp;

What are you looking forward to experiencing during the Project: Friends overseas and the ability to form real bonds. I am also excited for activities.&nbsp;

What is your favorite meal: Chicken Parmesan

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1688470597612.jpeg" alt="Emily Anderson-Hutch Ulster Project 2023" />
 <figcaption>Emily Anderson-Hutch Ulster Project 2023</figcaption>
 </figure>Emily Anderson is a Hutchinson host teen on the 2023 Ulster Project.Your family: I have my mom and stepdad and ten siblings and pets.Town and school you attend: Hutchinson High SchoolWhat do you like to do: Running, bandFavorite singer or group: Taylor Swift and Tate McRaeWhat is something your Northern Irish teen would not know about Hutchinson: We have a salt mine and we have the State Fair.&nbsp;What are you looking forward to experiencing during the Project: Friends overseas and the ability to form real bonds. I am also excited for activities.&nbsp;What is your favorite meal: Chicken Parmesan

Ulster Project Hutch: Emily Anderson

Molly Sloan is a Northern Irish teen on the 2023 Ulster Project.

Town and school you attend: I live in Portadown. I attend Portadown College.

What do you like to do: I do Irish Dancing and enjoy netball, swimming and athletics. I also enjoy long, scenic walks.

Favorite singer or group: Taylor Swift, Dylan Conrique, Mimi Webb, Lizzy McAlpine, Lewis Capaldi.

What is something people would not know about Portadown: It earned the name 'hub of the North' due to it being a major railway junction.

What are you looking forward to experience in Hutchinson: Meeting all the Americans and making amazing memories.

What is your favorite meal:&nbsp; Chicken nuggets and fries.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1688469959940.jpeg" alt="Ulster Project Hutchinson 2023-Molly Sloan" />
 <figcaption>Ulster Project Hutchinson 2023-Molly Sloan</figcaption>
 </figure>Molly Sloan is a Northern Irish teen on the 2023 Ulster Project.Your host family: The AndersonsTown and school you attend: I live in Portadown. I attend Portadown College.What do you like to do: I do Irish Dancing and enjoy netball, swimming and athletics. I also enjoy long, scenic walks.Favorite singer or group: Taylor Swift, Dylan Conrique, Mimi Webb, Lizzy McAlpine, Lewis Capaldi.What is something people would not know about Portadown: It earned the name 'hub of the North' due to it being a major railway junction.What are you looking forward to experience in Hutchinson: Meeting all the Americans and making amazing memories.What is your favorite meal:&nbsp; Chicken nuggets and fries.

Ulster Project Hutch: Molly Sloan

RENO COUNTY, Kan. — Reno County Public Works announced Monday that Hodge Road between 69th and K-96/K-14 will be closed through Thursday for crossroad pipe replacement.

For questions about this or any other Public Works project, call Reno County Public Works at (620) 694-2976.

<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile&nbsp;app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1637337389800.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>RENO COUNTY, Kan. — Reno County Public Works announced Monday that Hodge Road between 69th and K-96/K-14 will be closed through Thursday for crossroad pipe replacement.For questions about this or any other Public Works project, call Reno County Public Works at (620) 694-2976.<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile&nbsp;app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.

Hodge Road closed through Thursday

RENO COUNTY, Kan. — Reno County has a budget document that is prepared and approved every year separate from the overall county budget. This budget is the special districts budget. The Reno County Commissioners are the governing body for each of the special districts independently and they will look at those budgets at their Wednesday meeting. 

According to agenda documents provided to commissioners, to simplify the adoption of the budgets, each of the special districts listed below are included in the budget.

Fire District No. 2 (Hutchinson Fire, surrounds the city)

Fire District No. 3 (Nickerson and Highlands area)

Fire District No. 4 (Partridge, Arlington, Plevna, Pretty Prairie, Langdon area)

Fire District No. 8 (Yoder, Pleasantview, Habit area)

Fire District No. 9 (Haven, east side of Cheney Reservoir area)

Fire District Joint No. 1 (Reno/Kingman) (Pretty Prairie and west side of Cheney Reservoir area)

Fire District Joint No. 2 (Reno/Harvey) (Buhler area)

At the requested and recommended level, all but four special districts would go above the RNR. 

Reasons for this include low assessment increases in various districts, along with increased costs and the build-up of their reserve funds. The four (4) funds/districts under the RNR are Fire District No. 8 (Pleasant View, Yoder, and HABIT area), Fire District No 9’s Bond &amp; Interest (Haven area), Sewer District No. 8 (The Highlands) and Sewer District No. 8 Bond &amp; Interest.

At the last meeting, commissioners wanted to see another option for the budgets which have them all at the RNR. The alternative requested by the commission, includes removing all property taxes from the sewer districts, so their budget would automatically be under the RNR. The amount of decrease in each utility districts' respective budget will be increased on the users fee paid monthly. The amount of cuts to the various fire districts are as follows.

Fire District 2: $187,213, impacts the agreement with City of Hutchinson

Impact on Fire Districts by remaining at the RNR

Fire District 2 is run by the City of Hutchinson as part of the Hutchinson Fire Department. Any changes to the request must be agreed to by both Reno County's and the City of Hutchinson's governing bodies.

If changes must be made to get back to revenue neutral, county staff can utilize the same basic budgets that were accepted for 2023. Commissioners would have to move a little bit of money around to make sure the funding of the fire administrator has enough money in the line item.

If the BOCC wants the fire districts to remain revenue neutral, they will continue to get further behind on their capital equipment purchases. 

The county often puts off large purchases, and in most cases, the fire district is able to use their vehicles long past their expected service life. By NFPA standards, a piece of equipment cannot be more than 25 years old. 

At the very least, the goal should be to have the equipment in NFPA compliance but the fire districts are not at that point yet. If fire districts were to replace the equipment at the recommended service life, as shown, there is a large yearly deficit. The fire districts would need to be funded at a combined additional $450,000 yearly to be able to replace the major equipment at the recommended service life.

The communication and safety equipment of the fire districts have a large impact on their budgets.

Prior to hiring a Fire Administrator, the county let the districts choose when they would purchase new personal protective equipment and 800MHZ radios. With the new policies and procedures being developed, at a minimum, the fire districts are required to purchase wildland and bunker gear for their firefighters every 10 years. Personal protective equipment in the fire service has a shelf life of 10 years and there is a need to ensure the safety of the volunteers. There will be a few occasions that gear gets torn or beat up and needs replaced before it expires. There are approximately 165 firefighters on the rural districts, to outfit one averages around $6,000. 

The 800mhz radios need to be replaced, the radios used now cannot be updated or serviced, it is often a wait of several weeks to receive aftermarket batteries that are not intrinsically safe. The fire districts plan to do that over a period of 10 years instead of purchasing them all at the same time. Replacement cost of radios is currently around $5,000 for the new model.

While staff does not recommend staying revenue neutral for 2024, if cuts are made, the fire districts will prioritize firefighter safety by purchasing personal protective equipment and radios. The vehicle replacement schedule will get further behind.

For the sewer districts that have property tax, there is an attached summary that keeps all districts at/below the RNR, but leaves the option of a property tax for sewer districts. The reason for this is that if the commission has any district (fire or utilities) above the RNR, there would be additional time to discuss the impact on users. 

Utility districts are meant to be user fee based, but with Reno County's history of using the property tax, user rates will likely have to double (or more) since the property tax covers an amount at least equal to that of most sewer district fees.

Below is a tentative budget schedule, along with deadlines from the State of Kansas, based on the county exceeding the Revenue Neutral Rate (RNR). Even if the RNR is not exceeded with the final budget, it is strongly recommended going through the process in anticipation of exceeding the RNR to protect the county. The purpose of following the process to exceed the RNR is that the rate is based on an estimated assessed valuation that may go up or down between now and November 1, 2023.

July 20 – Last day to notify the County Clerk about Reno County's Revenue Neutral Rate (RNR) intentions.

August 20 - September 20: Hold RNR hearing prior to official budget hearing. Publication of hearing must be published in the newspaper and online at least 10 days prior to the hearing.

August 20 - September 20: Hold official Budget Hearing with same publication requirements as used for the RNR hearing. The two hearings can be on the same day.

August 20 - October 1: Pass Resolution to exceed RNR and formally adopt 2023 budget.

August 30 - October 1: Certify budget and electronically submit to the County Clerk.

At Wednesday’s commission meeting, the maximum budget needs to be set. When the commission decides the maximum budget amounts, there is still an opportunity to cut the various budgets, but not to increase the expenditures.

If commissioners decide to cut to revenue neutral, the hearing will have to be August 9, if they choose to file the RNR paperwork, the hearings will be September 13.

The Board of County Commissioners meets Wednesday at 9 a.m. in the Veterans Room of the Reno County courthouse.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1683648162626.jpeg" alt="Reno County Commission 2-Photo by Sandra Milburn" />
 <figcaption>Reno County Commission 2-Photo by Sandra Milburn</figcaption>
 </figure>RENO COUNTY, Kan. — Reno County has a budget document that is prepared and approved every year separate from the overall county budget. This budget is the special districts budget. The Reno County Commissioners are the governing body for each of the special districts independently and they will look at those budgets at their Wednesday meeting. According to agenda documents provided to commissioners, to simplify the adoption of the budgets, each of the special districts listed below are included in the budget.Fire District No. 2 (Hutchinson Fire, surrounds the city)Fire District No. 3 (Nickerson and Highlands area)Fire District No. 4 (Partridge, Arlington, Plevna, Pretty Prairie, Langdon area)Fire District No. 6 (Sylvia area)Fire District No. 7 (Turon area)Fire District No. 8 (Yoder, Pleasantview, Habit area)Fire District No. 9 (Haven, east side of Cheney Reservoir area)Fire District Joint No. 1 (Reno/Kingman) (Pretty Prairie and west side of Cheney Reservoir area)Fire District Joint No. 2 (Reno/Harvey) (Buhler area)Sewer District No. 1 (Cedarview)Sewer District No. 3-10 (Blue Spruce)Sewer District No. 201 (Yoder)Sewer District No. 202 (HABIT)Sewer District No. 8 (Highlands)Water District No. 8 (Highlands)Water District No. 101 (Yoder)At the requested and recommended level, all but four special districts would go above the RNR. Reasons for this include low assessment increases in various districts, along with increased costs and the build-up of their reserve funds. The four (4) funds/districts under the RNR are Fire District No. 8 (Pleasant View, Yoder, and HABIT area), Fire District No 9’s Bond &amp; Interest (Haven area), Sewer District No. 8 (The Highlands) and Sewer District No. 8 Bond &amp; Interest.At the last meeting, commissioners wanted to see another option for the budgets which have them all at the RNR. The alternative requested by the commission, includes removing all property taxes from the sewer districts, so their budget would automatically be under the RNR. The amount of decrease in each utility districts' respective budget will be increased on the users fee paid monthly. The amount of cuts to the various fire districts are as follows.Fire District 2: $187,213, impacts the agreement with City of HutchinsonFire District 3: $25,581Fire District 4: $43,237Fire District 7: $6,980Fire District 8: $30,167Fire District Joint 1: $33,779Fire District Joint 2: $34,732Impact on Fire Districts by remaining at the RNRFire District 2 is run by the City of Hutchinson as part of the Hutchinson Fire Department. Any changes to the request must be agreed to by both Reno County's and the City of Hutchinson's governing bodies.If changes must be made to get back to revenue neutral, county staff can utilize the same basic budgets that were accepted for 2023. Commissioners would have to move a little bit of money around to make sure the funding of the fire administrator has enough money in the line item.If the BOCC wants the fire districts to remain revenue neutral, they will continue to get further behind on their capital equipment purchases. The county often puts off large purchases, and in most cases, the fire district is able to use their vehicles long past their expected service life. By NFPA standards, a piece of equipment cannot be more than 25 years old. At the very least, the goal should be to have the equipment in NFPA compliance but the fire districts are not at that point yet. If fire districts were to replace the equipment at the recommended service life, as shown, there is a large yearly deficit. The fire districts would need to be funded at a combined additional $450,000 yearly to be able to replace the major equipment at the recommended service life.The communication and safety equipment of the fire districts have a large impact on their budgets.Prior to hiring a Fire Administrator, the county let the districts choose when they would purchase new personal protective equipment and 800MHZ radios. With the new policies and procedures being developed, at a minimum, the fire districts are required to purchase wildland and bunker gear for their firefighters every 10 years. Personal protective equipment in the fire service has a shelf life of 10 years and there is a need to ensure the safety of the volunteers. There will be a few occasions that gear gets torn or beat up and needs replaced before it expires. There are approximately 165 firefighters on the rural districts, to outfit one averages around $6,000. The 800mhz radios need to be replaced, the radios used now cannot be updated or serviced, it is often a wait of several weeks to receive aftermarket batteries that are not intrinsically safe. The fire districts plan to do that over a period of 10 years instead of purchasing them all at the same time. Replacement cost of radios is currently around $5,000 for the new model.While staff does not recommend staying revenue neutral for 2024, if cuts are made, the fire districts will prioritize firefighter safety by purchasing personal protective equipment and radios. The vehicle replacement schedule will get further behind.For the sewer districts that have property tax, there is an attached summary that keeps all districts at/below the RNR, but leaves the option of a property tax for sewer districts. The reason for this is that if the commission has any district (fire or utilities) above the RNR, there would be additional time to discuss the impact on users. Utility districts are meant to be user fee based, but with Reno County's history of using the property tax, user rates will likely have to double (or more) since the property tax covers an amount at least equal to that of most sewer district fees.Remaining Budget ScheduleBelow is a tentative budget schedule, along with deadlines from the State of Kansas, based on the county exceeding the Revenue Neutral Rate (RNR). Even if the RNR is not exceeded with the final budget, it is strongly recommended going through the process in anticipation of exceeding the RNR to protect the county. The purpose of following the process to exceed the RNR is that the rate is based on an estimated assessed valuation that may go up or down between now and November 1, 2023.July 20 – Last day to notify the County Clerk about Reno County's Revenue Neutral Rate (RNR) intentions.August 20 - September 20: Hold RNR hearing prior to official budget hearing. Publication of hearing must be published in the newspaper and online at least 10 days prior to the hearing.August 20 - September 20: Hold official Budget Hearing with same publication requirements as used for the RNR hearing. The two hearings can be on the same day.August 20 - October 1: Pass Resolution to exceed RNR and formally adopt 2023 budget.August 30 - October 1: Certify budget and electronically submit to the County Clerk.At Wednesday’s commission meeting, the maximum budget needs to be set. When the commission decides the maximum budget amounts, there is still an opportunity to cut the various budgets, but not to increase the expenditures.If commissioners decide to cut to revenue neutral, the hearing will have to be August 9, if they choose to file the RNR paperwork, the hearings will be September 13.The Board of County Commissioners meets Wednesday at 9 a.m. in the Veterans Room of the Reno County courthouse.<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

Commissioners to take up special districts budget Wednesday

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Creighton University economist Ernie Goss believes the Federal Reserve is not done trying to apply the brakes to inflation by raising interest rates.

"They intend to raise rates by another 50 basis points," Goss said. "That's a half of a percent. They'll meet again at the end of this month on the 25th and 26th. The soft landing could get really bumpy in the second half of the year. That's true for the region and that's true for the United States, as the global economy is definitely slowing down."

It's not that anywhere is doing phenomenally, but China's restrictions that were COVID-related are something they have not recovered from.

"When China gets a cold, the rest of the globe gets pneumonia," Goss said. "That used to be true for the U.S. The U.S. used to carry that banner, but not anymore. It's now China. Great Britain is not doing well, Europe is slowing, slowing, slowing. I guess you could say the U.S. is the cleanest shirt in the dirty laundry right now."

Part of the ring around the U.S. collar is that even in the competitive work environment, it's hard to keep good help.

"Wage growth is doing reasonably well, but inflation has done even better," Goss said. "When you adjust those wages for inflation, it's negative. On the lower end of the spectrum, that's not true. The lower end has been doing much better than those above, or those on the higher end, though certainly on the higher end, not really. One of the important things coming out of the surveys right now, productivity growth right now is, over the last year and a half, it's the worst that we've recorded, that has been recorded since these surveys began at the national level in 1947."

An important point of this is that pre-pandemic, people's pay was not matching even this slower growth in productivity. <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/mgi/our-research/rekindling-us-productivity-for-a-new-era#at-a-glance">According to a February article from McKinsey Global Institute</a>, recently, real incomes have grown at 0.7 percent, well below the 1.4 percent gains in productivity between 2005 and 2019.&nbsp;

The question is how quickly can a realignment of those two numbers happen? The pandemic taught the workforce that with a solid Internet connection, they can work almost anywhere for anyone, that has made it a worldwide competition for talent.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/6/1622642233344.jpeg" alt="Creighton Professor Ernie Goss PhD" />
 <figcaption>Creighton Professor Ernie Goss PhD</figcaption>
 </figure>NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — Creighton University economist Ernie Goss believes the Federal Reserve is not done trying to apply the brakes to inflation by raising interest rates."They intend to raise rates by another 50 basis points," Goss said. "That's a half of a percent. They'll meet again at the end of this month on the 25th and 26th. The soft landing could get really bumpy in the second half of the year. That's true for the region and that's true for the United States, as the global economy is definitely slowing down."It's not that anywhere is doing phenomenally, but China's restrictions that were COVID-related are something they have not recovered from."When China gets a cold, the rest of the globe gets pneumonia," Goss said. "That used to be true for the U.S. The U.S. used to carry that banner, but not anymore. It's now China. Great Britain is not doing well, Europe is slowing, slowing, slowing. I guess you could say the U.S. is the cleanest shirt in the dirty laundry right now."Part of the ring around the U.S. collar is that even in the competitive work environment, it's hard to keep good help."Wage growth is doing reasonably well, but inflation has done even better," Goss said. "When you adjust those wages for inflation, it's negative. On the lower end of the spectrum, that's not true. The lower end has been doing much better than those above, or those on the higher end, though certainly on the higher end, not really. One of the important things coming out of the surveys right now, productivity growth right now is, over the last year and a half, it's the worst that we've recorded, that has been recorded since these surveys began at the national level in 1947."An important point of this is that pre-pandemic, people's pay was not matching even this slower growth in productivity. <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/mgi/our-research/rekindling-us-productivity-for-a-new-era#at-a-glance">According to a February article from McKinsey Global Institute</a>, recently, real incomes have grown at 0.7 percent, well below the 1.4 percent gains in productivity between 2005 and 2019.&nbsp; The question is how quickly can a realignment of those two numbers happen? The pandemic taught the workforce that with a solid Internet connection, they can work almost anywhere for anyone, that has made it a worldwide competition for talent.<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

Goss: Fed will raise rates again in search of soft landing

NEWTON, Kan. —The Newton Area Chamber of Commerce is currently accepting nominations for the 2023 Outstanding Citizen Award.

Each year, the Chamber recognizes an individual who is nominated by the community and selected by a committee to be the year’s outstanding citizen. 

This individual is someone who has devoted an extraordinary amount of their personal time to the betterment of Newton. 

Visit&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.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.WOdjrmJ4wvLWHxrp2EiAfID5QIb15fR1-Z1OcC5UM_o/s/2592705315/br/222349167034-l" target="_blank">www.newtonchamberks.org/outstanding-citizen/</a>&nbsp;to download a nomination form.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Once a nomination form is submitted, it is reviewed along with other nominations by the past 5 award recipients who select the winner. 

The nominee selected for the award will not be aware of their nomination, so that when they are announced at the&nbsp;<a href="https://newtonchamberks.org/chamber-annual-banquet/">Chamber Annual Banquet</a>, it will be a surprise.

The 2023 Annual Banquet will take place September 21 at the Meridian Center.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1688828969240.jpeg" alt="Newton Chamber Logo" />
 <figcaption>Newton Chamber Logo</figcaption>
 </figure>City of NewtonNEWTON, Kan. —The Newton Area Chamber of Commerce is currently accepting nominations for the 2023 Outstanding Citizen Award.Each year, the Chamber recognizes an individual who is nominated by the community and selected by a committee to be the year’s outstanding citizen. This individual is someone who has devoted an extraordinary amount of their personal time to the betterment of Newton. Nominations close on July 28. Visit&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.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.WOdjrmJ4wvLWHxrp2EiAfID5QIb15fR1-Z1OcC5UM_o/s/2592705315/br/222349167034-l" target="_blank">www.newtonchamberks.org/outstanding-citizen/</a>&nbsp;to download a nomination form.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Once a nomination form is submitted, it is reviewed along with other nominations by the past 5 award recipients who select the winner. The nominee selected for the award will not be aware of their nomination, so that when they are announced at the&nbsp;<a href="https://newtonchamberks.org/chamber-annual-banquet/">Chamber Annual Banquet</a>, it will be a surprise. The 2023 Annual Banquet will take place September 21 at the Meridian Center.&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

Newton Chamber looking for outstanding citizen

RENO COUNTY, Kan. — According to the monthly report from Reno County Department of Aging and Public Transportation Director Barbara Lilyhorn, the Senior Farmer’s Market Nutrition Program coupon booklet distribution in the county began on June 14th. 

Reno County was allocated 275 booklets, each with a $50 value. Application for all 275 was made as of June 23rd. This is a first come first served program originating from USDA and funneled to KDHE, the Kansas Department of Aging and Disability, and the South-Central Kansas Area Agency on Aging. To enable fair and equitable participation across the county, applications are taken by phone through Department of Aging staff.

The completed applications as well as the coupon booklets are mailed to individuals. Recipients can “spend” the coupons for fresh fruits and vegetables at farmers markets across Kansas from participating local farmers.

This program brings $13,750 new dollars to Reno County’s economy.

<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.&nbsp; &nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1668703009582.jpg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>RENO COUNTY, Kan. — According to the monthly report from Reno County Department of Aging and Public Transportation Director Barbara Lilyhorn, the Senior Farmer’s Market Nutrition Program coupon booklet distribution in the county began on June 14th. Reno County was allocated 275 booklets, each with a $50 value. Application for all 275 was made as of June 23rd. This is a first come first served program originating from USDA and funneled to KDHE, the Kansas Department of Aging and Disability, and the South-Central Kansas Area Agency on Aging. To enable fair and equitable participation across the county, applications are taken by phone through Department of Aging staff.The completed applications as well as the coupon booklets are mailed to individuals. Recipients can “spend” the coupons for fresh fruits and vegetables at farmers markets across Kansas from participating local farmers.This program brings $13,750 new dollars to Reno County’s economy.<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.&nbsp; &nbsp;

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