HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Sign ups continue for the Reno County Museum's Appraisal Fair next month as part of Third Thursday tonight.

"I will be at the Toy Depot for Third Thursday to sign people up," said Katie Broker with the museum. "You can come talk to me. We'll be able to get you booked with a spot. If the weather is raining, we may move inside."

It's been several years since Hutchinson has had an appraisal event.

"The Appraisal Fair is a fundraiser for the Reno County Museum," Broker said. "It's our first fundraiser in about 10 years, which is really exciting. It's an opportunity for people to come and have their items valued, their personal items, their treasures. You can come in. We have appraisers from local antique stores. The antique district downtown is really involved in this. We can do jewelry, collectibles, toys, furniture, books. We can even do firearms. There's a lot of things we can value for you."

The event is just a little less than a month from now.

"It's on April 16th from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Memorial Hall," Broker said. "We're getting calls from people booking just about every single day now."

The cost is $25 to get two items valued. If you can't make it to Third Thursday, contact Broker at <a href="mailto:katie@renocomuseum.org">katie@renocomuseum.org</a>.

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By
NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — Sign ups continue for the Reno County Museum's Appraisal Fair next month as part of Third Thursday tonight."I will be at the Toy Depot for Third Thursday to sign people up," said Katie Broker with the museum. "You can come talk to me. We'll be able to get you booked with a spot. If the weather is raining, we may move inside."It's been several years since Hutchinson has had an appraisal event."The Appraisal Fair is a fundraiser for the Reno County Museum," Broker said. "It's our first fundraiser in about 10 years, which is really exciting. It's an opportunity for people to come and have their items valued, their personal items, their treasures. You can come in. We have appraisers from local antique stores. The antique district downtown is really involved in this. We can do jewelry, collectibles, toys, furniture, books. We can even do firearms. There's a lot of things we can value for you."The event is just a little less than a month from now."It's on April 16th from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Memorial Hall," Broker said. "We're getting calls from people booking just about every single day now."The cost is $25 to get two items valued. If you can't make it to Third Thursday, contact Broker at <a href="mailto:katie@renocomuseum.org">katie@renocomuseum.org</a>.

Museum still signing up participants for Appraisal Fair

HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
Hutchinson USD 308 HR Director Dawn Johnson is pleased with where the district is regarding vacancies at this point in the year.

"Last year, we had a new teacher institute of about 50 new teachers that we brought in," Johnson said. "I've kind of been measuring where we are as we're inching up to the summer months. We're not even close to that this year. I hope that it is well under that. At this point in the game, we're seeing very few."

Johnson said there is a reason that they would have a better idea right now than some districts.

"We have some incentives in our policies at 308," Johnson said. "If you let us know before November, or before January that you're leaving, there's a financial incentive. If you're thinking of making that decision, earlier is better for us. So, that really got a lot of people who were thinking of leaving, or going to another district or maybe retiring."

Johnson also said the new crop of teachers coming out of school is encouraging.

"I had recently interviewed about ten students from the schools in the area, from Tabor, Bethel, Bethany, McPherson, Sterling College," Johnson said. "I was very, very impressed with those young teachers still finishing their final year of college."

Johnson acknowledges there is a workforce crunch right now, but she believes that pendulum will swing back in the coming years.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1574794748723.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
Hutchinson USD 308 HR Director Dawn Johnson is pleased with where the district is regarding vacancies at this point in the year."Last year, we had a new teacher institute of about 50 new teachers that we brought in," Johnson said. "I've kind of been measuring where we are as we're inching up to the summer months. We're not even close to that this year. I hope that it is well under that. At this point in the game, we're seeing very few."Johnson said there is a reason that they would have a better idea right now than some districts."We have some incentives in our policies at 308," Johnson said. "If you let us know before November, or before January that you're leaving, there's a financial incentive. If you're thinking of making that decision, earlier is better for us. So, that really got a lot of people who were thinking of leaving, or going to another district or maybe retiring."Johnson also said the new crop of teachers coming out of school is encouraging."I had recently interviewed about ten students from the schools in the area, from Tabor, Bethel, Bethany, McPherson, Sterling College," Johnson said. "I was very, very impressed with those young teachers still finishing their final year of college."Johnson acknowledges there is a workforce crunch right now, but she believes that pendulum will swing back in the coming years.

Johnson: USD 308 doing okay for vacancies for next year

Third Thursday moving some activities indoors

A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect from 9 p.m. Thursday to 9 a.m. Friday. Wet snow is expected with winds gusting as high as 45 mph in Saline, McPherson and Reno Counties.

Plan on slippery road conditions. The hazardous&nbsp;  conditions will impact the morning commute on Friday.

Most of the snow accumulation will  be on grassy surfaces, but roads and highways could become slushy, slick and hazardous.

Slow down and use caution while traveling.

A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect from 9 p.m. Thursday to 9 a.m. Friday. Wet snow is expected with winds gusting as high as 45 mph in Saline, McPherson and Reno Counties.Plan on slippery road conditions. The hazardous&nbsp; conditions will impact the morning commute on Friday.Most of the snow accumulation will be on grassy surfaces, but roads and highways could become slushy, slick and hazardous.Slow down and use caution while traveling.

Winter weather headed in Thursday night

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Hutchinson Public Works announced that both north and southbound lanes of Severance Street will be closed from 23rd Avenue to Fairgrounds Park, along with the roundabout, for curb repairs. 

The closure will begin on Monday, March 21, and is expected to last five&nbsp; days, weather permitting.

Local traffic will have access from 17th Avenue during the work. If you have any questions about this or any other street project, contact Hutchinson Public Works at 620-694-1900.

<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.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1647463083011.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Hutchinson Public Works announced that both north and southbound lanes of Severance Street will be closed from 23rd Avenue to Fairgrounds Park, along with the roundabout, for curb repairs. The closure will begin on Monday, March 21, and is expected to last five&nbsp; days, weather permitting.Local traffic will have access from 17th Avenue during the work. If you have any questions about this or any other street project, contact Hutchinson Public Works at 620-694-1900.<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.

Portion of Severance at 23rd Avenue closed starting Monday

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Now that the sale of the Atrium property is officially off the books for the city, it is time to start weighing options for dealing with the rundown property. The council agreed to end any further negotiations with the property owner Joshua Joseph after demolition costs for the hotel made buying the property cost-prohibitive.&nbsp;

“He will (Joseph) probably anticipate receiving enforcement notifications from the city at some point and time as it relates to that property,” City Manager Jeff Cantrell said. “I know that we were all under the common assumption that we would be acquiring that property and thereby mitigating some of those blight concerns.”

The deal broke down after asbestos was found in the ceiling of the hotel property, adding more than $500,000 to the demolition costs. The city tried to broker a new deal with Joseph but were never contacted by the owner. Cantrell says the city does have some possible legal avenues to take against Joseph.

“The first option would be a letter indicating multiple code violations and a time to remedy,” Cantrell said. “If we ultimately had to go in front of the council and they gave a demolition notice, we would then be able to levy those expenses against the property.”

Cantrell says over time he feels the city will be able to get the facility razed and the property cleaned up.&nbsp;

”I think after an extended period went by, after receiving those notices, I don't think we would have trouble demonstrating that it is actionable on many levels.”

Cantrell says they are working on all of the legal avenues they may be able to take against Joseph, who has run into similar legal issues with hotels in both Hays and Salina. The city was wanting to save the convention center and raze the hotel under a new developer, but hopes of that could be gone.&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;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/12/1606857027486.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By ROD ZOOK Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — Now that the sale of the Atrium property is officially off the books for the city, it is time to start weighing options for dealing with the rundown property. The council agreed to end any further negotiations with the property owner Joshua Joseph after demolition costs for the hotel made buying the property cost-prohibitive.&nbsp;“He will (Joseph) probably anticipate receiving enforcement notifications from the city at some point and time as it relates to that property,” City Manager Jeff Cantrell said. “I know that we were all under the common assumption that we would be acquiring that property and thereby mitigating some of those blight concerns.”The deal broke down after asbestos was found in the ceiling of the hotel property, adding more than $500,000 to the demolition costs. The city tried to broker a new deal with Joseph but were never contacted by the owner. Cantrell says the city does have some possible legal avenues to take against Joseph.“The first option would be a letter indicating multiple code violations and a time to remedy,” Cantrell said. “If we ultimately had to go in front of the council and they gave a demolition notice, we would then be able to levy those expenses against the property.”Cantrell says over time he feels the city will be able to get the facility razed and the property cleaned up.&nbsp;”I think after an extended period went by, after receiving those notices, I don't think we would have trouble demonstrating that it is actionable on many levels.”Cantrell says they are working on all of the legal avenues they may be able to take against Joseph, who has run into similar legal issues with hotels in both Hays and Salina. The city was wanting to save the convention center and raze the hotel under a new developer, but hopes of that could be gone.&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;

City now weighing legal options against hotel owner

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Both the Pratt and Hutchinson airports were put on alert for a brief period Wednesday evening around 7 p.m. due to a plane that was having mechanical issues and low on fuel.&nbsp;

According to a social media report from the Pratt Fire Department, their department was initially called out for a potential emergency landing at their airport, but the pilot determined that they had enough fuel to make it to Hutchinson, so that airport was also alerted to the flight.

According to Pieter Miller with the Hutchinson airport, air traffic control told him a Citation jet declared an emergency as they didn’t have a “gear extended light”, so the pilot wasn’t sure if the landing gear was down. 

The aircraft didn’t have enough fuel on board to make a flyby of the control tower to visually verify the gear being lowered, so was cleared for a straight in approach. 

 As the pilot declared an emergency, the controller notified dispatch and they were preparing for a gear up landing. Turns out, it was an indicator light failure as the gear was down and locked.  The Citation made a normal landing.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1647478501034.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Both the Pratt and Hutchinson airports were put on alert for a brief period Wednesday evening around 7 p.m. due to a plane that was having mechanical issues and low on fuel.&nbsp;According to a social media report from the Pratt Fire Department, their department was initially called out for a potential emergency landing at their airport, but the pilot determined that they had enough fuel to make it to Hutchinson, so that airport was also alerted to the flight.According to Pieter Miller with the Hutchinson airport, air traffic control told him a Citation jet declared an emergency as they didn’t have a “gear extended light”, so the pilot wasn’t sure if the landing gear was down. The aircraft didn’t have enough fuel on board to make a flyby of the control tower to visually verify the gear being lowered, so was cleared for a straight in approach. As the pilot declared an emergency, the controller notified dispatch and they were preparing for a gear up landing. Turns out, it was an indicator light failure as the gear was down and locked. The Citation made a normal landing.

Two area airports put on alert Wednesday evening

HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
Kansas U.S. Senator Dr. Roger Marshall said the Biden Administration is not trying to keep the U.S. energy independent.

"When President Biden took office, he shut down the pipeline," Marshall said. "That created uncertainty and it decreased supply. But, he went way beyond that. He shut down any new drilling in federal lands and federal waters. The EPA is doing everything it can to make it impossible to get a new permit to be able to actually go ahead and drill."

The administration is cutting off the money supply that helps drillers start work.

"People that I have known that have been very successful drilling oil wells before I was born cannot get loans from banks to do more drilling," Marshall said. "Consequently, only a third of our rigs are actually functioning right now. Despite a $110 a barrel oil price, they're not out there. What is happening is the federal government through the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and the feds are saying we're going to give an environmental score to your loan."

The Russia-Ukraine conflict and the administration's policy to cut off Russian oil does impact the price at the pump, but the uncertainty of what climate-related rules might be on oil and gas producers is chilling their willingness to take the financial risk to find additional resources.

"If we had different policy out of the White House, it would take us a year to catch back up," Marshall said. "We're probably producing about 2 million less barrels per day. America consumes about 20 million barrels per day, to put it in perspective. We've cut back production for a lot of reasons and haven't replaced it."

Marshall would much rather see domestic drilling encouraged, instead of the administration looking to Iran and Venezuela to meet U.S. energy needs.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1631897543449.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
Kansas U.S. Senator Dr. Roger Marshall said the Biden Administration is not trying to keep the U.S. energy independent."When President Biden took office, he shut down the pipeline," Marshall said. "That created uncertainty and it decreased supply. But, he went way beyond that. He shut down any new drilling in federal lands and federal waters. The EPA is doing everything it can to make it impossible to get a new permit to be able to actually go ahead and drill."The administration is cutting off the money supply that helps drillers start work."People that I have known that have been very successful drilling oil wells before I was born cannot get loans from banks to do more drilling," Marshall said. "Consequently, only a third of our rigs are actually functioning right now. Despite a $110 a barrel oil price, they're not out there. What is happening is the federal government through the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and the feds are saying we're going to give an environmental score to your loan."The Russia-Ukraine conflict and the administration's policy to cut off Russian oil does impact the price at the pump, but the uncertainty of what climate-related rules might be on oil and gas producers is chilling their willingness to take the financial risk to find additional resources."If we had different policy out of the White House, it would take us a year to catch back up," Marshall said. "We're probably producing about 2 million less barrels per day. America consumes about 20 million barrels per day, to put it in perspective. We've cut back production for a lot of reasons and haven't replaced it."Marshall would much rather see domestic drilling encouraged, instead of the administration looking to Iran and Venezuela to meet U.S. energy needs.

Marshall: Administration is working against oil and gas producers

HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
There appeared to be an appetite among the Hutchinson City Council members to see more funds put into a program to allow property owners to improve or install sidewalks in the city.

"I'd like to see a comprehensive sidewalk plan that we actually put some money behind," said Mayor Jade Piros de Carvalho. "This factors in to the parks and recreation master plan, which also pinpointed that there isn't walkability and bikeability to our parks, which has impacted usage."

$20,000 has been allocated to the SAFER Sidewalks program. Ryan Hvitlok with the city says they'll have a lot more requests than that.

"It's about $40 a foot to do a sidewalk," Hvitlok said. "You do the math, it's only 500 feet. It's not going to go very far. The purpose of this was really to show what the need is."

Councilwoman Sara Bagwell likes the idea of getting buy in from the neighborhoods and funding that program more.

"I was just thinking we already have a process that's started and with an application process," Bagwell said. "Maybe we just need to infuse money into it. I would be in favor of putting a million in."

Obviously, that is a discussion for the 2023 budget process, but with two council members on board, it only needs a little more momentum to become a priority.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1647443841883.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
There appeared to be an appetite among the Hutchinson City Council members to see more funds put into a program to allow property owners to improve or install sidewalks in the city."I'd like to see a comprehensive sidewalk plan that we actually put some money behind," said Mayor Jade Piros de Carvalho. "This factors in to the parks and recreation master plan, which also pinpointed that there isn't walkability and bikeability to our parks, which has impacted usage."$20,000 has been allocated to the SAFER Sidewalks program. Ryan Hvitlok with the city says they'll have a lot more requests than that."It's about $40 a foot to do a sidewalk," Hvitlok said. "You do the math, it's only 500 feet. It's not going to go very far. The purpose of this was really to show what the need is."Councilwoman Sara Bagwell likes the idea of getting buy in from the neighborhoods and funding that program more."I was just thinking we already have a process that's started and with an application process," Bagwell said. "Maybe we just need to infuse money into it. I would be in favor of putting a million in."Obviously, that is a discussion for the 2023 budget process, but with two council members on board, it only needs a little more momentum to become a priority.

Hutchinson City Council may put more into SAFER sidewalks program

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The United Way of Reno County announced Monday that Carla Stanfield has been hired as the agency’s Resource Development Representative.&nbsp;

Standfield, who most recently worked with the Cosmosphere, will help raise funds for 24 non-profit agencies United Way helps support.&nbsp; 

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1647443220349.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The United Way of Reno County announced Monday that Carla Stanfield has been hired as the agency’s Resource Development Representative.&nbsp;Standfield, who most recently worked with the Cosmosphere, will help raise funds for 24 non-profit agencies United Way helps support.&nbsp; <a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the HutchPost mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily HutchPost email news update.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Carla Stanfield joins United Way of Reno County

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Hutchinson Police Department announced Tuesday that Sergeant Josh Long was promoted to the rank of lieutenant and Police Service Aid Dan Deming was promoted to Master Police Service Aide.&nbsp;

Long has been with the Hutchinson Police Department since 2006. Throughout his time with the department, he has served as a Field Training Officer, Firearms Instructor and Rangemaster, Peer Support Coordinator, Repeat Offender Officer, ERT Operator, ERT Sniper, and most recently ERT Commander. He was promoted to the rank of Sergeant in 2020. He has been awarded the Medal of Valor twice, the Medal of Merit, Life Saving Award and has received three Kansas Association Chiefs of Police Gold awards.&nbsp;

Deming has been with the Hutchinson Police Dept. as a part time employee for nearly three years, previously serving as a volunteer for approximately eight years including a graduate of the department's Citizens Police Academy.

He was among the original ten hired as a Police Service Aide and is one of two "original" PSAs still with the department. He previously served eight years as a Reno County Commissioner representing the only district exclusively consisting of Hutchinson residents, leaving office three years ago largely because of his strong beliefs in limited terms producing the best decision makers and taxpayer representatives.&nbsp; Deming previously served eight years on the Hutchinson City Council including one year as mayor and four terms as vice-mayor.&nbsp; He also is a past board member and chairman of Hutchinson Hospital; past Drive Chairman for United Way of Reno County, former board member of the Salvation Army.&nbsp;

Deming retired in 2008 after 37 years in broadcasting with Eagle Communications and eight years as general manager of KWBW Radio. He had previously been the stations' news director, where he first became interested, if not overly-obsessed, with law enforcement, and the stations' program director.&nbsp; After retirement Deming fulfilled a long-time ambition, by working in security for the Walt Disney Company at Disney World in Florida and worked security for Wal Mart in Hutchinson upon returning to Kansas.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1647441174459.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Hutchinson Police Department announced Tuesday that Sergeant Josh Long was promoted to the rank of lieutenant and Police Service Aid Dan Deming was promoted to Master Police Service Aide.&nbsp;Long has been with the Hutchinson Police Department since 2006. Throughout his time with the department, he has served as a Field Training Officer, Firearms Instructor and Rangemaster, Peer Support Coordinator, Repeat Offender Officer, ERT Operator, ERT Sniper, and most recently ERT Commander. He was promoted to the rank of Sergeant in 2020. He has been awarded the Medal of Valor twice, the Medal of Merit, Life Saving Award and has received three Kansas Association Chiefs of Police Gold awards.&nbsp;Deming has been with the Hutchinson Police Dept. as a part time employee for nearly three years, previously serving as a volunteer for approximately eight years including a graduate of the department's Citizens Police Academy.He was among the original ten hired as a Police Service Aide and is one of two "original" PSAs still with the department. He previously served eight years as a Reno County Commissioner representing the only district exclusively consisting of Hutchinson residents, leaving office three years ago largely because of his strong beliefs in limited terms producing the best decision makers and taxpayer representatives.&nbsp; Deming previously served eight years on the Hutchinson City Council including one year as mayor and four terms as vice-mayor.&nbsp; He also is a past board member and chairman of Hutchinson Hospital; past Drive Chairman for United Way of Reno County, former board member of the Salvation Army.&nbsp;Deming retired in 2008 after 37 years in broadcasting with Eagle Communications and eight years as general manager of KWBW Radio. He had previously been the stations' news director, where he first became interested, if not overly-obsessed, with law enforcement, and the stations' program director.&nbsp; After retirement Deming fulfilled a long-time ambition, by working in security for the Walt Disney Company at Disney World in Florida and worked security for Wal Mart in Hutchinson upon returning to Kansas.<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the HutchPost mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily HutchPost email news update.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Long and Deming promoted at HPD


HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
Hutchinson Community College will be hosting its Career Connections Job Fair Thursday, April 7, from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. at the Hutchinson Sports Arena. More than 150 area employers have registered to attend seeking employees for full-time, part-time and internship opportunities.

"That's pretty close to maxing out the space we have in the Sports Arena," said spokesperson Denny Stoecklein. "That is an increase over a year ago."

A list of the employers currently registered is available at <a href="http://www.hutchcc.edu/careerfair">www.hutchcc.edu/careerfair</a>.

"It is open to everybody, not just Hutchinson Community College students," said HutchCC President Carter File. "It is open to anyone in the community who is open to an opportunity."

The Job Fair is made possible through support from Hutchinson Community College, Radio Kansas, Greater Hutch, Viega, Superior Boiler and First National Bank of Hutchinson.

For more information, please e-mail <a href="mailto:CareerZone@hutchcc.edu">CareerZone@hutchcc.edu</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1588955468734.png" alt="Hutch cc dragon logo.png" />
 <figcaption>Hutch cc dragon logo.png</figcaption>
 </figure>NICK GOSNELL Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
Hutchinson Community College will be hosting its Career Connections Job Fair Thursday, April 7, from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. at the Hutchinson Sports Arena. More than 150 area employers have registered to attend seeking employees for full-time, part-time and internship opportunities."That's pretty close to maxing out the space we have in the Sports Arena," said spokesperson Denny Stoecklein. "That is an increase over a year ago."A list of the employers currently registered is available at <a href="http://www.hutchcc.edu/careerfair">www.hutchcc.edu/careerfair</a>."It is open to everybody, not just Hutchinson Community College students," said HutchCC President Carter File. "It is open to anyone in the community who is open to an opportunity."The Job Fair is made possible through support from Hutchinson Community College, Radio Kansas, Greater Hutch, Viega, Superior Boiler and First National Bank of Hutchinson.For more information, please e-mail <a href="mailto:CareerZone@hutchcc.edu">CareerZone@hutchcc.edu</a>.

Career Fair coming up April 7


HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
Hutchinson USD 308 Superintendent Mike Folks said now that RSP has given the Board of Education its recommendations for facilities improvements in the district, it's time to talk to the public on what that might look like.

"The board hasn't been together to talk about it," Folks said. "In just the one on one conversations I have had, the board probably needs to do their own strategic planning to talk about that proposal. The one thing they did say was, we know we need additional community input and we need to realize slow is fast, we want to make sure, before we go to the public and say this is our proposal, we want to make sure everyone's on the same page."

Because that additional discussion and time is needed, it's likely that further progress on the issue won't take place until Dr. Dawn Johnson gets installed as superintendent in June.

"The information that really came out of what the RSP group provided for us is kind of a projection into the future," Johnson said. "It's going to be, embrace the brutal facts of that projection into the future. We know that Reno County as a whole is kind of declining in student enrollment across the county. That is not just 308, but the same thing is happening in USD 308. I think we have to take a look at that information, start sharing that information that they got to us, make sure that we're doing that first and then start talking about what do we do now?"

Neither Johnson or Folks provided a timeline for when the board would decide on its next steps regarding the facilities study.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1574794748723.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>NICK GOSNELL Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
Hutchinson USD 308 Superintendent Mike Folks said now that RSP has given the Board of Education its recommendations for facilities improvements in the district, it's time to talk to the public on what that might look like."The board hasn't been together to talk about it," Folks said. "In just the one on one conversations I have had, the board probably needs to do their own strategic planning to talk about that proposal. The one thing they did say was, we know we need additional community input and we need to realize slow is fast, we want to make sure, before we go to the public and say this is our proposal, we want to make sure everyone's on the same page."Because that additional discussion and time is needed, it's likely that further progress on the issue won't take place until Dr. Dawn Johnson gets installed as superintendent in June."The information that really came out of what the RSP group provided for us is kind of a projection into the future," Johnson said. "It's going to be, embrace the brutal facts of that projection into the future. We know that Reno County as a whole is kind of declining in student enrollment across the county. That is not just 308, but the same thing is happening in USD 308. I think we have to take a look at that information, start sharing that information that they got to us, make sure that we're doing that first and then start talking about what do we do now?"Neither Johnson or Folks provided a timeline for when the board would decide on its next steps regarding the facilities study.

USD 308: Now that board has seen facilities study, time to educate public


HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
Letters are being mailed to 210 Reno County households who have been randomly selected to complete a survey for the 2022 Community Health Needs Assessment. 

Those who complete the survey will receive a $20 gift card! 

The Healthcare Access Taskforce needs your input to help determine the community's priority areas.

The taskforce already did an online survey open to the whole community that closed last month.

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HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
Letters are being mailed to 210 Reno County households who have been randomly selected to complete a survey for the 2022 Community Health Needs Assessment. Those who complete the survey will receive a $20 gift card! The Healthcare Access Taskforce needs your input to help determine the community's priority areas.The taskforce already did an online survey open to the whole community that closed last month.

Community Health Needs Assessment letters coming soon

Country 102.9 is 50, bird flu found in Kansas, the latest from Ukraine and more from Hutch Post.

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 </figure>Country 102.9 is 50, bird flu found in Kansas, the latest from Ukraine and more from Hutch Post.<div><iframe title="March 16, 2022 Morning News" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=nwiud-11d346f-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=1&font-color=&btn-skin=7"></iframe></div>

March 16, 2022 Morning News


HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
On the 50th Anniversary of what is now Country 102.9, former News Director Fred Gough reflected on the funniest moment he had on the air.

"We were at the Kansas State Fair and we were broadcasting live and I'm on the midway, trying to interview people," Gough said. "Went up to this, what I thought looked like a really nice, old lady. She did not want to talk to me. She started hitting me over the headwith her umbrella. This is all live on the air. The gal that was in the booth with me, she's on the floor laughing. I mean, she's on the ground, just dying laughing because this lady is hitting me over the head continuously, threatening to call the police. I thought, ma'am, I'm just trying to interview you. I'm not trying to mug you or do anything. That's always a memory that sticks with me because it was live. That's what I miss, is live radio."

Terry Drouhard was Program Director at KHUT when the branding changed to Country 102.9 in 1989.

"We wanted people, when they heard us, to know it was country," Drouhard said. "I know that sounds obvious, but instead of K-Hut 103, we wanted to be Country 102.9. That was a branding thing. Second thing was, is when I got there, there were three to five thousand songs in rotation. I cut that back to approximately eight hundred. That was to foster the main hits at the time, currents and recurrents that were familiar."

Drouhard got his programming philosophy from Jack Sampson, of KOMA fame and many other great radio stations across the Midwest. 

"Listeners to a radio station want...they not only want familiarity, they want companionship with that. They want information that helps them, that could be weather, news, sports scores. They want to be entertained. That's stayed the same throughout."

The philosophy that Country 102.9 started using in 1989 spread across the country through the Garth Brooks days when country exploded in the 1990s and it's still being used today.

"We kind of emulate each other," Gough said. "It's amazing to me, since I've been retired, I've traveled and listened to other radio stations and their format's almost exactly like KHUT. Other than the call letters being different or the announcers being different, it's basically the very same music, the same rotation sometimes. It amazes me that these formats, no matter where you are in the country, they're kind of the same."

The key to authenticity on the air is character, according to Drouhard.

"The strength of the announcer is being themselves, without trying to be somebody they are not," Drouhard said. "People pick up on that. Over time, they can really hear it."

Drouhard talked about the ability to exude confidence without sounding prideful. Gough said one of the important things is not to take yourself too seriously and be willing to live with your mistakes sometimes.

"It shows you're human," Gough said. "If you're perfect, people aren't going to relate to you as much. People want to meet somebody that is like them."

It is that face-to-face, person-to-person connection that has made KHUT last 50 years, and the goal is to keep it that way for another 50 years.

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By
NICK GOSNELL Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
On the 50th Anniversary of what is now Country 102.9, former News Director Fred Gough reflected on the funniest moment he had on the air."We were at the Kansas State Fair and we were broadcasting live and I'm on the midway, trying to interview people," Gough said. "Went up to this, what I thought looked like a really nice, old lady. She did not want to talk to me. She started hitting me over the headwith her umbrella. This is all live on the air. The gal that was in the booth with me, she's on the floor laughing. I mean, she's on the ground, just dying laughing because this lady is hitting me over the head continuously, threatening to call the police. I thought, ma'am, I'm just trying to interview you. I'm not trying to mug you or do anything. That's always a memory that sticks with me because it was live. That's what I miss, is live radio."Terry Drouhard was Program Director at KHUT when the branding changed to Country 102.9 in 1989."We wanted people, when they heard us, to know it was country," Drouhard said. "I know that sounds obvious, but instead of K-Hut 103, we wanted to be Country 102.9. That was a branding thing. Second thing was, is when I got there, there were three to five thousand songs in rotation. I cut that back to approximately eight hundred. That was to foster the main hits at the time, currents and recurrents that were familiar."Drouhard got his programming philosophy from Jack Sampson, of KOMA fame and many other great radio stations across the Midwest. "Listeners to a radio station want...they not only want familiarity, they want companionship with that. They want information that helps them, that could be weather, news, sports scores. They want to be entertained. That's stayed the same throughout."The philosophy that Country 102.9 started using in 1989 spread across the country through the Garth Brooks days when country exploded in the 1990s and it's still being used today."We kind of emulate each other," Gough said. "It's amazing to me, since I've been retired, I've traveled and listened to other radio stations and their format's almost exactly like KHUT. Other than the call letters being different or the announcers being different, it's basically the very same music, the same rotation sometimes. It amazes me that these formats, no matter where you are in the country, they're kind of the same."The key to authenticity on the air is character, according to Drouhard."The strength of the announcer is being themselves, without trying to be somebody they are not," Drouhard said. "People pick up on that. Over time, they can really hear it."Drouhard talked about the ability to exude confidence without sounding prideful. Gough said one of the important things is not to take yourself too seriously and be willing to live with your mistakes sometimes."It shows you're human," Gough said. "If you're perfect, people aren't going to relate to you as much. People want to meet somebody that is like them."It is that face-to-face, person-to-person connection that has made KHUT last 50 years, and the goal is to keep it that way for another 50 years.

Long-time employees talk about Country 102.9 on 50th Anniversary


HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
Wednesday Schedule at NJCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament at the Sports Arena.

HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
Wednesday Schedule at NJCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament at the Sports Arena.Noon Marcum vs. John A. Logan2 p.m. Hutchinson vs. Chipola6 p.m. South Plains vs. Kilgore8 p.m. Triton vs. Indian River State

Wednesday schedule at NJCAA Tournament

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — A Hutchinson student is one of 20 semi-finalists for the Future Engineers&nbsp; <a href="https://www.futureengineers.org/lunaboticsjunior">Lunabotics Junior Contest</a>, a national competition where NASA asked K-12 students to design a robot that can dig and move lunar soil from one area of the lunar south pole to a holding container near a future Artemis Moon base. One of these semifinalists is Sistine McKown. McKown earned the honor on Monday.

&nbsp;The essay contest was issued in collaboration with NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate and the Office of STEM Engagement. &nbsp;

<a href="https://www.nasa.gov/specials/artemis/">NASA’s Artemis Program</a>, will land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon and establish long-term lunar science and exploration capabilities that will serve as a springboard for future exploration of Mars.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Over 2,000 essay submissions were received from K-12 students across the country and nearly 500 educators, professionals, and space enthusiasts offered their time as volunteer judges, to review the thousands of robot designs.&nbsp;

On March 22nd the semifinalists will be narrowed down to 8 Finalists who will win a virtual session with a NASA expert. Two Grand Prize winners will be announced on March 29th and they will win a virtual chat for their classrooms with Kennedy Space Center Director Janet Petro.&nbsp;&nbsp;

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 </figure>HUTCHINSON, Kan. — A Hutchinson student is one of 20 semi-finalists for the Future Engineers&nbsp; <a href="https://www.futureengineers.org/lunaboticsjunior">Lunabotics Junior Contest</a>, a national competition where NASA asked K-12 students to design a robot that can dig and move lunar soil from one area of the lunar south pole to a holding container near a future Artemis Moon base. One of these semifinalists is Sistine McKown. McKown earned the honor on Monday.&nbsp;The essay contest was issued in collaboration with NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate and the Office of STEM Engagement. &nbsp;<a href="https://www.nasa.gov/specials/artemis/">NASA’s Artemis Program</a>, will land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon and establish long-term lunar science and exploration capabilities that will serve as a springboard for future exploration of Mars.&nbsp;&nbsp;Over 2,000 essay submissions were received from K-12 students across the country and nearly 500 educators, professionals, and space enthusiasts offered their time as volunteer judges, to review the thousands of robot designs.&nbsp;On March 22nd the semifinalists will be narrowed down to 8 Finalists who will win a virtual session with a NASA expert. Two Grand Prize winners will be announced on March 29th and they will win a virtual chat for their classrooms with Kennedy Space Center Director Janet Petro.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Hutchinson student is semi-finalist for NASA honor

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — With the recent wildfires on everyone's mind, all eyes are again on the area as the dry conditions continue and winds are expected to be up in central Kansas on Wednesday.

The National Weather Service says wind could gust up to 30 miles per hour, elevating the rangeland fire danger index once again. Reno County Emergency Management Director Adam Weishaar says that they will be meeting with the fire department and other agencies to put plans together for dealing with possible fires.

If there is good news it is that cooler, calmer and wetter conditions with on-again off-again chances for rain are in the forecast through the weekend and on into next week.&nbsp;

As of the beginning of March, the area has had just 37/100ths of an inch of moisture.

<figure>
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 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>HUTCHINSON, Kan. — With the recent wildfires on everyone's mind, all eyes are again on the area as the dry conditions continue and winds are expected to be up in central Kansas on Wednesday.The National Weather Service says wind could gust up to 30 miles per hour, elevating the rangeland fire danger index once again. Reno County Emergency Management Director Adam Weishaar says that they will be meeting with the fire department and other agencies to put plans together for dealing with possible fires.If there is good news it is that cooler, calmer and wetter conditions with on-again off-again chances for rain are in the forecast through the weekend and on into next week.&nbsp;As of the beginning of March, the area has had just 37/100ths of an inch of moisture.<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.

Windy conditions could raise fire danger again Wednesday


HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
Hutchinson Fire Chief Steve Beer is changing his tactics toward wildfires after seeing what has happened this fire season on red flag warning days.

"We're going to put a whole firing team together with a firing boss," Beer said Tuesday. "What does that actually mean? I'm going to have a group of three to four firefighters that their sole job is, and I'll probably put them on overtime to come in on those days, probably like ten days a year that we're into that situation. Their sole job is to get in front of the fire, a mile or two ahead of it. They're going to start burnout operations right away in front of this thing, while all the other companies will do structure protection and work on mitigating the fire. We want the fire to run into a big black section that's already burnt out."

It's a completely different approach than the department took as soon as five years ago.

"When I got to Hutch here in 2017 and Capt. Mueller can attest to this, we hardly ever fought fire with fire," Beer said. "We hardly ever grabbed a drip torch and laid fire on the ground. It sounds easy when it's a day like today with five to ten mile an hour winds, but you throw the Kansas winds in there at 40 to 50 miles an hour and lay fire down on the ground, you can win some and you can lose some real fast. By the people that we have going out to the western states and getting experience and coming back here, that has been priceless for HFD and the City of Hutchinson."

Wildfires are going to continue to be a way of life. There's just no other way to look at it, in Beer's estimation.

"This problem is not going to go away today," Beer said. "It's not going to go away in the next ten years, probably not in the next twenty years. We're always going to be dealing with this type of situation in and around Hutch. For the people that are born and raised here, councilman Fast, we've had this discussion, you don't remember the fires as severe back in the day, but if you remember back in the day 40 to 50 years ago, these fields were all for cattle and now they are all grazed off."

Beer notes that the cedar trees are stealing moisture from the grass and keeping it dry and also if a cedar goes up, it's just like a can of diesel fuel to the fire.

"I cannot guarantee you that it won't happen again," Beer said. "I can guarantee you that we have to do a better job for the men and women of Hutch Fire, what they do on a daily basis for this community. They are putting their lives on the line each and every day we respond to these calls. All you have to do is look at the back of Brush 41 that's burnt up and you'll understand some of the tough situations these men and women were in here in the last week."

In fact, Beer said the fire still is not 100 percent contained, though he hopes that can happen in the next couple of days.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/2/1644430485893.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>NICK GOSNELL Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
Hutchinson Fire Chief Steve Beer is changing his tactics toward wildfires after seeing what has happened this fire season on red flag warning days."We're going to put a whole firing team together with a firing boss," Beer said Tuesday. "What does that actually mean? I'm going to have a group of three to four firefighters that their sole job is, and I'll probably put them on overtime to come in on those days, probably like ten days a year that we're into that situation. Their sole job is to get in front of the fire, a mile or two ahead of it. They're going to start burnout operations right away in front of this thing, while all the other companies will do structure protection and work on mitigating the fire. We want the fire to run into a big black section that's already burnt out."It's a completely different approach than the department took as soon as five years ago."When I got to Hutch here in 2017 and Capt. Mueller can attest to this, we hardly ever fought fire with fire," Beer said. "We hardly ever grabbed a drip torch and laid fire on the ground. It sounds easy when it's a day like today with five to ten mile an hour winds, but you throw the Kansas winds in there at 40 to 50 miles an hour and lay fire down on the ground, you can win some and you can lose some real fast. By the people that we have going out to the western states and getting experience and coming back here, that has been priceless for HFD and the City of Hutchinson."Wildfires are going to continue to be a way of life. There's just no other way to look at it, in Beer's estimation."This problem is not going to go away today," Beer said. "It's not going to go away in the next ten years, probably not in the next twenty years. We're always going to be dealing with this type of situation in and around Hutch. For the people that are born and raised here, councilman Fast, we've had this discussion, you don't remember the fires as severe back in the day, but if you remember back in the day 40 to 50 years ago, these fields were all for cattle and now they are all grazed off."Beer notes that the cedar trees are stealing moisture from the grass and keeping it dry and also if a cedar goes up, it's just like a can of diesel fuel to the fire."I cannot guarantee you that it won't happen again," Beer said. "I can guarantee you that we have to do a better job for the men and women of Hutch Fire, what they do on a daily basis for this community. They are putting their lives on the line each and every day we respond to these calls. All you have to do is look at the back of Brush 41 that's burnt up and you'll understand some of the tough situations these men and women were in here in the last week."In fact, Beer said the fire still is not 100 percent contained, though he hopes that can happen in the next couple of days.

Beer: Tactics continue to change as we learn more about wildfires


HUTCHINSON,
Kan. —&nbsp;Hutchinson Fire Chief Steve Beer didn't get his requests for equipment fulfilled at Tuesday's City Council meeting, but it's because the council wants to talk to the county about sharing the cost with them.

"A lot of these fires are originating in Fire District 2," said Mayor Jade Piros de Carvalho. "I would like a greater discussion on cost sharing. That's where I sit. We need to be providing the best protection and the best equipment to our employees, but I really feel it's warranted and in the city's best interest to have a discussion with the county."

Councilwoman Sara Bagwell noted that the county got a whole lot more from ARPA than the city did.

"They got twice as much, but yet we're 60% of the county. We've got 60% of the population and Hutchinson's the main driver for a lot of the economy in Reno County. They got $13 million, we got under 6, it's a little bit shy of $6 million."

The request was for three new type six brush trucks, new wildland personal protective gear and bringing existing brush trucks up to standards, to standardize the fleet, along with replacement of tools, equipment and hoses. The total cost for the requests all told would be $880,000. The mayor also said that county policy changes to be discussed next week are important before committing city resources.

"That's when they are going to hear the fire mitigation plan," Piros de Carvalho said. "It's up to them whether they want to accept that. I certainly think they care just as much, if not more about this issue as we do."

The city council intends to find out how much help the county will give and then hold a special meeting next Tuesday afternoon to move on the issue, as Beer made clear that if they want the replacement equipment for next year at this time, then getting it all ordered right away is their best chance to get it, as lead times on anything are pushing out to many months if not a year for some specific items.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1647364669842.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>NICK GOSNELL Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON,
Kan. —&nbsp;Hutchinson Fire Chief Steve Beer didn't get his requests for equipment fulfilled at Tuesday's City Council meeting, but it's because the council wants to talk to the county about sharing the cost with them."A lot of these fires are originating in Fire District 2," said Mayor Jade Piros de Carvalho. "I would like a greater discussion on cost sharing. That's where I sit. We need to be providing the best protection and the best equipment to our employees, but I really feel it's warranted and in the city's best interest to have a discussion with the county."Councilwoman Sara Bagwell noted that the county got a whole lot more from ARPA than the city did."They got twice as much, but yet we're 60% of the county. We've got 60% of the population and Hutchinson's the main driver for a lot of the economy in Reno County. They got $13 million, we got under 6, it's a little bit shy of $6 million."The request was for three new type six brush trucks, new wildland personal protective gear and bringing existing brush trucks up to standards, to standardize the fleet, along with replacement of tools, equipment and hoses. The total cost for the requests all told would be $880,000. The mayor also said that county policy changes to be discussed next week are important before committing city resources."That's when they are going to hear the fire mitigation plan," Piros de Carvalho said. "It's up to them whether they want to accept that. I certainly think they care just as much, if not more about this issue as we do."The city council intends to find out how much help the county will give and then hold a special meeting next Tuesday afternoon to move on the issue, as Beer made clear that if they want the replacement equipment for next year at this time, then getting it all ordered right away is their best chance to get it, as lead times on anything are pushing out to many months if not a year for some specific items.

City of Hutchinson wants county help with wildland fire expenses

HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
The Hutchinson City Council moved on Tuesday to rescind the offer they had made for the Atrium Hotel to Joshua Joseph, who closed the hotel in 2019. 

"I feel strongly that any investment made into that property made sense two years ago," said Mayor Jade Piros de Carvalho. "We were trying to save a convention center worth $4 million. But, I don't think in good conscience, we can rightfully invest $1.6 million in a structure that is then going to require another half-million dollars in asbestos mitigation and then going to require another half-million to a million to demo it. The owner has been non-responsive to Jeff. Today is the deadline that we gave the owner."

"I agree completely with what you said," said City Manager Jeff Cantrell. "We now have a non-responsive seller and that tells me everything. Additional attempts were made in the past two weeks, to no avail. These were prior methods of communication that were clearly our method of communication. Multiple means of communication were attempted."

Joseph owned the Ambassador Hotel property in Hays before that city finished the tearing down of that property through its nuisance abatement process in 2017.

<figure>
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 </figure>NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
The Hutchinson City Council moved on Tuesday to rescind the offer they had made for the Atrium Hotel to Joshua Joseph, who closed the hotel in 2019. "I feel strongly that any investment made into that property made sense two years ago," said Mayor Jade Piros de Carvalho. "We were trying to save a convention center worth $4 million. But, I don't think in good conscience, we can rightfully invest $1.6 million in a structure that is then going to require another half-million dollars in asbestos mitigation and then going to require another half-million to a million to demo it. The owner has been non-responsive to Jeff. Today is the deadline that we gave the owner."The motion passed unanimously."I agree completely with what you said," said City Manager Jeff Cantrell. "We now have a non-responsive seller and that tells me everything. Additional attempts were made in the past two weeks, to no avail. These were prior methods of communication that were clearly our method of communication. Multiple means of communication were attempted."Joseph owned the Ambassador Hotel property in Hays before that city finished the tearing down of that property through its nuisance abatement process in 2017.

Hutchinson City Council withdraws Atrium offer


HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
Reno County wants property owners affected by the recent wildfires to know that they want to help. 

According to Statute KSA 79-1613, the County Commission may issue an abatement of all or partial property taxes on dwellings where damage occurred during a natural disaster and would exceed more than 50% of the market value. 

You can apply online at the county's website. For more details, call (620) 694-2772.

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HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
Reno County wants property owners affected by the recent wildfires to know that they want to help. According to Statute KSA 79-1613, the County Commission may issue an abatement of all or partial property taxes on dwellings where damage occurred during a natural disaster and would exceed more than 50% of the market value. You can apply online at the county's website. For more details, call (620) 694-2772.

Reno County looking to help with property tax abatements


HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
Tuesday March 15, 2022 game schedule for NJCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament at the Hutchinson Sports Arena

10 a.m. South Georgia Tech vs. South Plains

8:30 p.m. NW Florida State vs. Indian Hills

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HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
Tuesday March 15, 2022 game schedule for NJCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament at the Hutchinson Sports Arena10 a.m. South Georgia Tech vs. South PlainsNoon Caldwell Tech vs. Triton2 p.m. Moberly Area vs. Salt Lake4:30 p.m. Shelton State vs. Odessa6:30 p.m. Snow vs. Dodge City8:30 p.m. NW Florida State vs. Indian Hills

NJCAA Tournament Tuesday schedule


HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
Free market economist Michael Austin said the labor numbers for Kansas in 2021 have been adjusted and fewer jobs were created than originally thought.

"These latest reports from the Kansas Department of Labor say that the job recovery under this current administration is actually worse than initially thought," Austin said. "The reality is that Kansas had 7,200 fewer private jobs than what the administration initially reported all throughout 2021."

Also, government jobs grew by 1,600 more than originally thought.

"More jobs than expected probably came from the local government level," Austin said. "Of course, it takes a little deeper dive into where exactly within local government that came from, whether it came from a county, city or maybe schools."

Governments in general have been collecting more taxes and schools have been allocated more dollars lately due to COVID-related learning loss legislation.

"Bloated government got us into this mess," Austin said. "Limiting that government, I think, is the only way out. Let's stop setting the record of having the largest state government budget in Kansas history."

Austin sees tax cuts as generally good policy, but only when funded by creating more efficiencies, not simply because of a surplus, because the cuts need to be sustainable and not just temporary while times are good.

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 </figure>
HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
Free market economist Michael Austin said the labor numbers for Kansas in 2021 have been adjusted and fewer jobs were created than originally thought."These latest reports from the Kansas Department of Labor say that the job recovery under this current administration is actually worse than initially thought," Austin said. "The reality is that Kansas had 7,200 fewer private jobs than what the administration initially reported all throughout 2021."Also, government jobs grew by 1,600 more than originally thought."More jobs than expected probably came from the local government level," Austin said. "Of course, it takes a little deeper dive into where exactly within local government that came from, whether it came from a county, city or maybe schools."Governments in general have been collecting more taxes and schools have been allocated more dollars lately due to COVID-related learning loss legislation."Bloated government got us into this mess," Austin said. "Limiting that government, I think, is the only way out. Let's stop setting the record of having the largest state government budget in Kansas history."Austin sees tax cuts as generally good policy, but only when funded by creating more efficiencies, not simply because of a surplus, because the cuts need to be sustainable and not just temporary while times are good.