TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Senate on Wednesday approved a proposal from its top Republican to require the state’s public school districts to offer in-person classes to all students by March 26.

Senate President Ty Masterson, an Andover Republican, is pushing&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/documents/supp_note_sb235_00_0000.pdf" target="_blank">the measure</a>&nbsp;with the number of new COVID-19 cases lower than they have been in months. Masterson and other Republicans argue that many students don’t fare well academically or emotionally with online learning and need to get back into classrooms.

The Senate’s&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/vote_view/je_20210303112826_035095/" target="_blank">26-12 vote</a>&nbsp;sends the measure to the House.

Some Democrats argued that the bill is an attack on local control of public K-12 schools.

The measure also could be largely symbolic. According to State Department of Education data, only five local districts were not planning to have a majority of their students returning to in-person classes by March 26.

GOP lawmakers criticized Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly for closing K-12 school buildings in March 2020 until the end of the spring semester. A bill&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/documents/supp_note_sb273_02_0000.pdf" target="_blank">approved Monday&nbsp;</a>by the Senate would allow only local schools boards to cancel in-person classes.

Legislators also are considering proposals to rewrite the state’s emergency management laws, with the House set to debate a measure Wednesday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1614796581786.png" alt="Members of the Kansas Senate at work on Wednesday morning" />
 <figcaption>Members of the Kansas Senate at work on Wednesday morning</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Senate on Wednesday approved a proposal from its top Republican to require the state’s public school districts to offer in-person classes to all students by March 26.Senate President Ty Masterson, an Andover Republican, is pushing&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/documents/supp_note_sb235_00_0000.pdf" target="_blank">the measure</a>&nbsp;with the number of new COVID-19 cases lower than they have been in months. Masterson and other Republicans argue that many students don’t fare well academically or emotionally with online learning and need to get back into classrooms.The Senate’s&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/vote_view/je_20210303112826_035095/" target="_blank">26-12 vote</a>&nbsp;sends the measure to the House.Some Democrats argued that the bill is an attack on local control of public K-12 schools.The measure also could be largely symbolic. According to State Department of Education data, only five local districts were not planning to have a majority of their students returning to in-person classes by March 26.GOP lawmakers criticized Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly for closing K-12 school buildings in March 2020 until the end of the spring semester. A bill&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/documents/supp_note_sb273_02_0000.pdf" target="_blank">approved Monday&nbsp;</a>by the Senate would allow only local schools boards to cancel in-person classes.Legislators also are considering proposals to rewrite the state’s emergency management laws, with the House set to debate a measure Wednesday.

Kansas Senate passes bill requiring in-person K-12 classes

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Area fire crews are hoping for a little quieter day today after several grass fires on Tuesday.&nbsp;

The warm, windy weather allowed two controlled burns to get away. One of them was in Kingman County, the other in far southwest Reno County.&nbsp;

Fire Chief Steven Beer says he is hoping the rain in the forecast off and on for this week and next will help green things up earlier than usual so the wildfire danger will be more limited.

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

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 </figure>HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Area fire crews are hoping for a little quieter day today after several grass fires on Tuesday.&nbsp;The warm, windy weather allowed two controlled burns to get away. One of them was in Kingman County, the other in far southwest Reno County.&nbsp;Fire Chief Steven Beer says he is hoping the rain in the forecast off and on for this week and next will help green things up earlier than usual so the wildfire danger will be more limited.<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;

Wildfires keep crews busy Tuesday

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Horizons Mental Health Center has been awarded a $3.1 million expansion grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to become a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC). SAMHSA is an agency in the U.S. Department of Health &amp; Human Services in the nation’s capital.

Horizons was one of only six community mental health centers in Kansas selected as recipients of the expansion grants. Approximately 340 agencies throughout the nation are CBHCCs or have made an application to become one.

To complete the steps required to be a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic, Horizons will be required to provide a comprehensive number of treatment services that create access, stabilize clients dealing with crisis, and provide treatment and recovery services for those with the most serious and complex mental health and substance abuse issues.&nbsp;

A primary focus of a CCBHC is to ensure there is coordination and integration of care in order to ensure all providers are working in a coordinated manner to ensure better outcomes.&nbsp;

Another requirement is to ensure people with mental health or substance abuse problems receive the care they need rather than ending up in the legal system when they have contact with law enforcement.

We’ll have more on this during the BW Morning show with Nick Gosnell as his guest will be Mike Garrett from Horizons.

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 </figure>HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Horizons Mental Health Center has been awarded a $3.1 million expansion grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to become a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC). SAMHSA is an agency in the U.S. Department of Health &amp; Human Services in the nation’s capital.Horizons was one of only six community mental health centers in Kansas selected as recipients of the expansion grants. Approximately 340 agencies throughout the nation are CBHCCs or have made an application to become one.To complete the steps required to be a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic, Horizons will be required to provide a comprehensive number of treatment services that create access, stabilize clients dealing with crisis, and provide treatment and recovery services for those with the most serious and complex mental health and substance abuse issues.&nbsp;A primary focus of a CCBHC is to ensure there is coordination and integration of care in order to ensure all providers are working in a coordinated manner to ensure better outcomes.&nbsp;Another requirement is to ensure people with mental health or substance abuse problems receive the care they need rather than ending up in the legal system when they have contact with law enforcement.We’ll have more on this during the BW Morning show with Nick Gosnell as his guest will be Mike Garrett from Horizons.

Horizons receives $3.1 million grant

RENO COUNTY –&nbsp;The Reno County Health Department is asking county residents, who are age 65 and over and have NOT received their vaccine, to please call and schedule an appointment for either March 8 or 15. This includes those who have already pre-registered.

“It’s becoming increasingly difficult to schedule for the remaining clinics as many have received the vaccine elsewhere,” says Reno County Health Director Karla Nichols. “We want to make sure we don’t miss anyone who still wants the vaccine.”

To schedule an appointment, call 620-694-2900 and select option 6 when prompted.

There will be a first dose clinic on March 8&nbsp;from 8 a.m. to Noon at the Hutchinson Sports Arena, and a second dose clinic on March 9 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. for those who received their first dose on February 5. The clinic on March 15&nbsp;will be from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Please note the vaccination site will NOT be accepting walk-ins.

In the coming weeks, the Health Department will provide an update for the next groups in phase 2, including congregate settings and high-contact critical workers. The Health Department has been meeting with area businesses to plan on-site distribution clinics and public vaccination sites.

For information on the vaccine, visit the Reno County website at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.renogov.org/741/COVID-19" target="_blank">https://www.renogov.org/741/COVID-19</a>. For assistance getting to the vaccination clinic and returning home, please contact RCAT at 620-694-2913.

<figure>
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 </figure>RENO COUNTY –&nbsp;The Reno County Health Department is asking county residents, who are age 65 and over and have NOT received their vaccine, to please call and schedule an appointment for either March 8 or 15. This includes those who have already pre-registered.“It’s becoming increasingly difficult to schedule for the remaining clinics as many have received the vaccine elsewhere,” says Reno County Health Director Karla Nichols. “We want to make sure we don’t miss anyone who still wants the vaccine.”To schedule an appointment, call 620-694-2900 and select option 6 when prompted.There will be a first dose clinic on March 8&nbsp;from 8 a.m. to Noon at the Hutchinson Sports Arena, and a second dose clinic on March 9 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. for those who received their first dose on February 5. The clinic on March 15&nbsp;will be from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Please note the vaccination site will NOT be accepting walk-ins.In the coming weeks, the Health Department will provide an update for the next groups in phase 2, including congregate settings and high-contact critical workers. The Health Department has been meeting with area businesses to plan on-site distribution clinics and public vaccination sites.For information on the vaccine, visit the Reno County website at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.renogov.org/741/COVID-19" target="_blank">https://www.renogov.org/741/COVID-19</a>. For assistance getting to the vaccination clinic and returning home, please contact RCAT at 620-694-2913.

Health Department: Please call in if you are 65 and older and are not vaccinated


HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — The timeline on the Cow Creek improvement project for the City of Hutchinson is still uncertain, according to Director of Engineering, Jeff Peterson.

"I'm cautiously optimistic on anything that could potentially help us as far as some of the railroad bridges," Peterson said. "We wanted to get, kind of, our ducks in a row, as far as some of those things, before we proceed and spend a whole bunch of money at once. We're trying to be good about what we spend and what we want to move forward with in that corridor, some of the hangups have been the railroad bridges. We're trying to move those things along right now. It's just been a slow process."

Council member Jon Daveline wants to see the process move as fast as it can.

"I guess I just can't emphasize enough for us to keep pushing and have our engineering firm keep pushing and pushing and pushing in a cooperative way with these railroads to get these issues resolved so we can ultimately get on with the project," Daveline said.

Peterson told Daveline they would know more soon.

"In the next couple of weeks, we'll hear a little bit more from one of the railroads," Peterson said. "They've had some discussions with the K&amp;O Railroad and haven't really come to the final conclusions on that one yet. There has been some movement, I guess. At least they are entertaining some of the options at this point. At first, we didn't know that they would."

Peterson is hopeful that they can get something negotiated with all three railroads sometime in 2021.

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By
NICK GOSNELL
Hutch
Post
HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — The timeline on the Cow Creek improvement project for the City of Hutchinson is still uncertain, according to Director of Engineering, Jeff Peterson."I'm cautiously optimistic on anything that could potentially help us as far as some of the railroad bridges," Peterson said. "We wanted to get, kind of, our ducks in a row, as far as some of those things, before we proceed and spend a whole bunch of money at once. We're trying to be good about what we spend and what we want to move forward with in that corridor, some of the hangups have been the railroad bridges. We're trying to move those things along right now. It's just been a slow process."Council member Jon Daveline wants to see the process move as fast as it can."I guess I just can't emphasize enough for us to keep pushing and have our engineering firm keep pushing and pushing and pushing in a cooperative way with these railroads to get these issues resolved so we can ultimately get on with the project," Daveline said.Peterson told Daveline they would know more soon."In the next couple of weeks, we'll hear a little bit more from one of the railroads," Peterson said. "They've had some discussions with the K&amp;O Railroad and haven't really come to the final conclusions on that one yet. There has been some movement, I guess. At least they are entertaining some of the options at this point. At first, we didn't know that they would."Peterson is hopeful that they can get something negotiated with all three railroads sometime in 2021.

Peterson: Negotiations with railroads on Cow Creek improvement project ongoing


HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
The Kansas State Fair Foundation (KSFF), formerly known as the Kansas Fairgrounds Foundation, recently named James Fisher as the organizations Executive Director. Fisher’s rich experience in nonprofit management, grant acquisition, and donor relations combined with his experience in agricultural make him a natural fit for this position.

“I am excited to have James join our organization as our first Executive Director for the KSFF,” said Mary McCurry, KSFF Executive Search Committee Chairperson. “James has a unique background in multiple facets of nonprofit management, agriculture, marketing, communications and foundation development. He brings an ability to grow organizations, create synergistic relationships, and a focus that will benefit the citizens of Kansas through the work of the Foundation.”

Fisher comes to the Kansas State Fair Foundation with a wealth of agricultural knowledge. He served as Area Coordinator for the American Polled Hereford Association for two years covering Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado and Wyoming, then joined the staff of the American Angus Association serving as the Director of Activities and Junior Activities for 18 years where he grew the organization’s junior membership and associated livestock shows, as well as the organizations educational and youth leadership programs. After leaving the Angus Association he served as Executive Director for a faith-based non-profit and then diversified his experience in sales, marketing and communications with Eagle Communications St Joseph, with corporate headquarters located in Hays. For the last three years Fisher served as the Chief Development Officer for Communities In Schools of the Dallas Region, an education based nonprofit serving tens of thousands of students throughout the Dallas region.

The Kansas State Fair Foundation will play a pivotal role in the success and execution of the Kansas State Fair Master Plan. The KSFF provides a charitable arm where individuals, foundations, corporations, farms, ranches and organizations interested in the mission of the Kansas State Fair may provide funding sources to support and perpetuate the mission of the Kansas State Fair now and for future generations. As a fundraising arm the KSFF is committed to helping the Kansas State Fair thrive as a place to Celebrate All Things Kansas and to ensure the Fair remains strong and resilient.

For more information on how you can support the Kansas State Fair Foundation please contact James Fisher at 816-262-1157 or <a href="http://KansasFairgroundsFoundation@gmail.com">KansasFairgroundsFoundation@gmail.com</a>.

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HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
The Kansas State Fair Foundation (KSFF), formerly known as the Kansas Fairgrounds Foundation, recently named James Fisher as the organizations Executive Director. Fisher’s rich experience in nonprofit management, grant acquisition, and donor relations combined with his experience in agricultural make him a natural fit for this position.“I am excited to have James join our organization as our first Executive Director for the KSFF,” said Mary McCurry, KSFF Executive Search Committee Chairperson. “James has a unique background in multiple facets of nonprofit management, agriculture, marketing, communications and foundation development. He brings an ability to grow organizations, create synergistic relationships, and a focus that will benefit the citizens of Kansas through the work of the Foundation.”Fisher comes to the Kansas State Fair Foundation with a wealth of agricultural knowledge. He served as Area Coordinator for the American Polled Hereford Association for two years covering Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado and Wyoming, then joined the staff of the American Angus Association serving as the Director of Activities and Junior Activities for 18 years where he grew the organization’s junior membership and associated livestock shows, as well as the organizations educational and youth leadership programs. After leaving the Angus Association he served as Executive Director for a faith-based non-profit and then diversified his experience in sales, marketing and communications with Eagle Communications St Joseph, with corporate headquarters located in Hays. For the last three years Fisher served as the Chief Development Officer for Communities In Schools of the Dallas Region, an education based nonprofit serving tens of thousands of students throughout the Dallas region.The Kansas State Fair Foundation will play a pivotal role in the success and execution of the Kansas State Fair Master Plan. The KSFF provides a charitable arm where individuals, foundations, corporations, farms, ranches and organizations interested in the mission of the Kansas State Fair may provide funding sources to support and perpetuate the mission of the Kansas State Fair now and for future generations. As a fundraising arm the KSFF is committed to helping the Kansas State Fair thrive as a place to Celebrate All Things Kansas and to ensure the Fair remains strong and resilient. For more information on how you can support the Kansas State Fair Foundation please contact James Fisher at 816-262-1157 or <a href="http://KansasFairgroundsFoundation@gmail.com">KansasFairgroundsFoundation@gmail.com</a>.

Kansas State Fair Foundation names James Fisher Executive Director


HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — The vaccination of Reno County educators this past Sunday was a positive event, according to Buhler USD 313 Superintendent Cindy Couchman.

"I think there was actually weeping when I sent that email out," Couchman said. "I'm so thankful to Medicine Shoppe and Reno County Health Department and all the volunteers that made that happen on Sunday. We got everyone who wanted a vaccination a shot. That also, you know, just gives it so much peace of mind to our staff and some of our at risk, health-wise, staff and just makes it a little bit easier to come back into a classroom that has 25 or even a band room that has a lot more than that."

USD 313 is back fully in person as of March 1 and there is a lot of hope that they can make it to the end of the year that way.

"We feel very confident that we're here, the weather is nicer," Couchman said. "We know that being outside more, being able to eat lunch outside. We have picnic tables sitting outside of our buildings that we'll utilize once the weather is nice. I'll bet we're utilizing them today, actually, with a high of 71. All of those things combining is to me like this perfect storm for the numbers to stay low and us to stay in person."

In fact, plans are already underway for prom and graduation and though they won't look exactly like they did pre-pandemic, it's good to not look at the schedule with so much uncertainty.

"There may be some limitations on the group size that we want, whether it's inside versus outside," Couchman said. "I think there will still be some modifications that we make. In fact, our prom, we're making sure that right now, as it is scheduled, is after school is out, just so we can make sure that we don't have the dealing with kids missing school and missing finals towards the end of the year, if there is an exposure."

The last day of school right now for USD 313 is May 26.

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By
NICK GOSNELL
Hutch
Post
HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — The vaccination of Reno County educators this past Sunday was a positive event, according to Buhler USD 313 Superintendent Cindy Couchman."I think there was actually weeping when I sent that email out," Couchman said. "I'm so thankful to Medicine Shoppe and Reno County Health Department and all the volunteers that made that happen on Sunday. We got everyone who wanted a vaccination a shot. That also, you know, just gives it so much peace of mind to our staff and some of our at risk, health-wise, staff and just makes it a little bit easier to come back into a classroom that has 25 or even a band room that has a lot more than that."USD 313 is back fully in person as of March 1 and there is a lot of hope that they can make it to the end of the year that way."We feel very confident that we're here, the weather is nicer," Couchman said. "We know that being outside more, being able to eat lunch outside. We have picnic tables sitting outside of our buildings that we'll utilize once the weather is nice. I'll bet we're utilizing them today, actually, with a high of 71. All of those things combining is to me like this perfect storm for the numbers to stay low and us to stay in person."In fact, plans are already underway for prom and graduation and though they won't look exactly like they did pre-pandemic, it's good to not look at the schedule with so much uncertainty."There may be some limitations on the group size that we want, whether it's inside versus outside," Couchman said. "I think there will still be some modifications that we make. In fact, our prom, we're making sure that right now, as it is scheduled, is after school is out, just so we can make sure that we don't have the dealing with kids missing school and missing finals towards the end of the year, if there is an exposure."The last day of school right now for USD 313 is May 26.

Couchman: USD 313 looking toward an in-person spring with traditional events


HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — Kansas First District Congressman Republican Tracey Mann believes that former President Donald Trump is still the leader of that party even though he's no longer in office.

"Absolutely," Mann said. "I have been a supporter of President Trump. His policies were very good for the country, very good for Kansas. He remains the leader of the party and will be here into the future."

It is a source of frustration for the freshman Congressman to see leadership from the opposing party pushing their agenda in Congress rather than meeting in the middle, but he knows it isn't his chamber where the real fight will be held.

"The big question is what will get through the Senate?" Mann said. "These are razor thin margins. In the House, it's about a five to a seven vote margin between the Republicans and the Democrats. In the Senate, you know, it's 50-50, with Vice President Kamala Harris being the tiebreaker. Things are passing through the House. The real question is what happens in the Senate."

Other than the once a year budget reconciliation, as long as the Senate still allows the filibuster, Republicans will have the ability to slow most measures by not allowing legislation to get the 60 votes needed for cloture. With that said, Mann has been disappointed by the amount of executive action taken by President Biden, so much so that he introduced legislation to limit that power, but it remains to be seen if it has any legs.

"There are six different pieces of legislation, which means they got to different committees," Mann said. "They are sitting in those committees right now. It's yet to be seen. We're pushing for that. Common sense things like that should be bipartisan. We'll see if they move."

The most bipartisan piece of business Mann has seen move this Congress is commemorating FFA week, but as for substantive policy, there hasn't been much of that with support from both sides yet.

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By
NICK GOSNELL
Hutch
Post
HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — Kansas First District Congressman Republican Tracey Mann believes that former President Donald Trump is still the leader of that party even though he's no longer in office."Absolutely," Mann said. "I have been a supporter of President Trump. His policies were very good for the country, very good for Kansas. He remains the leader of the party and will be here into the future."It is a source of frustration for the freshman Congressman to see leadership from the opposing party pushing their agenda in Congress rather than meeting in the middle, but he knows it isn't his chamber where the real fight will be held."The big question is what will get through the Senate?" Mann said. "These are razor thin margins. In the House, it's about a five to a seven vote margin between the Republicans and the Democrats. In the Senate, you know, it's 50-50, with Vice President Kamala Harris being the tiebreaker. Things are passing through the House. The real question is what happens in the Senate."Other than the once a year budget reconciliation, as long as the Senate still allows the filibuster, Republicans will have the ability to slow most measures by not allowing legislation to get the 60 votes needed for cloture. With that said, Mann has been disappointed by the amount of executive action taken by President Biden, so much so that he introduced legislation to limit that power, but it remains to be seen if it has any legs."There are six different pieces of legislation, which means they got to different committees," Mann said. "They are sitting in those committees right now. It's yet to be seen. We're pushing for that. Common sense things like that should be bipartisan. We'll see if they move."The most bipartisan piece of business Mann has seen move this Congress is commemorating FFA week, but as for substantive policy, there hasn't been much of that with support from both sides yet.

Mann: Fights over legislation more likely in Senate than House

One of the most frustrating things a meteorologist can hear on the news after a tornado hits a town is, "We didn't hear any sirens!"

The full name and use of sirens is "outdoor warning devices." In other words, they are meant to warn people who are outdoors. In fact, severe weather is the third thing they are to be used for! It is assumed that if you are outdoors and a tornado is bearing down on your town you will have other visual and audio cues such as a dark sky, rain, hail, lightning and thunder. The first and second reasons for outdoor warning devices are for air raids and a missile attack. Even these purposes are becoming outdated as communications have vastly improved since the 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s and even the 80s.

Despite this, too many people still rely on Outdoor Warning Devices to be the first line of information when they are indoors. The sirens were never designed to be heard indoors. If your community does monthly, weekly or daily tests of sirens and you CAN hear them indoors, consider this: they can be difficult to hear well on a clear, sunny day. Throw in howling wind, crashing thunder, hail and the roar of a tornado, not to mention Spotify playing at a high volume or being in the basement watching cable TV, and its a wonder anyone can hear them at all!

<a href="https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/midwest/2012/06/04/249908.htm" target="_blank">This 2012 article</a> highlights all the hazards of what's been called "the state tree of Kansas." Unfortunately 9 years later the situation is largely unchanged.

Why, yes there is. Or perhaps I should say, "are."

The most reliable and timely of these would be a specialized radio called a NOAA Weather Radio. With these, there is no delay and you can leave them off until they send out a special signal to trigger them to go off. If you were designing a nearly-perfect system even with the most cutting-edge technology, it would probably still look an awful lot like this program that has been around for decades. That is not to say that it IS perfect. There are far too many "false alarms" and it only takes one or two alarms going off in the middle of the night for a storm that isn't going to affect you for people to unplug them and put them in a drawer.

A way that has become ever more popular is the smart phone that a great majority of the population carries around with us nowadays. This, too, is set up with a system called WEA (Wireless Emergency Alert) that can cause an alarm to go off when something serious is happening such as a message from the president, a tornado warning or Amber Alert. Again, this is not perfect either as one can easily "opt out" of getting them. (Note, that although you can opt out of tornado warnings and Amber Alerts, you cannot opt out of presidential messages.) Another thing that makes this a much-less-than-ideal system is that many recent disasters have shown that cell phones are often the first things to go out, sometimes even before electricity. Phone companies continue to invest billions in updating their networks with things like 5G, but the truth is that there is only so much bandwidth to go around and when it is used up by thousands of people trying to get information or make calls at the same time, the system ceases to function.

A few years ago, there was a push to make weather radios mandatory in certain types of businesses and buildings, much like smoke detectors are. There is even the technology now to integrate weather radios into smoke detectors. For a number of financial, political and ideological reasons, this legislation never really went anywhere, but with people being used to things like an Echo alerting them when their Amazon packages arrive, perhaps the tide will turn on this and we may see another push of legislation that would get farther.

While tornado sirens may be overrated and outdated, there is a push to modernize them as much as possible. Research has gone into what tones would be more effective (ironically, the old, sweeping tone of a mechanical siren continues to come out on top!) and systems have been upgraded to use the polygonal warning system the NWS uses, so the sirens don't go off across the entire county if a storm is only affecting the corner of a county. Nashville, TN, a community that has been especially hard-hit by tornadoes in recent years, has spent millions of dollars over the last 12 years to modernize their sirens and increase the numbers from 73 to 113 with a state-of-the-art control center for them. A few years ago, Salina's siren upgrade was the focus of a video we did for Severe Weather Awareness Week:

Over here, high winds. Over there, tornadoes. This other place, well...who knows?

A final note that is important to know about Outdoor Warning Devices that surprises a lot of people is that there are no set rules as to when or who sets them off. Kansas is blessed with some outstanding Emergency Managers in many counties that take their jobs and responsibilities very seriously and don't sound them off unless they perceive there is a truly life-threatening situation at hand. Thus, some counties set them off for "high end" severe thunderstorm warnings and some do not. Some only set them off when the NWS has issued a tornado warning while others will set them off whenever a reliable member of their law enforcement reports one. In some less-populous counties, the responsibility to activate them falls on the overworked, lone dispatcher on duty!

For a fascinating look into just how the warning system failed the public in Joplin (a city where the emergency manager sounded the siren for high winds), read <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Sirens-Silent-Warning-System-Community-ebook/dp/B0084I8PI4" target="_blank">When the Sirens Went Silent</a> by Mike Smith. [ed. note: this is NOT an affiliate link]

So what do meteorologists and weather enthusiasts rely on? The answer is all of the above and more. Everyone should have multiple ways of getting important information, be that a message from the president during a time of crisis or a severe weather warning. Personally, I rely on my own eyes and personal radar analysis first, social media second, cell phone third, local TV fourth, local radio fifth, weather radio sixth and outdoor warning devices seventh. Seven layers of safety for me and my loved ones. I believe everyone should have at least three.

One final thing that has popped up more in recent years is personal responsibility. Early in my career it was pretty rare to come across someone that could TRULY say that they didn't know a bad storm was coming. Now we hear it with almost every storm. Why? People seem to have shifted their thought process from one of personal responsibility to entitlement of being spoon-fed information. In my opinion, this is a dangerous social shift that will, unfortunately, probably take a major, global scale disaster to ever swing back the other way.

So, in this Severe Weather Awareness week 2021, do an assessment of all of the methods you have for getting severe weather and make sure you have multiple lines of defense for you and your family!

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<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1614597722061.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>MARK BOGNERKSStorm.InfoOne of the most frustrating things a meteorologist can hear on the news after a tornado hits a town is, "We didn't hear any sirens!"The full name and use of sirens is "outdoor warning devices." In other words, they are meant to warn people who are outdoors. In fact, severe weather is the third thing they are to be used for! It is assumed that if you are outdoors and a tornado is bearing down on your town you will have other visual and audio cues such as a dark sky, rain, hail, lightning and thunder. The first and second reasons for outdoor warning devices are for air raids and a missile attack. Even these purposes are becoming outdated as communications have vastly improved since the 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s and even the 80s.Despite this, too many people still rely on Outdoor Warning Devices to be the first line of information when they are indoors. The sirens were never designed to be heard indoors. If your community does monthly, weekly or daily tests of sirens and you CAN hear them indoors, consider this: they can be difficult to hear well on a clear, sunny day. Throw in howling wind, crashing thunder, hail and the roar of a tornado, not to mention Spotify playing at a high volume or being in the basement watching cable TV, and its a wonder anyone can hear them at all!<a href="https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/midwest/2012/06/04/249908.htm" target="_blank">This 2012 article</a> highlights all the hazards of what's been called "the state tree of Kansas." Unfortunately 9 years later the situation is largely unchanged.<h2>Surely there's something more reliable!</h2>Why, yes there is. Or perhaps I should say, "are."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1614769581476.jpeg" alt="" />
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 </figure>The most reliable and timely of these would be a specialized radio called a NOAA Weather Radio. With these, there is no delay and you can leave them off until they send out a special signal to trigger them to go off. If you were designing a nearly-perfect system even with the most cutting-edge technology, it would probably still look an awful lot like this program that has been around for decades. That is not to say that it IS perfect. There are far too many "false alarms" and it only takes one or two alarms going off in the middle of the night for a storm that isn't going to affect you for people to unplug them and put them in a drawer.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1614769612052.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>A way that has become ever more popular is the smart phone that a great majority of the population carries around with us nowadays. This, too, is set up with a system called WEA (Wireless Emergency Alert) that can cause an alarm to go off when something serious is happening such as a message from the president, a tornado warning or Amber Alert. Again, this is not perfect either as one can easily "opt out" of getting them. (Note, that although you can opt out of tornado warnings and Amber Alerts, you cannot opt out of presidential messages.) Another thing that makes this a much-less-than-ideal system is that many recent disasters have shown that cell phones are often the first things to go out, sometimes even before electricity. Phone companies continue to invest billions in updating their networks with things like 5G, but the truth is that there is only so much bandwidth to go around and when it is used up by thousands of people trying to get information or make calls at the same time, the system ceases to function.A few years ago, there was a push to make weather radios mandatory in certain types of businesses and buildings, much like smoke detectors are. There is even the technology now to integrate weather radios into smoke detectors. For a number of financial, political and ideological reasons, this legislation never really went anywhere, but with people being used to things like an Echo alerting them when their Amazon packages arrive, perhaps the tide will turn on this and we may see another push of legislation that would get farther.While tornado sirens may be overrated and outdated, there is a push to modernize them as much as possible. Research has gone into what tones would be more effective (ironically, the old, sweeping tone of a mechanical siren continues to come out on top!) and systems have been upgraded to use the polygonal warning system the NWS uses, so the sirens don't go off across the entire county if a storm is only affecting the corner of a county. Nashville, TN, a community that has been especially hard-hit by tornadoes in recent years, has spent millions of dollars over the last 12 years to modernize their sirens and increase the numbers from 73 to 113 with a state-of-the-art control center for them. A few years ago, Salina's siren upgrade was the focus of a video we did for Severe Weather Awareness Week:<div><iframe width="800" height="450" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/agi1VXUv_VQ" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div><h2>Over here, high winds. Over there, tornadoes. This other place, well...who knows?</h2>A final note that is important to know about Outdoor Warning Devices that surprises a lot of people is that there are no set rules as to when or who sets them off. Kansas is blessed with some outstanding Emergency Managers in many counties that take their jobs and responsibilities very seriously and don't sound them off unless they perceive there is a truly life-threatening situation at hand. Thus, some counties set them off for "high end" severe thunderstorm warnings and some do not. Some only set them off when the NWS has issued a tornado warning while others will set them off whenever a reliable member of their law enforcement reports one. In some less-populous counties, the responsibility to activate them falls on the overworked, lone dispatcher on duty!For a fascinating look into just how the warning system failed the public in Joplin (a city where the emergency manager sounded the siren for high winds), read <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Sirens-Silent-Warning-System-Community-ebook/dp/B0084I8PI4" target="_blank">When the Sirens Went Silent</a> by Mike Smith. [ed. note: this is NOT an affiliate link]<h2>The Bottom Line</h2>So what do meteorologists and weather enthusiasts rely on? The answer is all of the above and more. Everyone should have multiple ways of getting important information, be that a message from the president during a time of crisis or a severe weather warning. Personally, I rely on my own eyes and personal radar analysis first, social media second, cell phone third, local TV fourth, local radio fifth, weather radio sixth and outdoor warning devices seventh. Seven layers of safety for me and my loved ones. I believe everyone should have at least three.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1614769735906.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>One final thing that has popped up more in recent years is personal responsibility. Early in my career it was pretty rare to come across someone that could TRULY say that they didn't know a bad storm was coming. Now we hear it with almost every storm. Why? People seem to have shifted their thought process from one of personal responsibility to entitlement of being spoon-fed information. In my opinion, this is a dangerous social shift that will, unfortunately, probably take a major, global scale disaster to ever swing back the other way.So, in this Severe Weather Awareness week 2021, do an assessment of all of the methods you have for getting severe weather and make sure you have multiple lines of defense for you and your family!
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Aware 2021: Siren Mentality -- It may be more dangerous than the storms


HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
The overall COVID-19 case count in Reno County is at 112 as of Tuesday. The death count among Reno County residents is at 138. 

Out of 7,714 total cases since the beginning of the pandemic, there have been 7,464 recoveries. There are 14 clusters still being monitored. The long-term care facility cluster type is down to just eight active cases.

No Reno County residents are in the hospital with COVID-19 as of Tuesday afternoon. According to the dashboard, three hundred sixty-four total have been hospitalized. One hundred three have been admitted to the ICU. These are Reno County resident numbers regardless of where they are hospitalized.

Drive-thru testing is currently available at the Kansas Cosmosphere at 1100 N Plum in Hutchinson.

The site is open from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday. To make an appointment, please visit <a href="https://www.gogettested.com/">www.gogettested.com</a>.

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HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
The overall COVID-19 case count in Reno County is at 112 as of Tuesday. The death count among Reno County residents is at 138. Out of 7,714 total cases since the beginning of the pandemic, there have been 7,464 recoveries. There are 14 clusters still being monitored. The long-term care facility cluster type is down to just eight active cases.No Reno County residents are in the hospital with COVID-19 as of Tuesday afternoon. According to the dashboard, three hundred sixty-four total have been hospitalized. One hundred three have been admitted to the ICU. These are Reno County resident numbers regardless of where they are hospitalized.Drive-thru testing is currently available at the Kansas Cosmosphere at 1100 N Plum in Hutchinson.The site is open from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday. To make an appointment, please visit <a href="https://www.gogettested.com/">www.gogettested.com</a>.
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COVID-19 Reno County case count at 112, hospital count at zero as of Tuesday

An attack on a U.S. base in Iraq and information on different ways to get severe weather warnings, plus more from Hutch Post.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1601052662830.jpeg" alt="" />
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 </figure>An attack on a U.S. base in Iraq and information on different ways to get severe weather warnings, plus more from Hutch Post.<div><iframe title="March 3, 2021 Morning News" height="122" width="100%" style="border: none;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/media/player/cms2h-fc7f95?from=pb6admin&download=1&version=1&auto=0&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Helvetica&skin=1&pfauth=&btn-skin=107"></iframe></div>
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March 3, 2021 Morning News

HALSTEAD, Kan. — After a delay due to the pandemic, the Kansas Department of Agriculture finished up hearings last week on the city of Wichita’s request to change the way it draws water from the Equus Beds.

The request from Wichita is strongly opposed by the Equus Beds Groundwater Management District that covers Reno County and the surrounding area. The proposal would let the city of Wichita draw water without any timetable to replace it, as per the current contract.&nbsp;

“The hearing has been wrapped up as far as oral arguments,” Groundwater Management District General Manager Tim Boese said. “Now the parties can submit legal briefs in support of their testimony.”

Boese says he feels good coming out of the hearings and hopes that Wichita will not be given the extra freedom to draw water from the underground aquifer.

“I think the district testimony and expert witnesses presented a good case for the district,” Boese said. “I think we showed the hearing officer on why the changes should not be approved that the city of Wichita wants to the recharge project.”

Boese feels the proposal gives the city too much freedom in taking water from the aquifer, especially during drought.

Boese also says any significant lowering of the aquifer could allow a major salt pollution plume to start migrating farther in the water table. It’s estimated that there was as much as 1.9 million tons of salt in the water table in a 36 square-mile area around Burrton.

The end of the hearings closes out a long drawn out process that started in March of 2019, but was mostly snuffed out in 2020 due to the pandemic.

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<figure>
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 </figure>By ROD ZOOKHutch PostHALSTEAD, Kan. — After a delay due to the pandemic, the Kansas Department of Agriculture finished up hearings last week on the city of Wichita’s request to change the way it draws water from the Equus Beds.The request from Wichita is strongly opposed by the Equus Beds Groundwater Management District that covers Reno County and the surrounding area. The proposal would let the city of Wichita draw water without any timetable to replace it, as per the current contract.&nbsp;“The hearing has been wrapped up as far as oral arguments,” Groundwater Management District General Manager Tim Boese said. “Now the parties can submit legal briefs in support of their testimony.”Boese says he feels good coming out of the hearings and hopes that Wichita will not be given the extra freedom to draw water from the underground aquifer.“I think the district testimony and expert witnesses presented a good case for the district,” Boese said. “I think we showed the hearing officer on why the changes should not be approved that the city of Wichita wants to the recharge project.”Boese feels the proposal gives the city too much freedom in taking water from the aquifer, especially during drought.Boese also says any significant lowering of the aquifer could allow a major salt pollution plume to start migrating farther in the water table. It’s estimated that there was as much as 1.9 million tons of salt in the water table in a 36 square-mile area around Burrton.The end of the hearings closes out a long drawn out process that started in March of 2019, but was mostly snuffed out in 2020 due to the pandemic.<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download">CLICK HERE</a> to download the Hutch Post mobile app.<a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea">CLICK HERE</a> to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.

Hearings on Wichita water proposal end in Halstead


HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
The phone system at Wesley Towers in Hutchinson will have a brief outage on Wednesday.

CEO Mark Mains said the phones will be down from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. that afternoon. 

If you have questions, you can check their <a href="https://www.wesleytowers.com/">website</a> or <a href="https://www.facebook.com/wesleytowershutchinson">Facebook page</a> for details.

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HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
The phone system at Wesley Towers in Hutchinson will have a brief outage on Wednesday.CEO Mark Mains said the phones will be down from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. that afternoon. If you have questions, you can check their <a href="https://www.wesleytowers.com/">website</a> or <a href="https://www.facebook.com/wesleytowershutchinson">Facebook page</a> for details.

Wesley Towers to have phone outage Wednesday

HAVEN, Kan. — The City of Haven has a new police officer. The Haven City Council approved the hiring of Christopher Cooper during Monday’s meeting. Cooper will be paid an annual salary of $38,500 increasing to $38,750 once he gets through training and certification.

The Council also got more unwelcome news when it comes to the Evergy substation project near Burrton. Haven and several other small communities get power from the power pool served by the substation. Last year Evergy announced they were increasing the distribution charge to those communities to help pay for the substation. The charge amounted to a nearly $1oo,000 hit to the Haven Budget. The City Council recently approved a new rate structure to help offset some of that increase.

On Monday Evergy announced that the project was delayed by one year so the new charges to the city won't start until 2022 instead of this year. But they also announced that the project was $500,000 over budget. That means the distribution charge will go even higher, from the original figure of $11,839 per month to around $12,100. That now brings the total charge to the Haven budget to around $145,000. At the moment, the yearly charge is about $48,000 per year.

And after a delay due to the weather and the canceled meeting in February, the council approved the $10,000 dollar grant to Jonell Harper for her new business Daisy Jo’s Ice Cream Parlor. The new business is expected to open this summer.

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<figure>
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 </figure>HAVEN, Kan. — The City of Haven has a new police officer. The Haven City Council approved the hiring of Christopher Cooper during Monday’s meeting. Cooper will be paid an annual salary of $38,500 increasing to $38,750 once he gets through training and certification.The Council also got more unwelcome news when it comes to the Evergy substation project near Burrton. Haven and several other small communities get power from the power pool served by the substation. Last year Evergy announced they were increasing the distribution charge to those communities to help pay for the substation. The charge amounted to a nearly $1oo,000 hit to the Haven Budget. The City Council recently approved a new rate structure to help offset some of that increase.On Monday Evergy announced that the project was delayed by one year so the new charges to the city won't start until 2022 instead of this year. But they also announced that the project was $500,000 over budget. That means the distribution charge will go even higher, from the original figure of $11,839 per month to around $12,100. That now brings the total charge to the Haven budget to around $145,000. At the moment, the yearly charge is about $48,000 per year.And after a delay due to the weather and the canceled meeting in February, the council approved the $10,000 dollar grant to Jonell Harper for her new business Daisy Jo’s Ice Cream Parlor. The new business is expected to open this summer.<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;

Haven charged more than original figure for Evergy substation

SOUTH HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The South Hutchinson City Council heard a report on the water issues they are facing during Monday’s regular meeting.&nbsp;

A representative with Professional Engineering Consultants presented the council with some of the figures and issues with the current water system and ideas for dealing with any possible shortages in the water supply.

The city’s water allotment is about 349 million gallons per year which averages about 956,000 gallons per day. About half of that number is used by one customer, Tyson Prepared Foods. No action was taken by the Council.

Also Monday night, the Council took time to discuss the vacant City Administrator's position. The Council was in agreement to seek out a firm to help in the search for a new administrator. The city has been without an administrator since Matt Stiles left in 2018.

<figure>
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 </figure>SOUTH HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The South Hutchinson City Council heard a report on the water issues they are facing during Monday’s regular meeting.&nbsp;A representative with Professional Engineering Consultants presented the council with some of the figures and issues with the current water system and ideas for dealing with any possible shortages in the water supply.The city’s water allotment is about 349 million gallons per year which averages about 956,000 gallons per day. About half of that number is used by one customer, Tyson Prepared Foods. No action was taken by the Council.Also Monday night, the Council took time to discuss the vacant City Administrator's position. The Council was in agreement to seek out a firm to help in the search for a new administrator. The city has been without an administrator since Matt Stiles left in 2018.<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;

South Hutchinson City Council hears water report


HUTCHINSON,
Kan. —&nbsp;Karla Nichols with the Reno County Health Department notes that, while the clinic on Tuesday at the Sports Arena was the only one for this week, a whole lot more of those in the over 65 cohort that have not been vaccinated yet will be by the end of the month.

"Next week on Monday, we have another primary dose clinic, we're going to do 700 vaccines," Nichols said. "We're going to continue to do those 65 plus. Next Tuesday is a secondary dose clinic."

Nichols said they are working around the Sports Arena's schedule and the third week of March will be extra busy.

"On that Monday on the 15th is another primary dose clinic, on that Tuesday is a secondary dose clinic and then on that Friday there's another secondary dose clinic," Nichols said. "That Sunday, the 21st is when we're doing the second round to those teachers we did at the Salthawk Activity Center."

The hope is that everyone who wants a shot in that 65 plus group has signed up somewhere by now. The Health Department only knows about the doses they administer, not those administered by local pharmacies, so if you haven't gotten an appointment yet, you need to sign up <a href="https://arcg.is/KnbnO">online</a> as soon as possible so they know who still needs one.

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By
NICK GOSNELL
Hutch
Post
HUTCHINSON,
Kan. —&nbsp;Karla Nichols with the Reno County Health Department notes that, while the clinic on Tuesday at the Sports Arena was the only one for this week, a whole lot more of those in the over 65 cohort that have not been vaccinated yet will be by the end of the month."Next week on Monday, we have another primary dose clinic, we're going to do 700 vaccines," Nichols said. "We're going to continue to do those 65 plus. Next Tuesday is a secondary dose clinic."Nichols said they are working around the Sports Arena's schedule and the third week of March will be extra busy."On that Monday on the 15th is another primary dose clinic, on that Tuesday is a secondary dose clinic and then on that Friday there's another secondary dose clinic," Nichols said. "That Sunday, the 21st is when we're doing the second round to those teachers we did at the Salthawk Activity Center."The hope is that everyone who wants a shot in that 65 plus group has signed up somewhere by now. The Health Department only knows about the doses they administer, not those administered by local pharmacies, so if you haven't gotten an appointment yet, you need to sign up <a href="https://arcg.is/KnbnO">online</a> as soon as possible so they know who still needs one.

Nichols: Lots of vaccination clinics in the next few weeks


HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
City Hall will be opening back up soon in Hutchinson.

"We're hoping to be open April 1," said City Manager Jeff Cantrell. "I know that it's already adding complexity to some of the departments that interface quite a bit with the public. It is our goal to be open by April 1."

City Hall has been closed since July 14. You can still reach all council members via phone or email, their contact information is posted at <a href="https://www.hutchgov.com/254/City-Council">http://www.hutchgov.com/254/City-Council</a>.

The City is still encouraging water utility customers to use the following services to pay utility bills:

• Visit water <a href="https://selfservice.hutchgov.com/mss/default.aspx">waterbill.hutchgov.com</a> to pay your bill online

• For help in setting up online bill pay, please visit <a href="http://www.hutchgov.com/536/Online-Bill-Pay-Help">www.hutchgov.com/536/Online-Bill-Pay-Help</a>

• Those who prefer paying with a check can use the drop box on the south side of City Hall, 125 East Ave B, or mail their payment to the same address. To talk with a customer service representative, call 620-694-2621 between the hours of 8:00 am and 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday.

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HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
City Hall will be opening back up soon in Hutchinson."We're hoping to be open April 1," said City Manager Jeff Cantrell. "I know that it's already adding complexity to some of the departments that interface quite a bit with the public. It is our goal to be open by April 1."City Hall has been closed since July 14. You can still reach all council members via phone or email, their contact information is posted at <a href="https://www.hutchgov.com/254/City-Council">http://www.hutchgov.com/254/City-Council</a>.The City is still encouraging water utility customers to use the following services to pay utility bills:• Visit water <a href="https://selfservice.hutchgov.com/mss/default.aspx">waterbill.hutchgov.com</a> to pay your bill online • For help in setting up online bill pay, please visit <a href="http://www.hutchgov.com/536/Online-Bill-Pay-Help">www.hutchgov.com/536/Online-Bill-Pay-Help</a>• Call 620-694-2621 to pay by phone• Those who prefer paying with a check can use the drop box on the south side of City Hall, 125 East Ave B, or mail their payment to the same address. To talk with a customer service representative, call 620-694-2621 between the hours of 8:00 am and 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday.

City Hall planning to reopen April 1

HUTCHINSON — Twenty-seven new law enforcement officers, including three from Reno County agencies, graduated from the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center (KLETC) on Feb. 26 at a ceremony held in KLETC’s Integrity Auditorium. 

Deputy Luke Davis of the Gray County Sheriff’s Office was the graduating class president. The speaker for the ceremony was Chief Nelson Mosley of the Rose Hill Police Department. Mike Satterlee, KLETC senior instructor of police, was the class coordinator for the 274th Basic Training Class.

Officer Samantha Snell of the Galena Police Department was recognized by KLETC Executive Director Darin Beck and awarded a KLETC Certificate of Commendation for her actions in the performance of her duties. Snell, along with Officer Logan Grant of the Galena Police Department, risked their lives on Jan. 18 in an attempt to save victims of a fiery two-vehicle head-on crash. Grant will be recognized when he graduates March 19.

Jonathon Dunfee of the Kansas City Public Schools Police Department was also recognized during the ceremony for his firearms proficiency as the class “Top Shot.”

Graduates receive certificates of course completion from KLETC and Kansas law enforcement certification from the Kansas Commission on Peace Officers’ Standards and Training, the state’s law enforcement licensing authority. The training course fulfills the state requirement for law enforcement training. Classroom lectures and hands-on applications help train officers to solve the increasingly complex problems they face in the line of duty.

Established by the Kansas Legislature in 1968, KLETC trains the majority of municipal, county and state law enforcement officers in Kansas and oversees the training of the remaining officers at seven authorized and certified academy programs operated by local law enforcement agencies and the Kansas Highway Patrol.

About 300 officers enroll annually in KLETC 14-week basic training programs. KLETC offers continuing education and specialized training to over 10,000 Kansas officers each year. KLETC is located one mile west and one mile south of Yoder, near Hutchinson, and is a division of University of Kansas Lifelong &amp; Professional Education.

The graduates, who began their training in October 2020, represented 23 municipal, county, and state law enforcement agencies from across Kansas. The three Reno County officers are Michael Mendez and Adam Scalisi from the  Reno County Sheriff’s Office and Camron Hurley from the Hutchinson Police Department.

<figure>
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 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Release from University of KansasHUTCHINSON — Twenty-seven new law enforcement officers, including three from Reno County agencies, graduated from the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center (KLETC) on Feb. 26 at a ceremony held in KLETC’s Integrity Auditorium. Deputy Luke Davis of the Gray County Sheriff’s Office was the graduating class president. The speaker for the ceremony was Chief Nelson Mosley of the Rose Hill Police Department. Mike Satterlee, KLETC senior instructor of police, was the class coordinator for the 274th Basic Training Class.Officer Samantha Snell of the Galena Police Department was recognized by KLETC Executive Director Darin Beck and awarded a KLETC Certificate of Commendation for her actions in the performance of her duties. Snell, along with Officer Logan Grant of the Galena Police Department, risked their lives on Jan. 18 in an attempt to save victims of a fiery two-vehicle head-on crash. Grant will be recognized when he graduates March 19.Jonathon Dunfee of the Kansas City Public Schools Police Department was also recognized during the ceremony for his firearms proficiency as the class “Top Shot.”Graduates receive certificates of course completion from KLETC and Kansas law enforcement certification from the Kansas Commission on Peace Officers’ Standards and Training, the state’s law enforcement licensing authority. The training course fulfills the state requirement for law enforcement training. Classroom lectures and hands-on applications help train officers to solve the increasingly complex problems they face in the line of duty.Established by the Kansas Legislature in 1968, KLETC trains the majority of municipal, county and state law enforcement officers in Kansas and oversees the training of the remaining officers at seven authorized and certified academy programs operated by local law enforcement agencies and the Kansas Highway Patrol.About 300 officers enroll annually in KLETC 14-week basic training programs. KLETC offers continuing education and specialized training to over 10,000 Kansas officers each year. KLETC is located one mile west and one mile south of Yoder, near Hutchinson, and is a division of University of Kansas Lifelong &amp; Professional Education.The graduates, who began their training in October 2020, represented 23 municipal, county, and state law enforcement agencies from across Kansas. The three Reno County officers are Michael Mendez and Adam Scalisi from the Reno County Sheriff’s Office and Camron Hurley from the Hutchinson Police Department.

Three Reno County officers in 274th Basic Training class at KLETC

The National Weather Service will conduct a statewide Tornado Drill at 10 a.m. today. Everyone is encouraged to participate in the drill by practicing seeking secure, safe shelter from a tornado. 

This test will be broadcast over NOAA All Hazards Weather Radio and many local television and radio stations. Local officials may also sound their warning sirens. 

 The National Weather Service encourages everyone to abide by health and safety guidelines related to COVID-19 during the tornado test. Those include staying at least 6 feet from other people when possible and wearing a mask. 

 If that's not possible, then simply sheltering in place or discussing where you'd go and what'd you'd do are other options.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1592752482558.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The National Weather Service will conduct a statewide Tornado Drill at 10 a.m. today. Everyone is encouraged to participate in the drill by practicing seeking secure, safe shelter from a tornado. This test will be broadcast over NOAA All Hazards Weather Radio and many local television and radio stations. Local officials may also sound their warning sirens. The National Weather Service encourages everyone to abide by health and safety guidelines related to COVID-19 during the tornado test. Those include staying at least 6 feet from other people when possible and wearing a mask. If that's not possible, then simply sheltering in place or discussing where you'd go and what'd you'd do are other options.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Statewide tornado drill Tuesday

<a href="https://ksstorm.info/">KSStorm.Info</a>

Statistics show, the National Weather Service offices serving Kansas and Oklahoma are the highest-performing in the nation when it comes to accurate and timely forecasts of severe weather. Because of that, the offices frequently take part in experimental programs. 

Today we look at two of those programs, one which the area offices participated in during the 2013 storm season and started to be rolled out nationwide in 2014, the other which is still in the experimental phase but our area offices are being considered for the beta test phase when the research gets that far.

There is evidence that people tend to under-react to weather warning information, mostly because it's not common to really have a good idea what the impact of a particular weather threat might be. Because of this, we often have incomplete or incorrect responses to the threat. The Kansas NWS offices participated in a pilot of the Impact Based Warning (IBW) system in 2013. What changed in these warnings?

Let's break down the information and how it helps guide us to better preparedness.

The key impacts are listed in the tags at the end. This information may not be delivered in your cell phone app's warning text. But it is used by TV meteorologists and others who report on the warnings in real-time to guide how strong of a risk they will convey.

The key knowledge for you to pay attention to is the&nbsp;IMPACTS paragraph. The&nbsp;PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS paragraph describes what you should do and what you should know.

Chance Hayes, the Warning Coordination Meteorologist at NWS Wichita, tells me he has heard form multiple people comments along the lines of "there was something different -- stronger-- about those warnings and I knew I needed to take action." The anecdotal reports are backed up by research since IBW was rolled out nationwide. Providing both sets of information together (impacts and actions to take) is shown to improve both perception and understanding of warning and intended behavioral responses. The research finds it's the recommended actions that change our perception of the warning severity, while actions and the impacts each have a measurable effect on whether we actually take the recommended action.

New for 2021: Special Weather Statements (which are used to communicate risks from storms that haven't achieved severity) and Warning Update Statements will now include this information. Previously the Impacts and Actions were only included in Warnings.

Warn-on-Forecast is a research program aimed to increase tornado, severe thunderstorm, and flash flood warning lead times. This is still early in its development and has only become possible due to the speed of today's supercomputers and the increased understanding of smaller-scale features in the atmosphere. In a nutshell, it's putting science and technology into something some people are able to do by gut instinct -- forecast not only where a storm will go, but what it will be doing when it gets there.

Hayes tells me it will be combining frequent observations with radar data, merging in weather models that are run on an hourly or more frequent basis, and enabling a forecast to say as many as four hours ahead that a severe storm or tornado is likely to impact a specific community.

Who is it for? These warnings will not really be meant for individuals. Science has shown we've reached the limit of advanced warning, giving individuals around half an hour or so heads-up. This is because warnings further out than that tend to lead to complacency and warning fatigue -- and let's be honest, when's the last time you spent over half an hour in the tornado shelter?

The key is: a large amount of people takes a long time to clear out, and it's even longer to move people who are bed bound. One, two, or four hours lead time gives those who have to deal with these situations time to deal with it calmly and effectively. A 30-minute warning for many of these places/events is essentially no warning at all.

Hayes tells me the Wichita office is among the offices in the running to be a beta test site, when the research folks deem the science and computing power have reached the appropriate point.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1614597699685.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>SCOTT ROBERTS<a href="https://ksstorm.info/">KSStorm.Info</a>Statistics show, the National Weather Service offices serving Kansas and Oklahoma are the highest-performing in the nation when it comes to accurate and timely forecasts of severe weather. Because of that, the offices frequently take part in experimental programs. Today we look at two of those programs, one which the area offices participated in during the 2013 storm season and started to be rolled out nationwide in 2014, the other which is still in the experimental phase but our area offices are being considered for the beta test phase when the research gets that far.<h2>Impact-Based Warnings</h2>There is evidence that people tend to under-react to weather warning information, mostly because it's not common to really have a good idea what the impact of a particular weather threat might be. Because of this, we often have incomplete or incorrect responses to the threat. The Kansas NWS offices participated in a pilot of the Impact Based Warning (IBW) system in 2013. What changed in these warnings?<ul>
 <li>Potential Storm Impacts are now included</li><li>The warnings also include response recommendations</li>
 </ul>Here's a sample:<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1614682687008.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Let's break down the information and how it helps guide us to better preparedness.The key impacts are listed in the tags at the end. This information may not be delivered in your cell phone app's warning text. But it is used by TV meteorologists and others who report on the warnings in real-time to guide how strong of a risk they will convey.The key knowledge for you to pay attention to is the&nbsp;IMPACTS paragraph. The&nbsp;PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS paragraph describes what you should do and what you should know.Chance Hayes, the Warning Coordination Meteorologist at NWS Wichita, tells me he has heard form multiple people comments along the lines of "there was something different -- stronger-- about those warnings and I knew I needed to take action." The anecdotal reports are backed up by research since IBW was rolled out nationwide. Providing both sets of information together (impacts and actions to take) is shown to improve both perception and understanding of warning and intended behavioral responses. The research finds it's the recommended actions that change our perception of the warning severity, while actions and the impacts each have a measurable effect on whether we actually take the recommended action.New for 2021: Special Weather Statements (which are used to communicate risks from storms that haven't achieved severity) and Warning Update Statements will now include this information. Previously the Impacts and Actions were only included in Warnings.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1614682798271.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Warn-on-Forecast is a research program aimed to increase tornado, severe thunderstorm, and flash flood warning lead times. This is still early in its development and has only become possible due to the speed of today's supercomputers and the increased understanding of smaller-scale features in the atmosphere. In a nutshell, it's putting science and technology into something some people are able to do by gut instinct -- forecast not only where a storm will go, but what it will be doing when it gets there.Hayes tells me it will be combining frequent observations with radar data, merging in weather models that are run on an hourly or more frequent basis, and enabling a forecast to say as many as four hours ahead that a severe storm or tornado is likely to impact a specific community.Who is it for? These warnings will not really be meant for individuals. Science has shown we've reached the limit of advanced warning, giving individuals around half an hour or so heads-up. This is because warnings further out than that tend to lead to complacency and warning fatigue -- and let's be honest, when's the last time you spent over half an hour in the tornado shelter?The longer lead times are crucial for<ul>
 <li>hospitals; to switch on generators, move patients form exterior to interior spaces, halt scheduled elective surgeries and let people go home rather than under the knife in a severe storm</li><li>nursing homes; to move patients who can't move themselves to safer locations</li><li>schools; to dismiss early or (in some areas where it's safer to be at school than home) communicate to parents that kids will be kept at school till the threat passes</li><li>large events; to smoothly evacuate arenas and sports venues, allowing attendees to get out of the facility and back home or out of the path of the storm.</li>
 </ul>The key is: a large amount of people takes a long time to clear out, and it's even longer to move people who are bed bound. One, two, or four hours lead time gives those who have to deal with these situations time to deal with it calmly and effectively. A 30-minute warning for many of these places/events is essentially no warning at all.Hayes tells me the Wichita office is among the offices in the running to be a beta test site, when the research folks deem the science and computing power have reached the appropriate point.

Aware 2021: Warnings 2 hours in Advance? It's not far away...


HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
The overall COVID-19 case count in Reno County is at 113 as of Monday. The death count among Reno County residents is at 138. 

Out of 7,709 total cases since the beginning of the pandemic, there have been 7,458 recoveries. There are 14 clusters still being monitored. The long-term care facility cluster type is down to just eight active cases.

Three Reno County residents are in the hospital. According to the dashboard, three hundred sixty-five total have been hospitalized. One hundred three have been admitted to the ICU. These are Reno County resident numbers regardless of where they are hospitalized.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1612786086400.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>
HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
The overall COVID-19 case count in Reno County is at 113 as of Monday. The death count among Reno County residents is at 138. Out of 7,709 total cases since the beginning of the pandemic, there have been 7,458 recoveries. There are 14 clusters still being monitored. The long-term care facility cluster type is down to just eight active cases.Three Reno County residents are in the hospital. According to the dashboard, three hundred sixty-five total have been hospitalized. One hundred three have been admitted to the ICU. These are Reno County resident numbers regardless of where they are hospitalized.

Case count now 113, Long-term care down to 8 cases

Our Severe Weather Awareness Week features continue and it looks like the minimum wage increase is dead for now, plus more from Hutch Post.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1601052662830.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Our Severe Weather Awareness Week features continue and it looks like the minimum wage increase is dead for now, plus more from Hutch Post.<div><iframe title="March 2, 2021 Morning News" height="122" width="100%" style="border: none;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/media/player/xkz8m-fc5bab?from=pb6admin&download=1&version=1&auto=0&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Helvetica&skin=1&pfauth=&btn-skin=107"></iframe></div>

March 2, 2021 Morning News

Teacher of the Month: Head Start teacher loves work with little ones

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — With many entertainment venues closed or limited due to the pandemic, the Hutchinson Fox Theatre wants to know what you think when it comes to kicking off another season of entertainment.

An online survey is now available at <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe0mBsjzC7yeFaKWUyIU_q9E5wxLqn_bBUSUXaf4emxm0xxGg/viewform">hutchinsonfox.com</a>. The Fox wants as much feedback from patrons as possible. If you haven't already responded, the Fox asks you to take a short survey to help it plan for reopening. The deadline to submit your survey is Friday, March 5.

This survey only takes a few minutes and no personal information is collected. Your responses will not be shared and will help the theatre prepare to welcome patrons back comfortably and safely.

<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/2021/2/1614097835841.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>HUTCHINSON, Kan. — With many entertainment venues closed or limited due to the pandemic, the Hutchinson Fox Theatre wants to know what you think when it comes to kicking off another season of entertainment.An online survey is now available at <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe0mBsjzC7yeFaKWUyIU_q9E5wxLqn_bBUSUXaf4emxm0xxGg/viewform">hutchinsonfox.com</a>. The Fox wants as much feedback from patrons as possible. If you haven't already responded, the Fox asks you to take a short survey to help it plan for reopening. The deadline to submit your survey is Friday, March 5.This survey only takes a few minutes and no personal information is collected. Your responses will not be shared and will help the theatre prepare to welcome patrons back comfortably and safely.<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.

Fox Theatre wants patrons to complete survey

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Gov. Laura Kelly has reappointed a member to the Kansas State Fair Board.

Among a list of appointments by the governor Monday was Holly Lofton of Lindsborg. Lofton has been a member of the Fair Board since March of 2018. Lofton is the director of tourism for the Lindsborg Convention and Visitors Bureau. She is the designee for the Travel Industry Association of Kansas.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1614635513749.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Gov. Laura Kelly has reappointed a member to the Kansas State Fair Board.Among a list of appointments by the governor Monday was Holly Lofton of Lindsborg. Lofton has been a member of the Fair Board since March of 2018. Lofton is the director of tourism for the Lindsborg Convention and Visitors Bureau. She is the designee for the Travel Industry Association of Kansas.This is her second term on the board.<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;