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


HARVEY COUNTY — The Harvey County Health Department has confirmed its 54th and 55th cases of COVID-19 in Harvey County.

One confirmed case is a female in her 50s. She is in home isolation. This case is under investigation.

One confirmed case is a female in her 40s. She is in home isolation. The individual was in contact with another individual with COVID-19 in another county.

Testing in both cases was completed by private labs. The Health Department will regularly monitor the health of the individuals, as well as follow up on all close contacts.

Harvey County has had 55 COVID-19 cases to date, including 51 confirmed and four probable cases. There are 15 known active cases in Harvey County. None of these individuals are currently hospitalized.

There have been 1,910 tests for COVID-19 conducted in Harvey County.

As of Monday, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment confirmed 16,901 cases of COVID-19 in the state to date. The KDHE reported 202,219 completed tests in Kansas.

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HARVEY COUNTY — The Harvey County Health Department has confirmed its 54th and 55th cases of COVID-19 in Harvey County.One confirmed case is a female in her 50s. She is in home isolation. This case is under investigation.One confirmed case is a female in her 40s. She is in home isolation. The individual was in contact with another individual with COVID-19 in another county.Testing in both cases was completed by private labs. The Health Department will regularly monitor the health of the individuals, as well as follow up on all close contacts.Harvey County has had 55 COVID-19 cases to date, including 51 confirmed and four probable cases. There are 15 known active cases in Harvey County. None of these individuals are currently hospitalized.There have been 1,910 tests for COVID-19 conducted in Harvey County.As of Monday, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment confirmed 16,901 cases of COVID-19 in the state to date. The KDHE reported 202,219 completed tests in Kansas.

Harvey County confirms 54th, 55th cases of COVID-19, 15 active cases in county


HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — Americare operates Senior Living, Assisted Living, Skilled Nursing and Memory Care across 144 communities in Missouri, Kansas, Tennessee, Illinois, and Mississippi, including Waldron Place in Hutchinson. 

In early March, when the signs of the COVID-19 pandemic were just beginning, Americare made the investments that have allowed their residents to stay connected with family and friends, even once quarantine procedures were required.

On March 13, all outside visitors to its facilities were discontinued and all group gatherings stopped. Americare believed that even though it was necessary to shut out visitors, that did not have to mean shutting down social and informational connections.

That meant an extensive investment in equipment, training and learning among staff and residents and families to ensure that residents did not feel isolated or cut off, and that families could feel connected and informed. It also meant an investment in training, protocols and tracking to stay ahead of potential issues across the company.

• iPads shipped to every community for resident use and training of staff to help residents keep in touch with loved ones.

• “Join Me” accounts for residents and families.

• Extra training for the facility Lifestyle Teams on various communications.

• Activity software on iPads and computers so residents can be physically active, mentally active and engaged through brain games and exercises.

• Enabling staff remote access to all property systems to provide care and help properties creating less need for property visits.

• Set up eFax capabilities to replace the multi-function device (print, scan, fax, copy) that is typically used by staff and residents thus eliminating potential cross contamination between non-COVID and COVID areas.

• Gathered emails for all resident family members for updates.

• Email protocols established and activated in any community with a COVID case to keep everyone informed (did not activate where there was no activity so as not to create alarm).

• Creation of an “our community and COVID” channel for updates to families online in communities with COVID activity.

• Developed a series of surveys and reports so the company and properties could see the impact/progression of the virus, staffing needs, and PPE availability.This snapshot allowed learnings from one community to be shared with others and ensured availability of people and equipment where needed when needed.

• An aggressive local media outreach to ensure that when there was a COVID issue at a property, the media would have the facts and no need to bother staff or families, thus protecting everyone.

• Extensive use of property level social media to give a window into the facility that helps ease the minds of families outside.

The actual medical equipment used was also upgraded for such items as vital signs monitoring so that taking vital signs and uploading them into systems was easier. This created more accessible data that gave a consolidated view for monitoring vitals and spotting areas of concern or trends in advance so that testing, treatment, and even quarantine decisions could be made faster and ahead of the virus’ potential progression.

“We believe the investments in technology made at the beginning of the pandemic and as we progressed through the months created an environment of communication to benefit the physical and mental health of residents and families, as well as creating lifestyle opportunities to keep residents engaged during this difficult time,” said Patricia Cokingtin, Senior Vice President of Americare. “In addition, our investments in staff training, software and database management put us in a position to identify issues and even potential issues and react to them in terms of supplies, personnel and evasive actions that we believe kept the virus contained within or even away from communities.”

For more information on how Americare facilities are addressing the coronavirus pandemic please visit <a href="https://www.americareusa.net/coronavirus">https://www.americareusa.net/coronavirus</a>.

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HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — Americare operates Senior Living, Assisted Living, Skilled Nursing and Memory Care across 144 communities in Missouri, Kansas, Tennessee, Illinois, and Mississippi, including Waldron Place in Hutchinson. In early March, when the signs of the COVID-19 pandemic were just beginning, Americare made the investments that have allowed their residents to stay connected with family and friends, even once quarantine procedures were required.On March 13, all outside visitors to its facilities were discontinued and all group gatherings stopped. Americare believed that even though it was necessary to shut out visitors, that did not have to mean shutting down social and informational connections.That meant an extensive investment in equipment, training and learning among staff and residents and families to ensure that residents did not feel isolated or cut off, and that families could feel connected and informed. It also meant an investment in training, protocols and tracking to stay ahead of potential issues across the company.Among the investments were:• iPads shipped to every community for resident use and training of staff to help residents keep in touch with loved ones.• “Join Me” accounts for residents and families.• Extra training for the facility Lifestyle Teams on various communications.• Activity software on iPads and computers so residents can be physically active, mentally active and engaged through brain games and exercises.• Enabling staff remote access to all property systems to provide care and help properties creating less need for property visits.• Set up eFax capabilities to replace the multi-function device (print, scan, fax, copy) that is typically used by staff and residents thus eliminating potential cross contamination between non-COVID and COVID areas.• Gathered emails for all resident family members for updates.• Email protocols established and activated in any community with a COVID case to keep everyone informed (did not activate where there was no activity so as not to create alarm).• Creation of an “our community and COVID” channel for updates to families online in communities with COVID activity.• Developed a series of surveys and reports so the company and properties could see the impact/progression of the virus, staffing needs, and PPE availability.This snapshot allowed learnings from one community to be shared with others and ensured availability of people and equipment where needed when needed.• An aggressive local media outreach to ensure that when there was a COVID issue at a property, the media would have the facts and no need to bother staff or families, thus protecting everyone.• Extensive use of property level social media to give a window into the facility that helps ease the minds of families outside.The actual medical equipment used was also upgraded for such items as vital signs monitoring so that taking vital signs and uploading them into systems was easier. This created more accessible data that gave a consolidated view for monitoring vitals and spotting areas of concern or trends in advance so that testing, treatment, and even quarantine decisions could be made faster and ahead of the virus’ potential progression.“We believe the investments in technology made at the beginning of the pandemic and as we progressed through the months created an environment of communication to benefit the physical and mental health of residents and families, as well as creating lifestyle opportunities to keep residents engaged during this difficult time,” said Patricia Cokingtin, Senior Vice President of Americare. “In addition, our investments in staff training, software and database management put us in a position to identify issues and even potential issues and react to them in terms of supplies, personnel and evasive actions that we believe kept the virus contained within or even away from communities.”For more information on how Americare facilities are addressing the coronavirus pandemic please visit <a href="https://www.americareusa.net/coronavirus">https://www.americareusa.net/coronavirus</a>.

Parent company of Waldron Place issues information on COVID-19 response

Haviland, KS – Kim Hansen, B.S.N, M.S.N, has been appointed as Director of Nursing Education at Barclay College.

The position will be responsible for directing the accreditation process for the anticipated Nursing Program featuring the BSN and RN degrees. In October 2019, the Board of Trustees approved and directed the administration to begin the process of developing a nursing program at Barclay College.

According to Dr. Royce Frazier, President of Barclay College, “As the only four-year accredited college in Southwest Kansas, we are keenly aware of the shortage of health care professionals, especially nurses in this part of the state. Moreover, nursing and health care continue to be the top growth degree programs in the United States.” He added, “Kim brings exceptional experience and is perfectly situated to help us gain accreditation for a program that will be based in a rich spiritual, faith foundation.”

Hansen previously taught in the Associated Degree Nursing (ADN) program at Hutchinson Community College. Prior to that she taught at Pratt Community College where she became the Director of Nursing. She earned a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) certificate in 2007 and an ADN in 2008. She received a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Tabor College in 2010 and a Masters in Nursing Education from Fort Hays State University in 2014.

Barclay College is accredited by the&nbsp;Higher Learning Commission (hlcommission.org), a regional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. It is also recognized by the Kansas Board of Regents and is accredited by the Association for Biblical Higher Education, the Association of Christian Schools International, and the Kansas State Department of Education. Barclay College is also a member of the Kansas Independent College Association (KICA).

Barclay College is a private faith-based school that offers a rigorous four-year academic program both for residential campus and online, with a solid biblical foundation for students with evangelical faith traditions. A School of Graduate Studies offers a Master of Arts degree in nine ministry concentrations. Its mission is to prepare students in a Bible-centered environment for effective Christian life, service, and leadership. 

A full tuition scholarship is given to campus students who live in the dorm. College supporters fund this program so that students can receive a quality education with little or no debt.

Applications are currently accepted for the Fall 2020 semester on campus.  Online programs start every six weeks.  Students may contact Admissions at (800) 862.0226 or by email at admissions@barclaycollege.edu.  They may also apply through the website at www.barclaycollege.edu.

<figure>
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 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Haviland, KS – Kim Hansen, B.S.N, M.S.N, has been appointed as Director of Nursing Education at Barclay College.The position will be responsible for directing the accreditation process for the anticipated Nursing Program featuring the BSN and RN degrees. In October 2019, the Board of Trustees approved and directed the administration to begin the process of developing a nursing program at Barclay College.According to Dr. Royce Frazier, President of Barclay College, “As the only four-year accredited college in Southwest Kansas, we are keenly aware of the shortage of health care professionals, especially nurses in this part of the state. Moreover, nursing and health care continue to be the top growth degree programs in the United States.” He added, “Kim brings exceptional experience and is perfectly situated to help us gain accreditation for a program that will be based in a rich spiritual, faith foundation.”Hansen previously taught in the Associated Degree Nursing (ADN) program at Hutchinson Community College. Prior to that she taught at Pratt Community College where she became the Director of Nursing. She earned a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) certificate in 2007 and an ADN in 2008. She received a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Tabor College in 2010 and a Masters in Nursing Education from Fort Hays State University in 2014.Barclay College is accredited by the&nbsp;Higher Learning Commission (hlcommission.org), a regional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. It is also recognized by the Kansas Board of Regents and is accredited by the Association for Biblical Higher Education, the Association of Christian Schools International, and the Kansas State Department of Education. Barclay College is also a member of the Kansas Independent College Association (KICA).Barclay College is a private faith-based school that offers a rigorous four-year academic program both for residential campus and online, with a solid biblical foundation for students with evangelical faith traditions. A School of Graduate Studies offers a Master of Arts degree in nine ministry concentrations. Its mission is to prepare students in a Bible-centered environment for effective Christian life, service, and leadership. A full tuition scholarship is given to campus students who live in the dorm. College supporters fund this program so that students can receive a quality education with little or no debt.Applications are currently accepted for the Fall 2020 semester on campus. Online programs start every six weeks. Students may contact Admissions at (800) 862.0226 or by email at admissions@barclaycollege.edu. They may also apply through the website at www.barclaycollege.edu.

Barclay College begins accreditation process for Nursing Program; Director of Nursing Education appointed to spearhead accreditation process


HUTCHINSON,
Kan. —&nbsp;This year’s Hutchinson High School commencement exercises will be held at 9 a.m. Saturday, July 25, at Gowans Stadium. The date has been moved up a day to provide an inclement weather backup day.

Due to the ever-changing nature of COVID-19 and the current uptick in cases across our county and state, the district, in conjunction with the Reno County Health Department, has decided upon a graduation format that promotes the health and safety of our graduates and their families.

Each graduate will be given four guest tickets. HHS also will be live-streaming the ceremony for those that cannot attend or are medically compromised. The link information for the live stream will be announced later.

Graduates need to be at Gowans Stadium on Saturday, July 25, by 8:20 a.m. to get lined up. The district is encouraging all families to wear masks and practice social distancing.

Graduation practice is at 8:30 a.m. on Friday, July 24, in the SAC and should conclude by 10 a.m. This is mandatory for any student walking in the ceremony. The four guest tickets will be given at practice.

The gates to Gowans Stadium will be open to the public at about 8 a.m. on July 25. Seating is first come first serve.

In case of inclement weather, the first alternative plan will be to have graduation at 9 a.m. Sunday, July 26, at Gowans. If it appears Saturday’s weather will not cooperate, staff will announce the alternate plan during practice on Friday, July 24.

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HUTCHINSON,
Kan. —&nbsp;This year’s Hutchinson High School commencement exercises will be held at 9 a.m. Saturday, July 25, at Gowans Stadium. The date has been moved up a day to provide an inclement weather backup day.Due to the ever-changing nature of COVID-19 and the current uptick in cases across our county and state, the district, in conjunction with the Reno County Health Department, has decided upon a graduation format that promotes the health and safety of our graduates and their families.Each graduate will be given four guest tickets. HHS also will be live-streaming the ceremony for those that cannot attend or are medically compromised. The link information for the live stream will be announced later.Graduates need to be at Gowans Stadium on Saturday, July 25, by 8:20 a.m. to get lined up. The district is encouraging all families to wear masks and practice social distancing.Graduation practice is at 8:30 a.m. on Friday, July 24, in the SAC and should conclude by 10 a.m. This is mandatory for any student walking in the ceremony. The four guest tickets will be given at practice.The gates to Gowans Stadium will be open to the public at about 8 a.m. on July 25. Seating is first come first serve.In case of inclement weather, the first alternative plan will be to have graduation at 9 a.m. Sunday, July 26, at Gowans. If it appears Saturday’s weather will not cooperate, staff will announce the alternate plan during practice on Friday, July 24.

Commencement in USD 308 set for July 25

KINGMAN COUNTY—Residents in Kingman continue to live with a water emergency.

On Tuesday evening, emergency management officials acquired 3-gallon jugs of water for distribution to those unable to afford water bottles, according to a media release from the city.

Authorities distributed the limited supply of water at the armory, one to each member of a household, on Tuesday evening and will continue to distribute water on Wednesday morning while supplies last.

On Tuesday afternoon, the city reported they had identified a blockage in the water line due to a faulty valve and repaired the issue for the wells south of the city.

&nbsp;The state's do not drink order will continue until the KDHE has completed test results on the water system.&nbsp;

Those wells feed the city of around 3000 people and a rural water district covering the eastern portion of Kingman County.

<figure>
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 </figure>KINGMAN COUNTY—Residents in Kingman continue to live with a water emergency.On Tuesday evening, emergency management officials acquired 3-gallon jugs of water for distribution to those unable to afford water bottles, according to a media release from the city.Authorities distributed the limited supply of water at the armory, one to each member of a household, on Tuesday evening and will continue to distribute water on Wednesday morning while supplies last.On Tuesday afternoon, the city reported they had identified a blockage in the water line due to a faulty valve and repaired the issue for the wells south of the city.&nbsp;The state's do not drink order will continue until the KDHE has completed test results on the water system.&nbsp;Those wells feed the city of around 3000 people and a rural water district covering the eastern portion of Kingman County.

Water emergency continues in Kingman


HUTCHINSON,
Kan. —&nbsp;The Kansas State Fair Board has chosen to go on with the 2020 event.

"The staff put together what we thought was the best plan if we were going to have a fair given the COVID situation," said General Manager Robin Jennison. "We've spent a lot of time studying it. I'm really pretty proud of the plan we put together. The board voted 8 to 5 to go ahead and have the plan. I think one of the things that's interesting is, in our plan, the main thing that we kind of hang our hat on is the use of facemasks."

Jennison notes that in the indoor settings at the fair and in the grandstand, social distancing is impossible to enforce.

"You need to take a mask," Jennison said. "You will be required to have a mask in the commercial buildings. You'll be required to have a mask in all the buildings. Anybody going to a grandstand show will be required to have a mask. Obviously, there will be times, and we've not worked through this, if someone goes to get something to eat, just like at a restaurant, they're not going to have their mask on. To get in the grandstand, you're going to have to have a mask on."

Jennison acknowledges that the fair will not be a risk-free environment, but that's true every year.

"History will judge whether we should have had the fair or not," Jennison said. "There's no doubt in my mind, at that point, if things don't change, somebody may come to the fair with COVID. Somebody may come to the fair and get COVID. My goal is to make sure that all 600 of our employees stay safe."

Jennison knows they will lose some fair goers because they are in high-risk groups or because they can't handle wearing a mask, but the board has decided that in this respect, it is time to go on with life and it is the staff's job to do that as safely as possible.

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NICK GOSNELL
Hutch
Post
HUTCHINSON,
Kan. —&nbsp;The Kansas State Fair Board has chosen to go on with the 2020 event."The staff put together what we thought was the best plan if we were going to have a fair given the COVID situation," said General Manager Robin Jennison. "We've spent a lot of time studying it. I'm really pretty proud of the plan we put together. The board voted 8 to 5 to go ahead and have the plan. I think one of the things that's interesting is, in our plan, the main thing that we kind of hang our hat on is the use of facemasks."Jennison notes that in the indoor settings at the fair and in the grandstand, social distancing is impossible to enforce."You need to take a mask," Jennison said. "You will be required to have a mask in the commercial buildings. You'll be required to have a mask in all the buildings. Anybody going to a grandstand show will be required to have a mask. Obviously, there will be times, and we've not worked through this, if someone goes to get something to eat, just like at a restaurant, they're not going to have their mask on. To get in the grandstand, you're going to have to have a mask on."Jennison acknowledges that the fair will not be a risk-free environment, but that's true every year."History will judge whether we should have had the fair or not," Jennison said. "There's no doubt in my mind, at that point, if things don't change, somebody may come to the fair with COVID. Somebody may come to the fair and get COVID. My goal is to make sure that all 600 of our employees stay safe."Jennison knows they will lose some fair goers because they are in high-risk groups or because they can't handle wearing a mask, but the board has decided that in this respect, it is time to go on with life and it is the staff's job to do that as safely as possible.

The Masked Fair: 2020 event will be different, for sure


HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
Hutchinson Public Library patrons will now be able to browse the stacks and use the public computers beginning July 8. In a continuing effort to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in Reno County, the library will provide special hours of operation to limit in-person contact and allow for cleaning. All of the “no-touch” services, such as the Library Material Pick Up Service, will still be available as preferred methods of accessing the library.

New hours are Monday through Friday, 10:00 am to 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm, Saturday, 10:00 am to 1:00 pm, and on Sundays, the library will be closed.

Library staff ask that patrons wear masks, especially if they want help outside of the service desk. While in the library, patrons will also be asked to maintain a distance of 6 feet away from staff and other patrons, and limit in-person contact by limiting time spent in the library.

Gregg Wamsley, Hutchinson Public Library Director, states, “The health and safety of our patrons, staff, and the community at large is our highest priority during this uncertain time. Our main goal is to strengthen our community by continuing to provide as much access as possible and the best library service possible while keeping everyone safe.”

Some of the safety procedures for staff include wearing masks, cleaning high-touch surfaces frequently, and quarantining materials. Patrons are required to return all materials in the 24-hour book drop behind the library as part of their quarantine process.  Staff quarantine materials in the library’s garage for 5 days before wiping them with virucide and then returning items to the shelves for check out. Materials handled inside the library, such as magazines, are to be placed on designated book carts for quarantine purposes.

“The library is a vital service in Hutchinson’s recovery efforts,” says Wamsley. “There were many services we’ve had to rethink how to proceed. We always strive to strengthen our community in a variety of ways including providing access to learning new job skills, job searching, assisting with research, small business development, and, of course, children’s learning programs.  And, we are still able to do these services, but now it is in a different, safer way.”

As public health and safety recommendations allow, the library will work toward a gradual reopening of more areas and services including opening meeting rooms and appointment times for the Makerspace and Reference computers.  

For more information about Hutchinson Public Library’s reopening process, visit their website at www.hutchpl.org or call 620-663-5441.

For the health and safety of others, please be thoughtful about coming into the library if you are exhibiting any COVID-19 symptoms. Please do your part to stop the spread of germs and disease.

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HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
Hutchinson Public Library patrons will now be able to browse the stacks and use the public computers beginning July 8. In a continuing effort to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in Reno County, the library will provide special hours of operation to limit in-person contact and allow for cleaning. All of the “no-touch” services, such as the Library Material Pick Up Service, will still be available as preferred methods of accessing the library.New hours are Monday through Friday, 10:00 am to 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm, Saturday, 10:00 am to 1:00 pm, and on Sundays, the library will be closed.Library staff ask that patrons wear masks, especially if they want help outside of the service desk. While in the library, patrons will also be asked to maintain a distance of 6 feet away from staff and other patrons, and limit in-person contact by limiting time spent in the library.Gregg Wamsley, Hutchinson Public Library Director, states, “The health and safety of our patrons, staff, and the community at large is our highest priority during this uncertain time. Our main goal is to strengthen our community by continuing to provide as much access as possible and the best library service possible while keeping everyone safe.”Some of the safety procedures for staff include wearing masks, cleaning high-touch surfaces frequently, and quarantining materials. Patrons are required to return all materials in the 24-hour book drop behind the library as part of their quarantine process. Staff quarantine materials in the library’s garage for 5 days before wiping them with virucide and then returning items to the shelves for check out. Materials handled inside the library, such as magazines, are to be placed on designated book carts for quarantine purposes.“The library is a vital service in Hutchinson’s recovery efforts,” says Wamsley. “There were many services we’ve had to rethink how to proceed. We always strive to strengthen our community in a variety of ways including providing access to learning new job skills, job searching, assisting with research, small business development, and, of course, children’s learning programs. And, we are still able to do these services, but now it is in a different, safer way.”As public health and safety recommendations allow, the library will work toward a gradual reopening of more areas and services including opening meeting rooms and appointment times for the Makerspace and Reference computers. For more information about Hutchinson Public Library’s reopening process, visit their website at www.hutchpl.org or call 620-663-5441.If you are sick, please stay home.For the health and safety of others, please be thoughtful about coming into the library if you are exhibiting any COVID-19 symptoms. Please do your part to stop the spread of germs and disease.

Hutchinson Public Library Reopening With Limited Services, Hours


HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — Hutchinson City Manager Jeff Cantrell is calling on the city council to give him some time to untangle the Gordian knot that is the conflict between property owners and code enforcement in Hutchinson.

"It's still a heated topic," Cantrell said. "It's still driving a lot of the discussion. I see it as an opportunity for me, because I spent 10 years building an award-winning department in Johnson County that led these very issues. I have a lot of ideas as to how we can make it better. I understand the issues. I understand that they are debatable. I understand the difference between proactive enforcement and complaint-based enforcement only. There's a lot of tools in the basket that we can employ to make cognizant change in this area."

Cantrell wants owners of property to know that the city intends to look at things differently under his leadership than maybe they have in the past.

"I think one of the changes and perhaps one of the most meaningful changes will come internally from the city and its management and its leadership and the culture that you guys speak of," Cantrell said. "I have had phone calls from individuals that own rental properties, that have investment properties in town and I know the difference of having properties back on the tax rolls and selling utilities that once weren't. I know the value of that. I appreciate it and I think staff that I'm working with does too. What they may not understand is that I have a mindset that is going to be slightly different than what they could be accustomed to. This will take a little bit of time for me to do."

Cantrell is going to take a few months to figure out the issues and he wants to see policy stay where it is until he can see what the problems are.

"I drive around," Cantrell said. "I look at the properties. I look for myself. I determine what the case file history has been. How have they been treated? I think that's important, too. Even if you're in violation and you're going to be taken to court and prosecuted, I think there's a tactful way to present that message with compassion. Most people in this community would make the repairs to their property if they had the money and the means to do so. It's not normally people wanting to just defy the city in an ordinance."

Cantrell wants to reset the relationship and have the opportunity to try that before changing any more policy. He has asked the council to give him the time for that and they appeared to have a consensus to allow him a few months in that endeavor.

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By
NICK GOSNELL
Hutch
Post
HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — Hutchinson City Manager Jeff Cantrell is calling on the city council to give him some time to untangle the Gordian knot that is the conflict between property owners and code enforcement in Hutchinson."It's still a heated topic," Cantrell said. "It's still driving a lot of the discussion. I see it as an opportunity for me, because I spent 10 years building an award-winning department in Johnson County that led these very issues. I have a lot of ideas as to how we can make it better. I understand the issues. I understand that they are debatable. I understand the difference between proactive enforcement and complaint-based enforcement only. There's a lot of tools in the basket that we can employ to make cognizant change in this area."Cantrell wants owners of property to know that the city intends to look at things differently under his leadership than maybe they have in the past."I think one of the changes and perhaps one of the most meaningful changes will come internally from the city and its management and its leadership and the culture that you guys speak of," Cantrell said. "I have had phone calls from individuals that own rental properties, that have investment properties in town and I know the difference of having properties back on the tax rolls and selling utilities that once weren't. I know the value of that. I appreciate it and I think staff that I'm working with does too. What they may not understand is that I have a mindset that is going to be slightly different than what they could be accustomed to. This will take a little bit of time for me to do."Cantrell is going to take a few months to figure out the issues and he wants to see policy stay where it is until he can see what the problems are."I drive around," Cantrell said. "I look at the properties. I look for myself. I determine what the case file history has been. How have they been treated? I think that's important, too. Even if you're in violation and you're going to be taken to court and prosecuted, I think there's a tactful way to present that message with compassion. Most people in this community would make the repairs to their property if they had the money and the means to do so. It's not normally people wanting to just defy the city in an ordinance."Cantrell wants to reset the relationship and have the opportunity to try that before changing any more policy. He has asked the council to give him the time for that and they appeared to have a consensus to allow him a few months in that endeavor.

New city manager ready to spend time on housing issue


HUTCHINSON,
Kan. —&nbsp;The Hutchinson City Council discussed mask wearing briefly at their meeting Tuesday. Three of the five council members wore masks at the council table, Nancy Soldner, Jon Daveline and Jade Piros De Carvalho. Steve Garza and Sara Bagwell were not wearing masks. The discussion was in the context of whether to mandate masks in city buildings. City Manager Jeff Cantrell, who was not wearing a mask, noted that there are other ways to control public access to city staff, if necessary.

"If we felt that we had an exposure issue that could impact services as far as knocking employees out, that's when you're going to see some swift action on the part of staff coming forward and we'd probably recommend shutting the building down again," Cantrell said.

Mayor Jade Piros de Carvalho did note that the City of Hutchinson has enacted health related ordinances in the past.

"We enacted an ordinance that prohibited smoking in our parks," Piros de Carvalho said. "That's another instance of an ordinance we don't really have the manpower to enforce, but, just by virtue of having the ordinance has dramatically decreased the amount of smoking. Other citizens police each other on that."

Piros de Carvalho isn't sure how to make a mandate stick without enforcement, though.

"I'm curious where the threshold is," Piros de Carvalho said. "When do we pull a special meeting together and take action? Is that when we have 100 cases? Is that when we have 50 cases? We currently have around 30 active cases."

Because the public will have such strong opinions either way, the mayor didn't feel it was appropriate to take action without it being on the agenda and at this point the city is continuing to leave the policy decision in the hands of the county. 

Council member Nancy Soldner appeared to not want to put policy in place without an enforcement mechanism and Jon Daveline seemed to agree with her on that point. Sara Bagwell wants to leave the responsibility to individuals. Steve Garza joined Bagwell in that opinion.

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By
NICK GOSNELL
Hutch
Post
HUTCHINSON,
Kan. —&nbsp;The Hutchinson City Council discussed mask wearing briefly at their meeting Tuesday. Three of the five council members wore masks at the council table, Nancy Soldner, Jon Daveline and Jade Piros De Carvalho. Steve Garza and Sara Bagwell were not wearing masks. The discussion was in the context of whether to mandate masks in city buildings. City Manager Jeff Cantrell, who was not wearing a mask, noted that there are other ways to control public access to city staff, if necessary."If we felt that we had an exposure issue that could impact services as far as knocking employees out, that's when you're going to see some swift action on the part of staff coming forward and we'd probably recommend shutting the building down again," Cantrell said.Mayor Jade Piros de Carvalho did note that the City of Hutchinson has enacted health related ordinances in the past."We enacted an ordinance that prohibited smoking in our parks," Piros de Carvalho said. "That's another instance of an ordinance we don't really have the manpower to enforce, but, just by virtue of having the ordinance has dramatically decreased the amount of smoking. Other citizens police each other on that."Piros de Carvalho isn't sure how to make a mandate stick without enforcement, though."I'm curious where the threshold is," Piros de Carvalho said. "When do we pull a special meeting together and take action? Is that when we have 100 cases? Is that when we have 50 cases? We currently have around 30 active cases."Because the public will have such strong opinions either way, the mayor didn't feel it was appropriate to take action without it being on the agenda and at this point the city is continuing to leave the policy decision in the hands of the county. Council member Nancy Soldner appeared to not want to put policy in place without an enforcement mechanism and Jon Daveline seemed to agree with her on that point. Sara Bagwell wants to leave the responsibility to individuals. Steve Garza joined Bagwell in that opinion.

Hutchinson city council discusses masks, no action taken Tuesday


HUTCHINSON,
Kan. —&nbsp;Reno County Administrator Randy Partington is bringing in some voices of experience in Reno County to work on CARES act response.

"I'm working with Joe to get the agreement contract in place, but they've already started working," Partington said Tuesday. "Gary Meagher, the former Reno County administrator and John Deardoff, the former Hutchinson city manager. They're working together with me and creating a task force. I'm meeting with them later this morning and then probably again later this week to start building a task force that will then get together to discuss not only reimbursements for COVID-19 related expenses, but a direct aid plan."

The intent is to get a small city representative, a large city representative, a small school district representative, a large school district representative, a member of the county commission, a member of the city council, the consultants and the administrator all together to give recommendations to the county commission.

"That's really more for the discussion of what's needed in the near future and long term for public entities, which include all cities in Reno County, Reno County itself the organization and all public school districts in Reno County, kind of what they need to be purchasing, or a plan to better prepare for the future, the new future, with COVID-19 playing a role."

Reimbursement requests need to start going in to the state as soon as next month, so there will be a lot of work for the task force in the coming weeks.

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NICK GOSNELL
Hutch
Post
HUTCHINSON,
Kan. —&nbsp;Reno County Administrator Randy Partington is bringing in some voices of experience in Reno County to work on CARES act response."I'm working with Joe to get the agreement contract in place, but they've already started working," Partington said Tuesday. "Gary Meagher, the former Reno County administrator and John Deardoff, the former Hutchinson city manager. They're working together with me and creating a task force. I'm meeting with them later this morning and then probably again later this week to start building a task force that will then get together to discuss not only reimbursements for COVID-19 related expenses, but a direct aid plan."The intent is to get a small city representative, a large city representative, a small school district representative, a large school district representative, a member of the county commission, a member of the city council, the consultants and the administrator all together to give recommendations to the county commission."That's really more for the discussion of what's needed in the near future and long term for public entities, which include all cities in Reno County, Reno County itself the organization and all public school districts in Reno County, kind of what they need to be purchasing, or a plan to better prepare for the future, the new future, with COVID-19 playing a role."Reimbursement requests need to start going in to the state as soon as next month, so there will be a lot of work for the task force in the coming weeks.

Partington calling on former local leaders to help with task force


HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
Reno County Health Department Director Nick Baldetti told county commissioners at their meeting Tuesday that the testing numbers he is giving them are accurate.

"There seems to be an assumption that individuals are tested over and over and over again, if they test positive, they continue to be tested until they are negative," Baldetti said. "That simply isn't the case. If an individual is tested and they test positive, they are quarantined for 14 days post-symptoms. If they present no symptoms but they test positive, then they simply quarantine for 14 days. If they are sick and they go get tested and they test positive, that 14 day quarantine doesn't start until their symptoms pass. They are still quarantined when they have symptoms, but the 14 day clock, so to speak doesn't start until they no longer have symptoms."

There aren't generally multiple tests used on an individual who tests negative, either.

"If somebody tests negative, we don't test them again unless they present some sort of symptoms or they get put into a situation where they have a high risk of exposure and they have a job that has a high risk of spread," Baldetti said.

With that said, the active cases number is climbing.

"The activity that we're seeing, at least what we have seen over the weekend and into yesterday, we're on a steady incline," Baldetti said. "The last seven days, I'm just going to give you the active cases. On June 30, we had six active cases, on the first of July we had nine. the second, we had 16, the third, we had 17, the fourth, we had 21, the fifth we had 26 and the sixth, we had 27. We had cases get deemed recovered in there, as well."

That's about five to six new positive cases a day over the last four days. Also, five in the hospital at once is equal to the peak usage thus far, according to Baldetti.

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NICK GOSNELL
Hutch
Post
HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
Reno County Health Department Director Nick Baldetti told county commissioners at their meeting Tuesday that the testing numbers he is giving them are accurate."There seems to be an assumption that individuals are tested over and over and over again, if they test positive, they continue to be tested until they are negative," Baldetti said. "That simply isn't the case. If an individual is tested and they test positive, they are quarantined for 14 days post-symptoms. If they present no symptoms but they test positive, then they simply quarantine for 14 days. If they are sick and they go get tested and they test positive, that 14 day quarantine doesn't start until their symptoms pass. They are still quarantined when they have symptoms, but the 14 day clock, so to speak doesn't start until they no longer have symptoms."There aren't generally multiple tests used on an individual who tests negative, either."If somebody tests negative, we don't test them again unless they present some sort of symptoms or they get put into a situation where they have a high risk of exposure and they have a job that has a high risk of spread," Baldetti said.With that said, the active cases number is climbing."The activity that we're seeing, at least what we have seen over the weekend and into yesterday, we're on a steady incline," Baldetti said. "The last seven days, I'm just going to give you the active cases. On June 30, we had six active cases, on the first of July we had nine. the second, we had 16, the third, we had 17, the fourth, we had 21, the fifth we had 26 and the sixth, we had 27. We had cases get deemed recovered in there, as well."That's about five to six new positive cases a day over the last four days. Also, five in the hospital at once is equal to the peak usage thus far, according to Baldetti.

Testing numbers not inflated, case numbers going up fast

The Hutchinson Downtown Coalition is having its regular meeting tomorrow. 

The Coalition meets at the Chamber office at 117 North Walnut the second Wednesday of each month at 8:30 a.m.

The purpose of the Downtown Coalition is to unite all downtown businesses and organizations to work together toward improving and strengthening downtown Hutchinson.

Masks will be required and will be provided for those that need one.

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 </figure>The Hutchinson Downtown Coalition is having its regular meeting tomorrow. The Coalition meets at the Chamber office at 117 North Walnut the second Wednesday of each month at 8:30 a.m.The purpose of the Downtown Coalition is to unite all downtown businesses and organizations to work together toward improving and strengthening downtown Hutchinson.Masks will be required and will be provided for those that need one.

Downtown Coalition will meet Wednesday morning


HUTCHINSON,
Kan. —&nbsp;Programs at the Hutchinson Salvation Army continue through the pandemic.

"This is your last week, actually, for free tax services," said Major Paul James of the VITA tax site in their building. "It's Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. I know we have given them some masks to ensure their volunteers are being cautious, as well as for the individuals that come in."

There are still free fans, too, thanks to Westlake Ace Hardware.

"They raised over $1700, which is helping with 137 fans for Reno County citizens," James said. "So far, we've given out over 400 fans at least, prior to last week, when I left for vacation."

You can pick up fans from 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Salvation Army at 700 North Walnut. The food bank and financial assistance are also available for those who need it.

"If you have been affected by that, you lost work for whatever reason, sometimes that's your childcare fell through and you had to miss work because of that, they're able to help for different reasons," James said. "I would, even if you're questioning that, help is available for you. Many of them that are calling in now are first time. They've never asked for help. They are embarrassed. Many of them are in tears. Don't be ashamed of that. This is something that's affecting all the world."

Call (620) 663-3353 with any questions on any of the programs at the Salvation Army.

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By
NICK GOSNELL
Hutch
Post
HUTCHINSON,
Kan. —&nbsp;Programs at the Hutchinson Salvation Army continue through the pandemic."This is your last week, actually, for free tax services," said Major Paul James of the VITA tax site in their building. "It's Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. I know we have given them some masks to ensure their volunteers are being cautious, as well as for the individuals that come in."There are still free fans, too, thanks to Westlake Ace Hardware."They raised over $1700, which is helping with 137 fans for Reno County citizens," James said. "So far, we've given out over 400 fans at least, prior to last week, when I left for vacation."You can pick up fans from 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Salvation Army at 700 North Walnut. The food bank and financial assistance are also available for those who need it."If you have been affected by that, you lost work for whatever reason, sometimes that's your childcare fell through and you had to miss work because of that, they're able to help for different reasons," James said. "I would, even if you're questioning that, help is available for you. Many of them that are calling in now are first time. They've never asked for help. They are embarrassed. Many of them are in tears. Don't be ashamed of that. This is something that's affecting all the world."Call (620) 663-3353 with any questions on any of the programs at the Salvation Army.

Hutchinson Salvation Army continues work in spite of pandemic


HUTCHINSON,
Kan. —&nbsp;Evergy is looking to help in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Kansas companies and communities have been adapting to respond to the pandemic," said Evergy spokesperson Gina Penzig. "We, this summer, are offering, for eligible residential customers some payment options that, for some customers, might include credits."

Through August, Evergy will offer account credit to eligible residential customers who bring their account current on a four-month payment plan.

"As folks might remember, back in March, we had announced a suspension on disconnects," Penzig said. "Knowing that customers were struggling at that time, we put a hold on disconnects and that is going to expire in mid-July."

Through August 31, residential customers who have a past-due balance of $250 or more may request a four-month payment plan. With the first installment, Evergy will credit $25 toward the payment. If the payment plan is completed by the fourth month, Evergy will credit 50% of the installment, up to $75, toward the customer’s next bill. This payment plan is only available by calling Evergy customer service.

"You can contact our customer service call center by calling 1-800-383-1183," Penzig said. "If you've got questions about your electric service or want to inquire about special payment plans that might be available to help bring your electric bill current, or if its an average payment program, then our customer service reps at that number can help with those programs, as well."

Evergy call centers are available 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays. 

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By
NICK GOSNELL
Hutch
Post
HUTCHINSON,
Kan. —&nbsp;Evergy is looking to help in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic."Kansas companies and communities have been adapting to respond to the pandemic," said Evergy spokesperson Gina Penzig. "We, this summer, are offering, for eligible residential customers some payment options that, for some customers, might include credits."Through August, Evergy will offer account credit to eligible residential customers who bring their account current on a four-month payment plan."As folks might remember, back in March, we had announced a suspension on disconnects," Penzig said. "Knowing that customers were struggling at that time, we put a hold on disconnects and that is going to expire in mid-July."Through August 31, residential customers who have a past-due balance of $250 or more may request a four-month payment plan. With the first installment, Evergy will credit $25 toward the payment. If the payment plan is completed by the fourth month, Evergy will credit 50% of the installment, up to $75, toward the customer’s next bill. This payment plan is only available by calling Evergy customer service."You can contact our customer service call center by calling 1-800-383-1183," Penzig said. "If you've got questions about your electric service or want to inquire about special payment plans that might be available to help bring your electric bill current, or if its an average payment program, then our customer service reps at that number can help with those programs, as well."Evergy call centers are available 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays.

Evergy: Disconnect suspension to end, program started to help get current


HUTCHINSON,
Kan. —&nbsp;Reno County Health Department Director Nick Baldetti is looking at the new developments with COVID-19 in Reno County closely.

"It's heightened awareness, especially from the medical community, as well as myself at the Health Department," Baldetti said. "We're monitoring pretty closely. You've heard me for awhile talking about that 3% positive test rate ratio? We're closely approaching it. I think, when I last looked at it, we were at 2.97% of positive test rate and that's been climbing over the last few days."

That is still one number, not the be all, end all when it comes to tightening policy.

"It's certainly something to monitor in short order," Baldetti said. "If we keep seeing, kind of this increase day over day, I'll be having very specific conversations with the Board of County Commissioners who also serve as the Board of Health."

First, Baldetti wants to check in with the medical community to see if the case count is matching up to the number of people coming in sick.

"This week, I am having very specific conversations with the medical community," Baldetti said. "That includes the hospital and the likes of Hutch Clinic and Prairie Star, in terms of testing demand, what we're seeing, as well as hospital activity."

As of Monday afternoon, Hutchinson Regional had five people in the hospital, with seven tests outstanding.

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By
NICK GOSNELL
Hutch
Post
HUTCHINSON,
Kan. —&nbsp;Reno County Health Department Director Nick Baldetti is looking at the new developments with COVID-19 in Reno County closely."It's heightened awareness, especially from the medical community, as well as myself at the Health Department," Baldetti said. "We're monitoring pretty closely. You've heard me for awhile talking about that 3% positive test rate ratio? We're closely approaching it. I think, when I last looked at it, we were at 2.97% of positive test rate and that's been climbing over the last few days."That is still one number, not the be all, end all when it comes to tightening policy."It's certainly something to monitor in short order," Baldetti said. "If we keep seeing, kind of this increase day over day, I'll be having very specific conversations with the Board of County Commissioners who also serve as the Board of Health."First, Baldetti wants to check in with the medical community to see if the case count is matching up to the number of people coming in sick."This week, I am having very specific conversations with the medical community," Baldetti said. "That includes the hospital and the likes of Hutch Clinic and Prairie Star, in terms of testing demand, what we're seeing, as well as hospital activity."As of Monday afternoon, Hutchinson Regional had five people in the hospital, with seven tests outstanding.

Baldetti: Numbers bear watching, no policy change yet

Clarification: An early situation report from the Reno County Health Department did not list the five hospitalizations. We have added that information after consultation with Hutchinson Regional Health System as of 3:36 p.m. Monday and corrected the information on outstanding tests.

HUTCHINSON,
Kan. —&nbsp;As of Monday, Reno County has 28 active cases of COVID-19. Five of those are hospitalized. Eighty-six people have tested positive. There are seven tests pending beyond the five already admitted, according to Chuck Welch with Hutchinson Regional Healthcare System.

Fifteen cases had not had their demographic information announced yet before Monday. They are listed below.

-Female in her 20s, under investigation -Male in his 60s, under investigation -Female in her 30s, under investigation -Female in her 20s, under investigation -Female in her 20s, under investigation -Male in his 50s, travel history out of state -Female in her 80s, exposure outside of Reno County -Male in his 40s, exposure outside of Reno County -Female in her 20s, unknown source of exposure -Female in her 40s, under investigation -Female in her 30s, unknown source of exposure -Female in her 60s, unknown source of exposure -Female in her 70s, contact with a known COVID case in Reno County -Female in her 40s, contact with a known COVID case in Reno County -Female in her 40s, under investigation

2927 Reno County residents have been tested, with 2841 negatives, for a positive test rate of 2.94%. 4.66% of the population has been tested. 

No one thus far has died of COVID-19 in Reno County.

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 </figure>Clarification: An early situation report from the Reno County Health Department did not list the five hospitalizations. We have added that information after consultation with Hutchinson Regional Health System as of 3:36 p.m. Monday and corrected the information on outstanding tests.HUTCHINSON,
Kan. —&nbsp;As of Monday, Reno County has 28 active cases of COVID-19. Five of those are hospitalized. Eighty-six people have tested positive. There are seven tests pending beyond the five already admitted, according to Chuck Welch with Hutchinson Regional Healthcare System.Fifteen cases had not had their demographic information announced yet before Monday. They are listed below.-Female in her 20s, under investigation -Male in his 60s, under investigation -Female in her 30s, under investigation -Female in her 20s, under investigation -Female in her 20s, under investigation -Male in his 50s, travel history out of state -Female in her 80s, exposure outside of Reno County -Male in his 40s, exposure outside of Reno County -Female in her 20s, unknown source of exposure -Female in her 40s, under investigation -Female in her 30s, unknown source of exposure -Female in her 60s, unknown source of exposure -Female in her 70s, contact with a known COVID case in Reno County -Female in her 40s, contact with a known COVID case in Reno County -Female in her 40s, under investigation2927 Reno County residents have been tested, with 2841 negatives, for a positive test rate of 2.94%. 4.66% of the population has been tested. No one thus far has died of COVID-19 in Reno County.

Information released on 15 COVID-19 cases in Reno County, 28 active


HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — The Hutchinson Municipal Band has cancelled the balance of its summer schedule. 


"It was a combination of two issues," said President Randy Johnston. "One, with the mask order being executed inside buildings, we didn't have an easy way to get practices done. That was one issue. Then, the secondary issue was, on our last concert that we performed, the patriotic concert, we actually had a number of attendees that didn't actually give social distancing to the band. Again, we were afraid of not being able to either protect the audience or the band."

Because of COVID-19, the schedule had already undergone some changes.

"Normally, we would do the full band in the early part of the season until about this week," Johnston said. "We'd normally do one last concert now and then we'd have two or three jazz concerts after that. We chose to put the jazz concerts first this year because the units were smaller. It was easier to spread the bands. We did two sessions with them and one with the regular band. It really means three concerts are cancelled."

The activities of the brass quintet that happen later in the year are still up for discussion.

"Our intent right now is to support the Veteran's Day event and Christmas Parade and so forth," Johnston said. "It's just too doggone hard to tell right now, but we would still have the brass quintet circulate for concerts on request."

Fifteen cases of COVID-19 had their demographic information released Monday by the Reno County Health Department for the first time.

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By
NICK GOSNELL
Hutch
Post
HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — The Hutchinson Municipal Band has cancelled the balance of its summer schedule. 
"It was a combination of two issues," said President Randy Johnston. "One, with the mask order being executed inside buildings, we didn't have an easy way to get practices done. That was one issue. Then, the secondary issue was, on our last concert that we performed, the patriotic concert, we actually had a number of attendees that didn't actually give social distancing to the band. Again, we were afraid of not being able to either protect the audience or the band."Because of COVID-19, the schedule had already undergone some changes."Normally, we would do the full band in the early part of the season until about this week," Johnston said. "We'd normally do one last concert now and then we'd have two or three jazz concerts after that. We chose to put the jazz concerts first this year because the units were smaller. It was easier to spread the bands. We did two sessions with them and one with the regular band. It really means three concerts are cancelled."The activities of the brass quintet that happen later in the year are still up for discussion."Our intent right now is to support the Veteran's Day event and Christmas Parade and so forth," Johnston said. "It's just too doggone hard to tell right now, but we would still have the brass quintet circulate for concerts on request."Fifteen cases of COVID-19 had their demographic information released Monday by the Reno County Health Department for the first time.

Municipal Band done for the summer


HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
The Sculpture Art Walk Committee, located in Hutchinson, KS as part of HutchRec, invites the community to help paint a community mural beginning July 18th. The mural was designed by local artist Deanne Martin and will be painted on the south side of the building at 304 N Main. 

Painting will continue every Saturday from 9am-3pm and every Sunday from 12pm-3pm until the mural is complete. The mural, located in the Santa Fe District, will incorporate elements of the Hutchinson flag and the Santa Fe Railway. Participating is open to the public and all supplies and materials will be provided.

The community mural is funded by a $2,500 Make it Greater Grant from the Hutchinson Community Foundation which was awarded in March 2020.

For more information, contact the Sculpture Art Walk committee on Facebook or by email at hutchsculptureartwalk@gmail.com

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HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
The Sculpture Art Walk Committee, located in Hutchinson, KS as part of HutchRec, invites the community to help paint a community mural beginning July 18th. The mural was designed by local artist Deanne Martin and will be painted on the south side of the building at 304 N Main. Painting will continue every Saturday from 9am-3pm and every Sunday from 12pm-3pm until the mural is complete. The mural, located in the Santa Fe District, will incorporate elements of the Hutchinson flag and the Santa Fe Railway. Participating is open to the public and all supplies and materials will be provided.The community mural is funded by a $2,500 Make it Greater Grant from the Hutchinson Community Foundation which was awarded in March 2020.For more information, contact the Sculpture Art Walk committee on Facebook or by email at hutchsculptureartwalk@gmail.com

Community mural painting to start July 18


HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
USD 308 parents who receive a call from 5 to 9 tonight with the caller ID of 620-615-4000 are asked to take the call and answer a one-question survey. 

The school district is asking parents, "When Health Officials clear schools to open, will you send your child to school in the fall?" 

Calls for elementary students will go out from 5 to 7 tonight with HMS and HHS calls going out between 7 and 9 p.m.

They are looking for one answer per family per level, so the calls are going only to the primary phone listed for each student in the student information system.

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HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
USD 308 parents who receive a call from 5 to 9 tonight with the caller ID of 620-615-4000 are asked to take the call and answer a one-question survey. The school district is asking parents, "When Health Officials clear schools to open, will you send your child to school in the fall?" Calls for elementary students will go out from 5 to 7 tonight with HMS and HHS calls going out between 7 and 9 p.m.They are looking for one answer per family per level, so the calls are going only to the primary phone listed for each student in the student information system.

Phone survey Monday night for USD 308 parents

STERLING,
Kan. — 
The staff at Sterling Village believed they were meeting and even exceeding protocols that prevent the spread of COVID-19. Now they have confirmation their beliefs were justified.

Zero deficiencies were found during a recent on-site survey at the short-term rehab and long-term-care residence, 204 W. Washington. The Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services conducted the survey, which focused on targeted infection control/COVID-19.

“We have worked so hard to keep on top of the ever-changing rules and regulations,” said Lauren Saenz, director of nursing. “Our team is amazing in its determination to keep our elders healthy and safe.

“Everyone in every department has been great about going with the flow with each new regulation. They love our elders and are able and willing to do whatever needs to be done. They have shown their true colors.”

The state surveyors reviewed all policies and procedures related to COVID-19. “In the process,” Saenz noted, “they monitored our practices to ensure we are doing everything in our power to prevent the spread of the virus.”

For example, surveyors observed Sterling Village’s: screening process; personal-protective-equipment procedures; hand-hygiene practices; all processes pertaining to dining and other activities; and basic care services.

“During this global pandemic, Sterling Village staff members screen everyone at the entrance on the west side of the building and masks are required for everybody,”

Saenz said. “If anyone exhibits respiratory symptoms, they are automatically isolated until COVID-19 test results are available.

“These are just a couple of examples of our stringent protocols during this trying time. I love this team.”

But it is not just Sterling Village employees who deserve credit for the zero-deficiencies survey results, the director of nursing emphasized.

“Our whole community has our heartfelt appreciation for everything they have done to support Sterling Village,” Saenz said. “Recent months have been tough for elders and their families. We hope for continued progress and look forward to eventually opening our doors.”

Facetime, Skype and other services are helpful for visits, while telemedicine is available for some doctors’ appointments, Saenz noted, adding she appreciates everyone’s cooperation.

Karen Smith, Sterling Village administrator, said she is proud of the role each person played in achieving the survey results.

“Everyone has been diligent in keeping our elders safe and healthy,” Smith said. “We have offered a lot of advanced education with staff and elders regarding infection prevention and safety measures.

“Thankfully, we have not had a positive COVID case in our community,” she added. “However, we cannot let our guard down. We must continue these best practices during our re-opening phases.”

Smith noted she will share more information about these phases in the near future.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594056205564.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>STERLING,
Kan. — 
The staff at Sterling Village believed they were meeting and even exceeding protocols that prevent the spread of COVID-19. Now they have confirmation their beliefs were justified.Zero deficiencies were found during a recent on-site survey at the short-term rehab and long-term-care residence, 204 W. Washington. The Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services conducted the survey, which focused on targeted infection control/COVID-19.“We have worked so hard to keep on top of the ever-changing rules and regulations,” said Lauren Saenz, director of nursing. “Our team is amazing in its determination to keep our elders healthy and safe.“Everyone in every department has been great about going with the flow with each new regulation. They love our elders and are able and willing to do whatever needs to be done. They have shown their true colors.”The state surveyors reviewed all policies and procedures related to COVID-19. “In the process,” Saenz noted, “they monitored our practices to ensure we are doing everything in our power to prevent the spread of the virus.”For example, surveyors observed Sterling Village’s: screening process; personal-protective-equipment procedures; hand-hygiene practices; all processes pertaining to dining and other activities; and basic care services.“During this global pandemic, Sterling Village staff members screen everyone at the entrance on the west side of the building and masks are required for everybody,”Saenz said. “If anyone exhibits respiratory symptoms, they are automatically isolated until COVID-19 test results are available.“These are just a couple of examples of our stringent protocols during this trying time. I love this team.”But it is not just Sterling Village employees who deserve credit for the zero-deficiencies survey results, the director of nursing emphasized.“Our whole community has our heartfelt appreciation for everything they have done to support Sterling Village,” Saenz said. “Recent months have been tough for elders and their families. We hope for continued progress and look forward to eventually opening our doors.”Facetime, Skype and other services are helpful for visits, while telemedicine is available for some doctors’ appointments, Saenz noted, adding she appreciates everyone’s cooperation.Karen Smith, Sterling Village administrator, said she is proud of the role each person played in achieving the survey results.“Everyone has been diligent in keeping our elders safe and healthy,” Smith said. “We have offered a lot of advanced education with staff and elders regarding infection prevention and safety measures.“Thankfully, we have not had a positive COVID case in our community,” she added. “However, we cannot let our guard down. We must continue these best practices during our re-opening phases.”Smith noted she will share more information about these phases in the near future.

No deficiencies in Sterling Village COVID-19 survey

NEWTON,
Kan. —&nbsp;The Harvey County Health Department has confirmed six new cases of COVID-19 in Harvey County. The confirmed cases include:

· A female in her 70s. This case is under investigation. · A female in her 30s. This case is under investigation. · A female in her 30s. This individual was in contact with a probable COVID-19 case. · A male in his 40s. This case is under investigation. · A male in his 30s. The individual was in contact with another individual with COVID-19 in another county. · A male in his 20s. This case is under investigation.

All individuals are in home isolation. Testing in all cases was completed by private labs. The Health Department will regularly monitor the health of the individuals, as well as follow up on all close contacts.

Harvey County has had 53 COVID-19 cases to date, including 49 confirmed and four probable cases. There are 16 known active cases in Harvey County. None of these individuals are currently hospitalized.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1593790914635.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>NEWTON,
Kan. —&nbsp;The Harvey County Health Department has confirmed six new cases of COVID-19 in Harvey County. The confirmed cases include:· A female in her 70s. This case is under investigation. · A female in her 30s. This case is under investigation. · A female in her 30s. This individual was in contact with a probable COVID-19 case. · A male in his 40s. This case is under investigation. · A male in his 30s. The individual was in contact with another individual with COVID-19 in another county. · A male in his 20s. This case is under investigation.All individuals are in home isolation. Testing in all cases was completed by private labs. The Health Department will regularly monitor the health of the individuals, as well as follow up on all close contacts.Harvey County has had 53 COVID-19 cases to date, including 49 confirmed and four probable cases. There are 16 known active cases in Harvey County. None of these individuals are currently hospitalized.

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