The National Weather Service has issued a High Wind Warning until 6 p.m. Friday.

Northwest winds will be sustained from 30 to 45 miles per hour with gusts up to 60 mph over a large swath of Kansas.

Gusty winds could blow around unsecured objects. Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result.

People should avoid being outside in forested areas and around trees and branches. If possible, remain in the lower levels of your home during the wind storm, and avoid windows. Use caution if you must drive.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1610622999850.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The National Weather Service has issued a High Wind Warning until 6 p.m. Friday.Northwest winds will be sustained from 30 to 45 miles per hour with gusts up to 60 mph over a large swath of Kansas.Gusty winds could blow around unsecured objects. Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result.People should avoid being outside in forested areas and around trees and branches. If possible, remain in the lower levels of your home during the wind storm, and avoid windows. Use caution if you must drive.

High Wind Warning Thursday

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Reno County overall case count is at 495 as of Wednesday afternoon. The death count among Reno County residents is at 111.

The Correctional Facility cluster type has five active cases measured by the county's COVID-19 dashboard. The Long Term Care Facility cluster type has 70 active cases. Forty-four people within those clusters have died. There are 40 active clusters in the county.

Out of 7,036 total cases since the beginning of the pandemic, there are 494 cases in the community at large. 6,430 people have recovered thus far.

Eighteen Reno County residents are in the hospital. According to the dashboard, three hundred twenty-nine total have been hospitalized. Ninety-seven have been admitted to the ICU and 31 have been intubated. These are Reno County resident numbers regardless of where they are hospitalized.

The community's positive test rate is at 27.24%, with the overall positive test rate at 32.48%. 34.47% of the population has been tested.

There are now two free public testing sites, one in the Cosmosphere parking lot in Hutchinson and one at Simply Good Overstocks parking lot in South Hutchinson. They are open Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1595202434504.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Reno County overall case count is at 495 as of Wednesday afternoon. The death count among Reno County residents is at 111.The Correctional Facility cluster type has five active cases measured by the county's COVID-19 dashboard. The Long Term Care Facility cluster type has 70 active cases. Forty-four people within those clusters have died. There are 40 active clusters in the county.Out of 7,036 total cases since the beginning of the pandemic, there are 494 cases in the community at large. 6,430 people have recovered thus far.Eighteen Reno County residents are in the hospital. According to the dashboard, three hundred twenty-nine total have been hospitalized. Ninety-seven have been admitted to the ICU and 31 have been intubated. These are Reno County resident numbers regardless of where they are hospitalized.The community's positive test rate is at 27.24%, with the overall positive test rate at 32.48%. 34.47% of the population has been tested.There are now two free public testing sites, one in the Cosmosphere parking lot in Hutchinson and one at Simply Good Overstocks parking lot in South Hutchinson. They are open Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Case count at 495, with 494 in community as of Wednesday afternoon

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Preliminary hearings are set for Thursday afternoon for a Hutchinson Correctional Facility employee and three women accused of smuggling contraband into Hutchinson Correctional Facility.&nbsp;

Twenty-two-year-old Zachary Wood of Newton faces eight different counts in an effort to smuggle K2 into the facility. Wood faces three counts of conspiracy, three counts of using a communication device to distribute drugs, one count of drug distribution and one count of trafficking contraband into a correctional facility. The three women arrested in the case are Ester Davis, Denisha Starns and Stephanie Thindiu.

According to the complaint, Wood used the three women to bring the synthetic marijuana into the facility over a period of two months.

Thursday's hearings are set for 1:30 p.m.&nbsp;

<figure>
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 </figure>HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Preliminary hearings are set for Thursday afternoon for a Hutchinson Correctional Facility employee and three women accused of smuggling contraband into Hutchinson Correctional Facility.&nbsp;Twenty-two-year-old Zachary Wood of Newton faces eight different counts in an effort to smuggle K2 into the facility. Wood faces three counts of conspiracy, three counts of using a communication device to distribute drugs, one count of drug distribution and one count of trafficking contraband into a correctional facility. The three women arrested in the case are Ester Davis, Denisha Starns and Stephanie Thindiu.According to the complaint, Wood used the three women to bring the synthetic marijuana into the facility over a period of two months.Thursday's hearings are set for 1:30 p.m.&nbsp;

Preliminary hearings set in prison contraband case

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Reno County Health Department, along with local physicians and administrators from the Hutchinson Clinic and Hutchinson Regional Healthcare Systems, will be holding a town hall this Friday, Jan. 15, from noon to 1 p.m.&nbsp;

The topic will be the COVID-19 vaccine. Participants may watch it live via <a href="https://www.facebook.com/RENOEMA/">Reno County’s Emergency Management Facebook page</a> and submit questions there. The recording will also be available later in the day on the county’s Facebook and YouTube channels, as well as local cable channel 7.

“We’ve been inundated with calls from the public. People want information on the vaccine, and they want to know when and how they can get it,” Reno County Interim Health Officer Karen Hammersmith said. “We’re hoping to answer as many questions as we can during the town hall.”

Reno County is currently in Phase 1 of the governor’s vaccine distribution plan. This includes health care workers, residents or patients in long term care senior housing, and workers critical to pandemic response continuity.&nbsp;

The next phase will include persons aged 65 and over, as well as congregate settings, high-contact critical workers, and all unvaccinated persons prioritized in the previous phase.&nbsp;

<figure>
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 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Reno County Health Department, along with local physicians and administrators from the Hutchinson Clinic and Hutchinson Regional Healthcare Systems, will be holding a town hall this Friday, Jan. 15, from noon to 1 p.m.&nbsp;The topic will be the COVID-19 vaccine. Participants may watch it live via <a href="https://www.facebook.com/RENOEMA/">Reno County’s Emergency Management Facebook page</a> and submit questions there. The recording will also be available later in the day on the county’s Facebook and YouTube channels, as well as local cable channel 7.“We’ve been inundated with calls from the public. People want information on the vaccine, and they want to know when and how they can get it,” Reno County Interim Health Officer Karen Hammersmith said. “We’re hoping to answer as many questions as we can during the town hall.”Reno County is currently in Phase 1 of the governor’s vaccine distribution plan. This includes health care workers, residents or patients in long term care senior housing, and workers critical to pandemic response continuity.&nbsp;The next phase will include persons aged 65 and over, as well as congregate settings, high-contact critical workers, and all unvaccinated persons prioritized in the previous phase.&nbsp;

COVID vaccination town hall set for Friday

HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — The HutchCC Board of Trustees will discuss two new positions within
the college during Thursday’s agenda session. The Board will consider adopting
the new position of Associate Director of Business and Industry. 

The new
position will act as a representative of the college that will work with
Kansas Manufacturing Solutions to help provide training, consulting and support
to industry in south central Kansas.

The other is
a new CDL training instructor. The instructor will provide the training and
instruction for students interested in obtaining their commercial driver’s
license.

Also on Thursday, the board will take care of some housekeeping duties to start the new year
and set dates for meetings for the calendar year. 

Thursday’s
meeting of the HutchCC Board of Trustees begins at 7 p.m. at the Shears
Technology Center. 

<figure>
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 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — The HutchCC Board of Trustees will discuss two new positions within
the college during Thursday’s agenda session. The Board will consider adopting
the new position of Associate Director of Business and Industry. The new
position will act as a representative of the college that will work with
Kansas Manufacturing Solutions to help provide training, consulting and support
to industry in south central Kansas.The other is
a new CDL training instructor. The instructor will provide the training and
instruction for students interested in obtaining their commercial driver’s
license.Also on Thursday, the board will take care of some housekeeping duties to start the new year
and set dates for meetings for the calendar year. Thursday’s
meeting of the HutchCC Board of Trustees begins at 7 p.m. at the Shears
Technology Center.

HutchCC BOT to consider two new positions

HAVEN, Kan. —Wrestling will be coming back to Haven High
School next year. After several months of discussion, the Haven School Board agreed
to restart the wrestling program at the high school level. 

The district had been going over the logistics of restarting
wrestling after several parents asked the board to consider it.

Also Monday night, the Board approved a one year extension
to Superintendent Clark Wedel's contract which now runs through 2023, and Bryce
Matteson was reappointed Board President and Bill Royer was once again named
Vice President.

The district will also extend its COVID related sick leave to the end of the school year. 

Finally, the board approved going into interviews with three
possible contractors to provide construction management at risk services for
the high school auditorium renovation project. Those interviews will take place
at the board's February meeting.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1585345243110.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>HAVEN, Kan. —Wrestling will be coming back to Haven High
School next year. After several months of discussion, the Haven School Board agreed
to restart the wrestling program at the high school level. The district had been going over the logistics of restarting
wrestling after several parents asked the board to consider it.Also Monday night, the Board approved a one year extension
to Superintendent Clark Wedel's contract which now runs through 2023, and Bryce
Matteson was reappointed Board President and Bill Royer was once again named
Vice President.The district will also extend its COVID related sick leave to the end of the school year. Finally, the board approved going into interviews with three
possible contractors to provide construction management at risk services for
the high school auditorium renovation project. Those interviews will take place
at the board's February meeting.

Wrestling returns to Haven High School next year


HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
The Board of Reno County Commissioners will be taking a look at the proposed wind farm regulations next week.

"The study session for the wind energy regulations is planned for January 19th at 4 p.m. at the Public Works facility," said Reno County Administrator Randy Partington. "We will have that available on the Reno County Youtube page. Because of the size of the room and COVID restrictions, there won't be any guests allowed, but we will televise for the open meetings."

This will be the first time for new Reno County Commissioner Daniel Friesen to get a close look at the issue. The proposed changes to the regulations have been in the works for several months, after a proposal by NextEra to build a wind farm near Pretty Prairie failed to receive a unanimous vote of the board to allow for a conditional use permit for its construction. 

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By
NICK GOSNELL
Hutch
Post
HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
The Board of Reno County Commissioners will be taking a look at the proposed wind farm regulations next week."The study session for the wind energy regulations is planned for January 19th at 4 p.m. at the Public Works facility," said Reno County Administrator Randy Partington. "We will have that available on the Reno County Youtube page. Because of the size of the room and COVID restrictions, there won't be any guests allowed, but we will televise for the open meetings."This will be the first time for new Reno County Commissioner Daniel Friesen to get a close look at the issue. The proposed changes to the regulations have been in the works for several months, after a proposal by NextEra to build a wind farm near Pretty Prairie failed to receive a unanimous vote of the board to allow for a conditional use permit for its construction.

Study session on wind farm regulations set


HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — HutchCC President Carter File feels good about how many kids coming out of high school are making decisions to attend there.

"Our traditional aged enrollment has been real steady," File said. "Year over year, we're down slightly, but its not falling off a cliff like it has at some other community colleges across the country."

"I think some of the unsettledness around the COVID-19 virus and whether people are going to get called back to work, what their jobs are going to look like when they come back has impacted some of our adult learners," File said. "They're waiting it out and seeing."

With that said, no matter which way the economy turns in 2021, File likes the college's position.

"We're very well positioned to help adult learners if they want to get into a new career," File said. "If they want to take a short-term certificate, nine months, one year and change the industry they are in or change their career trajectory."

HutchCC is also an economical option for those students who are coming out of high school and know they want a four year degree but don't yet know from where or in what, as students can get prerequisites out of the way for much less than they can at many four year schools.

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By
NICK GOSNELL
Hutch
Post
HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — HutchCC President Carter File feels good about how many kids coming out of high school are making decisions to attend there."Our traditional aged enrollment has been real steady," File said. "Year over year, we're down slightly, but its not falling off a cliff like it has at some other community colleges across the country."The same is not true for adult learners."I think some of the unsettledness around the COVID-19 virus and whether people are going to get called back to work, what their jobs are going to look like when they come back has impacted some of our adult learners," File said. "They're waiting it out and seeing."With that said, no matter which way the economy turns in 2021, File likes the college's position."We're very well positioned to help adult learners if they want to get into a new career," File said. "If they want to take a short-term certificate, nine months, one year and change the industry they are in or change their career trajectory."HutchCC is also an economical option for those students who are coming out of high school and know they want a four year degree but don't yet know from where or in what, as students can get prerequisites out of the way for much less than they can at many four year schools.

HutchCC president pleased with direction of college in spite of pandemic


HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — Hutchinson City Manager Jeff Cantrell noted that the areas of the economy that are dependent on people coming in from out of town struggled in 2020.

"Transient guest tax, for instance, they took a pretty significant hit," Cantrell said. "It looks like we're down about 32 or 33%. What that means for anyone that lives in Hutch is that when you drive by a hotel or motel operation, you're going to see that their business is down and understand that's impacting their employees and their bottom line."

Another area of struggle is the special alcohol tax.

"That would be where you go to a restaurant, sit down, order a drink," Cantrell said. "That is down significantly, too, about 35% year to date. That has correlation with local restaurants. It's not just drinks, it would be their general business that would coincide with that. Some fast food retailers did very well."

"As far as the city's cash balance, we're in a really good position," Cantrell said. "Because of CARES act funding coming through, we are better than projected. When this thing came on, the City Council and the previous manager, they sat down and department heads, they came up with a strategy that put pretty conservative measures in place to safeguard against the unknown. What has turned out is the unknown has been better than forecast. We're sitting pretty good."

It looks as if the city is going to be really close to its intended reserve of two months of expenses after all bills are paid that were issued by the end of the year.

<figure>
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 </figure>
By
NICK GOSNELL
Hutch
Post
HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — Hutchinson City Manager Jeff Cantrell noted that the areas of the economy that are dependent on people coming in from out of town struggled in 2020."Transient guest tax, for instance, they took a pretty significant hit," Cantrell said. "It looks like we're down about 32 or 33%. What that means for anyone that lives in Hutch is that when you drive by a hotel or motel operation, you're going to see that their business is down and understand that's impacting their employees and their bottom line."Another area of struggle is the special alcohol tax."That would be where you go to a restaurant, sit down, order a drink," Cantrell said. "That is down significantly, too, about 35% year to date. That has correlation with local restaurants. It's not just drinks, it would be their general business that would coincide with that. Some fast food retailers did very well."Other areas picked the city up, though."As far as the city's cash balance, we're in a really good position," Cantrell said. "Because of CARES act funding coming through, we are better than projected. When this thing came on, the City Council and the previous manager, they sat down and department heads, they came up with a strategy that put pretty conservative measures in place to safeguard against the unknown. What has turned out is the unknown has been better than forecast. We're sitting pretty good."It looks as if the city is going to be really close to its intended reserve of two months of expenses after all bills are paid that were issued by the end of the year.

Cantrell: Travel related areas of economy struggled, but city is doing okay after 2020

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The round numbers that were coincidental on the Reno County dashboard as of Tuesday afternoon make the mathematics on current rates fairly straightforward. 

Reno County was at 7,000 positive cases as of Tuesday. 6,400 of those, or 91.4% have recovered. One hundred ten people have died. That makes the death rate among those whose symptoms were bad enough to be diagnosed at 1.57%. Thirty-four of those 110 deaths have been in the last 30 days. Three hundred twenty six Reno County residents have been hospitalized, so thus far, if you are diagnosed, your chance of going to the hospital is about 4.65%. Ninety-seven, or 1.38% of all cases have had ICU care and 0.4%, or 31 cases have been intubated.

Four hundred ninety people are currently infected, with 489 of those in the community.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1595202434504.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The round numbers that were coincidental on the Reno County dashboard as of Tuesday afternoon make the mathematics on current rates fairly straightforward. Reno County was at 7,000 positive cases as of Tuesday. 6,400 of those, or 91.4% have recovered. One hundred ten people have died. That makes the death rate among those whose symptoms were bad enough to be diagnosed at 1.57%. Thirty-four of those 110 deaths have been in the last 30 days. Three hundred twenty six Reno County residents have been hospitalized, so thus far, if you are diagnosed, your chance of going to the hospital is about 4.65%. Ninety-seven, or 1.38% of all cases have had ICU care and 0.4%, or 31 cases have been intubated.Four hundred ninety people are currently infected, with 489 of those in the community.There are now two free public testing sites, one in the Cosmosphere parking lot in Hutchinson and one at Simply Good Overstocks parking lot in South Hutchinson. They are open Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Round numbers Tuesday prompt look at county percentages

Click&nbsp;<a href="https://hutchpost.com/category/obituaries" target="_blank">HERE</a>&nbsp;to view the most recent obituaries and service times from our funeral home partners.

Hutch Post is honored to publish full obituaries and photos at no cost to families. Funeral homes can send notices to&nbsp;<a href="mailto:hutchpost@gmail.com" target="_blank">hutchpost@gmail.com</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1573140944016.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Click&nbsp;<a href="https://hutchpost.com/category/obituaries" target="_blank">HERE</a>&nbsp;to view the most recent obituaries and service times from our funeral home partners.Hutch Post is honored to publish full obituaries and photos at no cost to families. Funeral homes can send notices to&nbsp;<a href="mailto:hutchpost@gmail.com" target="_blank">hutchpost@gmail.com</a>.

Recent obituaries

HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
The Rise Up Reno<a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fforms.gle%2Fko7CPsfV2J4SAvuR6%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR0jwKCwAuLUB3xBAM86VYCB_RwBvwQ79EWHC5cy9GFb6_hCHvtqiQPf0HY&amp;h=AT0__Dgxqi5CvN3ZGScpgIztnPv-JKa_RGV7H4UMdVsFJBwxchxcHIVmTulqQBF0Z6cCn0T5btgpvz2YRrhptMB87Tmrt8bVm7uOUzEdLw7GurNto5R7I6HKyEXTK61eMA&amp;__tn__=-UK-R&amp;c[0]=AT0RuoVcs6lX2kKBv_DBqwhVciLjtYSO50XorTBC0FvT15_4gOk-uflWRaSHWB3de9z-Zy6dnuFvH6AeN8yuVdkDH0I0KFiT93QpTPfcYGDVfIxmnG1jPcLBP2VSlmKB3B_S7YekcZhHQ5Li_pvQxCTXkxPzNXG6xhl_PsQn_qD9vbP9"> Youth Empowerment Summit </a>for 5th through 8th graders will look different this year.

"This year, we're going to do a virtual summit," said Carla Smith with Rise Up Reno. "It will still be empowering and it will still be a lot of fun. It's going to be shorter online. We need to get everybody signed up so we can send out all the supplies and things and get them to people ahead of time."

The event will be Monday, Martin Luther King Day from 11 a.m. to noon.

"This will be a different group than we usually spend time with," Smith said. "This is the kids who aren't quite to that leadership group age yet. The 5th and 6th graders have not had a chance to participate before. This is a brand new thing for them, then the 7th and 8th graders are just learning leadership skills."

Dustin Galyon will deliver a keynote to inspire leadership, encourage decision making skills, and entertain the group with his charismatic energy. 

"It will just be like one breakout session instead of a whole day together," Smith said. "Fortunately, we're going to have a really good breakout session. I wish that we could spend all day with them, but since its just an hour, we wanted to make sure it was really great."

Smith said if you haven't <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fforms.gle%2Fko7CPsfV2J4SAvuR6%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR0jwKCwAuLUB3xBAM86VYCB_RwBvwQ79EWHC5cy9GFb6_hCHvtqiQPf0HY&amp;h=AT0__Dgxqi5CvN3ZGScpgIztnPv-JKa_RGV7H4UMdVsFJBwxchxcHIVmTulqQBF0Z6cCn0T5btgpvz2YRrhptMB87Tmrt8bVm7uOUzEdLw7GurNto5R7I6HKyEXTK61eMA&amp;__tn__=-UK-R&amp;c[0]=AT0RuoVcs6lX2kKBv_DBqwhVciLjtYSO50XorTBC0FvT15_4gOk-uflWRaSHWB3de9z-Zy6dnuFvH6AeN8yuVdkDH0I0KFiT93QpTPfcYGDVfIxmnG1jPcLBP2VSlmKB3B_S7YekcZhHQ5Li_pvQxCTXkxPzNXG6xhl_PsQn_qD9vbP9">signed your child up yet</a>, be sure to do so as soon as possible so students and parents can both get the Zoom link for Galyon's presentation Monday.

<figure>
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By
NICK GOSNELL
Hutch
Post
HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
The Rise Up Reno<a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fforms.gle%2Fko7CPsfV2J4SAvuR6%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR0jwKCwAuLUB3xBAM86VYCB_RwBvwQ79EWHC5cy9GFb6_hCHvtqiQPf0HY&amp;h=AT0__Dgxqi5CvN3ZGScpgIztnPv-JKa_RGV7H4UMdVsFJBwxchxcHIVmTulqQBF0Z6cCn0T5btgpvz2YRrhptMB87Tmrt8bVm7uOUzEdLw7GurNto5R7I6HKyEXTK61eMA&amp;__tn__=-UK-R&amp;c[0]=AT0RuoVcs6lX2kKBv_DBqwhVciLjtYSO50XorTBC0FvT15_4gOk-uflWRaSHWB3de9z-Zy6dnuFvH6AeN8yuVdkDH0I0KFiT93QpTPfcYGDVfIxmnG1jPcLBP2VSlmKB3B_S7YekcZhHQ5Li_pvQxCTXkxPzNXG6xhl_PsQn_qD9vbP9"> Youth Empowerment Summit </a>for 5th through 8th graders will look different this year."This year, we're going to do a virtual summit," said Carla Smith with Rise Up Reno. "It will still be empowering and it will still be a lot of fun. It's going to be shorter online. We need to get everybody signed up so we can send out all the supplies and things and get them to people ahead of time."The event will be Monday, Martin Luther King Day from 11 a.m. to noon."This will be a different group than we usually spend time with," Smith said. "This is the kids who aren't quite to that leadership group age yet. The 5th and 6th graders have not had a chance to participate before. This is a brand new thing for them, then the 7th and 8th graders are just learning leadership skills."Dustin Galyon will deliver a keynote to inspire leadership, encourage decision making skills, and entertain the group with his charismatic energy. "It will just be like one breakout session instead of a whole day together," Smith said. "Fortunately, we're going to have a really good breakout session. I wish that we could spend all day with them, but since its just an hour, we wanted to make sure it was really great."Smith said if you haven't <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fforms.gle%2Fko7CPsfV2J4SAvuR6%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR0jwKCwAuLUB3xBAM86VYCB_RwBvwQ79EWHC5cy9GFb6_hCHvtqiQPf0HY&amp;h=AT0__Dgxqi5CvN3ZGScpgIztnPv-JKa_RGV7H4UMdVsFJBwxchxcHIVmTulqQBF0Z6cCn0T5btgpvz2YRrhptMB87Tmrt8bVm7uOUzEdLw7GurNto5R7I6HKyEXTK61eMA&amp;__tn__=-UK-R&amp;c[0]=AT0RuoVcs6lX2kKBv_DBqwhVciLjtYSO50XorTBC0FvT15_4gOk-uflWRaSHWB3de9z-Zy6dnuFvH6AeN8yuVdkDH0I0KFiT93QpTPfcYGDVfIxmnG1jPcLBP2VSlmKB3B_S7YekcZhHQ5Li_pvQxCTXkxPzNXG6xhl_PsQn_qD9vbP9">signed your child up yet</a>, be sure to do so as soon as possible so students and parents can both get the Zoom link for Galyon's presentation Monday.

Rise Up Reno event different this MLK Day


HUTCHINSON,
Kan. —&nbsp;Reno County health care providers are using monoclonal antibodies to treat COVID-19 earlier in the disease process to prevent some hospitalizations.

"They are very aggressive, both the Hutchinson Clinic and Prairie Star about getting patients that are presenting, they're sick enough to present to the respiratory clinic but not sick enough to come in to the hospital, that's a perfect place for that monoclonal antibody treatment," said Chuck Welch with Hutchinson Regional Medical Center.

Monoclonal antibodies are laboratory-made proteins that mimic the immune system’s ability to fight off harmful pathogens such as viruses.

"They've been very aggressive to the point that the hospital and the effort in the community has gotten national attention, as you know, about the utilization of those MAbs," Welch said.

Welch tells Hutch Post that as of Tuesday, 353 doses of the monoclonal antibodies have been infused thus far at Hutchinson Regional Medical Center, with 24 so far at the Hutchinson Clinic. 

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By
NICK GOSNELL
Hutch
Post
HUTCHINSON,
Kan. —&nbsp;Reno County health care providers are using monoclonal antibodies to treat COVID-19 earlier in the disease process to prevent some hospitalizations."They are very aggressive, both the Hutchinson Clinic and Prairie Star about getting patients that are presenting, they're sick enough to present to the respiratory clinic but not sick enough to come in to the hospital, that's a perfect place for that monoclonal antibody treatment," said Chuck Welch with Hutchinson Regional Medical Center.Monoclonal antibodies are laboratory-made proteins that mimic the immune system’s ability to fight off harmful pathogens such as viruses."They've been very aggressive to the point that the hospital and the effort in the community has gotten national attention, as you know, about the utilization of those MAbs," Welch said.Welch tells Hutch Post that as of Tuesday, 353 doses of the monoclonal antibodies have been infused thus far at Hutchinson Regional Medical Center, with 24 so far at the Hutchinson Clinic.

Monoclonal antibodies working in Reno County patients

MCPHERSON,
Kan. —The McPherson County All Schools Day committee has decided the event will be a "scaled-down" version this year. 

"We are still finalizing the events that will take place," the group said on Facebook Tuesday. "We do know we will not have a parade, concession area, or carnival.  We are eager to bring back these events next year."&nbsp; 

The committee has not finalized which events will be able to take place and they still plan to announce the 2021 theme in the coming weeks, but their intent as of the post Tuesday is to hold some events, like the May Fete performances that take place earlier in the week. 

The event, which started as a celebration to honor eighth-grade graduates more than a century ago, had its in person activities canceled in 2020 due to the pandemic. The parade traditionally takes place on the second Friday in May. In 2021, that is May 14.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1610472931365.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>MCPHERSON,
Kan. —The McPherson County All Schools Day committee has decided the event will be a "scaled-down" version this year. "We are still finalizing the events that will take place," the group said on Facebook Tuesday. "We do know we will not have a parade, concession area, or carnival. We are eager to bring back these events next year."&nbsp; The committee has not finalized which events will be able to take place and they still plan to announce the 2021 theme in the coming weeks, but their intent as of the post Tuesday is to hold some events, like the May Fete performances that take place earlier in the week. The event, which started as a celebration to honor eighth-grade graduates more than a century ago, had its in person activities canceled in 2020 due to the pandemic. The parade traditionally takes place on the second Friday in May. In 2021, that is May 14.

McPherson County All Schools Day event scaled down for second straight year


HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — The Board of Reno County Commissioners welcomed new Commissioner Daniel Friesen Tuesday.

"I wish this transition represented a simpler time, a less divisive time," Friesen said. "I'm very aware that these are challenging times for us and for this commission and for our country. I hope to do my part here with my fellow commissioners."

Friesen also acknowledged the legacy of the late commissioner Bob Bush.

"Bob served our community with great strength and dignity up to the end," Friesen said. "He left very big shoes to fill. I'm hopeful I will continue his legacy and example of dedication to our community."

Finally, Friesen noted that COVID-19 has made serving on the commission that also acts as the county board of health an additional challenge.

"The actions this commission takes regarding COVID-19 are some of the most highly sensitive decisions of this commission in some time," Friesen said. "Certainly there are many good people in our community on all sides of this issue. You do have my commitment that I will apply a well informed, objective, reasonable and fair approach to these decisions and the actions we make together. Of great importance to me are those most vulnerable to life-threatening impacts of COVID-19 and those conditions in our community which risk the viability and continuity of our health systems, which are critical to the safety and welfare of Reno County. This commission and the people of Reno County have my commitment to be respectful of all the opinions that are brought forth here on all matters, including this one. I will support especially for those who work tirelessly for the health and safety of our community."

At the reorganization of the board, Friesen was named vice-chair of the commission. Ron Hirst will serve as commission chair in 2021.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/1/1579618375348.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>
By
NICK GOSNELL
Hutch
Post
HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — The Board of Reno County Commissioners welcomed new Commissioner Daniel Friesen Tuesday."I wish this transition represented a simpler time, a less divisive time," Friesen said. "I'm very aware that these are challenging times for us and for this commission and for our country. I hope to do my part here with my fellow commissioners."Friesen also acknowledged the legacy of the late commissioner Bob Bush."Bob served our community with great strength and dignity up to the end," Friesen said. "He left very big shoes to fill. I'm hopeful I will continue his legacy and example of dedication to our community."Finally, Friesen noted that COVID-19 has made serving on the commission that also acts as the county board of health an additional challenge."The actions this commission takes regarding COVID-19 are some of the most highly sensitive decisions of this commission in some time," Friesen said. "Certainly there are many good people in our community on all sides of this issue. You do have my commitment that I will apply a well informed, objective, reasonable and fair approach to these decisions and the actions we make together. Of great importance to me are those most vulnerable to life-threatening impacts of COVID-19 and those conditions in our community which risk the viability and continuity of our health systems, which are critical to the safety and welfare of Reno County. This commission and the people of Reno County have my commitment to be respectful of all the opinions that are brought forth here on all matters, including this one. I will support especially for those who work tirelessly for the health and safety of our community."At the reorganization of the board, Friesen was named vice-chair of the commission. Ron Hirst will serve as commission chair in 2021.

Board of Reno County Commissioners welcomes Daniel Friesen

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Reno County overall case count is at 487 as of Monday afternoon. The death count among Reno County residents is at 109.

The Correctional Facility cluster type has six active cases measured by the county's COVID-19 dashboard. The Long Term Care Facility cluster type has 69 active cases. Forty-four people within those clusters have died. There are 40 active clusters in the county.

Out of 6,971 total cases since the beginning of the pandemic, there are 484 cases in the community at large. 6,375 people have recovered thus far.

Ten Reno County residents are in the hospital. According to the dashboard, three hundred nineteen total have been hospitalized. Ninety-six have been admitted to the ICU and 31 have been intubated. These are Reno County resident numbers regardless of where they are hospitalized.

The community's positive test rate is at 27.24%, with the overall positive test rate at 32.45%. 34.18% of the population has been tested.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1595202434504.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Reno County overall case count is at 487 as of Monday afternoon. The death count among Reno County residents is at 109.The Correctional Facility cluster type has six active cases measured by the county's COVID-19 dashboard. The Long Term Care Facility cluster type has 69 active cases. Forty-four people within those clusters have died. There are 40 active clusters in the county.Out of 6,971 total cases since the beginning of the pandemic, there are 484 cases in the community at large. 6,375 people have recovered thus far.Ten Reno County residents are in the hospital. According to the dashboard, three hundred nineteen total have been hospitalized. Ninety-six have been admitted to the ICU and 31 have been intubated. These are Reno County resident numbers regardless of where they are hospitalized.The community's positive test rate is at 27.24%, with the overall positive test rate at 32.45%. 34.18% of the population has been tested.There are now two free public testing sites, one in the Cosmosphere parking lot in Hutchinson and one at Simply Good Overstocks parking lot in South Hutchinson. They are open Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Case count at 487, with 484 in community as of Monday afternoon

Keely Connolly thought she would be safe once the ambulance arrived at Hutchinson Regional Medical Center in Kansas.

She
 was having difficulty breathing because she’d had to miss a kidney 
dialysis treatment a few days earlier for lack of child care. Her 
potassium was dangerously high, putting her at risk of a heart attack. 
But she trusted she would be fine once she was admitted and dialysis was
 begun.

She panicked when a nurse told her that no beds were 
available and that she would have to be transferred — possibly more than
 450 miles away to Denver. She had heard a rumor about a dialysis 
patient who died waiting for a bed at a hospital in Wichita, about an 
hour down the road.

“‘I don’t want to die in the ER,’” Connolly, 
32, recalled thinking. “I just wanted them to fix me, but then the woman
 came in and said, ‘There are no beds.’ I got really scared and I didn’t
 know if they had time to get me anywhere else.”

When a bed was 
finally located 65 miles away in Salina, Connolly, who has kidney 
failure, was relieved but worried: How long would she be gone? Who would
 care for her young daughter? How would she get home? What would it all 
cost?

Connolly was caught in a situation experts have warned about
 since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic: Covid-19 patients are 
overwhelming hospitals, squeezing space and staff needed to treat 
emergencies like Connolly’s.

While it has happened in pockets 
throughout the country since the spring, the pressure on hospitals is 
widespread now — reaching into both urban and rural communities at an 
alarming pace, even as local officials and citizens continue to <a href="https://khn.org/news/article/pandemic-backlash-jeopardizes-public-health-powers-leaders/" target="_blank">slam public health departments and pandemic guidelines</a>. Traveling nurses are hard to come by as their services are in high demand nationwide and <a href="https://khn.org/news/highly-paid-traveling-nurses-fill-staffing-shortages-during-covid-pandemic/" target="_blank">their pay has escalated beyond the reach of some smaller hospitals</a>.

“This
 is the first time since I have been here that we’ve had a scenario 
where multiple hospitals, for longer periods of time, are experiencing 
some kind of shortages,” said <a href="https://www.kha-net.org/AboutKHA/KHAStaffListing/KHAStaff/" target="_blank">Cindy Samuelson</a>, a senior vice president of the Kansas Hospital Association.

And
 it got worse after Connolly’s emergency in mid-November. The 14-day 
rolling average positive test rate in Reno County, where Hutchinson is 
the county seat, reached 46% on Dec. 22, though it has since come down 
to 24% as of Jan. 4, said D.J. Gering, data analyst for the <a href="https://www.renogov.org/741/COVID-19" target="_blank">Reno County Health Department</a>. The results did not include inmates from the Hutchinson Correctional Center, the local state prison.

By
 Oct. 1, four covid deaths had been recorded in the county of about 
62,000. By Jan. 4, the death toll since the pandemic began had jumped to
 105. For comparison, Gering said, Reno County had 19 deaths attributed 
to pneumonia and influenza combined in all of 2019.

Hospitalizations
 at the 190-licensed-bed Hutchinson Regional Medical Center increased 
800% from mid-October to mid-December then started to temper at the end 
of the month, said <a href="http://www.hutchregional.com/about-us/hrhs-administration" target="_blank">Chuck Welch</a>, vice president of Hutchinson Regional Medical System.

“I
 hate to be overly optimistic until we are well past the possible 
holiday surge from Christmas and New Year’s,” he said in an email.

Operating
 between 90% and 95% capacity, the hospital is providing care to 
patients with a multitude of needs and still has room to expand. The 
problem, Welch said, has been staffing.

<a href="https://khn.org/news/highly-paid-traveling-nurses-fill-staffing-shortages-during-covid-pandemic/" target="_blank">Competing for traveling nurses and specialists</a>
 against larger hospitals to backfill positions open from sick or 
quarantining staffers has been challenging. When the hospital has been 
faced with increasing numbers of covid patients seeking emergency care, 
handling “normal” emergencies like Connolly’s has been much more 
difficult, Welch said.

While staffers work to transfer patients as
 close to home as possible, with so many hospitals in Kansas beyond 
capacity, it has become more common than before to transfer as far away 
as Colorado and Nebraska. Such transfers require medical flights, which 
are typically not covered by insurance and can cost patients upward of 
$50,000, Welch said.

“It is collateral damage,” he said. “It is 
something that has sort of been lost out of the narrative of these folks
 where everybody is relieved when we find them a bed. Everybody forgets 
about the downstream impact of the cost of those transports.”

Connolly
 recovered after three days in the Salina hospital. But the question 
still looms about the costs for her emergency care. Connolly had left 
her job as a corrections officer at the prison in September because 
coronavirus cases began to spike inside. Without her employer-sponsored 
health insurance, Connolly now relies on Medicaid and Medicare Part A, 
which means she is responsible for more out-of-pocket costs for things 
like pharmaceuticals and ambulance services.

Connolly worries so 
much about her finances that she’s been too scared to look at her recent
 ambulance bills. Being a single parent, living with kidney failure and 
undergoing dialysis during a pandemic are her primary concerns.

As with many underlying conditions, covid-19 appears to pose an extra
 risk for people with kidney failure and patients undergoing dialysis, 
said Dr. <a href="https://www.asn-online.org/about/bio.aspx?ID=42512" target="_blank">Alan Kliger</a>, a nephrologist at Yale University and co-chair of the American Society of Nephrology’s COVID-19 Response Team.

Data
 from New York and Europe early in the pandemic showed that about 1 in 5
 dialysis patients who acquired covid died, he said. However, the 
complication and mortality rates have fallen in recent months, according
 to unpublished survey data from members of the nephrology society, 
Kliger said.

For 
Connolly, the pandemic has also complicated her three-times-a-week 
3½-hour dialysis schedule. For example, when her daughter’s kindergarten
 class was told to quarantine for 14 days after an in-class exposure to 
the virus, she had to scramble to find babysitters so she could attend 
dialysis.

“I don’t want too many people to watch her because of 
covid,” Connolly said of her daughter, adding that she is lucky the 
girl’s father is supportive. But he can’t always step in, which means if
 Connolly can’t find a sitter, she may have to skip or reschedule 
dialysis.

Connolly wants to get another job. But living in a 
county where so many refuse to wear masks and some elected leaders 
accuse the health department of providing false information about covid 
testing rates and statistics makes her afraid to be in public more than 
necessary.

“I want to work,” she said. “I had a good job. I served
 my community. The reality of knowing how bad it is at the hospital — I 
have seen it firsthand. And now I am out and seeing people without masks
 and I am thinking, ‘If I get this and I have to go back, I may not 
leave the hospital next time.’”

The reality, said Kliger, Welch 
and others, is that while the virus runs rampant, hospitals will 
struggle to keep up, which potentially endangers medical staffers and 
anyone needing hospital care — and the virus will continue to spread as 
long as people refuse to wear masks and disregard scientifically sound 
guidelines.

Connolly said she would love to see more empathy for 
people who have underlying health concerns like her from those resisting
 safety measures such as masks.

“Even if they think that it 
doesn’t work, what if it does? What if it could? I don’t really 
understand how wearing a mask is going to take so much out of your day, 
compared to someone who is immunocompromised and gets sick,” said 
Connolly. “Or you lose your grandma, or your parent. That’s going to 
affect your life a lot longer than wearing a mask for a little while.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1610389428307.png" alt="After missing a dialysis appointment, Keely Connolly needed emergency care at a Hutchinson, Kansas, hospital. But all beds were filled, so she was transferred to Salina — 65 miles away from her home and young daughter. Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>After missing a dialysis appointment, Keely Connolly needed emergency care at a Hutchinson, Kansas, hospital. But all beds were filled, so she was transferred to Salina — 65 miles away from her home and young daughter. Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>Kaiser Health NewsKeely Connolly thought she would be safe once the ambulance arrived at Hutchinson Regional Medical Center in Kansas.She
 was having difficulty breathing because she’d had to miss a kidney 
dialysis treatment a few days earlier for lack of child care. Her 
potassium was dangerously high, putting her at risk of a heart attack. 
But she trusted she would be fine once she was admitted and dialysis was
 begun.She panicked when a nurse told her that no beds were 
available and that she would have to be transferred — possibly more than
 450 miles away to Denver. She had heard a rumor about a dialysis 
patient who died waiting for a bed at a hospital in Wichita, about an 
hour down the road.“‘I don’t want to die in the ER,’” Connolly, 
32, recalled thinking. “I just wanted them to fix me, but then the woman
 came in and said, ‘There are no beds.’ I got really scared and I didn’t
 know if they had time to get me anywhere else.”When a bed was 
finally located 65 miles away in Salina, Connolly, who has kidney 
failure, was relieved but worried: How long would she be gone? Who would
 care for her young daughter? How would she get home? What would it all 
cost?Connolly was caught in a situation experts have warned about
 since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic: Covid-19 patients are 
overwhelming hospitals, squeezing space and staff needed to treat 
emergencies like Connolly’s.While it has happened in pockets 
throughout the country since the spring, the pressure on hospitals is 
widespread now — reaching into both urban and rural communities at an 
alarming pace, even as local officials and citizens continue to <a href="https://khn.org/news/article/pandemic-backlash-jeopardizes-public-health-powers-leaders/" target="_blank">slam public health departments and pandemic guidelines</a>. Traveling nurses are hard to come by as their services are in high demand nationwide and <a href="https://khn.org/news/highly-paid-traveling-nurses-fill-staffing-shortages-during-covid-pandemic/" target="_blank">their pay has escalated beyond the reach of some smaller hospitals</a>.“This
 is the first time since I have been here that we’ve had a scenario 
where multiple hospitals, for longer periods of time, are experiencing 
some kind of shortages,” said <a href="https://www.kha-net.org/AboutKHA/KHAStaffListing/KHAStaff/" target="_blank">Cindy Samuelson</a>, a senior vice president of the Kansas Hospital Association.And
 it got worse after Connolly’s emergency in mid-November. The 14-day 
rolling average positive test rate in Reno County, where Hutchinson is 
the county seat, reached 46% on Dec. 22, though it has since come down 
to 24% as of Jan. 4, said D.J. Gering, data analyst for the <a href="https://www.renogov.org/741/COVID-19" target="_blank">Reno County Health Department</a>. The results did not include inmates from the Hutchinson Correctional Center, the local state prison.By
 Oct. 1, four covid deaths had been recorded in the county of about 
62,000. By Jan. 4, the death toll since the pandemic began had jumped to
 105. For comparison, Gering said, Reno County had 19 deaths attributed 
to pneumonia and influenza combined in all of 2019.Hospitalizations
 at the 190-licensed-bed Hutchinson Regional Medical Center increased 
800% from mid-October to mid-December then started to temper at the end 
of the month, said <a href="http://www.hutchregional.com/about-us/hrhs-administration" target="_blank">Chuck Welch</a>, vice president of Hutchinson Regional Medical System.“I
 hate to be overly optimistic until we are well past the possible 
holiday surge from Christmas and New Year’s,” he said in an email.Operating
 between 90% and 95% capacity, the hospital is providing care to 
patients with a multitude of needs and still has room to expand. The 
problem, Welch said, has been staffing.<a href="https://khn.org/news/highly-paid-traveling-nurses-fill-staffing-shortages-during-covid-pandemic/" target="_blank">Competing for traveling nurses and specialists</a>
 against larger hospitals to backfill positions open from sick or 
quarantining staffers has been challenging. When the hospital has been 
faced with increasing numbers of covid patients seeking emergency care, 
handling “normal” emergencies like Connolly’s has been much more 
difficult, Welch said.While staffers work to transfer patients as
 close to home as possible, with so many hospitals in Kansas beyond 
capacity, it has become more common than before to transfer as far away 
as Colorado and Nebraska. Such transfers require medical flights, which 
are typically not covered by insurance and can cost patients upward of 
$50,000, Welch said.“It is collateral damage,” he said. “It is 
something that has sort of been lost out of the narrative of these folks
 where everybody is relieved when we find them a bed. Everybody forgets 
about the downstream impact of the cost of those transports.”Connolly
 recovered after three days in the Salina hospital. But the question 
still looms about the costs for her emergency care. Connolly had left 
her job as a corrections officer at the prison in September because 
coronavirus cases began to spike inside. Without her employer-sponsored 
health insurance, Connolly now relies on Medicaid and Medicare Part A, 
which means she is responsible for more out-of-pocket costs for things 
like pharmaceuticals and ambulance services.Connolly worries so 
much about her finances that she’s been too scared to look at her recent
 ambulance bills. Being a single parent, living with kidney failure and 
undergoing dialysis during a pandemic are her primary concerns.As with many underlying conditions, covid-19 appears to pose an extra
 risk for people with kidney failure and patients undergoing dialysis, 
said Dr. <a href="https://www.asn-online.org/about/bio.aspx?ID=42512" target="_blank">Alan Kliger</a>, a nephrologist at Yale University and co-chair of the American Society of Nephrology’s COVID-19 Response Team.Data
 from New York and Europe early in the pandemic showed that about 1 in 5
 dialysis patients who acquired covid died, he said. However, the 
complication and mortality rates have fallen in recent months, according
 to unpublished survey data from members of the nephrology society, 
Kliger said.“It’s still a high risk,” he said.For 
Connolly, the pandemic has also complicated her three-times-a-week 
3½-hour dialysis schedule. For example, when her daughter’s kindergarten
 class was told to quarantine for 14 days after an in-class exposure to 
the virus, she had to scramble to find babysitters so she could attend 
dialysis.“I don’t want too many people to watch her because of 
covid,” Connolly said of her daughter, adding that she is lucky the 
girl’s father is supportive. But he can’t always step in, which means if
 Connolly can’t find a sitter, she may have to skip or reschedule 
dialysis.Connolly wants to get another job. But living in a 
county where so many refuse to wear masks and some elected leaders 
accuse the health department of providing false information about covid 
testing rates and statistics makes her afraid to be in public more than 
necessary.“I want to work,” she said. “I had a good job. I served
 my community. The reality of knowing how bad it is at the hospital — I 
have seen it firsthand. And now I am out and seeing people without masks
 and I am thinking, ‘If I get this and I have to go back, I may not 
leave the hospital next time.’”The reality, said Kliger, Welch 
and others, is that while the virus runs rampant, hospitals will 
struggle to keep up, which potentially endangers medical staffers and 
anyone needing hospital care — and the virus will continue to spread as 
long as people refuse to wear masks and disregard scientifically sound 
guidelines.Connolly said she would love to see more empathy for 
people who have underlying health concerns like her from those resisting
 safety measures such as masks.“Even if they think that it 
doesn’t work, what if it does? What if it could? I don’t really 
understand how wearing a mask is going to take so much out of your day, 
compared to someone who is immunocompromised and gets sick,” said 
Connolly. “Or you lose your grandma, or your parent. That’s going to 
affect your life a lot longer than wearing a mask for a little while.”

When hospitals can't handle non-COVID patients

RENO COUNTY — One person was injured in an accident just after 8 p.m. Monday in Reno County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2012 Hyundai Elantra driven by 43-year-old Benaiah Daniel Bowman of Hutchinson was eastbound in the west bound lanes of U.S 50 at Main Street in South Hutchinson.

The Hyundai collided head on with a westbound 2019 Kenworth semi driven by 57-year-old Michael E. Davidson of Goddard.

EMS transported Bowman to Hutchinson Regional Medical Center. Davidson was not injured. Both drivers were properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1577741158765.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>RENO COUNTY — One person was injured in an accident just after 8 p.m. Monday in Reno County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2012 Hyundai Elantra driven by 43-year-old Benaiah Daniel Bowman of Hutchinson was eastbound in the west bound lanes of U.S 50 at Main Street in South Hutchinson.The Hyundai collided head on with a westbound 2019 Kenworth semi driven by 57-year-old Michael E. Davidson of Goddard.EMS transported Bowman to Hutchinson Regional Medical Center. Davidson was not injured. Both drivers were properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.

Hutchinson man hospitalized after wrong-way, head on crash


HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
The Hutchinson Public Schools Board of Education Monday approved a contract with a consulting firm to help the district with long-term planning.

The Board approved a contract Monday with RSP &amp; Associates. RSP previously has worked with the district for internal boundaries of its elementary schools. Included in the project will be an enrollment analysis, current elementary boundary analysis and facilities analysis.

The Superintendent’s Committee will be one of the resources RSP will use for community input during the research.

The Board also heard about two successes in the district.

First, the Board met Nick Preheim, first grade teacher at Hutchinson Magnet School at Allen, and Paige Stewart, English language arts teacher at Hutchinson Middle School – 7. The two educators are Kansas State Department of Education’s Horizon Awards winners for being up-and-coming teachers.

Second, the Board heard from staff at Hutchinson Magnet School at Allen. In a process that began more than a year ago, the magnet school has been working with students, parents and the community on school redesign. The district’s only magnet school is an Apollo redesign school and spent the 2019-20 year working on what redesign would look like. It joins Wiley Elementary School as approved Apollo redesign schools.

Recognized Board members for School Board Appreciation Month.

Tabled dropping temperature checks until after the Superintendent’s Committee meets next week. None of the temperature checks done during the first five months of the school year have flagged any student or staff who might have COVID-19, but the checks cost the district each month about $17,000 for staff who administer the checks before school. Members of the committee will be asked for input on the temperature checks.

Approved an updated transportation agreement with Durham School Services and Leasing.

Extended the deadline for staff to use FFCRA (Family Friendly Coronavirus Relief Act) days to June 30.

Approved minutes of the Dec. 14, 2020, special and regular meetings.

Approved Resolution 2021-20, which states that the Board will elect its officers in July.

Approved the Treasurer’s Report for November 2020.

Approved the Accounts Payable Report for December 2020.

Held an executive session to discuss non-elected personnel.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1574794748723.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>
HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
The Hutchinson Public Schools Board of Education Monday approved a contract with a consulting firm to help the district with long-term planning.The Board approved a contract Monday with RSP &amp; Associates. RSP previously has worked with the district for internal boundaries of its elementary schools. Included in the project will be an enrollment analysis, current elementary boundary analysis and facilities analysis.The Superintendent’s Committee will be one of the resources RSP will use for community input during the research.The Board also heard about two successes in the district.First, the Board met Nick Preheim, first grade teacher at Hutchinson Magnet School at Allen, and Paige Stewart, English language arts teacher at Hutchinson Middle School – 7. The two educators are Kansas State Department of Education’s Horizon Awards winners for being up-and-coming teachers.Second, the Board heard from staff at Hutchinson Magnet School at Allen. In a process that began more than a year ago, the magnet school has been working with students, parents and the community on school redesign. The district’s only magnet school is an Apollo redesign school and spent the 2019-20 year working on what redesign would look like. It joins Wiley Elementary School as approved Apollo redesign schools.In other action, the Board:Recognized Board members for School Board Appreciation Month.Tabled dropping temperature checks until after the Superintendent’s Committee meets next week. None of the temperature checks done during the first five months of the school year have flagged any student or staff who might have COVID-19, but the checks cost the district each month about $17,000 for staff who administer the checks before school. Members of the committee will be asked for input on the temperature checks.Approved an updated transportation agreement with Durham School Services and Leasing.Extended the deadline for staff to use FFCRA (Family Friendly Coronavirus Relief Act) days to June 30.Approved minutes of the Dec. 14, 2020, special and regular meetings.Approved the 504 Handbook.Approved Resolution 2021-20, which states that the Board will elect its officers in July.Approved the Treasurer’s Report for November 2020.Approved the Accounts Payable Report for December 2020.Held an executive session to discuss non-elected personnel.

USD 308 board approves planning contract

HAVEN, Kan. — Haven USD 312 announced Monday that Haven Middle School teacher Diane Weiss-Rhodes has been selected as the second quarter Impact Award Winner. The Impact Award is handed out each quarter to an employee of the district. At the end of the year, one of the four quarterly winners is named Impact Award Winner of the year.

Weiss-Rhodes has served the district for a total of 29 years. She teaches social studies and science at HMS. She has also been the middle school Student Council sponsor, served as a prom sponsor and is currently a District Leadership Team Representative.

Weiss-Rhodes was recognized during Monday's Haven USD 312 School Board meeting.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1610400295388.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>HAVEN, Kan. — Haven USD 312 announced Monday that Haven Middle School teacher Diane Weiss-Rhodes has been selected as the second quarter Impact Award Winner. The Impact Award is handed out each quarter to an employee of the district. At the end of the year, one of the four quarterly winners is named Impact Award Winner of the year.Weiss-Rhodes has served the district for a total of 29 years. She teaches social studies and science at HMS. She has also been the middle school Student Council sponsor, served as a prom sponsor and is currently a District Leadership Team Representative.Weiss-Rhodes was recognized during Monday's Haven USD 312 School Board meeting.

Weiss-Rhodes named Impact Award Winner for 2nd quarter

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The total valuation of the 10 most valuable companies in Reno County eclipsed the $100 million mark in 2020.

The Reno County Clerk's Office released the 100 highest property taxpayers list for 2020. Evergy, formally known as Westar, saw its value in the county increase by more than $11.6 million to $52.2 million. Total property taxes levied for the year was $8.1 million.

BNSF, the nation's second-largest railroad, was next on the list at $11 million with total taxes of $1.7 million; and Panhandle Eastern followed at $9.5 million with a total property tax bill of $1.3 million. The top 10 properties paid out a total of $17.2 million in property taxes. The list does not include Siemens, but that will all change next year when the wind turbine maker goes on the books after a 10-year property tax abatement that was used as an incentive to come to Hutchinson.

Some of the other notable companies in the area:

Ark Valley Electric COOP ranked 11th at $2.5 million.

Tyson Prepared Foods was 18th at $1.8 million.

Below is the top 100 list with the assessed valuation of the company listed first and the taxes levied second.

WEST00128 EVERGY KANSAS CENTRAL, INC 52,234,556 8,105,382.84

PANH00006 PANHANDLE EASTERN PIPELINE COMPANY 9,596,078 1,357,829.60

UNIO00012 UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD COMPANY 7,204,411 1,119,626.18

KANS00074 KANSAS GAS SERVICE A DIVISION OF ONE GAS 6,373,826 1,073,404.60

MIDA00014 MID AMERICA PIPELINE COMPANY LLC 7,479,849 1,055,421.34

MAIN00024 MAIN LINE, INC 5,224,228 910,259.06

ENTE00012 ENTERPRISE PRODUCTS OPERATING LLC 4,950,081 743,193.30

MAGE00011 MAGELLAN PIPELINE COMPANY LLC 4,580,955 682,187.04

DILL00168 DILLON REAL ESTATE CO, INC 2,696,048 467,021.60

WALM00009 WAL-MART STORES #01-0794 REAL ESTATE BUSINESS TRUS 2,547,620 441,150.98

DILL00297 DILLON COMPANIES, INC 2,387,825 416,191.22

ARCH00029 ARCHER-DANIELS-MIDLAND COMPANY 2,349,559 406,854.40

ARKV00004 ARK VALLEY ELECTRIC COOP ASSN INC 2,578,696 386,622.74

NUST00000 NUSTAR PIPELINE OPERATING PARTNERSHIP LP 2,231,954 385,231.30

KOCH00054 KOCH UNDERGROUND STORAGE, INC 2,377,873 343,783.98

SOUT00136 SOUTHERN STAR CENTRAL GAS PIPELINES 2,185,429 317,157.26

LOWE00038 LOWES HOME CENTERS, INC 1,725,895 300,885.64

KUHN00055 KUHN KRAUSE, INC 1,716,265 297,191.94

SAND00198 SANDS OF HUTCHINSON LLC 1,686,253 293,974.60

TYSO00007 TYSON PREPARED FOODS, INC 1,839,962 288,872.96

BLAC00015 BLACK HILLS CORP, (KANSAS DIVISION) 1,786,384 267,119.26

CARG00018 CARGILL, INC 1,550,801 263,971.60

CARG00009 CARGILL, INC SALT 1,495,726 259,002.92

MAYF00025 MAYFAIR HOSPITALITY LLC 1,448,751 250,868.62

IDEA00002 IDEATEK TELCOM LLC 1,459,543 246,856.92

STRA00211 STRAWN, JAMES L TRUST 1,376,848 235,455.94

HDDE00001 HD DEVELOPMENT OF MARYLAND, INC 1,346,933 233,237.62

SOUT00169 SOUTHWESTERN BELL TELEPHONE L P 1,350,412 225,328.10

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/9/1568596588417.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The total valuation of the 10 most valuable companies in Reno County eclipsed the $100 million mark in 2020.The Reno County Clerk's Office released the 100 highest property taxpayers list for 2020. Evergy, formally known as Westar, saw its value in the county increase by more than $11.6 million to $52.2 million. Total property taxes levied for the year was $8.1 million.BNSF, the nation's second-largest railroad, was next on the list at $11 million with total taxes of $1.7 million; and Panhandle Eastern followed at $9.5 million with a total property tax bill of $1.3 million. The top 10 properties paid out a total of $17.2 million in property taxes. The list does not include Siemens, but that will all change next year when the wind turbine maker goes on the books after a 10-year property tax abatement that was used as an incentive to come to Hutchinson.Some of the other notable companies in the area:Ark Valley Electric COOP ranked 11th at $2.5 million.Tyson Prepared Foods was 18th at $1.8 million.Kuhn Kraus was 21st at $1.7 million.IdeaTek was 26th at $1.4 million.Collins Bus was 33rd at $1.2 million.Below is the top 100 list with the assessed valuation of the company listed first and the taxes levied second.WEST00128 EVERGY KANSAS CENTRAL, INC 52,234,556 8,105,382.84BNSF00004 BNSF 11,002,426 1,711,754.66PANH00006 PANHANDLE EASTERN PIPELINE COMPANY 9,596,078 1,357,829.60UNIO00012 UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD COMPANY 7,204,411 1,119,626.18KANS00074 KANSAS GAS SERVICE A DIVISION OF ONE GAS 6,373,826 1,073,404.60MIDA00014 MID AMERICA PIPELINE COMPANY LLC 7,479,849 1,055,421.34MAIN00024 MAIN LINE, INC 5,224,228 910,259.06ENTE00012 ENTERPRISE PRODUCTS OPERATING LLC 4,950,081 743,193.30MAGE00011 MAGELLAN PIPELINE COMPANY LLC 4,580,955 682,187.04DILL00168 DILLON REAL ESTATE CO, INC 2,696,048 467,021.60WALM00009 WAL-MART STORES #01-0794 REAL ESTATE BUSINESS TRUS 2,547,620 441,150.98DILL00297 DILLON COMPANIES, INC 2,387,825 416,191.22ARCH00029 ARCHER-DANIELS-MIDLAND COMPANY 2,349,559 406,854.40ARKV00004 ARK VALLEY ELECTRIC COOP ASSN INC 2,578,696 386,622.74NUST00000 NUSTAR PIPELINE OPERATING PARTNERSHIP LP 2,231,954 385,231.30KOCH00054 KOCH UNDERGROUND STORAGE, INC 2,377,873 343,783.98SOUT00136 SOUTHERN STAR CENTRAL GAS PIPELINES 2,185,429 317,157.26LOWE00038 LOWES HOME CENTERS, INC 1,725,895 300,885.64KUHN00055 KUHN KRAUSE, INC 1,716,265 297,191.94SAND00198 SANDS OF HUTCHINSON LLC 1,686,253 293,974.60TYSO00007 TYSON PREPARED FOODS, INC 1,839,962 288,872.96BLAC00015 BLACK HILLS CORP, (KANSAS DIVISION) 1,786,384 267,119.26CARG00018 CARGILL, INC 1,550,801 263,971.60CARG00009 CARGILL, INC SALT 1,495,726 259,002.92MAYF00025 MAYFAIR HOSPITALITY LLC 1,448,751 250,868.62IDEA00002 IDEATEK TELCOM LLC 1,459,543 246,856.92STRA00211 STRAWN, JAMES L TRUST 1,376,848 235,455.94HDDE00001 HD DEVELOPMENT OF MARYLAND, INC 1,346,933 233,237.62SOUT00169 SOUTHWESTERN BELL TELEPHONE L P 1,350,412 225,328.10ONEO00014 ONEOK NORTH SYSTEM 1,589,490 222,266.06CITY00005 CITY BEVERAGE COMPANY, INC 1,259,956 219,655.70FIRS00190 FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF HUTCHINSON 1,239,633 215,705.28ROCK00045 ROCKSTEP HUTCHINSON, LLC 1,220,458 211,336.96LOWE00048 LOWEN CORPORATION 1,205,618 210,177.24COLL00182 COLLINS INDUSTRIES, INC 1,283,905 198,249.94KANS00064 EVERGY KANSAS SOUTH, INC 1,254,930 198,172.44TENA00002 TENAWA HAVEN PROCESSING LLC 1,399,206 196,433.14PRAI00015 PRAIRIE DUNES, INC 1,292,254 192,427.50HEAR00054 HEARTLAND CREDIT UNION 1,068,372 185,757.88ARCO00003 ARCONIC DEVELOPMENT LLC 1,060,151 184,822.48MORT00092 MORTON SALT, INC 1,200,734 182,881.90CENT00160 CENTRAL BANK &amp; TRUST CO 1,037,237 179,610.06ONEO00020 ONEOK HYDROCARBON LP 1,238,376 178,992.40SONO00003 SONOCO HUTCHINSON LLC 1,017,893 176,260.40MAAS00000 MAA SANTOSHI, INC 1,012,100 175,257.26HUTC00425 HUTCHINSON SUITE HOTEL LLC 961,501 166,495.44HUTC00048 HUTCHINSON 17TH LLC 956,000 165,542.88MDCC00001 MDC COAST 20 LLC 938,056 162,435.66SONO00001 SONOCO HUTCHINSON LLC 937,375 162,317.74MAST00077 MAST, MARVIN E 966,778 156,252.98MIDW00014 MIDWEST ENERGY INC 901,819 149,942.66MORT00037 MORTON SALT, INC 976,050 148,787.12TSWP00003 TSW PRODUCTS CO, INC 796,761 138,780.36VASU00004 VASU, INC 763,999 132,295.62COLL00124 COLLINGWOOD TERMINAL, INC&nbsp; 727,631 126,852.30TAKA00001 TAKAKO AMERICA CO., INC 716,049 124,833.14FARM00100 FARMINGTON PLAZA LLC 683,310 118,323.34HCRI00001 HCRI KANSAS PROPERTIES, LLC 671,364 116,996.92ONEA00062 ONEAL PROPERTIES 667,748 116,412.52WILL00888 WILLIAMS HUTCH RAIL COMPANY, LLC 772,339 115,048.40KMSI00001 KMS INC 641,909 111,158.90NATI00066 NATIONAL RETAIL PROPERTIES LP 621,246 107,576.22FARM00083 FARMERS NATIONAL BANK OF STAFFORD 597,321 103,874.20PRYO00011 PRYOR REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT LLC 595,741 103,722.36MIDW00002 MIDWAY REAL ESTATE LLC 588,609 102,615.76ONEO00013 ONEOK NGL PIPELINE,LP 696,750 101,572.86KELM00092 KELMAN, STEVEN C 599,848 100,090.48DATA00005 DATA CENTER, INC 577,573 100,013.72KBEN00003 KB ENTERPRISES OF HUTCHINSON, LLC 576,867 98,561.68KANS00158 KANSAS FARMERS SERVICE ASSOC 564,730 98,452.78MCDO00053 MCDONALDS CORPORATION 565,780 97,971.62ONEO00021 ONE OK HYDROCARBON LP 672,445 97,193.86ADEE00000 ADE ENTERPRISES LLC 606,681 96,472.00PRAI00100 PRAIRIE VILLAGE RESIDENCES II, LC 550,436 95,914.82SUPE00009 SUPERIOR PROPERTY HOLDINGS, LLC 545,909 95,171.60CONK00012 CONKLIN LAND, INC 522,406 90,460.88ALDI00007 ALDI, INC 517,888 90,286.52OGHK00001 OG HKS LLC 514,173 89,638.86ALLE00274 ALLEN SAMUELS REALTY INC 512,231 89,300.32KIRK00151 KIRK, FRANK &amp; LYNN TRUST 502,730 87,643.94PEOP00011 PEOPLES BANK AND TRUST COMPANY 514,594 86,248.26FARM00062 FARMERS COOPERATIVE ELEVATOR CO 485,427 86,160.74KANS00159 KANSAS SENIOR HOUSING PROPERTIES, 495,477 85,751.80BOLD00018 BOLD, LLC 493,966 85,536.16HUTC00303 HUTCHINSON SALT CO, INC 493,772 85,497.04STOR00066 STORE MASTER FUNDING XVI, LLC 490,723 85,417.10HIEB00099 HIEB PROPERTIES, LLC 491,927 85,183.10HOOR00002 HOORAY RANCH, LLC 588,571 84,862.36MIDK00034 MID-KANSAS COOPERATIVE 473,835 84,219.12KROG00004 KROGER COMPANY, THE 482,066 83,475.52MICR00004 MICROMONT HOLDINGS 6 LLC 477,625 83,267.24KAUF00092 KAUFFMAN SEEDS, INC 547,150 82,036.48DABJ00001 DAB # 165 JOINT VENTURE 462,501 80,630.58IRSI00002 IRSIK &amp; DOLL FEED SERVICES, INC 518,893 79,027.54FUGA00007 FUGATE, J LARRY REV TRUST 448,845 77,722.92MEDI00032 MEDICAL PROPERTIES, LLC 453,050 77,677.50LKHP00001 LKH PROPERTIES LC 442,701 76,659.00NOBL00018 NOBLE HUTCHINSON, LLC 434,968 75,319.94KWIK00041 KWIK SHOP, INC 435,013 75,238.58

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