HUTCHINSON, Kan. — 2024-2025 Youth City Council Applications are open. 

Applications are open until Nov. 22 at 5 p.m.

Scheduled Youth City Council Meetings are every 4th Thursday of the month at 6 p.m. 

We highly encourage anyone interested to attend a meeting to learn more.

The application is available here:&nbsp;<a href="https://forms.gle/DkDdxnauc5wYFLjo9?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR3Rt68ThF_aLjjjlcr5N7npeKQG9ZuCS5tAsGy_8HxT9CHT27wPafyf5Go_aem_tYtaGuK_K5mR8jPS2NADzw" target="_blank">https://forms.gle/DkDdxnauc5wYFLjo9</a>.

<a href="https://forms.gle/DkDdxnauc5wYFLjo9?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR3Rt68ThF_aLjjjlcr5N7npeKQG9ZuCS5tAsGy_8HxT9CHT27wPafyf5Go_aem_tYtaGuK_K5mR8jPS2NADzw" target="_blank"></a>The vision for the City of Hutchinson Youth Council is to empower youth dedicated to personal development and servant leadership.

Applicants must attend a school located in the City of Hutchinson. 

All applicants must be entering grades 7-12.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1665839596236.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>HUTCHINSON, Kan. — 2024-2025 Youth City Council Applications are open. Applications are open until Nov. 22 at 5 p.m.Scheduled Youth City Council Meetings are every 4th Thursday of the month at 6 p.m. We highly encourage anyone interested to attend a meeting to learn more.The application is available here:&nbsp;<a href="https://forms.gle/DkDdxnauc5wYFLjo9?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR3Rt68ThF_aLjjjlcr5N7npeKQG9ZuCS5tAsGy_8HxT9CHT27wPafyf5Go_aem_tYtaGuK_K5mR8jPS2NADzw" target="_blank">https://forms.gle/DkDdxnauc5wYFLjo9</a>.<a href="https://forms.gle/DkDdxnauc5wYFLjo9?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR3Rt68ThF_aLjjjlcr5N7npeKQG9ZuCS5tAsGy_8HxT9CHT27wPafyf5Go_aem_tYtaGuK_K5mR8jPS2NADzw" target="_blank"></a>The vision for the City of Hutchinson Youth Council is to empower youth dedicated to personal development and servant leadership.Applicants must attend a school located in the City of Hutchinson. All applicants must be entering grades 7-12.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Hutchinson Youth City Council application deadline less than a month away

Here’s the latest booking activity from the Reno County Jail. This information is provided by the Reno County Sheriff’s Office and is not criminal history. The Hutch Post assumes no legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, or completeness, of this information. All suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.&nbsp;——————————————&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

10/24/2024 3:17 AM-Dylan	Matthew Reed-Failure to Appear

10/23/2024 9:57 PM-Adam	Casey Leis-Possession of a Firearm Under the Influence; DUI; 2nd conv; blood or breath .08 or higher; Alcohol; Illegal Transportation of Alcoholic Beverage&nbsp;

10/23/2024 5:15 PM-Emily	Marie Cox-Failure to Appear

10/23/2024 2:54 PM-Matthew	Isaac Williams-Probation Violation&nbsp;

10/23/2024 9:21 AM-Thomas	Daniel Malloy-Direct Contempt

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1681919611658.jpeg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>Here’s the latest booking activity from the Reno County Jail. This information is provided by the Reno County Sheriff’s Office and is not criminal history. The Hutch Post assumes no legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, or completeness, of this information. All suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.&nbsp;——————————————&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;10/24/2024 3:17 AM-Dylan	Matthew Reed-Failure to Appear10/23/2024 9:57 PM-Adam	Casey Leis-Possession of a Firearm Under the Influence; DUI; 2nd conv; blood or breath .08 or higher; Alcohol; Illegal Transportation of Alcoholic Beverage&nbsp;10/23/2024 5:15 PM-Emily	Marie Cox-Failure to Appear10/23/2024 2:54 PM-Matthew	Isaac Williams-Probation Violation&nbsp;10/23/2024 9:21 AM-Thomas	Daniel Malloy-Direct Contempt

Daily Bookings

BUHLER, Kan. — Reno County officially agreed to award a contract to King Construction Inc., and they have committed county funds in the amount of $3,000.00 for non participating bid items connected with the construction of Victory Rd Bridge 27.01 over the Little Arkansas River, located 0.5 Miles East and 2.0 Miles South of the City of Buhler. 

That action was approved by the Board of County Commissioners on Wednesday.

That bridge was awarded Off System Bridge funding of&nbsp;$820,000 in December 2022. The low bid came in at $738,951.

The bridge was built in 1962.&nbsp; Two major floods have caused the bridge deck to loosen from the piling supporting the bridge.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729701510279.jpeg" alt="Image Courtesy Reno County" />
 <figcaption>Image Courtesy Reno County</figcaption>
 </figure>BUHLER, Kan. — Reno County officially agreed to award a contract to King Construction Inc., and they have committed county funds in the amount of $3,000.00 for non participating bid items connected with the construction of Victory Rd Bridge 27.01 over the Little Arkansas River, located 0.5 Miles East and 2.0 Miles South of the City of Buhler. That action was approved by the Board of County Commissioners on Wednesday.That bridge was awarded Off System Bridge funding of&nbsp;$820,000 in December 2022. The low bid came in at $738,951.The bridge was built in 1962.&nbsp; Two major floods have caused the bridge deck to loosen from the piling supporting the bridge.The motion passed unanimously.

Victory Road bridge project approved

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Board of County Commissioners approved on Wednesday fronting the money for gap funding for childcare to the United Way of Reno County instead of doing it as reimbursement.

"This doesn't change our allocated amount," said commissioner Daniel Friesen. "It's just a timing thing."

The reason the change was asked for was to comply with ARPA fund requirements.

"There's a company called IParametrics that the county has hired as a consultant from the very beginning to review our processes and make sure that we are in compliance with the ARPA program," said County Counselor Patrick Hoffman. "When IParametrics was just reviewing our programming, they identified this area and said, you know, we'd really like you guys to have a bit of extra documentation on record as to what you're doing here to make sure you comply. That's why staff have put it in front of you."

It's a significant amount of money for the United Way to front itself, so that's why they asked the county if they could change that.

"There's two for Buhler, one at $80,000, one at $306,000, Nickerson has one at $114,000, Pretty Prairie $72,000 and Haven $260,000," said Reno County Administrator Randy Partington.

The commission approved the change on a 4-1 vote with Commissioner John Whitesel voting against.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729695746224.jpeg" alt="Image Courtesy Reno County" />
 <figcaption>Image Courtesy Reno County</figcaption>
 </figure>NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Board of County Commissioners approved on Wednesday fronting the money for gap funding for childcare to the United Way of Reno County instead of doing it as reimbursement."This doesn't change our allocated amount," said commissioner Daniel Friesen. "It's just a timing thing."The reason the change was asked for was to comply with ARPA fund requirements."There's a company called IParametrics that the county has hired as a consultant from the very beginning to review our processes and make sure that we are in compliance with the ARPA program," said County Counselor Patrick Hoffman. "When IParametrics was just reviewing our programming, they identified this area and said, you know, we'd really like you guys to have a bit of extra documentation on record as to what you're doing here to make sure you comply. That's why staff have put it in front of you."It's a significant amount of money for the United Way to front itself, so that's why they asked the county if they could change that."There's two for Buhler, one at $80,000, one at $306,000, Nickerson has one at $114,000, Pretty Prairie $72,000 and Haven $260,000," said Reno County Administrator Randy Partington.The commission approved the change on a 4-1 vote with Commissioner John Whitesel voting against.

Gap funding for childcare approved by county

BUHLER, Kan. — Buhler Police reminds residents and visitors that doing an improper turn on Main could be an expensive proposition.

"We have been told lately that J turns have been on a rise and have had some close calls," the department said. "Our job is not only to work accidents, but is to prevent accidents! You can turn around north and south of the double yellow lines safely or go around the block to be on the side you want. The fine for an illegal turn is $50.00+$89.00 court cost making the total $139.00."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729688135649.jpeg" alt="Buhler Main Street-Image Courtesy Buhler Police Department" />
 <figcaption>Buhler Main Street-Image Courtesy Buhler Police Department</figcaption>
 </figure>BUHLER, Kan. — Buhler Police reminds residents and visitors that doing an improper turn on Main could be an expensive proposition."We have been told lately that J turns have been on a rise and have had some close calls," the department said. "Our job is not only to work accidents, but is to prevent accidents! You can turn around north and south of the double yellow lines safely or go around the block to be on the side you want. The fine for an illegal turn is $50.00+$89.00 court cost making the total $139.00."

Buhler PD discouraging improper turns

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The nominees for the Hutchinson Boys and Girls Club Youth of the Year competition are beginning their preparation.

The nominees this year are Camrynn Harris, Taysha Rideaux, Graciela Medina and Gabriel Marcum.&nbsp;

This is the second year as nominees for Harris and Rideaux. This is the first year for Medina and Marcum.

The Youth of the Year title is a prestigious honor bestowed upon an exemplary young person in recognition of leadership, service, academic excellence and dedication to live a healthy lifestyle.

The local Youth of the Year receives a $1,000 college scholarship thanks to Heartland Credit Union and will compete in the Kansas Youth of the Year competition in the spring.&nbsp;

The 2023 and 2024 winner in Hutchinson, Zion Burgess, also won the state title in 2024.

The 2025 Youth of the Year banquet will be Dec. 5 at the 1861 Club on the Kansas State Fairgrounds.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1702030663873.jpeg" alt="2024 Youth of the Year local winner Zion Burgess with Hutchinson Boys and Girls Club CEO Lance Patterson. Photo Courtesy Hutchinson Boys and Girls Club." />
 <figcaption>2024 Youth of the Year local winner Zion Burgess with Hutchinson Boys and Girls Club CEO Lance Patterson. Photo Courtesy Hutchinson Boys and Girls Club.</figcaption>
 </figure>HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The nominees for the Hutchinson Boys and Girls Club Youth of the Year competition are beginning their preparation.The nominees this year are Camrynn Harris, Taysha Rideaux, Graciela Medina and Gabriel Marcum.&nbsp;This is the second year as nominees for Harris and Rideaux. This is the first year for Medina and Marcum.The Youth of the Year title is a prestigious honor bestowed upon an exemplary young person in recognition of leadership, service, academic excellence and dedication to live a healthy lifestyle.The local Youth of the Year receives a $1,000 college scholarship thanks to Heartland Credit Union and will compete in the Kansas Youth of the Year competition in the spring.&nbsp;The 2023 and 2024 winner in Hutchinson, Zion Burgess, also won the state title in 2024.The 2025 Youth of the Year banquet will be Dec. 5 at the 1861 Club on the Kansas State Fairgrounds.

Youth of the Year nominees begin preparation

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Advance voting continues at the Reno County Annex, with the Annex staying open Wednesday, Oct. 23 and Wednesday, Oct. 30 until 7 p.m.

There will also be an additional location open at the HutchCC Stringer Fine Arts building from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. That's going to take place Oct. 29.

Advance voting is available for any Reno County resident who is registered to vote Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Just bring your photo ID with you. The Reno County Annex is at 125 West First Ave. in Hutchinson. Advance voting finishes on Nov. 4 at noon.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1629300596422.jpeg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Advance voting continues at the Reno County Annex, with the Annex staying open Wednesday, Oct. 23 and Wednesday, Oct. 30 until 7 p.m.There will also be an additional location open at the HutchCC Stringer Fine Arts building from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. That's going to take place Oct. 29.Advance voting is available for any Reno County resident who is registered to vote Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Just bring your photo ID with you. The Reno County Annex is at 125 West First Ave. in Hutchinson. Advance voting finishes on Nov. 4 at noon.

Extended advance voting hours Wednesday

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The City of Hutchinson announced on Tuesday the planting of 16 trees in Farmington Park. 

They are planting a selection of trees from K-State Extension’s preferred list for South Central Kansas. 

4 Bald Cypress 3 October Glory Maples 2 Autumn Blaze Maples 2 London Plane Trees 2 Shumard Oaks 2 Royal Raindrop Crabapples 1 Spring Snow Crabapple

This initiative is a collaborative effort, with neighbors in the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/FarmingtonPark?__cft__[0]=AZVEfj87sLzMFU2tN30abr5eF00IGmR3p8j0wIaAZ-9NuA_Es6Qq9mk2wYboNWnw7x6owVkQkixaTY_YbHQQSCG3JLuifcfs0g1UIL-dPVRlDjRmnI-YzDMJL5aYzA--DjXdw8sq_wABUjtWD1sCdzLJnIMygFo8APtMNUAX3JlcMSIlWHk4spdTmANfEnpn1Ac&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">Farmington Park Neighborhood</a> raising half of the funding with the other half from the Tree Board.

The trees will be properly prepared, staked, and watered, and they will be included in the city's tree care program for the next three years.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729674594329.jpeg" alt="The City of Hutchinson and the Farmington Park neighborhood are working together to plant more trees in the park. Photo Courtesy City of Hutchinson." />
 <figcaption>The City of Hutchinson and the Farmington Park neighborhood are working together to plant more trees in the park. Photo Courtesy City of Hutchinson.</figcaption>
 </figure>City of HutchinsonHUTCHINSON, Kan. — The City of Hutchinson announced on Tuesday the planting of 16 trees in Farmington Park. They are planting a selection of trees from K-State Extension’s preferred list for South Central Kansas. Here's what you will see:4 Bald Cypress 3 October Glory Maples 2 Autumn Blaze Maples 2 London Plane Trees 2 Shumard Oaks 2 Royal Raindrop Crabapples 1 Spring Snow CrabappleThis initiative is a collaborative effort, with neighbors in the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/FarmingtonPark?__cft__[0]=AZVEfj87sLzMFU2tN30abr5eF00IGmR3p8j0wIaAZ-9NuA_Es6Qq9mk2wYboNWnw7x6owVkQkixaTY_YbHQQSCG3JLuifcfs0g1UIL-dPVRlDjRmnI-YzDMJL5aYzA--DjXdw8sq_wABUjtWD1sCdzLJnIMygFo8APtMNUAX3JlcMSIlWHk4spdTmANfEnpn1Ac&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">Farmington Park Neighborhood</a> raising half of the funding with the other half from the Tree Board. The trees will be properly prepared, staked, and watered, and they will be included in the city's tree care program for the next three years.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Trees planted in Farmington Park 

JAKE FEIL Wreaths Across America

HAVEN, Kan. — Laurel Cemetery in Haven, Kansas will participate this year in the National Wreaths Across America Day for the very first time.

The cemetery will join more than 4,200 participating locations across the country to Remember, Honor and Teach on Saturday, December 14, 2024.

Wreaths Across America started as a simple gesture of thanks and grew into a national, yearlong movement of volunteers and communities coming together to remember our nation’s fallen military and to honor their service and sacrifice by placing live balsam wreaths on their headstones.

Laurel Cemetery will be placing 186 wreaths on veteran graves. The event will start at 11 a.m. with a short ceremony and then wreaths will be placed immediately after the ceremony.

The event coordinator, Jake Feil, said “this is our first year participating so we want to make it extra special. We have some exciting surprises scheduled.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729675881243.jpeg" alt="Photo Courtesy Wreaths Across America" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Wreaths Across America</figcaption>
 </figure>JAKE FEIL Wreaths Across AmericaHAVEN, Kan. — Laurel Cemetery in Haven, Kansas will participate this year in the National Wreaths Across America Day for the very first time.The cemetery will join more than 4,200 participating locations across the country to Remember, Honor and Teach on Saturday, December 14, 2024.Wreaths Across America started as a simple gesture of thanks and grew into a national, yearlong movement of volunteers and communities coming together to remember our nation’s fallen military and to honor their service and sacrifice by placing live balsam wreaths on their headstones.Laurel Cemetery will be placing 186 wreaths on veteran graves. The event will start at 11 a.m. with a short ceremony and then wreaths will be placed immediately after the ceremony.The event coordinator, Jake Feil, said “this is our first year participating so we want to make it extra special. We have some exciting surprises scheduled.”

Haven cemetery to place wreaths in December

Here’s the latest booking activity from the Reno County Jail. This information is provided by the Reno County Sheriff’s Office and is not criminal history. The Hutch Post assumes no legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, or completeness, of this information. All suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.&nbsp;——————————————&nbsp;&nbsp;

10/22/2024 11:40 PM-Jennifer	Kay Coleman-Failure to Appear

10/22/2024 7:42 PM-Todd	Adrian Wylie-Driving while license cancelled/suspended/revoked; misd; unknown conv; Ignition Interlock Device; Operate MV without device during restriction; Insurance; Fail to Show Proof of Liability Insurance&nbsp;

10/22/2024 5:22 PM-Kyla	Ann Larralde-Criminal Damage to Property; Without consent; &lt; $1,000; Domestic Battery; Knowingly Cause Physical Contact (1st conviction)&nbsp;

10/22/2024 4:14 PM-Cody	Bill Hull-Probation Violation&nbsp;

10/22/2024 3:28 PM-Adrian	Alan Clark Jr.-Failure to Appear&nbsp;

10/22/2024 1:56 PM-Zane	Robert McHenry-Failure to Appear; Probation Violation

10/22/2024 11:51 AM-Forrest	James Stucky-Domestic Battery; Knowingly Cause Physical Contact (1st conviction); Criminal Restraint&nbsp;

10/22/2024 4:33 AM-Sherry	Ann Tarwater-DUI; 1st conv; incapable of safely driving

10/22/2024 4:18 AM-Jacob	David Gendreau-Use or Possess with Intent to use Drug Paraphernalia into Human Body; Agg battery; Knowingly use deadly weapon; Domestic Battery; Knowingly Cause Physical Contact (1st conviction); Agg battery; Knowingly cause great body harm

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1681919634177.jpeg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>Here’s the latest booking activity from the Reno County Jail. This information is provided by the Reno County Sheriff’s Office and is not criminal history. The Hutch Post assumes no legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, or completeness, of this information. All suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.&nbsp;——————————————&nbsp;&nbsp;10/22/2024 11:40 PM-Jennifer	Kay Coleman-Failure to Appear10/22/2024 7:42 PM-Todd	Adrian Wylie-Driving while license cancelled/suspended/revoked; misd; unknown conv; Ignition Interlock Device; Operate MV without device during restriction; Insurance; Fail to Show Proof of Liability Insurance&nbsp;10/22/2024 5:22 PM-Kyla	Ann Larralde-Criminal Damage to Property; Without consent; &lt; $1,000; Domestic Battery; Knowingly Cause Physical Contact (1st conviction)&nbsp;10/22/2024 4:14 PM-Cody	Bill Hull-Probation Violation&nbsp;10/22/2024 3:28 PM-Adrian	Alan Clark Jr.-Failure to Appear&nbsp;10/22/2024 1:56 PM-Zane	Robert McHenry-Failure to Appear; Probation Violation10/22/2024 11:51 AM-Forrest	James Stucky-Domestic Battery; Knowingly Cause Physical Contact (1st conviction); Criminal Restraint&nbsp;10/22/2024 4:33 AM-Sherry	Ann Tarwater-DUI; 1st conv; incapable of safely driving10/22/2024 4:18 AM-Jacob	David Gendreau-Use or Possess with Intent to use Drug Paraphernalia into Human Body; Agg battery; Knowingly use deadly weapon; Domestic Battery; Knowingly Cause Physical Contact (1st conviction); Agg battery; Knowingly cause great body harm

CHIEF CHAD MAYBERRY McPherson Fire

MCPHERSON, Kan. — The McPherson Fire Department was dispatched at 11:32 a.m. Tuesday for the report of a structure fire in the 1400 block of Briarwood Lane. Upon arrival, fire crews encountered heavy fire involvement from a two-car garage attached to the home. Fire crews worked to extinguish the fire in the garage while also extinguishing flames that had spread to the exterior wall of the neighboring house to the north. Fire crews made entry into the house to conduct a search for occupants and extinguish the fire. Crews were able to confirm that the occupants of both residences involved were not at home at the time of the fire.

No injuries were reported. The damage to the house is extensive and will be considered a total loss. There was a total of 22 firefighters on scene. McPherson Fire Department responded with 15 personnel and 7 fire apparatus, Galva Fire Department with 2 personnel and 2 fire apparatus, and Inman Fire Department responded with 5 personnel and 3 fire apparatus.

The Galva and Inman Fire Departments responded to the scene to assist with extinguishment of the fire. McPherson EMS, McPherson Police Department, and McPherson County Emergency Management provided resources and support at the scene as well. Fire crews cleared from the scene shortly after 3 p.m.

The cause of the fire is currently under investigation by McPherson Fire Department Fire Investigators. No foul play is suspected.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/12/1609186739365.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>CHIEF CHAD MAYBERRY McPherson FireMCPHERSON, Kan. — The McPherson Fire Department was dispatched at 11:32 a.m. Tuesday for the report of a structure fire in the 1400 block of Briarwood Lane. Upon arrival, fire crews encountered heavy fire involvement from a two-car garage attached to the home. Fire crews worked to extinguish the fire in the garage while also extinguishing flames that had spread to the exterior wall of the neighboring house to the north. Fire crews made entry into the house to conduct a search for occupants and extinguish the fire. Crews were able to confirm that the occupants of both residences involved were not at home at the time of the fire.No injuries were reported. The damage to the house is extensive and will be considered a total loss. There was a total of 22 firefighters on scene. McPherson Fire Department responded with 15 personnel and 7 fire apparatus, Galva Fire Department with 2 personnel and 2 fire apparatus, and Inman Fire Department responded with 5 personnel and 3 fire apparatus.The Galva and Inman Fire Departments responded to the scene to assist with extinguishment of the fire. McPherson EMS, McPherson Police Department, and McPherson County Emergency Management provided resources and support at the scene as well. Fire crews cleared from the scene shortly after 3 p.m.The cause of the fire is currently under investigation by McPherson Fire Department Fire Investigators. No foul play is suspected.

McPherson home total loss after Tuesday fire

KYLE MCCASKEY Harvey County PIO

HARVEY COUNTY, Kan. — The Harvey County Road and Bridge Department will begin a maintenance project Wednesday on South Oliver Road between Southeast 24th Street and Southeast 36th Street.

The project will repair erosion under a bridge on Oliver.

Oliver will be closed to thru traffic between 24th and 36th streets during the project. Residents will continue to have access to their properties.

The work is estimated to be completed in two weeks, contingent on weather.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729619844698.jpeg" alt="South Oliver bridge maintenance 102224-Image Courtesy Harvey County" />
 <figcaption>South Oliver bridge maintenance 102224-Image Courtesy Harvey County</figcaption>
 </figure>KYLE MCCASKEY Harvey County PIOHARVEY COUNTY, Kan. — The Harvey County Road and Bridge Department will begin a maintenance project Wednesday on South Oliver Road between Southeast 24th Street and Southeast 36th Street.The project will repair erosion under a bridge on Oliver.Oliver will be closed to thru traffic between 24th and 36th streets during the project. Residents will continue to have access to their properties.The work is estimated to be completed in two weeks, contingent on weather.

Oliver closed in Harvey County Wednesday

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The SW Bricktown Neighborhood and Hutch in Harmony along with the Hutchinson Clinic are hosting the first Hispanic Health and Resource Fair this weekend in the Salt City.

"The event will be at Memorial Hall, thanks to the support from the City of Hutchinson," said Esmerelda Tovar-Mora with Hutch in Harmony.&nbsp; "We will also have a mobile consulate as a resource coming to Hutchinson. A mobile consulate is a space where people may come to renew their passports, their consulate IDs and ask questions without needing to travel all the way to Kansas City for that information since the nearest consulate is there. The estimated attendance for mobile consulates are in the 350 to 400 plus range as everyone has to register two weeks in advance for every location, and this is the first time that it's happening in Hutchinson."

The ability to translate is so important to making sure people get the care that they need, so there will be multiple volunteers to make sure that the English to Spanish barrier is overcome.

"It's really difficult to be able to translate it from a formal to informal to conversational, right? Conversational Spanish is different than if you are reading medical terminology in Spanish. And so being able to not only understand what is being said to you, when it is translated from English to Spanish, or when you're a small business and you're translating it from Spanish to English, you want to make sure you get that middle person to be able to read it and say, hey, does this make sense?"

There will be many health services at the event.

"There will be stroke education with two bilingual helpers with handouts, SANE nurses, which is the sexual assault nurse examiners, dieticians with consultations and bilingual handouts over appropriate diets that our population commonly faces. We will also have the pharmacy with home medication lists and pill organizers. Hutchinson Regional Physicians Network will be having family practice there. Hutchinson Regional Physicians Network will also have obstetrics and gynecology there. The Regional Medical Center will have a lactation specialist, and imaging will also be providing carotid ultrasound screenings. There will be lipid testing. There will be depression and anxiety screenings through Horizons. The Reno County Health Department will be there with resources on their WIC program, smoking cessation, family programs, maternal child health, all the good things, including two bilingual nurses and one interpreter."

The event is Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 8 a.m. to noon.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729612115993.jpeg" alt="Hispanic Fair" />
 <figcaption>Hispanic Fair</figcaption>
 </figure>NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — The SW Bricktown Neighborhood and Hutch in Harmony along with the Hutchinson Clinic are hosting the first Hispanic Health and Resource Fair this weekend in the Salt City."The event will be at Memorial Hall, thanks to the support from the City of Hutchinson," said Esmerelda Tovar-Mora with Hutch in Harmony.&nbsp; "We will also have a mobile consulate as a resource coming to Hutchinson. A mobile consulate is a space where people may come to renew their passports, their consulate IDs and ask questions without needing to travel all the way to Kansas City for that information since the nearest consulate is there. The estimated attendance for mobile consulates are in the 350 to 400 plus range as everyone has to register two weeks in advance for every location, and this is the first time that it's happening in Hutchinson."The ability to translate is so important to making sure people get the care that they need, so there will be multiple volunteers to make sure that the English to Spanish barrier is overcome."It's really difficult to be able to translate it from a formal to informal to conversational, right? Conversational Spanish is different than if you are reading medical terminology in Spanish. And so being able to not only understand what is being said to you, when it is translated from English to Spanish, or when you're a small business and you're translating it from Spanish to English, you want to make sure you get that middle person to be able to read it and say, hey, does this make sense?"There will be many health services at the event."There will be stroke education with two bilingual helpers with handouts, SANE nurses, which is the sexual assault nurse examiners, dieticians with consultations and bilingual handouts over appropriate diets that our population commonly faces. We will also have the pharmacy with home medication lists and pill organizers. Hutchinson Regional Physicians Network will be having family practice there. Hutchinson Regional Physicians Network will also have obstetrics and gynecology there. The Regional Medical Center will have a lactation specialist, and imaging will also be providing carotid ultrasound screenings. There will be lipid testing. There will be depression and anxiety screenings through Horizons. The Reno County Health Department will be there with resources on their WIC program, smoking cessation, family programs, maternal child health, all the good things, including two bilingual nurses and one interpreter."The event is Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 8 a.m. to noon.

Hispanic Health and Resource Fair this weekend

Nick Gosnell: Richard Winger, he is running for District 4 for the County Commission as a Republican. He'll be on your ballot if you live in most of the city of Hutchinson here for the November 5th ballot, but there are parts of the city that have different County Commissioners, but it's mostly the city of Hutch. That's what the district is for, District 4. So I guess, Richard, most folks may know you from your days at Pools Plus. Why throw yourself into the deep end of the pool to run for County Commission?

Richard Winger: Well, when I was working at Pools Plus, you work some long hours and you, of course, are all over the state. But over the course of a number of years, I've had a number of people saying that I should run and to think about it at least. And so after I retired from Pools Plus, I went to actually went to work for the county in the maintenance department, worked there for about six months.&nbsp; My body was telling me I enjoyed the job, but my body was saying no. And so then I went to work for the college and I've been there almost a year now. And so I actually have more time available. I still love this city and this county. And so I thought it was the right time for me to put my hat in the ring. And I like I said, I've lived here since 1973.&nbsp; I've always enjoyed this city and the surroundings around it.

Nick Gosnell: All right. So a county commissioner, because they have a permanent administrator that they've hired, the day to day stuff anymore is usually done through the administrator's office or if it's a legal matter through the county counselor's office.&nbsp; The chief piece of what a county commissioner does is budgeting. What do you know about that and about how the county is doing it and anything that you might have to say regarding the county budget?

Richard Winger:&nbsp;Of course, you run a budget in your house, so you start there, hopefully when you're younger and stuff. Working through Pools Plus, we would do bids and quotes. And of course, you have a budget to do that and you have to be able to get it done under budget or at budget, but try not to go over the budget. As for the county, I would love to see the county be more effective and efficient. I know we were talking about at the forum forward thinking and sometimes that's great and in most cases it is, but there's times though where forward thinking means that you're going to need to raise taxes and that's not always a necessary thing. You can look at the budget and maybe skimp or not have something in a budget in this area that is not utilized like it used to be and use it for something else.

Nick Gosnell:&nbsp;Now, there is one area of the county that has been particularly used over the time since I've been here in Hutchinson. And just to remind folks, my official hire date was December 31st of 2019. I started in January of 2020, so immediately prior to the pandemic. So, the health department kind of got pushed to the front of the line a little bit during the COVID period, but they do a whole lot more than just the emergency stuff that happened during COVID. And I know that your wife worked at the health department for a long time, so you have at least a little bit of inside information on the workings of that. How important is the work of the health department?

Richard Winger:&nbsp;It's very important. It does a number of age groups from infants and toddlers all the way up to elderly people. It actually brings in a revenue stream. Most people don't realize that. They just think they use taxes to support it, but it actually does bring in a revenue stream. They do shots. Women's, infants, and children's department is very important for those young mothers with young children. I use it. I've used it since I was here. I got a TB test when I first went to work at McDonald's, so that tells you how long ago that's been. But I also go there for my shots. They work on, they have foot clinics for those people with diabetes and other things where they can't reach their feet anymore, so they help you take care of that.&nbsp; They do all kinds of things that most people don't realize, not just, you know, emergency care and things like that.

Nick Gosnell:&nbsp;Okay. There are a lot of areas of the county that, for want of a better way of putting it, are branch offices of the state.&nbsp; By that I mean, like your county treasurer's office is, generally speaking, locked in to do whatever the statute tells them to do as far as county treasurer is concerned. County appraiser is much the same way. The statute and the parameters within that kind of control what happens there.&nbsp; So, how much real change can you make in those departments that are basically controlled by things that were passed at a level higher than yours? And how much can you say, hey, listen, what can we do operationally here? Where does that line get drawn?

Richard Winger:&nbsp;Well, operationally, it would probably be the most area that we can control because it would incur, you know, the facility that the operations in, the people that work there, talking about if it's a mandated thing from the state, then there really isn't much you can do. The money is supposed to be allocated and used for that part, and so you really can't do a whole lot with that. That being said, if you have access to, you know, the House and Senate members at the capitol, you might be able to visit with them about some of those, you know, things that are being done and see if you can get them lowered.

Nick Gosnell:&nbsp;There will be two new members of the county commission for certain. Your race is one where both people would be new, and then there's another race that's where both people would be new. But three of the five county commissioners, at least in theory, assuming that there isn't a huge write-in vote in Hirst's district, will be ones that come back that are still there from before. So you have the three that have done it for a long time, or relatively, or that have done it before, and the two that have not done it yet. How do you persuade the majority to not just keep doing what they're doing?

Richard Winger:&nbsp;That's the point we were just kind of talking about. You have to have a quorum, I mean, of voters. And so there's five of us now, would be five of us. So you have to have a three to two vote or four one, or even five oh if it's unanimous. I'm one of those guys, I don't believe in kicking the can down the road, but I also am pretty persuasive when I'm visiting with somebody about something that needs to be done, and I feel strong about it. I can usually get my point across and my goal would be to convince the other commissioners that this is the way we need to go. I've also known a number of the commissioners for a while just through work, and I've worked for them and done things with them, volunteer and other things. So I think I can be a team player, but also not just sit on the bench and not participate either.&nbsp; I want to be one of those that would contribute.

Nick Gosnell:&nbsp;All right. So the big areas of the budget that are things that need to, the county needs to work through, public works is a huge part of the budget as far as dollars are concerned, but that's kind of another one of those areas where, for want of a better way of putting it, if the bridge needs fixed, the bridge needs fixed.&nbsp; So there's a lot of that that is difficult to do much about other than just be proper with maintenance and those sorts of things. How do you say to those folks the difference between we want to do maintenance now so that we have longest life that we possibly can for everything we have to, well, we don't have the budget to do everything all the time. It's something you had to deal with in maintaining things in the business you were in too, I suppose.

Richard Winger:&nbsp;Exactly. And I really, that's one of the things that I noticed when I first moved here. And even as a younger person, a lot of times things, the maintenance wouldn't get done and then it would be broke.&nbsp; And then it's like, okay, we have to fix it. And it's always easier to keep that car longer. If you do that, those minor details and oil changes and things early on, and it makes it last longer. So in the county, you just got to figure out the budget and do a timely schedule on different things. Most people don't see the infrastructure around the city. They just see the city unless you're out a farmer or you're driving out in the county for another reason.&nbsp; You don't see the roads, you don't see the bridges, and they are utilized a lot around this city. We have some great interstate or four lane highways now, but the county roads are still utilized a lot.

Nick Gosnell:&nbsp;Well, and so part of the constant maintenance is that the county commission has a certain number of lane miles. And I don't have the number off the top of my head. I apologize. Don Brittain will probably send me an email saying, it's this number. And that's fine, Don, go ahead and send it to me later. And I'll be sure that I know what it is. But there's a certain number of lane miles that you have to do each year to be able to get through the entire county over the course of several years. Because you can't, there's not an infinite amount of money. You can't do them all every year. So sometimes when budgets are tight, that's one of the things that gets cut back on is that maintenance stuff like we talked about. Are there other areas where the county could go, you know, maybe we don't do this, but we focus on the other things for the purposes of those folks outside of the city of Hutchinson, like we just talked about?

Richard Winger:&nbsp;Well, so there are, Don Brittain is great for that department. And there's 19 other department leaders, and they all work to keep their budgets within the limits that they're supposed to. I know like in roads and bridges, there's also where they go out and they do ditches and they do this or that with heavy equipment. And maybe it's one of those things where they can't do that because they need that money to go to a road. Maybe they have a bridge that had an accident on it and it damaged part of the bridge and that would have to come from that expense to be fixed.

Nick Gosnell:&nbsp;Again, Richard, if people want to find out more about you, what's the easiest way to find out more about your campaign or get a hold of you if they want to talk to you between now and election day?

Richard Winger:&nbsp;Well, I have my cell phone and I answer it.&nbsp; I've heard a few people that are running say that. So it's 620-664-0662. If I don't answer, pardon me, leave me a voicemail and I'll be glad to get back with you. I also have a website on Facebook that my wife put together. It's Winger for County Commission on Facebook. And then we also have an email. It's <a href="mailto:winglaf6@yahoo.com">winglaf6@yahoo.com</a>. That's W-I-N-G-L-A-F, the number six at yahoo.com. That's correct.

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 </figure>Nick Gosnell: Richard Winger, he is running for District 4 for the County Commission as a Republican. He'll be on your ballot if you live in most of the city of Hutchinson here for the November 5th ballot, but there are parts of the city that have different County Commissioners, but it's mostly the city of Hutch. That's what the district is for, District 4. So I guess, Richard, most folks may know you from your days at Pools Plus. Why throw yourself into the deep end of the pool to run for County Commission? Richard Winger: Well, when I was working at Pools Plus, you work some long hours and you, of course, are all over the state. But over the course of a number of years, I've had a number of people saying that I should run and to think about it at least. And so after I retired from Pools Plus, I went to actually went to work for the county in the maintenance department, worked there for about six months.&nbsp; My body was telling me I enjoyed the job, but my body was saying no. And so then I went to work for the college and I've been there almost a year now. And so I actually have more time available. I still love this city and this county. And so I thought it was the right time for me to put my hat in the ring. And I like I said, I've lived here since 1973.&nbsp; I've always enjoyed this city and the surroundings around it. Nick Gosnell: All right. So a county commissioner, because they have a permanent administrator that they've hired, the day to day stuff anymore is usually done through the administrator's office or if it's a legal matter through the county counselor's office.&nbsp; The chief piece of what a county commissioner does is budgeting. What do you know about that and about how the county is doing it and anything that you might have to say regarding the county budget? Richard Winger:&nbsp;Of course, you run a budget in your house, so you start there, hopefully when you're younger and stuff. Working through Pools Plus, we would do bids and quotes. And of course, you have a budget to do that and you have to be able to get it done under budget or at budget, but try not to go over the budget. As for the county, I would love to see the county be more effective and efficient. I know we were talking about at the forum forward thinking and sometimes that's great and in most cases it is, but there's times though where forward thinking means that you're going to need to raise taxes and that's not always a necessary thing. You can look at the budget and maybe skimp or not have something in a budget in this area that is not utilized like it used to be and use it for something else. Nick Gosnell:&nbsp;Now, there is one area of the county that has been particularly used over the time since I've been here in Hutchinson. And just to remind folks, my official hire date was December 31st of 2019. I started in January of 2020, so immediately prior to the pandemic. So, the health department kind of got pushed to the front of the line a little bit during the COVID period, but they do a whole lot more than just the emergency stuff that happened during COVID. And I know that your wife worked at the health department for a long time, so you have at least a little bit of inside information on the workings of that. How important is the work of the health department? Richard Winger:&nbsp;It's very important. It does a number of age groups from infants and toddlers all the way up to elderly people. It actually brings in a revenue stream. Most people don't realize that. They just think they use taxes to support it, but it actually does bring in a revenue stream. They do shots. Women's, infants, and children's department is very important for those young mothers with young children. I use it. I've used it since I was here. I got a TB test when I first went to work at McDonald's, so that tells you how long ago that's been. But I also go there for my shots. They work on, they have foot clinics for those people with diabetes and other things where they can't reach their feet anymore, so they help you take care of that.&nbsp; They do all kinds of things that most people don't realize, not just, you know, emergency care and things like that. Nick Gosnell:&nbsp;Okay. There are a lot of areas of the county that, for want of a better way of putting it, are branch offices of the state.&nbsp; By that I mean, like your county treasurer's office is, generally speaking, locked in to do whatever the statute tells them to do as far as county treasurer is concerned. County appraiser is much the same way. The statute and the parameters within that kind of control what happens there.&nbsp; So, how much real change can you make in those departments that are basically controlled by things that were passed at a level higher than yours? And how much can you say, hey, listen, what can we do operationally here? Where does that line get drawn? Richard Winger:&nbsp;Well, operationally, it would probably be the most area that we can control because it would incur, you know, the facility that the operations in, the people that work there, talking about if it's a mandated thing from the state, then there really isn't much you can do. The money is supposed to be allocated and used for that part, and so you really can't do a whole lot with that. That being said, if you have access to, you know, the House and Senate members at the capitol, you might be able to visit with them about some of those, you know, things that are being done and see if you can get them lowered. Nick Gosnell:&nbsp;There will be two new members of the county commission for certain. Your race is one where both people would be new, and then there's another race that's where both people would be new. But three of the five county commissioners, at least in theory, assuming that there isn't a huge write-in vote in Hirst's district, will be ones that come back that are still there from before. So you have the three that have done it for a long time, or relatively, or that have done it before, and the two that have not done it yet. How do you persuade the majority to not just keep doing what they're doing? Richard Winger:&nbsp;That's the point we were just kind of talking about. You have to have a quorum, I mean, of voters. And so there's five of us now, would be five of us. So you have to have a three to two vote or four one, or even five oh if it's unanimous. I'm one of those guys, I don't believe in kicking the can down the road, but I also am pretty persuasive when I'm visiting with somebody about something that needs to be done, and I feel strong about it. I can usually get my point across and my goal would be to convince the other commissioners that this is the way we need to go. I've also known a number of the commissioners for a while just through work, and I've worked for them and done things with them, volunteer and other things. So I think I can be a team player, but also not just sit on the bench and not participate either.&nbsp; I want to be one of those that would contribute. Nick Gosnell:&nbsp;All right. So the big areas of the budget that are things that need to, the county needs to work through, public works is a huge part of the budget as far as dollars are concerned, but that's kind of another one of those areas where, for want of a better way of putting it, if the bridge needs fixed, the bridge needs fixed.&nbsp; So there's a lot of that that is difficult to do much about other than just be proper with maintenance and those sorts of things. How do you say to those folks the difference between we want to do maintenance now so that we have longest life that we possibly can for everything we have to, well, we don't have the budget to do everything all the time. It's something you had to deal with in maintaining things in the business you were in too, I suppose. Richard Winger:&nbsp;Exactly. And I really, that's one of the things that I noticed when I first moved here. And even as a younger person, a lot of times things, the maintenance wouldn't get done and then it would be broke.&nbsp; And then it's like, okay, we have to fix it. And it's always easier to keep that car longer. If you do that, those minor details and oil changes and things early on, and it makes it last longer. So in the county, you just got to figure out the budget and do a timely schedule on different things. Most people don't see the infrastructure around the city. They just see the city unless you're out a farmer or you're driving out in the county for another reason.&nbsp; You don't see the roads, you don't see the bridges, and they are utilized a lot around this city. We have some great interstate or four lane highways now, but the county roads are still utilized a lot. Nick Gosnell:&nbsp;Well, and so part of the constant maintenance is that the county commission has a certain number of lane miles. And I don't have the number off the top of my head. I apologize. Don Brittain will probably send me an email saying, it's this number. And that's fine, Don, go ahead and send it to me later. And I'll be sure that I know what it is. But there's a certain number of lane miles that you have to do each year to be able to get through the entire county over the course of several years. Because you can't, there's not an infinite amount of money. You can't do them all every year. So sometimes when budgets are tight, that's one of the things that gets cut back on is that maintenance stuff like we talked about. Are there other areas where the county could go, you know, maybe we don't do this, but we focus on the other things for the purposes of those folks outside of the city of Hutchinson, like we just talked about? Richard Winger:&nbsp;Well, so there are, Don Brittain is great for that department. And there's 19 other department leaders, and they all work to keep their budgets within the limits that they're supposed to. I know like in roads and bridges, there's also where they go out and they do ditches and they do this or that with heavy equipment. And maybe it's one of those things where they can't do that because they need that money to go to a road. Maybe they have a bridge that had an accident on it and it damaged part of the bridge and that would have to come from that expense to be fixed. Nick Gosnell:&nbsp;Again, Richard, if people want to find out more about you, what's the easiest way to find out more about your campaign or get a hold of you if they want to talk to you between now and election day? Richard Winger:&nbsp;Well, I have my cell phone and I answer it.&nbsp; I've heard a few people that are running say that. So it's 620-664-0662. If I don't answer, pardon me, leave me a voicemail and I'll be glad to get back with you. I also have a website on Facebook that my wife put together. It's Winger for County Commission on Facebook. And then we also have an email. It's <a href="mailto:winglaf6@yahoo.com">winglaf6@yahoo.com</a>. That's W-I-N-G-L-A-F, the number six at yahoo.com. That's correct.Below is the audio interview.<div><iframe title="Richard Winger" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=etgk2-1718497-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=60a0c8&font-color=&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=ff6d00" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

Transcript: Richard Winger, County Commission 4

Nick Gosnell: Lindsey Hatfield, she is running as a Democrat for the County Commission District 4 seat, which is the seat that includes most of the city of Hutchinson. And good morning, Lindsey.

Lindsey Hatfield: Good morning, Nick. Thanks for having me.

Nick Gosnell: You bet. So first of all, for those folks that don't know you, who is Lindsey Hatfield? And why did you decide to run?

Lindsey Hatfield: I am a Reno County native. I was born and raised here, went to Bueller High School, graduated. Actually, I met my husband, I say this a lot, but I met him at the Hutchinson Mall about 20 years ago when the mall was a booming place to work. And he and I, excuse me, we moved away when I graduated and went to college. And then in 2018, after we had been married for some time and had a couple of kids, we decided to come back to Reno County to raise our kids and put down roots here because I loved growing up here. And I knew that this would be an amazing place to raise our family and my whole, the rest of my family, my mom and sisters are here. So that's why we came back. And since coming back, I've opened a small business. I own Salt City Scoops, which is a little food trailer that we run mostly in the spring and summertime. We sell ice cream cookie sandwiches. And I also work from home full time in property management. So I do have that full-time job. And then we do that Salt City Scoops on the side. And I'm PTO vice president. I got involved in my kids' school. They go to Allen STEM Magnet School. And we've just been really enjoying a calmer, wonderful way of life for our kids in Hutchinson because I loved growing up here.

Nick Gosnell: All right. So how does running for county commission help support that way of life?

Lindsey Hatfield: Well, the running for it does not support a calmer. It's a lot of work right now. But I knew when we moved back, I wanted to get involved. Part of my, I had some frustration with our town and our counties is the feeling that it's not progressing, that we are somewhat of a regressive county commission.&nbsp; And I feel like we need different leadership, younger leadership, people who have a different vision for Reno County, who are at a different place in their lives and really are going to be here for the rest of their lives. And so I knew I wanted to get involved. And to me, it's just about helping to create a community that I want to continue living in for the rest of my life.&nbsp; And I want my kids to put down roots and stay here as well.

Nick Gosnell: Economic development is such a big part of what every county wants to do. And yesterday was a massive day for Reno County economic development with the building of the power plant by Evergy.&nbsp; Now that has been proposed for 2030, they're going to start construction in 2027. And between the power that will be available and the water rights that are available in the city of Hutchinson, it seems like the county is primed for further economic development. How would you as a member of the county commission set policy to foster that and to keep that momentum going forward?

Lindsey Hatfield: Yeah, first of all, I was so excited. I got an email an hour before, well, I got it the night before, but I read it an hour before that press conference and I went over there. It was such an exciting press conference to be there live when it was announced. So how I would help foster that is economic development is such an important part of our community.&nbsp; And I would make sure that any, so any ideas that are brought forth to the county commission, we really are supporting. We're supporting places like our chamber of commerce and other programs in Hutchinson that are really doing the hard heavy lifting for economic development and making sure that we support them in any way that we can, because that is really economic development is the only way we're going to progress and move forward as a county.

Nick Gosnell: As I said to your opponent when I interviewed him earlier on this morning, no matter who wins, it looks like there's going to be two new county commissioners and three, I don't want to say old county commissioners, but three remaining county commissioners. That's it. So how do you persuade when a majority of the commission at least has pointed in a direction and now you, now you need to persuade at least one of them if you want to change the direction at all?

Lindsey Hatfield: Sure. I don't think of it so much as persuasion as just having a conversation and working with them and maybe getting them to understand where I'm coming from. Obviously when you work with anybody, it's a give and take, right? So I want to hear what they have to say and really take that in and, and, and discuss that. And I would hope that they would be willing to give the same back to me so that we could find common ground because really, I think we all probably share the same, what we want for Reno County, how we want it to be. It's just getting there and finding the way to that.

Nick Gosnell: The Reno County health department was put out front as all health departments across the state were during COVID. But the health department does a whole lot of things that, that have nothing to do with infectious disease. And when we're getting back to, I'm praying, normal life, at least closer to normal than we've been in the last five years, talk about the importance of supporting what they do, speaking generally, because the health department is one of the larger departments that the county actually has some oversight over in a way that they maybe don't the other ones that are just for want of a better way of putting it, branch offices of the state, like the treasurer and so on.

Lindsey Hatfield: Right. So that was really the catalyst for me running for this position was the fact that our incumbent, the person who's currently there, essentially felt like wanted to dismantle the health department. And, and, and to me, it's such a vital and important part of our community. As a kid, I got vaccinated there. And I know that it's the only place in Reno County that women can get access to WIC, women, infant and children, which is from pregnancy all through age five.&nbsp; It's extremely important. That's not all that they do, but it is the health of our community. It has to be a place for everyone in the county to be able to come and receive health services. And so that is our responsibility, not only to fund that, but to make sure that it continues and continues to help us have a thriving community.

Nick Gosnell: All right. The county commission, the basic function of it now, as opposed to maybe what it was 20, 30 years ago, now, now that they have a professional administrator, it isn't so much about the day to day deciding what the, uh, what, what check gets written today, as much as it is getting the general direction of the budget and the priorities for the county as a whole from a year to year basis. So what is your experience in that area of things in terms of budgeting and saying, okay, this is a good idea, but maybe not right now. Or this is an idea that we need to do now to set the, to set the pace for future years. How do you make those decisions? How does that go through your mind when you're making decisions for the short, medium and long term?

Lindsey Hatfield: Right. This is where I think my day job helps a lot because I work in property management or asset management. So you're dealing with an asset, a property and Reno County is also an asset, right? And so part of that is creating a budget for your year, looking at your income and your expenses. But a lot, a big part of asset management is not having deferred maintenance. So taking care of the little things, not putting a bandaid over something that's just going to cost you more money down the road. Um, so for me, I'm very comfortable creating budgets, working with budgets cause it's what I do in my day job. And it's really about planning for the big expenses.&nbsp; You're not going to have to replace your roof every year, but eventually you're going to need to replace your roof. You can't keep spending thousands of dollars, patching it and patching it and patching it when really you just need to replace it. So I have a lot of experience with that side sort of stuff with property management and, and I'm very comfortable with budgets.

Nick Gosnell: All right. And there are some areas, as I alluded to earlier, that are branch offices of the state, like the county treasurer basically has to follow whatever the statute says with regard to that county appraiser for all of the frustration that people have with their appraisals and the changes in that kind of stuff. Most of that is statutorily based and has to do with just comparables and those sorts of things.&nbsp; I've talked to the appraiser about that. So in those areas where you may not have a ton of ability to change what they do because the statute says what it says, well, how do you, how do you say to them, okay, yeah, we know you have to do this, but maybe you can do it in a different way, uh, in an effort to, to save the taxpayers money where it's even possible.

Lindsey Hatfield: I think you just hit the nail on the head. You say to them, I know you have to do this, but let's rethink this. Is there a different way that we can do this, hopefully to save people money? Uh, I mean, that's, that's getting into the nitty gritty of it. And I'm sure if I'm elected, um, you know, I'll have a lot of experience with that.&nbsp; But for me, it's all about trying to find new ways of doing things different than what we have been doing. Because to me, it feels like a lot of what we're doing is not helping us progress and move forward as a county. And we're just sort of stagnant and, and that's not my vision for the future.&nbsp; And I think a lot of people who live here, that's not our vision. We want to see people moving back to Reno County and not moving away. And that's what's been happening.&nbsp; So we just need new leadership with a vision who is willing to try something different than what we've been doing.

Nick Gosnell: All right. So how can folks find out more about your campaign and find out more about, uh, just how you plan to deal with issues? They can do so online, right?

Lindsey Hatfield: Yeah. I have a website <a href="http://voteforhatfield.com">voteforhatfield.com</a>. You can go there and you can find out all about me. You can also email me <a href="mailto:Hatfieldforcommissioner@gmail.com">Hatfieldforcommissioner@gmail.com</a>. I'm happy to answer any emails as well, and I live in Hyde Park. I have, I'm right across from the Hyde Park here or that little, you know, the grassy Hyde Park. So come over and say hi, if you want to, we've got all our scary Halloween decorations out right now.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1693410500058.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Nick Gosnell: Lindsey Hatfield, she is running as a Democrat for the County Commission District 4 seat, which is the seat that includes most of the city of Hutchinson. And good morning, Lindsey. Lindsey Hatfield: Good morning, Nick. Thanks for having me. Nick Gosnell: You bet. So first of all, for those folks that don't know you, who is Lindsey Hatfield? And why did you decide to run? Lindsey Hatfield: I am a Reno County native. I was born and raised here, went to Bueller High School, graduated. Actually, I met my husband, I say this a lot, but I met him at the Hutchinson Mall about 20 years ago when the mall was a booming place to work. And he and I, excuse me, we moved away when I graduated and went to college. And then in 2018, after we had been married for some time and had a couple of kids, we decided to come back to Reno County to raise our kids and put down roots here because I loved growing up here. And I knew that this would be an amazing place to raise our family and my whole, the rest of my family, my mom and sisters are here. So that's why we came back. And since coming back, I've opened a small business. I own Salt City Scoops, which is a little food trailer that we run mostly in the spring and summertime. We sell ice cream cookie sandwiches. And I also work from home full time in property management. So I do have that full-time job. And then we do that Salt City Scoops on the side. And I'm PTO vice president. I got involved in my kids' school. They go to Allen STEM Magnet School. And we've just been really enjoying a calmer, wonderful way of life for our kids in Hutchinson because I loved growing up here.Nick Gosnell: All right. So how does running for county commission help support that way of life? Lindsey Hatfield: Well, the running for it does not support a calmer. It's a lot of work right now. But I knew when we moved back, I wanted to get involved. Part of my, I had some frustration with our town and our counties is the feeling that it's not progressing, that we are somewhat of a regressive county commission.&nbsp; And I feel like we need different leadership, younger leadership, people who have a different vision for Reno County, who are at a different place in their lives and really are going to be here for the rest of their lives. And so I knew I wanted to get involved. And to me, it's just about helping to create a community that I want to continue living in for the rest of my life.&nbsp; And I want my kids to put down roots and stay here as well. Nick Gosnell: Economic development is such a big part of what every county wants to do. And yesterday was a massive day for Reno County economic development with the building of the power plant by Evergy.&nbsp; Now that has been proposed for 2030, they're going to start construction in 2027. And between the power that will be available and the water rights that are available in the city of Hutchinson, it seems like the county is primed for further economic development. How would you as a member of the county commission set policy to foster that and to keep that momentum going forward? Lindsey Hatfield: Yeah, first of all, I was so excited. I got an email an hour before, well, I got it the night before, but I read it an hour before that press conference and I went over there. It was such an exciting press conference to be there live when it was announced. So how I would help foster that is economic development is such an important part of our community.&nbsp; And I would make sure that any, so any ideas that are brought forth to the county commission, we really are supporting. We're supporting places like our chamber of commerce and other programs in Hutchinson that are really doing the hard heavy lifting for economic development and making sure that we support them in any way that we can, because that is really economic development is the only way we're going to progress and move forward as a county. Nick Gosnell: As I said to your opponent when I interviewed him earlier on this morning, no matter who wins, it looks like there's going to be two new county commissioners and three, I don't want to say old county commissioners, but three remaining county commissioners. That's it. So how do you persuade when a majority of the commission at least has pointed in a direction and now you, now you need to persuade at least one of them if you want to change the direction at all? Lindsey Hatfield: Sure. I don't think of it so much as persuasion as just having a conversation and working with them and maybe getting them to understand where I'm coming from. Obviously when you work with anybody, it's a give and take, right? So I want to hear what they have to say and really take that in and, and, and discuss that. And I would hope that they would be willing to give the same back to me so that we could find common ground because really, I think we all probably share the same, what we want for Reno County, how we want it to be. It's just getting there and finding the way to that. Nick Gosnell: The Reno County health department was put out front as all health departments across the state were during COVID. But the health department does a whole lot of things that, that have nothing to do with infectious disease. And when we're getting back to, I'm praying, normal life, at least closer to normal than we've been in the last five years, talk about the importance of supporting what they do, speaking generally, because the health department is one of the larger departments that the county actually has some oversight over in a way that they maybe don't the other ones that are just for want of a better way of putting it, branch offices of the state, like the treasurer and so on. Lindsey Hatfield: Right. So that was really the catalyst for me running for this position was the fact that our incumbent, the person who's currently there, essentially felt like wanted to dismantle the health department. And, and, and to me, it's such a vital and important part of our community. As a kid, I got vaccinated there. And I know that it's the only place in Reno County that women can get access to WIC, women, infant and children, which is from pregnancy all through age five.&nbsp; It's extremely important. That's not all that they do, but it is the health of our community. It has to be a place for everyone in the county to be able to come and receive health services. And so that is our responsibility, not only to fund that, but to make sure that it continues and continues to help us have a thriving community. Nick Gosnell: All right. The county commission, the basic function of it now, as opposed to maybe what it was 20, 30 years ago, now, now that they have a professional administrator, it isn't so much about the day to day deciding what the, uh, what, what check gets written today, as much as it is getting the general direction of the budget and the priorities for the county as a whole from a year to year basis. So what is your experience in that area of things in terms of budgeting and saying, okay, this is a good idea, but maybe not right now. Or this is an idea that we need to do now to set the, to set the pace for future years. How do you make those decisions? How does that go through your mind when you're making decisions for the short, medium and long term? Lindsey Hatfield: Right. This is where I think my day job helps a lot because I work in property management or asset management. So you're dealing with an asset, a property and Reno County is also an asset, right? And so part of that is creating a budget for your year, looking at your income and your expenses. But a lot, a big part of asset management is not having deferred maintenance. So taking care of the little things, not putting a bandaid over something that's just going to cost you more money down the road. Um, so for me, I'm very comfortable creating budgets, working with budgets cause it's what I do in my day job. And it's really about planning for the big expenses.&nbsp; You're not going to have to replace your roof every year, but eventually you're going to need to replace your roof. You can't keep spending thousands of dollars, patching it and patching it and patching it when really you just need to replace it. So I have a lot of experience with that side sort of stuff with property management and, and I'm very comfortable with budgets. Nick Gosnell: All right. And there are some areas, as I alluded to earlier, that are branch offices of the state, like the county treasurer basically has to follow whatever the statute says with regard to that county appraiser for all of the frustration that people have with their appraisals and the changes in that kind of stuff. Most of that is statutorily based and has to do with just comparables and those sorts of things.&nbsp; I've talked to the appraiser about that. So in those areas where you may not have a ton of ability to change what they do because the statute says what it says, well, how do you, how do you say to them, okay, yeah, we know you have to do this, but maybe you can do it in a different way, uh, in an effort to, to save the taxpayers money where it's even possible. Lindsey Hatfield: I think you just hit the nail on the head. You say to them, I know you have to do this, but let's rethink this. Is there a different way that we can do this, hopefully to save people money? Uh, I mean, that's, that's getting into the nitty gritty of it. And I'm sure if I'm elected, um, you know, I'll have a lot of experience with that.&nbsp; But for me, it's all about trying to find new ways of doing things different than what we have been doing. Because to me, it feels like a lot of what we're doing is not helping us progress and move forward as a county. And we're just sort of stagnant and, and that's not my vision for the future.&nbsp; And I think a lot of people who live here, that's not our vision. We want to see people moving back to Reno County and not moving away. And that's what's been happening.&nbsp; So we just need new leadership with a vision who is willing to try something different than what we've been doing. Nick Gosnell: All right. So how can folks find out more about your campaign and find out more about, uh, just how you plan to deal with issues? They can do so online, right? Lindsey Hatfield: Yeah. I have a website <a href="http://voteforhatfield.com">voteforhatfield.com</a>. You can go there and you can find out all about me. You can also email me <a href="mailto:Hatfieldforcommissioner@gmail.com">Hatfieldforcommissioner@gmail.com</a>. I'm happy to answer any emails as well, and I live in Hyde Park. I have, I'm right across from the Hyde Park here or that little, you know, the grassy Hyde Park. So come over and say hi, if you want to, we've got all our scary Halloween decorations out right now.Below is the audio interview.<div><iframe title="Lindsey Hatfield" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=shi38-17184ac-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=60a0c8&font-color=&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=ff6d00" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

🎧 Transcript: Lindsey Hatfield, County Commission 4

HUTCHINSON, Kan. —&nbsp;Evergy on Monday announced it will invest in two new 705 megawatt (MW) combined-cycle natural gas plants that will be built in Kansas. The plants are expected to begin operating in 2029 and 2030. One of the plants will be in Reno County at the corner of Morgan Ave. and McNew Road near South Hutchinson.

"During construction, each will bring about 500 jobs to the community," said David Campbell, Evergy Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer."When in operation, we expect about 20 to 40 good paying jobs, permanent jobs. Over its lifetime, the plant will generate about $500 million in taxes to help support schools, roads and public services here in Kansas."

The intent is for this plant to be able to ramp up or ramp down, depending on the base generation need.

"Natural gas is an abundant, economical fuel in our area," Campbell said. "These plants will also be efficient in their use of Kansas' other natural resources. Water is a good example, and I know it's important to all of us. These new plants will be air cooled, so each requires a fraction of the water that is associated with older power plants. In every aspect, these plants are built to meet our needs today, but also our needs for decades to come."

The placement of the plant in Reno County is advantageous for several reasons.

"Hutchinson is a great place to site a new power plant," Campbell said. "To keep a natural gas plant cost-effective in construction, you need to find available land, about 150 acres, with access to a gas pipeline, with access to the power grid. It's also important to find a community that welcomes the investment. We found that in our wonderful partners here in Hutchinson."

The natural gas plants will represent a major investment in the state’s energy infrastructure that will serve customers for 40 years.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729533611500.jpeg" alt="Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber of Commerce CEO Debra Teufel speaks to the crowd assembled at the Evergy announcement on Monday at the 1861 Club on the Kansas State Fairgrounds on October 21, 2024. Photo by Nick Gosnell." />
 <figcaption>Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber of Commerce CEO Debra Teufel speaks to the crowd assembled at the Evergy announcement on Monday at the 1861 Club on the Kansas State Fairgrounds on October 21, 2024. Photo by Nick Gosnell.</figcaption>
 </figure>NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. —&nbsp;Evergy on Monday announced it will invest in two new 705 megawatt (MW) combined-cycle natural gas plants that will be built in Kansas. The plants are expected to begin operating in 2029 and 2030. One of the plants will be in Reno County at the corner of Morgan Ave. and McNew Road near South Hutchinson."During construction, each will bring about 500 jobs to the community," said David Campbell, Evergy Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer."When in operation, we expect about 20 to 40 good paying jobs, permanent jobs. Over its lifetime, the plant will generate about $500 million in taxes to help support schools, roads and public services here in Kansas."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729533986696.png" alt="The plant site for the new Evergy plant is near South Hutchinson in Reno County. Graphic courtesy Evergy." />
 <figcaption>The plant site for the new Evergy plant is near South Hutchinson in Reno County. Graphic courtesy Evergy.</figcaption>
 </figure>The intent is for this plant to be able to ramp up or ramp down, depending on the base generation need."Natural gas is an abundant, economical fuel in our area," Campbell said. "These plants will also be efficient in their use of Kansas' other natural resources. Water is a good example, and I know it's important to all of us. These new plants will be air cooled, so each requires a fraction of the water that is associated with older power plants. In every aspect, these plants are built to meet our needs today, but also our needs for decades to come."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729598068277.png" alt="A rendering of the proposed Hutchinson 705 MW Evergy Plant. " />
 <figcaption>A rendering of the proposed Hutchinson 705 MW Evergy Plant. </figcaption>
 </figure>The placement of the plant in Reno County is advantageous for several reasons."Hutchinson is a great place to site a new power plant," Campbell said. "To keep a natural gas plant cost-effective in construction, you need to find available land, about 150 acres, with access to a gas pipeline, with access to the power grid. It's also important to find a community that welcomes the investment. We found that in our wonderful partners here in Hutchinson."The natural gas plants will represent a major investment in the state’s energy infrastructure that will serve customers for 40 years.Video of the press event is below.<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/y_sGnE26DzQ?si=_qHVqdwMkTDq5EQE" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>

Evergy to build 705 MW natural gas plant in Reno County

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Dillon Lecture Series announced the speakers for the 2025 season this week.

The lecture schedule kicks off with Rob Kenney on February 4. Known affectionately as the “internet Dad”, Kenney rose to fame in 2020 with his YouTube channel “Dad, How Do I?”, where he generates practical advice and life skills for people who may not have had a father figure in their lives. Kenney’s warm and encouraging demeanor has earned him millions of followers, turning him into a comforting father figure for many.

On April 1, the speaker will be author actor, musician, comedian and activist Tyler Merritt. Merritt has devoted his creativity to bringing his ethos of “Love. Learn. Create.” to life through his words and videos as part of The Tyler Merritt Project.

September 16 will feature former chief of counterintelligence at the CIA Jim Olson. Olson served for over thirty years in the Directorate of Operations of the Central Intelligence Agency, mostly overseas in clandestine operations. In addition to several foreign assignments, he was Chief of Counterintelligence at CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia.

Finally, the October 28 speaker will be award-winning broadcaster Joel Goldberg. Goldberg has been a member of the Kansas City Royals television broadcast since 2008, serving as the host of every pregame and postgame show on FOX Sports Kansas City and Bally Sports KC.

2025 will be the 44th season for the Dillon Lecture Series on the Hutchinson Community College campus. For more information on the Dillon Lecture Series, or for information on how to become a patron, contact Becky Rogers at 620-665-3505 or <a href="mailto:rogersb@hutchcc.edu">rogersb@hutchcc.edu</a> or visit the college website at <a href="http://www.hutchcc.edu/dls">www.hutchcc.edu/dls</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729537541470.jpeg" alt="2025 Dillon Lecture Series Speakers" />
 <figcaption>2025 Dillon Lecture Series Speakers</figcaption>
 </figure>Hutchinson Community CollegeHUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Dillon Lecture Series announced the speakers for the 2025 season this week.The lecture schedule kicks off with Rob Kenney on February 4. Known affectionately as the “internet Dad”, Kenney rose to fame in 2020 with his YouTube channel “Dad, How Do I?”, where he generates practical advice and life skills for people who may not have had a father figure in their lives. Kenney’s warm and encouraging demeanor has earned him millions of followers, turning him into a comforting father figure for many.On April 1, the speaker will be author actor, musician, comedian and activist Tyler Merritt. Merritt has devoted his creativity to bringing his ethos of “Love. Learn. Create.” to life through his words and videos as part of The Tyler Merritt Project.September 16 will feature former chief of counterintelligence at the CIA Jim Olson. Olson served for over thirty years in the Directorate of Operations of the Central Intelligence Agency, mostly overseas in clandestine operations. In addition to several foreign assignments, he was Chief of Counterintelligence at CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia.Finally, the October 28 speaker will be award-winning broadcaster Joel Goldberg. Goldberg has been a member of the Kansas City Royals television broadcast since 2008, serving as the host of every pregame and postgame show on FOX Sports Kansas City and Bally Sports KC.2025 will be the 44th season for the Dillon Lecture Series on the Hutchinson Community College campus. For more information on the Dillon Lecture Series, or for information on how to become a patron, contact Becky Rogers at 620-665-3505 or <a href="mailto:rogersb@hutchcc.edu">rogersb@hutchcc.edu</a> or visit the college website at <a href="http://www.hutchcc.edu/dls">www.hutchcc.edu/dls</a>.

Dillon Lecture Series speakers announced

AMBER OSNER Central Christian School

CASSODAY, Kan. — On Saturday, October 12, 2024, John Walker was up before the sun. Having just flown in from a training event in Arizona, he slept in his car awaiting the start of a new challenge. He laced up his shoes, filled his water bottles, and his crew was ready to embark on a new adventure together. John was preparing to run the Heartland 100 race. The Heartland 100 is a foot race that is 100 miles long.

John is a father of four who wants to show his children that anything is possible. John’s own grandfather made it a tradition to ride his bike 100 miles each year on his birthday.

His final annual ride was on his 89th birthday. “He was an inspiration to me. I want to be an inspiration to other people – as much as I can be. I’m not special. Anyone can do hard things,” Walker states.

Dr. John Walker is the Superintendent of Central Christian School. He has a heart for low and middle income families who would like more access to private education, and has spent many hours conversing with congressmen at the national level and statesmen at the state level to assist more families who desire a private school education. With that desire, he chose to raise money for tuition assistance by running a 100-mile foot race. “The Lord was so kind to allow me to do this race and raise funds and awareness for tuition assistance at Central Christian School.”

John spent four months preparing for the Heartland 100. His training was physical, mental, and spiritual. The longest consecutive distance John had run before the Heartland 100 was 54 miles! He did have doubts about his ability to finish 100 miles, but, as with most anything, a good support system is vital. Once a week for four months he would have a long run of 27-32 miles. The next day he would run another 10-12 miles on tired legs to get his body acclimated to running tired.

On race day there were four races of varying lengths happening at the same time in Cassoday, KS. Walker chose to wear a shirt that says, “Jesus is King.” He explains his reasoning, saying, “I thought this would be a fun way to share with other people who I am, first of all, but second of all to see if there were opportunities for questions and discussion. I got lots of comments on the shirt. One guy I was talking to was an atheist and we had some cool conversations about that.”

John ran his race in 28 hours and saw the sunrise… twice. “One of the coolest moments was the last five miles of the race when my body stopped fighting me and it actually felt good to run at a faster pace. We were able to finish those last miles strong. I didn’t expect to be so emotional crossing the finish line. There were so many times I could have twisted my ankle. There were lots of people who dropped out of the race. I believe there were nearly 40 people who were signed up to do the 100 mile and only 21 finished. The Lord was so kind to provide friends for me to help me finish this race, a loving wife, and all of the things I needed to finish the race.”

John says he could not have completed his race without his crew. He had three pacers starting at mile 42 who took turns running about 20 miles each. Many of those miles were run in the dead of night. “I was thinking how much of a blessing that was through the entire race, how they were looking out for my well-being that I was nourished, but also to make sure that my foot would not stumble.” Dr. John Walker spoke to the secondary students at Central Christian School and said, “It’s so important who you surround yourself with. It’s so important that you surround yourself with friends who look out for not only where you are, but where you’re going so you don’t stumble and fall in the darkness of night.”

The motivation for the race was to raise funds for Central Christian’s tuition assistance program so more families can be a part of the school. To date, the race raised more than $18,000. “I am humbled by how much the Lord has provided for tuition assistance.” Walker says.

Due to some varying factors, Walker totaled 101.5 miles. Those who know John aren’t surprised as he typically goes above and beyond what anyone asks of him. When asked to recap the event, John Walker recounts, “So many lessons learned, honestly. I could talk for hours. But mostly, glad I finished, glad the Lord provided, and glad for the opportunities to learn lessons from Jesus along the way.”

If you are interested in giving to support students in this way, you can submit your pledge by mail, in person, or online by visiting <a href="https://www.cougarsccs.com/support-ccs/">https://www.cougarsccs.com/support-ccs/</a>.

Please note that it is for the Heartland 100.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729536904614.jpeg" alt="Central Christian School Superintendent Dr. John Walker completed a 100-mile race earlier this month. Contributed photo." />
 <figcaption>Central Christian School Superintendent Dr. John Walker completed a 100-mile race earlier this month. Contributed photo.</figcaption>
 </figure>AMBER OSNER Central Christian SchoolCASSODAY, Kan. — On Saturday, October 12, 2024, John Walker was up before the sun. Having just flown in from a training event in Arizona, he slept in his car awaiting the start of a new challenge. He laced up his shoes, filled his water bottles, and his crew was ready to embark on a new adventure together. John was preparing to run the Heartland 100 race. The Heartland 100 is a foot race that is 100 miles long.John is a father of four who wants to show his children that anything is possible. John’s own grandfather made it a tradition to ride his bike 100 miles each year on his birthday.His final annual ride was on his 89th birthday. “He was an inspiration to me. I want to be an inspiration to other people – as much as I can be. I’m not special. Anyone can do hard things,” Walker states.Dr. John Walker is the Superintendent of Central Christian School. He has a heart for low and middle income families who would like more access to private education, and has spent many hours conversing with congressmen at the national level and statesmen at the state level to assist more families who desire a private school education. With that desire, he chose to raise money for tuition assistance by running a 100-mile foot race. “The Lord was so kind to allow me to do this race and raise funds and awareness for tuition assistance at Central Christian School.”John spent four months preparing for the Heartland 100. His training was physical, mental, and spiritual. The longest consecutive distance John had run before the Heartland 100 was 54 miles! He did have doubts about his ability to finish 100 miles, but, as with most anything, a good support system is vital. Once a week for four months he would have a long run of 27-32 miles. The next day he would run another 10-12 miles on tired legs to get his body acclimated to running tired.On race day there were four races of varying lengths happening at the same time in Cassoday, KS. Walker chose to wear a shirt that says, “Jesus is King.” He explains his reasoning, saying, “I thought this would be a fun way to share with other people who I am, first of all, but second of all to see if there were opportunities for questions and discussion. I got lots of comments on the shirt. One guy I was talking to was an atheist and we had some cool conversations about that.”John ran his race in 28 hours and saw the sunrise… twice. “One of the coolest moments was the last five miles of the race when my body stopped fighting me and it actually felt good to run at a faster pace. We were able to finish those last miles strong. I didn’t expect to be so emotional crossing the finish line. There were so many times I could have twisted my ankle. There were lots of people who dropped out of the race. I believe there were nearly 40 people who were signed up to do the 100 mile and only 21 finished. The Lord was so kind to provide friends for me to help me finish this race, a loving wife, and all of the things I needed to finish the race.”John says he could not have completed his race without his crew. He had three pacers starting at mile 42 who took turns running about 20 miles each. Many of those miles were run in the dead of night. “I was thinking how much of a blessing that was through the entire race, how they were looking out for my well-being that I was nourished, but also to make sure that my foot would not stumble.” Dr. John Walker spoke to the secondary students at Central Christian School and said, “It’s so important who you surround yourself with. It’s so important that you surround yourself with friends who look out for not only where you are, but where you’re going so you don’t stumble and fall in the darkness of night.”The motivation for the race was to raise funds for Central Christian’s tuition assistance program so more families can be a part of the school. To date, the race raised more than $18,000. “I am humbled by how much the Lord has provided for tuition assistance.” Walker says.Due to some varying factors, Walker totaled 101.5 miles. Those who know John aren’t surprised as he typically goes above and beyond what anyone asks of him. When asked to recap the event, John Walker recounts, “So many lessons learned, honestly. I could talk for hours. But mostly, glad I finished, glad the Lord provided, and glad for the opportunities to learn lessons from Jesus along the way.”If you are interested in giving to support students in this way, you can submit your pledge by mail, in person, or online by visiting <a href="https://www.cougarsccs.com/support-ccs/">https://www.cougarsccs.com/support-ccs/</a>. Please note that it is for the Heartland 100.

Walker becomes runner to assist CCS students

HUTCHINSON, Kan. —&nbsp;Creighton University economist Ernie Goss sees more cuts coming from the Federal Reserve before the end of 2024.

"Well, I think there's going to be another 50 basis point cuts in total," Goss said. "That'll bring the prime interest rate down to seven and a half percent, that'll bring the funds rate down to four and a half percent. I think they're gonna have to quit that. I think there's too much in inflationary pressures out there right now and we're gonna see it suddenly hit again sometime in 2025, probably the latter part."

Just because the Fed cuts one rate doesn't mean they all come down.

"When the Fed reduced interest rates on this in September, September the 18th, what that did was you saw short-term rates come down but long-term rates actually went up," Goss said. "So mortgage rates, which are tied to long-term rates, went up, so the interest rates on farmland purchases also went up and we're seeing that now."

This is part of why housing prices remain elevated, even in tougher overall economic conditions. Goss quoted Nixon-era economist Herb Stein.

"He said if something can't go on forever, it will stop," Goss said. "This cannot go on forever, but right now it's being supported to a large degree by the builders. The affordability index in terms of housing right now is its lowest level ever. Nationwide we're talking about for spending 40 to 45 percent of your monthly income is going to purchase by a new home buyer, so that's that's way way too high."

An ideal rate for mortgages is no more than 25% of your take home pay.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721252530350.jpg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. —&nbsp;Creighton University economist Ernie Goss sees more cuts coming from the Federal Reserve before the end of 2024."Well, I think there's going to be another 50 basis point cuts in total," Goss said. "That'll bring the prime interest rate down to seven and a half percent, that'll bring the funds rate down to four and a half percent. I think they're gonna have to quit that. I think there's too much in inflationary pressures out there right now and we're gonna see it suddenly hit again sometime in 2025, probably the latter part."Just because the Fed cuts one rate doesn't mean they all come down."When the Fed reduced interest rates on this in September, September the 18th, what that did was you saw short-term rates come down but long-term rates actually went up," Goss said. "So mortgage rates, which are tied to long-term rates, went up, so the interest rates on farmland purchases also went up and we're seeing that now."This is part of why housing prices remain elevated, even in tougher overall economic conditions. Goss quoted Nixon-era economist Herb Stein."He said if something can't go on forever, it will stop," Goss said. "This cannot go on forever, but right now it's being supported to a large degree by the builders. The affordability index in terms of housing right now is its lowest level ever. Nationwide we're talking about for spending 40 to 45 percent of your monthly income is going to purchase by a new home buyer, so that's that's way way too high."An ideal rate for mortgages is no more than 25% of your take home pay.

Goss: More Fed cuts coming

STERLING, Kan. — KMW Ltd. is holding a special event on Thursday to commemorate Apprenticeship Week.

The event is celebrate the KMW Learning Academy U.S. DOL Certified Apprentices. The event kicks off with a Panel Q&amp;A discussion with the apprenticeship graduates. Immediately following refreshments will be served. Tours will be available.

The event is Thursday at 10:00 a.m. at 535 West Garfield Ave. in Sterling.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729536307661.png" alt="Image Courtesy KMW" />
 <figcaption>Image Courtesy KMW</figcaption>
 </figure>KMW Ltd.STERLING, Kan. — KMW Ltd. is holding a special event on Thursday to commemorate Apprenticeship Week.The event is celebrate the KMW Learning Academy U.S. DOL Certified Apprentices. The event kicks off with a Panel Q&amp;A discussion with the apprenticeship graduates. Immediately following refreshments will be served. Tours will be available.The event is Thursday at 10:00 a.m. at 535 West Garfield Ave. in Sterling.

Sterling manufacturer to celebrate Apprenticeship Week

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — On Saturday, October 26th, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. the Hutchinson Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration will host DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. 

DEA and its partners will collect tablets, capsules, patches, and other solid forms of prescription drugs. 

For more than a decade, the event has helped Americans easily rid their homes of unneeded medications—those that are old, unwanted, or expired—that too often become a gateway to addiction.

Take Back Day offers free and anonymous disposal of unneeded medications at close to 5,000 local drop-off locations nationwide.

What: National Prescription Drug Take Back Day When: Saturday, October 26th, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Who: Hutchinson Police Department Where: Dillon’s Marketplace 3200 Plaza East Drive

There is also a site at 120 E. Seventh St. in Newton at the Harvey County Law Enforcement Center on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.&nbsp;

In partnership with local law enforcement, Take Back Day has removed 9,285 tons of medication from circulation since its inception.

Collection sites will not accept syringes, sharps, and illicit drugs. Liquid products, such as cough syrup, should remain sealed in their original container. The cap must be tightly sealed to prevent leakage. 

For more information and to find a collection site near you, visit <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.DEATakeBack.com%2F%3Ffbclid%3DIwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR3PnK8xDsENB9m0erpS0IkFdmhSLHYUnSCRpNk0Jmqav6GtllFeleaE8Q4_aem_IMgYdyWBc3n54pnKF7aJZg&amp;h=AT2Fra_kt10jf-OvBEl1vlTJwUj0D-KjSaXf-F6kEaQLDBkrP_pN-Fez81pXfi4dyJXslh9O7WAKxmRFjAsrnDSleyu02ykUOPyCP-_IBmieVN3HYq58Ey4wTyDU2Trekg&amp;__tn__=-UK-R&amp;c[0]=AT1oCpX48kmXhQyAUP5W7_7-j09JiXaaGYQ2qyVSCVj_QK3u_F-r2aAiYn1p9mQUPKi30SQy4QQJzUyx3d9CZOplhsYw0qG482SN8Q4ZTa4C5yLF95wVU2pB8-y7wb27nq6Zvd3JAUm7S0n-dYYPKRvgzU38KbNMJZ2Vql2TsR6VuMQmkM9db5U6qB8J1gbEisXADV_21MNTWDIX2KwO7gW_2mU" target="_blank">www.DEATakeBack.com.</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/4/1649425918023.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>HUTCHINSON, Kan. — On Saturday, October 26th, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. the Hutchinson Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration will host DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. DEA and its partners will collect tablets, capsules, patches, and other solid forms of prescription drugs. For more than a decade, the event has helped Americans easily rid their homes of unneeded medications—those that are old, unwanted, or expired—that too often become a gateway to addiction.Take Back Day offers free and anonymous disposal of unneeded medications at close to 5,000 local drop-off locations nationwide.What: National Prescription Drug Take Back Day When: Saturday, October 26th, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Who: Hutchinson Police Department Where: Dillon’s Marketplace 3200 Plaza East DriveThere is also a site at 120 E. Seventh St. in Newton at the Harvey County Law Enforcement Center on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.&nbsp;In partnership with local law enforcement, Take Back Day has removed 9,285 tons of medication from circulation since its inception.Collection sites will not accept syringes, sharps, and illicit drugs. Liquid products, such as cough syrup, should remain sealed in their original container. The cap must be tightly sealed to prevent leakage. For more information and to find a collection site near you, visit <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.DEATakeBack.com%2F%3Ffbclid%3DIwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR3PnK8xDsENB9m0erpS0IkFdmhSLHYUnSCRpNk0Jmqav6GtllFeleaE8Q4_aem_IMgYdyWBc3n54pnKF7aJZg&amp;h=AT2Fra_kt10jf-OvBEl1vlTJwUj0D-KjSaXf-F6kEaQLDBkrP_pN-Fez81pXfi4dyJXslh9O7WAKxmRFjAsrnDSleyu02ykUOPyCP-_IBmieVN3HYq58Ey4wTyDU2Trekg&amp;__tn__=-UK-R&amp;c[0]=AT1oCpX48kmXhQyAUP5W7_7-j09JiXaaGYQ2qyVSCVj_QK3u_F-r2aAiYn1p9mQUPKi30SQy4QQJzUyx3d9CZOplhsYw0qG482SN8Q4ZTa4C5yLF95wVU2pB8-y7wb27nq6Zvd3JAUm7S0n-dYYPKRvgzU38KbNMJZ2Vql2TsR6VuMQmkM9db5U6qB8J1gbEisXADV_21MNTWDIX2KwO7gW_2mU" target="_blank">www.DEATakeBack.com.</a>

Drug Take Back Day is Saturday

Glenn Brunkow, Pottawatomie County farmer and rancher

In about two weeks or so it will be Election Day. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I cannot wait for it to be over. I will not say another word about the campaigns because my mother told me, “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.”

However, I do want to emphasize how important it is to get out and exercise your right to vote no matter what. Despite what you may have heard, we still live in the freest nation on Earth with the greatest opportunities in the world. That is all dependent on all of us doing our part and getting out to cast our vote.

The price that has been paid to give you the privilege of voting came at a great cost, and it is our duty to honor those who sacrificed for that right. I know it is easy to be discouraged about the current state of things, but that is no reason not to vote.

And if you are discouraged, that’s all the more reason to get involved, especially at the local level. I would encourage all of you to check out Engaged Kansas at www.engagedkansas.org and learn more about how to be a force for positive change in your community. I truly believe it will take all of us being involved at the local level to make a difference. But enough of my soapbox.

I also want to remind you that early voting is an option. I admit I resisted voting before Election Day for a long time. There is something about voting on that day. I have softened that view and I even voted early in the last primary. It does take some of the uncertainty out of having just one day to vote. It takes things like bad weather or unplanned calamities out of the equation. That is the long way of me saying vote early take the doubt out of it. Whether it comes early or on Election Day, your vote is counted the same.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1576508626397.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Glenn Brunkow, Pottawatomie County farmer and rancherIn about two weeks or so it will be Election Day. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I cannot wait for it to be over. I will not say another word about the campaigns because my mother told me, “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.”However, I do want to emphasize how important it is to get out and exercise your right to vote no matter what. Despite what you may have heard, we still live in the freest nation on Earth with the greatest opportunities in the world. That is all dependent on all of us doing our part and getting out to cast our vote.The price that has been paid to give you the privilege of voting came at a great cost, and it is our duty to honor those who sacrificed for that right. I know it is easy to be discouraged about the current state of things, but that is no reason not to vote.And if you are discouraged, that’s all the more reason to get involved, especially at the local level. I would encourage all of you to check out Engaged Kansas at www.engagedkansas.org and learn more about how to be a force for positive change in your community. I truly believe it will take all of us being involved at the local level to make a difference. But enough of my soapbox.I also want to remind you that early voting is an option. I admit I resisted voting before Election Day for a long time. There is something about voting on that day. I have softened that view and I even voted early in the last primary. It does take some of the uncertainty out of having just one day to vote. It takes things like bad weather or unplanned calamities out of the equation. That is the long way of me saying vote early take the doubt out of it. Whether it comes early or on Election Day, your vote is counted the same.The bottom line is it is important for each one of us who can vote to exercise the right. I know, some of us don’t have much to vote on either. In many cases in Kansas the primary decided the race, but it is still important to cast your vote. There are also many of us who still have contested races, in your case, it is even more important to cast that ballot. I would bet there will be many races decided by a handful of votes.We all have a million things to do, and it is easy to talk ourselves into thinking our vote does not matter or it won’t make a difference. I am here to tell you it does make a difference and your vote does matter. Whether it is this week, next week or Nov. 5, take the time and go cast your vote. I promise I will, and I will proudly wear the sticker to prove it."Insight" is a weekly column published by Kansas Farm Bureau, the state's largest farm organization whose mission is to strengthen agriculture and the lives of Kansans through advocacy, education and service. Copyright © 2024 Kansas Farm Bureau, All rights reserved.

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