Hutchinson Police Chief Jeff Hooper issued an additional clarification to his Wednesday morning press release on Wednesday afternoon:

Several people have expressed concern in reference to me specifically naming Ms. Delgado in my early morning media release. I by no means intended to single her out. Ms. Delgado has announced that she was the planner of last weeks event and further announced that she was planning a second event for this upcoming weekend. By naming her, I was simply acknowledging her as the coordinator of these events. People have also stated that I should be focusing on the counter protest / hate groups instead of Ms. Delgado. Rest assured HPD has put in countless hours tracking these threats and we take them very seriously. The officers that were deployed last Saturday were there to make sure it was a peaceful event and that Ms. Delgado and her group were protected from those that might seek to do them harm. We also stand committed the to safety and protection of all our citizens. We have and always will fight for equal rights and protections for every member of our community.

The original release is below in italics: 

The Hutchinson Police Department has been informed that the organizer of the protest from last Saturday, Teresa Delgado, is planning a second protest for this upcoming Sunday, June 14, 2020.

Last weekend’s event sparked a lot of controversy and had the potential to become violent. This past week it was only through countless hours of behind the scenes work that we were able to mitigate the threat to this community. These efforts from community leaders and HPD resulted in a peaceful outcome. However, this event did have a major negative impact on our community. The event caused widespread fear to the extent that many community members would not even leave their homes. Small businesses and banks closed, with some even boarding up their windows. These businesses have suffered enough lately with COVID-19 and this was just another blow to them and our community. With the City of Hutchinson and Reno County trying to work through financial shortfalls, the Law Enforcement resources and expenses of more than $30,000 were just another negative impact to our taxpayers.

We are attempting to work with Ms. Delgado on the event she wants to plan for this weekend. I fully support and respect her and her groups right to freedom of speech. I want them to be able to get their message out in a peaceful manner. But I also have a responsibility to every member of this community. I have a duty to make sure that the rights of all citizens are not infringed upon. We will continue to work tirelessly towards this goal. I am committed to allowing this group to have a peaceful protest but at the same time I will not allow the event to infringe on the rights of the citizens of Hutchinson.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1591796149452.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Hutchinson Police Chief Jeff Hooper issued an additional clarification to his Wednesday morning press release on Wednesday afternoon:Several people have expressed concern in reference to me specifically naming Ms. Delgado in my early morning media release. I by no means intended to single her out. Ms. Delgado has announced that she was the planner of last weeks event and further announced that she was planning a second event for this upcoming weekend. By naming her, I was simply acknowledging her as the coordinator of these events. People have also stated that I should be focusing on the counter protest / hate groups instead of Ms. Delgado. Rest assured HPD has put in countless hours tracking these threats and we take them very seriously. The officers that were deployed last Saturday were there to make sure it was a peaceful event and that Ms. Delgado and her group were protected from those that might seek to do them harm. We also stand committed the to safety and protection of all our citizens. We have and always will fight for equal rights and protections for every member of our community.The original release is below in italics: The Hutchinson Police Department has been informed that the organizer of the protest from last Saturday, Teresa Delgado, is planning a second protest for this upcoming Sunday, June 14, 2020. Last weekend’s event sparked a lot of controversy and had the potential to become violent. This past week it was only through countless hours of behind the scenes work that we were able to mitigate the threat to this community. These efforts from community leaders and HPD resulted in a peaceful outcome. However, this event did have a major negative impact on our community. The event caused widespread fear to the extent that many community members would not even leave their homes. Small businesses and banks closed, with some even boarding up their windows. These businesses have suffered enough lately with COVID-19 and this was just another blow to them and our community. With the City of Hutchinson and Reno County trying to work through financial shortfalls, the Law Enforcement resources and expenses of more than $30,000 were just another negative impact to our taxpayers.We are attempting to work with Ms. Delgado on the event she wants to plan for this weekend. I fully support and respect her and her groups right to freedom of speech. I want them to be able to get their message out in a peaceful manner. But I also have a responsibility to every member of this community. I have a duty to make sure that the rights of all citizens are not infringed upon. We will continue to work tirelessly towards this goal. I am committed to allowing this group to have a peaceful protest but at the same time I will not allow the event to infringe on the rights of the citizens of Hutchinson.

UPDATED: Police chief issues statement on another planned protest

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

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

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

Recent obituaries


HUTCHINSON,
Kan. —&nbsp;The City Planning Commission approved an amendment to allow Research and Development work in additional areas of the City by a 9-0 vote Tuesday.

"The next step is that it will be going to City Council for their review and approval July 7," said Ryan Hvitlok with the City.

Research and Development has previously only been allowed in the industrial zoning districts as well as  the public and institutional zoning district with a conditional use permit.

"Staff proposed and the Planning Commission recommended to the City Council that the ordinance would be changed to allow for research and development in our C-4 and C-5 zoning districts, so our special commercial zoning district as well as our downtown commercial zoning district."

The purpose for this is that research and development isn't just an industrial function anymore.

R and D used to be sort of thought of as these big industrial-type buildings," Hvitlok said. "Really, now R and D can be done, literally, right in an office building. We wanted to expand that and really allow for that to happen. That is a goal of our comprehensive plan."

Back in 2017 less than 3% of the jobs in the city were in the information field.

<figure>
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 </figure>
By
NICK GOSNELL
Hutch
Post
HUTCHINSON,
Kan. —&nbsp;The City Planning Commission approved an amendment to allow Research and Development work in additional areas of the City by a 9-0 vote Tuesday."The next step is that it will be going to City Council for their review and approval July 7," said Ryan Hvitlok with the City.Research and Development has previously only been allowed in the industrial zoning districts as well as the public and institutional zoning district with a conditional use permit."Staff proposed and the Planning Commission recommended to the City Council that the ordinance would be changed to allow for research and development in our C-4 and C-5 zoning districts, so our special commercial zoning district as well as our downtown commercial zoning district."The purpose for this is that research and development isn't just an industrial function anymore.R and D used to be sort of thought of as these big industrial-type buildings," Hvitlok said. "Really, now R and D can be done, literally, right in an office building. We wanted to expand that and really allow for that to happen. That is a goal of our comprehensive plan."Back in 2017 less than 3% of the jobs in the city were in the information field.

Planning Commission passes change in R and D zoning


HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
Hutchinson Community Foundation recently awarded a $25,000 strategic grant from the Helen Adams Hamilton Fund for Children to Child Care Links that will support a grant program aimed at helping sustain local child care providers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The initiative stems from a partnership between Child Care Links, the Reno County Child Care Coalition, United Way of Reno County and the community foundation. Knowing that providers have been acutely affected by the pandemic shutdown and that economic recovery won’t happen without quality child care, an industry upon which all other industries depend, the partnership has worked together to determine that the most pressing need for local providers is working capital.

Child Care Links will use up to $2,500 of the grant to support administrative costs, ongoing technical assistance to providers and the restart of the Reno County Child Care Coalition. The remaining $22,500 will be available for mini-grants to the approximately 70 family or group child care homes and private centers in Reno County.

Grant requests should be limited to $1,000, and applications should be mailed to Child Care Links, 21 W. 2nd Ave., Hutchinson, KS 67501, by July 1. Awards will be announced July 31. For more information on guidelines and to receive an application, contact Child Care Links at (620) 669-0291 or&nbsp;<a href="mailto:childcarelinks@sbcglobal.net" target="_blank">childcarelinks@sbcglobal.net</a>.

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HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
Hutchinson Community Foundation recently awarded a $25,000 strategic grant from the Helen Adams Hamilton Fund for Children to Child Care Links that will support a grant program aimed at helping sustain local child care providers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.The initiative stems from a partnership between Child Care Links, the Reno County Child Care Coalition, United Way of Reno County and the community foundation. Knowing that providers have been acutely affected by the pandemic shutdown and that economic recovery won’t happen without quality child care, an industry upon which all other industries depend, the partnership has worked together to determine that the most pressing need for local providers is working capital.Child Care Links will use up to $2,500 of the grant to support administrative costs, ongoing technical assistance to providers and the restart of the Reno County Child Care Coalition. The remaining $22,500 will be available for mini-grants to the approximately 70 family or group child care homes and private centers in Reno County.Grant requests should be limited to $1,000, and applications should be mailed to Child Care Links, 21 W. 2nd Ave., Hutchinson, KS 67501, by July 1. Awards will be announced July 31. For more information on guidelines and to receive an application, contact Child Care Links at (620) 669-0291 or&nbsp;<a href="mailto:childcarelinks@sbcglobal.net" target="_blank">childcarelinks@sbcglobal.net</a>.

$25,000 will fund grants to child care providers

The Hutchinson City Council started setting some initial fenceposts for its 2021 budget on Tuesday. 

"Targeted was an approximate $4 million fund balance for the year ending cash balance," said Hutchinson City Manager Jeff Cantrell. "That allows City staff to frame a little bit better what our service delivery will look like and what some of the staffing ratios will look like as we get there. So far, the trending that we've used on the sales tax numbers has been probably not as bad as anticipated."

More numbers will be coming around June 25th and the City wants to see those before determining if the furloughs and cuts that would come in phase 3 of the city's original plan are needed. If no further action were taken by the City, the ending fund balance would be under $2 million.

"That's not a fund balance area that was desired by the governing body," Cantrell said. "Typically, the targeted amount is $5 million. $5.3 million, I think, is what the City has put into place as far as a comfort level of fund balance."

The idea is that some of the fund balance will be used for the rainy day the City is going through, but there are also likely to be further cuts to keep fund balances at least somewhat healthy, because the City's amount in savings impacts its ability to bond large projects.

"Certainly, in next year's budget, we're going to have to push certain CIP projects," Cantrell said. "One of the items discussed was the fairgrounds fire station. That item would likely be pushed into a future year again. I know that project's been pushed several times. That project comes with a price tag of about $2.8 million."

The City must put together and publish a 2021 budget by August.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1585943691499.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The Hutchinson City Council started setting some initial fenceposts for its 2021 budget on Tuesday. "Targeted was an approximate $4 million fund balance for the year ending cash balance," said Hutchinson City Manager Jeff Cantrell. "That allows City staff to frame a little bit better what our service delivery will look like and what some of the staffing ratios will look like as we get there. So far, the trending that we've used on the sales tax numbers has been probably not as bad as anticipated."More numbers will be coming around June 25th and the City wants to see those before determining if the furloughs and cuts that would come in phase 3 of the city's original plan are needed. If no further action were taken by the City, the ending fund balance would be under $2 million."That's not a fund balance area that was desired by the governing body," Cantrell said. "Typically, the targeted amount is $5 million. $5.3 million, I think, is what the City has put into place as far as a comfort level of fund balance."The idea is that some of the fund balance will be used for the rainy day the City is going through, but there are also likely to be further cuts to keep fund balances at least somewhat healthy, because the City's amount in savings impacts its ability to bond large projects."Certainly, in next year's budget, we're going to have to push certain CIP projects," Cantrell said. "One of the items discussed was the fairgrounds fire station. That item would likely be pushed into a future year again. I know that project's been pushed several times. That project comes with a price tag of about $2.8 million."The City must put together and publish a 2021 budget by August.

City still aiming for $4 million balance in 2021 budget

Reno County CASA is still advocating for kids going through the court system, as they have since 1984.

"We are a non-profit that works directly with the court system, with the juvenile courts," said Sharon Stokes with CASA. "We train volunteers to be the eyes and ears of the court and make recommendations to the court for what could be in the child's best interest."

Right now, CASA has just a handful of volunteers in Reno County.

"We are very low in our advocates," Stokes said. "We only have five advocates, but they are working very hard and very diligently and we are always in need of more volunteers."

There are a lot of kids who need help each year.

"Our juvenile court system hears over 300 cases of suspected abuse and neglect," Stokes said. "Our ideal would be to have an advocate for every single one of those children. We know that's a pie in the sky kind of thing, but that would be the goal, to have enough advocates to support and hear the children's cases and to be a part of what's going on in their lives and find out how to make things better for them."

<a href="https://simplecheckout.authorize.net/payment/CatalogPayment.aspx">Eagle Radio and the Schmidt Foundation are matching the first $5000 in donations made to CASA today</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1591135323607.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Reno County CASA is still advocating for kids going through the court system, as they have since 1984."We are a non-profit that works directly with the court system, with the juvenile courts," said Sharon Stokes with CASA. "We train volunteers to be the eyes and ears of the court and make recommendations to the court for what could be in the child's best interest."Right now, CASA has just a handful of volunteers in Reno County."We are very low in our advocates," Stokes said. "We only have five advocates, but they are working very hard and very diligently and we are always in need of more volunteers."There are a lot of kids who need help each year."Our juvenile court system hears over 300 cases of suspected abuse and neglect," Stokes said. "Our ideal would be to have an advocate for every single one of those children. We know that's a pie in the sky kind of thing, but that would be the goal, to have enough advocates to support and hear the children's cases and to be a part of what's going on in their lives and find out how to make things better for them."<a href="https://simplecheckout.authorize.net/payment/CatalogPayment.aspx">Eagle Radio and the Schmidt Foundation are matching the first $5000 in donations made to CASA today</a>.

CASA continues Reno County advocacy


HUTCHINSON,
Kan. —&nbsp;The Cosmosphere is excited about the return of the Liberty Bell 7 to the museum that restored it.

"It was the second manned American to go up into space, piloted by Gus Grissom for a 15-minute sub-orbital flight, by all accounts textbook," said Cosmosphere CEO Jim Remar. "After splashdown, as Grissom was preparing the capsule, the hatch blew prematurely. The craft instantly flooded with water. Grissom escaped, almost drowned, but was able to be recovered. Unfortunately, the craft sank. It was at the bottom of the ocean for 38 years and then an expedition led by the Discovery Channel, which the Cosmosphere was involved in, went out to locate and recover the spacecraft, brought the craft back to Hutchinson, where it was restored and because of the efforts that the Cosmosphere provided, the Smithsonian and NASA signed title of the craft over to the Cosmosphere, so its actually owned by the Cosmosphere.

The craft was originally supposed to go to a museum in South America next, but instead it is coming home for awhile.

"Liberty Bell was going to go down to Sao Paulo, Brazil and be on display in an exhibition down there," Remar said. "Due to the COVID pandemic, that exhibit has been pushed back, probably to mid-2021. It was an opportunity for us to bring it back to Hutchinson and put it on display, probably through the first part of next year before it goes down to Brazil."

The spacecraft will be on display beginning on Tuesday, June 16.

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By
NICK GOSNELL
Hutch
Post
HUTCHINSON,
Kan. —&nbsp;The Cosmosphere is excited about the return of the Liberty Bell 7 to the museum that restored it."It was the second manned American to go up into space, piloted by Gus Grissom for a 15-minute sub-orbital flight, by all accounts textbook," said Cosmosphere CEO Jim Remar. "After splashdown, as Grissom was preparing the capsule, the hatch blew prematurely. The craft instantly flooded with water. Grissom escaped, almost drowned, but was able to be recovered. Unfortunately, the craft sank. It was at the bottom of the ocean for 38 years and then an expedition led by the Discovery Channel, which the Cosmosphere was involved in, went out to locate and recover the spacecraft, brought the craft back to Hutchinson, where it was restored and because of the efforts that the Cosmosphere provided, the Smithsonian and NASA signed title of the craft over to the Cosmosphere, so its actually owned by the Cosmosphere.The craft was originally supposed to go to a museum in South America next, but instead it is coming home for awhile."Liberty Bell was going to go down to Sao Paulo, Brazil and be on display in an exhibition down there," Remar said. "Due to the COVID pandemic, that exhibit has been pushed back, probably to mid-2021. It was an opportunity for us to bring it back to Hutchinson and put it on display, probably through the first part of next year before it goes down to Brazil."The spacecraft will be on display beginning on Tuesday, June 16.

Liberty Bell 7 to be on display at its home museum beginning June 16

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The HutchCC Board of Trustees will meet for their monthly meeting on Thursday. The meeting will be open to the public and social distancing practices will be in place.

The board will go over two purchase requests. One is for bunker gear for the fire science center at a cost of $12,754 for 11 sets of equipment. The other is for the purchase of a paint respirator for the auto collision repair program at the HCTEA at a cost of $24,302. The board will also get an update on the dining hall expansion project and go over two personnel matters.

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/2/1581541933395.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The HutchCC Board of Trustees will meet for their monthly meeting on Thursday. The meeting will be open to the public and social distancing practices will be in place.The board will go over two purchase requests. One is for bunker gear for the fire science center at a cost of $12,754 for 11 sets of equipment. The other is for the purchase of a paint respirator for the auto collision repair program at the HCTEA at a cost of $24,302. The board will also get an update on the dining hall expansion project and go over two personnel matters.Thursday’s meeting of the HutchCC Board of Trustees begins at 7 p.m. at the Shears Technology Center on the HutchCC campus.

HutchCC board to meet Thursday

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Two Reno County sheriff's deputies are coming under some social media fire for the way they allegedly handled a situation regarding a crippled farm animal. The department released a statement regarding the incident Tuesday morning:

“We are aware of a video showing a couple of our Deputies who responded to a call of an injured calf in Western Reno County. This video is narrated by a passerby who attempted to help the animal until the owners got to the scene. A case was made by the Deputies on scene and as of now is still being investigated, however there is a possibility that nothing wrong occurred. The optics of farming and ranching are sometimes not pretty, a lot of people take for granted the work that is done by our farmers and ranchers and the sometimes-difficult decisions that they must make. Farmers and ranchers love their livestock and land, they do not do what they do for the money, they do it as stewards of the land. In Law Enforcement we come under scrutiny often enough to know not to take this bashing personal, we also are required to make difficult decisions that are hard for some to understand. We also love the land where we work and try to make it a safe place for everyone who lives here and passes through.”

The department indicated the incident happened Sunday evening and was filmed by a passerby who then posted it on social media.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1583185956572.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Two Reno County sheriff's deputies are coming under some social media fire for the way they allegedly handled a situation regarding a crippled farm animal. The department released a statement regarding the incident Tuesday morning:“We are aware of a video showing a couple of our Deputies who responded to a call of an injured calf in Western Reno County. This video is narrated by a passerby who attempted to help the animal until the owners got to the scene. A case was made by the Deputies on scene and as of now is still being investigated, however there is a possibility that nothing wrong occurred. The optics of farming and ranching are sometimes not pretty, a lot of people take for granted the work that is done by our farmers and ranchers and the sometimes-difficult decisions that they must make. Farmers and ranchers love their livestock and land, they do not do what they do for the money, they do it as stewards of the land. In Law Enforcement we come under scrutiny often enough to know not to take this bashing personal, we also are required to make difficult decisions that are hard for some to understand. We also love the land where we work and try to make it a safe place for everyone who lives here and passes through.”The department indicated the incident happened Sunday evening and was filmed by a passerby who then posted it on social media.

Sheriff's Department issues statement regarding social media post

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Hutch Rec's Senior Center at Elmdale Park has reopened again. The center opened its doors with some limitations on Monday. The center now offers billiards, pickleball, the fitness room and wellness classes. The center’s gymnasium is also open for use.

The center still offers a curbside carry-out lunch program and will continue to do so through the end of June. This program is offered to members on Monday, Wednesday and Friday each week, with a menu posted at <a href="https://www.hutchrec.com/hutch-rec-facilities/senior-center-at-elmdale-park/">hutchrec.com</a>. The center is considering bringing back the in-person lunch program as well.&nbsp;

To keep everyone healthy and safe, the center asks that members practice social distancing and avoid close contact with others while in the senior center. Members will also be asked to respect the staff's requests to follow proper guidelines set forth by the Kansas Recreation and Parks Association and local health authorities.&nbsp;

Some activities will be limited in numbers and some will require a reservation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1576695224661.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Hutch Rec's Senior Center at Elmdale Park has reopened again. The center opened its doors with some limitations on Monday. The center now offers billiards, pickleball, the fitness room and wellness classes. The center’s gymnasium is also open for use.The center still offers a curbside carry-out lunch program and will continue to do so through the end of June. This program is offered to members on Monday, Wednesday and Friday each week, with a menu posted at <a href="https://www.hutchrec.com/hutch-rec-facilities/senior-center-at-elmdale-park/">hutchrec.com</a>. The center is considering bringing back the in-person lunch program as well.&nbsp;To keep everyone healthy and safe, the center asks that members practice social distancing and avoid close contact with others while in the senior center. Members will also be asked to respect the staff's requests to follow proper guidelines set forth by the Kansas Recreation and Parks Association and local health authorities.&nbsp;Some activities will be limited in numbers and some will require a reservation.

Senior center open again

BUHLER, Kan. — School meal prices will be higher for students in Buhler USD 313 after action taken by the district school board on Monday.&nbsp;

The board approved a $0.10 increase at all levels. Elementary school lunches will now run $2.80, middle and high school lunches will now cost $2.95 and adult lunches will be $3.80. Extra milk prices also increased to $0.50 and breakfast prices increased to $1.60.

The board also approved casualty and workers' comp insurance for the next year. The workers' comp premium actually fell to $76,726 while the casualty insurance increased to $268,730.

Finally, the board heard a report on the Kansas Education Systems Accreditation. The district must renew the accreditation every five years and an onsite visit was recently held. The district will know if it has retained its accreditation in a couple of weeks.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1584543839140.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>BUHLER, Kan. — School meal prices will be higher for students in Buhler USD 313 after action taken by the district school board on Monday.&nbsp;The board approved a $0.10 increase at all levels. Elementary school lunches will now run $2.80, middle and high school lunches will now cost $2.95 and adult lunches will be $3.80. Extra milk prices also increased to $0.50 and breakfast prices increased to $1.60.The board also approved casualty and workers' comp insurance for the next year. The workers' comp premium actually fell to $76,726 while the casualty insurance increased to $268,730.Finally, the board heard a report on the Kansas Education Systems Accreditation. The district must renew the accreditation every five years and an onsite visit was recently held. The district will know if it has retained its accreditation in a couple of weeks.

Meal prices increase in USD 313

MCPHERSON,
Kan. — 
Five more juvenile cases of COVID-19 were announced by the McPherson County Health Department on Tuesday.

One boy and four girls are recovering at home. Each of the five has known exposure to a positive case. The five new cases are household members of a positive case related to a cluster at a private company in McPherson County. The private company does not have general public access, so the location is not being released. Staff at the company have been contacted.

This means there are now 12 active cases of COVID-19 in McPherson County.

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 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>MCPHERSON,
Kan. — 
Five more juvenile cases of COVID-19 were announced by the McPherson County Health Department on Tuesday.One boy and four girls are recovering at home. Each of the five has known exposure to a positive case. The five new cases are household members of a positive case related to a cluster at a private company in McPherson County. The private company does not have general public access, so the location is not being released. Staff at the company have been contacted.This means there are now 12 active cases of COVID-19 in McPherson County.

Five new under 18 cases of COVID-19 in McPherson County announced Tuesday


HUTCHINSON,
Kan. —&nbsp;Reno County Health Department Director Nick Baldetti doesn't have specific numbers, but he believes local people are continuing to comply with the restrictions on COVID-19 generally.

"I and my staff have received less communication in terms of concerns over non-adherence than what we were maybe a few weeks ago," Baldetti said. "Personally, when I'm out and about in the community, I'm still seeing best practices being adhered to for the most part. I think our community is still doing what they are asked to do."

The amount of time that social distancing and mask wearing will need to continue is still unclear.

"We'll continue to get new information," Baldetti said. "As it comes out, we plan on continuing best practices moving forward until such time that the science suggests doing something differently."

The World Health Organization walked back Tuesday comments that initially used the phrase very rare when talking about asymptomatic spread of COVID-19. There is still much debate and research continuing over exactly how much those who have no symptoms spread the virus.

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 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589983765832.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
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By
NICK GOSNELL
Hutch
Post
HUTCHINSON,
Kan. —&nbsp;Reno County Health Department Director Nick Baldetti doesn't have specific numbers, but he believes local people are continuing to comply with the restrictions on COVID-19 generally."I and my staff have received less communication in terms of concerns over non-adherence than what we were maybe a few weeks ago," Baldetti said. "Personally, when I'm out and about in the community, I'm still seeing best practices being adhered to for the most part. I think our community is still doing what they are asked to do."The amount of time that social distancing and mask wearing will need to continue is still unclear."We'll continue to get new information," Baldetti said. "As it comes out, we plan on continuing best practices moving forward until such time that the science suggests doing something differently."The World Health Organization walked back Tuesday comments that initially used the phrase very rare when talking about asymptomatic spread of COVID-19. There is still much debate and research continuing over exactly how much those who have no symptoms spread the virus.

Baldetti: People continue to follow best practices


HUTCHINSON,
Kan. —&nbsp;As the son of a police chief, Kansas First District Congressman Dr. Roger Marshall is clear where he stands on police behavior.

"The death of George Floyd was horrible," Marshall said. "It was just a tragedy. My dad set the bar so high for his police officers. He expected so much out of them. Frankly, he did for his children, as well. These police officers involved in the Floyd case, this fell well below. They committed a crime. They need to be dealt with justly and swiftly. On the other hand, I think 99% of the men and women in blue do a great job. They have great hearts."

It's important to the community that they have the right people committed to serving on police forces.

"Could the police officers use more screening and training? Absolutely," Marshall said. "I mean, not going to the firing range. I mean psychosocial training skillsets."

The Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center near Yoder is the place where most Kansas officers would get such training. Marshall wants to keep the decisions about community police forces at the local level, as much as possible.

"There's tough things that these officers have to do," Marshall said. "They put their lives on the line every day. They have to make split-second decisions here, so I'm going to support our police officers. I believe in a nation of law and order and our local officials are the ones that need to control that law and order."

Marshall is against the idea of defunding the police. In fact, he'd like to see more resources put into community policing and training to be sure that officers know how they should act and react in heightened situations.

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By
NICK GOSNELL
Hutch
Post
HUTCHINSON,
Kan. —&nbsp;As the son of a police chief, Kansas First District Congressman Dr. Roger Marshall is clear where he stands on police behavior."The death of George Floyd was horrible," Marshall said. "It was just a tragedy. My dad set the bar so high for his police officers. He expected so much out of them. Frankly, he did for his children, as well. These police officers involved in the Floyd case, this fell well below. They committed a crime. They need to be dealt with justly and swiftly. On the other hand, I think 99% of the men and women in blue do a great job. They have great hearts."It's important to the community that they have the right people committed to serving on police forces."Could the police officers use more screening and training? Absolutely," Marshall said. "I mean, not going to the firing range. I mean psychosocial training skillsets."The Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center near Yoder is the place where most Kansas officers would get such training. Marshall wants to keep the decisions about community police forces at the local level, as much as possible."There's tough things that these officers have to do," Marshall said. "They put their lives on the line every day. They have to make split-second decisions here, so I'm going to support our police officers. I believe in a nation of law and order and our local officials are the ones that need to control that law and order."Marshall is against the idea of defunding the police. In fact, he'd like to see more resources put into community policing and training to be sure that officers know how they should act and react in heightened situations.

Marshall: Training and screening key to maintaining law and order


HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — The bill signed by Kansas Governor Laura Kelly for COVID-19 response has important provisions in it to balance public health and privacy concerns regarding contact tracing.

"When you're talking about a global pandemic that in Kansas has affected every county, there's not a confirmed case in every county, but there was a state of emergency, and where you're talking about adding literally hundreds of people to do this contact tracing, the issue is, of course, those folks all gather information that sometimes is really quite personal about people," said Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt. "What happens to the information? How can it be used? Who may access it? What happens to it when the pandemic is past? All of those basic questions, that in a 21st century information economy we're accustomed to asking about everything, from our cell phones to our video games, have never been asked about contact tracing."

The measure puts in place a privacy law that's specifically targeted at COVID-19 contact tracing. It sets out those basic privacy and civil liberty rights, including an important one for everyone with a device in their pocket.

"One of the modern tools is, of course, digital," Schmidt said. "You can track a person's cell phone and figure out where they've been and whether they've been close to another person's cell phone and then you know they've had contact, so you can communicate that way, but that's really disturbing to a lot of Kansans, understandably. This new law flat prohibits that sort of contact tracing, the cell phone location data tracing."

The scope of contact tracing is the reason to regulate this so tightly. There is a chance some contact tracers may not have as much training this time around as would be typical in smaller disease events.

"It's one thing if you have a very limited outbreak of a disease in a discrete geographic location and the people who are doing the contact tracing are, in their day jobs, for lack of a better term, trained public health professionals and they are used to dealing with things like HIPAA and medical privacy. It's quite another thing when the scope of contact tracing may be so broad, as it is now, that hundreds of people, who aren't necessarily connected to the public health community at all, are being hired to ask these questions and gather this information on behalf of the public health community."

The statute limits the questions those contact tracers can ask, it limits them to sharing the information with only those people who need to know it and it provides for the destruction of the information, once the pandemic has passed.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1583409290272.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>
By
NICK GOSNELL
Hutch
Post
HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — The bill signed by Kansas Governor Laura Kelly for COVID-19 response has important provisions in it to balance public health and privacy concerns regarding contact tracing."When you're talking about a global pandemic that in Kansas has affected every county, there's not a confirmed case in every county, but there was a state of emergency, and where you're talking about adding literally hundreds of people to do this contact tracing, the issue is, of course, those folks all gather information that sometimes is really quite personal about people," said Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt. "What happens to the information? How can it be used? Who may access it? What happens to it when the pandemic is past? All of those basic questions, that in a 21st century information economy we're accustomed to asking about everything, from our cell phones to our video games, have never been asked about contact tracing."The measure puts in place a privacy law that's specifically targeted at COVID-19 contact tracing. It sets out those basic privacy and civil liberty rights, including an important one for everyone with a device in their pocket."One of the modern tools is, of course, digital," Schmidt said. "You can track a person's cell phone and figure out where they've been and whether they've been close to another person's cell phone and then you know they've had contact, so you can communicate that way, but that's really disturbing to a lot of Kansans, understandably. This new law flat prohibits that sort of contact tracing, the cell phone location data tracing."The scope of contact tracing is the reason to regulate this so tightly. There is a chance some contact tracers may not have as much training this time around as would be typical in smaller disease events."It's one thing if you have a very limited outbreak of a disease in a discrete geographic location and the people who are doing the contact tracing are, in their day jobs, for lack of a better term, trained public health professionals and they are used to dealing with things like HIPAA and medical privacy. It's quite another thing when the scope of contact tracing may be so broad, as it is now, that hundreds of people, who aren't necessarily connected to the public health community at all, are being hired to ask these questions and gather this information on behalf of the public health community."The statute limits the questions those contact tracers can ask, it limits them to sharing the information with only those people who need to know it and it provides for the destruction of the information, once the pandemic has passed.

Schmidt: COVID-19 legislation regulates contact tracing

A High Wind Warning is in effect from 4 p.m. Tuesday to 7 a.m. Wednesday.

West to northwest winds 30 to 40 mph with gusts up to around 55 mph are expected in portions of central and south-central Kansas.

Damaging winds could blow down trees and power lines. Power outages are possible. Travel will be difficult, especially for high profile vehicles.

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1591695692989.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>A High Wind Warning is in effect from 4 p.m. Tuesday to 7 a.m. Wednesday.West to northwest winds 30 to 40 mph with gusts up to around 55 mph are expected in portions of central and south-central Kansas.Damaging winds could blow down trees and power lines. Power outages are possible. Travel will be difficult, especially for high profile vehicles.People should avoid being outside in forested areas and around trees and branches. If possible, remain in the lower levels of your home during very high winds, and avoid windows. Use caution if you must drive.

High Wind Warning in effect Tuesday afternoon through Wednesday morning


HUTCHINSON,
Kan. —&nbsp;Hutchinson USD 308 is getting over a million dollars in special education money from the state it was not anticipating. 

The USD 308 school board approved republishing the budget on Monday to access that money. It came because more students qualified for special education services than were expected. The district has about 21 percent of its students who qualify for special education services, which is above the state average.

A public hearing on the republished budget will be at 6:50 p.m. June 22 at the MidTown Center.

Also on Monday, the board approved leaving student meal prices unchanged for 2020-21 from the current year. They also approved increasing adult lunches by 15 cents a lunch to $3.90 a meal and adult breakfasts a dime to $2.30.

March 10, 2021 will now be a day out of school for Hutchinson Middle School students only. HMS is hosting a Pioneer League vocal music festival that day. School for Pre-K through ninth grade students starts on August 19 with sophomores through seniors starting on August 20.

Superintendent Mike Folks contract was also extended through the 2021-2022 school year.

The next regular meeting of the Board will be at 6 p.m., June 22, beginning at Faris Elementary School. At Faris, the Board will do a tour of the new addition to the school before going to the MidTown Center for the balance of the meeting.

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HUTCHINSON,
Kan. —&nbsp;Hutchinson USD 308 is getting over a million dollars in special education money from the state it was not anticipating. The USD 308 school board approved republishing the budget on Monday to access that money. It came because more students qualified for special education services than were expected. The district has about 21 percent of its students who qualify for special education services, which is above the state average.A public hearing on the republished budget will be at 6:50 p.m. June 22 at the MidTown Center.Also on Monday, the board approved leaving student meal prices unchanged for 2020-21 from the current year. They also approved increasing adult lunches by 15 cents a lunch to $3.90 a meal and adult breakfasts a dime to $2.30.March 10, 2021 will now be a day out of school for Hutchinson Middle School students only. HMS is hosting a Pioneer League vocal music festival that day. School for Pre-K through ninth grade students starts on August 19 with sophomores through seniors starting on August 20.Superintendent Mike Folks contract was also extended through the 2021-2022 school year.The next regular meeting of the Board will be at 6 p.m., June 22, beginning at Faris Elementary School. At Faris, the Board will do a tour of the new addition to the school before going to the MidTown Center for the balance of the meeting.

USD 308 to republish budget to access state funds

LYONS,
Kan. — 
Rice County Treasurer Rita Smith announced that Tuesday is the first day for her office to be available to do driver's license work.

The office will be open by appointment only from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. 

No CDL's will be issued and no first time driver's license work other than Driver's Ed will be available.

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 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1591696362957.jpeg" alt="" />
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 </figure>LYONS,
Kan. — 
Rice County Treasurer Rita Smith announced that Tuesday is the first day for her office to be available to do driver's license work.The office will be open by appointment only from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. No CDL's will be issued and no first time driver's license work other than Driver's Ed will be available.

Rice County opening for limited driver's license work

TOPEKA, Kan. — An administrative assistant to the 30th Judicial District has been named to the Kansas Supreme Court Ad Hoc Virtual Court Proceedings Committee to study and recommend best practices for using videoconferencing in Kansas courts.

Marilyn Targos was appointed by the Supreme Court for the special committee. The 30th Judicial District is comprised of Kingman, Pratt, Barber, Sumner and Harper counties.&nbsp;

Beginning March 12, the Supreme Court issued a series of orders in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. To safeguard court users, staff and judicial officers, the court orders limited in-person contact and directed that all hearings should be conducted remotely, if possible.

The Ad Hoc Virtual Court Proceedings Committee will meet for the first time Friday, June 12. Members will examine issues, explore and evaluate possible solutions, and make recommendations for best practices for videoconferencing.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1591648150800.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. — An administrative assistant to the 30th Judicial District has been named to the Kansas Supreme Court Ad Hoc Virtual Court Proceedings Committee to study and recommend best practices for using videoconferencing in Kansas courts.Marilyn Targos was appointed by the Supreme Court for the special committee. The 30th Judicial District is comprised of Kingman, Pratt, Barber, Sumner and Harper counties.&nbsp;Beginning March 12, the Supreme Court issued a series of orders in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. To safeguard court users, staff and judicial officers, the court orders limited in-person contact and directed that all hearings should be conducted remotely, if possible.The Ad Hoc Virtual Court Proceedings Committee will meet for the first time Friday, June 12. Members will examine issues, explore and evaluate possible solutions, and make recommendations for best practices for videoconferencing.

Virtual Court Committee includes area district court employee 

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Rcat bus service is up and running again. 

The county transit system was shut down at noon Friday and all day Saturday as a precaution because of threats made against the <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5edbcfb3ebfb13423b2729fb">group protesting in the city</a>.&nbsp;

All county offices were closed, as were the courts on Friday, because of ongoing social media threats.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1584998724721.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Rcat bus service is up and running again. The county transit system was shut down at noon Friday and all day Saturday as a precaution because of threats made against the <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5edbcfb3ebfb13423b2729fb">group protesting in the city</a>.&nbsp;All county offices were closed, as were the courts on Friday, because of ongoing social media threats.

Rcat back to full-service

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Reno County Commissioners will have a light agenda Tuesday morning. 

The board will hear the weekly report on the pandemic and pass the consent agenda, which includes an agreement with the city for building and maintaining Rcat bus stops within the city.

The commissioners will also be introduced to new District Attorney Tom Stanton and go over two planning and zoning matters.

Tuesday’s meeting of the Reno County Commission begins at 9 a.m. at the Reno County Courthouse.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1576074891880.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Reno County Commissioners will have a light agenda Tuesday morning. The board will hear the weekly report on the pandemic and pass the consent agenda, which includes an agreement with the city for building and maintaining Rcat bus stops within the city.The commissioners will also be introduced to new District Attorney Tom Stanton and go over two planning and zoning matters.Tuesday’s meeting of the Reno County Commission begins at 9 a.m. at the Reno County Courthouse.

County Commission has light agenda

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The pandemic interfered with the education system in ways many thought could not happen.&nbsp;

Another area where school districts suffered was their ability to hold fundraisers for various projects for athletic teams.&nbsp;

Hutchinson USD 308 says fundraising was down by more than $58,164 from the previous year after many events were canceled. The district fundraising events that were held generated just over $108,000. 

The fundraising supports meals for athletic teams, trips for various clubs and competition funds for school clubs.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575668793667.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The pandemic interfered with the education system in ways many thought could not happen.&nbsp;Another area where school districts suffered was their ability to hold fundraisers for various projects for athletic teams.&nbsp;Hutchinson USD 308 says fundraising was down by more than $58,164 from the previous year after many events were canceled. The district fundraising events that were held generated just over $108,000. The fundraising supports meals for athletic teams, trips for various clubs and competition funds for school clubs.

School fundraising hampered during pandemic

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — After being on tour around the world for the past six years, Liberty Bell 7 is set to return to the Cosmosphere. The spacecraft, flown by Gus Grissom, will return to Hutchinson Tuesday, June 16. The craft will be on display in the Cosmosphere Grand Lobby through the remainder of 2020.&nbsp;

Visitors will have the opportunity to get up close to an amazing piece of space history when the Mercury spacecraft, which took the second U.S. astronaut into space, returns to its home museum.&nbsp;

The return of Liberty Bell 7 is part of a summer-long celebration of its return along with the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 13 mission.

Liberty Bell 7 was recovered from the ocean floor in 1999 after spending more than 40 years submerged at a depth of more than 15,000 feet.&nbsp;

SpaceWorks, a division of the Cosmosphere, helped retrieve and conserve the craft to the state it appears in today. Liberty Bell 7 is owned by the Cosmosphere, making it the only privately-owned American spacecraft.&nbsp;

The Cosmosphere is among only four museums worldwide to have a flown set of manned Mercury, Gemini and Apollo spacecraft.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1591643782755.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>HUTCHINSON, Kan. — After being on tour around the world for the past six years, Liberty Bell 7 is set to return to the Cosmosphere. The spacecraft, flown by Gus Grissom, will return to Hutchinson Tuesday, June 16. The craft will be on display in the Cosmosphere Grand Lobby through the remainder of 2020.&nbsp;Visitors will have the opportunity to get up close to an amazing piece of space history when the Mercury spacecraft, which took the second U.S. astronaut into space, returns to its home museum.&nbsp;The return of Liberty Bell 7 is part of a summer-long celebration of its return along with the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 13 mission.Liberty Bell 7 was recovered from the ocean floor in 1999 after spending more than 40 years submerged at a depth of more than 15,000 feet.&nbsp;SpaceWorks, a division of the Cosmosphere, helped retrieve and conserve the craft to the state it appears in today. Liberty Bell 7 is owned by the Cosmosphere, making it the only privately-owned American spacecraft.&nbsp;The Cosmosphere is among only four museums worldwide to have a flown set of manned Mercury, Gemini and Apollo spacecraft.&nbsp;

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