Nick Gosnell: In studio with us this morning is Kyler Sweely. He is running as a Republican for the House District 102 seat. And good morning, Kyler. How are you?

Kyler Sweely: Good morning, how are you guys?

Nick Gosnell:&nbsp;Doing OK. Just want you to let people know who you are a little bit, because you won the primary, but if they haven't been paying attention since mid-August, then just want people to kind of know who Kyler is. So talk about being from this part of the state and just a little bit about your background.

Kyler Sweely:&nbsp;Yeah, so I was born and raised in Newton. Everyone tries to say it's so far away. It's 25 minutes away, so it's not any really different of an upbringing than Hutchinson. In public school, spent my whole life there. And then I enlisted in the Army right out of high school, where I served a couple months under five years, deployed twice. And then when I got out of the Army, I started working on the financial budget side of things in Topeka, and that's where I fell into it, and fell in love with politics, and saw the gap or the misrepresentation that was happening at the state level. So I ultimately decided to run.

Nick Gosnell:&nbsp;All right, so talk to me about, because you haven't introduced yourself to people, I'll bet you've knocked on a lot of doors in this district. Talk to me about what you've heard from people when you've talked to them.

Kyler Sweely:&nbsp;Yeah, so I mean, I've been pretty much out every single day since the primary. And even during the primary, I mean, I'm over just myself, no outside help or anything, over 5,000 doors in the last couple of months, which I think would be a hard number to compete with for sure. But the biggest thing is this inflation that everyone's feeling, and mostly that's a national level. But the things at the state level that we can do a lot is this property tax and just straight taxes all aboard. It seems like everything in Kansas is continuing to rise, and it's harder for people to afford things like groceries and everything else without having property taxes just every single year continue to rise.

Nick Gosnell:&nbsp;All right, now, most of the property tax burden that comes to people is stuff that is local government. Here in Hutchinson, the JUCO is also a property tax piece. But the part that the state legislature has at least some control over is the 20 mills connected with the school finance formula. Now, there is the issue of the school finance lawsuit that was settled and is now done, and how adjusting the school finance formula at all could impact future action in that. But that said, that's the lever that the state can do about property taxes. There was at least one budget proposal where they talked about at least a little bit of a trim there. Is that something that you believe would happen again if you get elected to the legislature?

Kyler Sweely:&nbsp;Last week, I think Governor Kelly, or not, I think the quotes out there, Governor Kelly came out and said in 2025, there'll be no property tax cuts, there'll be no property tax breaks or anything that the governor's gonna be working on for property tax. So I think Republicans have really made it their message to get that relief that they actually hear from their constituents. It's not about election years or anything like that. It's actually about who voted us into these positions. So I mean, it's ultimately one of my main goals, but like you said, the main argument against it is funding public schools. We talk about this 20 mill levy, but also what have we been bragging about for the last couple of years that the state's had more money than they've ever had? We're at a $3 billion surplus, and I believe a billion and a half in a rainy day fund. And this is the people's money. It's not just some magical money that fell out of the sky. And these relief, these tax dollars need to go back to the people with this surplus of money that the state has still funding public schools. I mean, we're not talking about taking a cut to public schools or anything like that. We're talking about giving an actual break that people can actually feel and still with this huge surplus of money, over $3 billion, still funding public schools.

Nick Gosnell:&nbsp;All right, quickly related to the budget issue and since Governor Kelly has come out saying that she doesn't wanna touch the property tax part of that, another issue that's come up is that the legislature is considering the idea of changing the way that the initial budget is set. You and I know, Kyler, because you've worked on it, that the blank piece of paper that the state is starting from isn't blank. It comes starting from the governor's office and goes down from there. It did so, and it's done so in every governor that I've covered, Brownback, Colyer, Kelly, and on. So it's not, this isn't partisan, this is the way it's worked. The legislature wants to change the way that works. What do you think about that?

Kyler Sweely:&nbsp;Yeah, I think it's, firstly, coming on to this budget side of things, I mean, it was kind of a blind side. I don't think a business just starts off of an already increased budget from the year before. I mean, I think it's kind of an absurd message. So just say, if you want to say the budget last year was $20 billion, and that's what the actual state spent, the legislature show up and it's $22.5 billion. And then there's all these programs that the legislators want to bring on or grant money funding, whatever you want to talk about that they fund, that's already on top of the starting at a two and a half billion dollar in budget, which is the governor recommendations. And I think it's just a really weird way to fund our state. I think it's a really weird way because when they raise stuff like that and then they talk, oh, we're only at a five to 10% increase, but that five to 10% increase is already off the governor's recommendation that's also at a five to 10% increase. So it's an odd way to do it, but I definitely think there's, if we put our heads together at the state level, I definitely think there's a better way of getting it done. And continuing to be fiscally conservative or just responsible.

Nick Gosnell:&nbsp;Kyler, I talked a little bit with your opponent in his segment this morning about the committees he served on. So what committees would you want to serve on?

Kyler Sweely:&nbsp;I've been pretty public or pretty open with what committees I wanted to be on. Kind of the main committee I'd want to be on would be appropriations. It's where all the money comes in and comes out. That's where we can actually get a grip on this overspending and just keeping the spending under control so we're not continuing to have raised taxes in any sort or find new money somewhere else.

Nick Gosnell:&nbsp;So one big piece of policy that the Appropriations Committee works through every year is something called budget provisos. Those are the single year changes to the budget. And that's where the so-called, pet projects come in usually. Although budget provisos have also been used to do things like not fund things when we didn't have money. As an example, special education. Back in the Brownback days, budget provisos were used to make that funding less than what it was previously. But the bottom line is, one year changes to the budget for special projects, do you think those were a good idea or should we actually pass legislation on this stuff?

Kyler Sweely:&nbsp;There is also obviously gonna be stuff that comes in as a proviso that will only need to be one year. So I don't want to completely get rid of it, but I do think it needs to be under control a little bit. And you see it. This is kind of what I'm talking about. You'll sit in appropriations and so you'll watch the live stream. And it's, oh, we need 1 million here, 5 million here, 10 million here. We need 3 million here, $500,000 here. And we talk about this happening so often that $5 million doesn't seem a lot to 25 billion. It's a penny, it's pretty much a penny or pennies. But you do this multiple, multiple times over and over again. And this is where it starts to add up that this is unnecessary money coming into the budget.

Nick Gosnell:&nbsp;All right, so we talked about appropriations. Any other committees? I know transportation is where you worked.

Kyler Sweely:&nbsp;Yeah, so I worked on transportation and public safety, the budget side. You know, it's a lot of the law enforcement agencies and the department of transportation, state highway fund and things like that. Obviously that's kind of where I fell in love with politics. So I mean, I'd definitely be really biased and I would definitely request that if I had the chance. And that's kind of where my background started. So I'd really enjoy to be on that. But also tax or commerce, I think would be big for me right now too. I mean, I think we need to get economic development and jobs back in Hutch. I think we have the workforce, we have the stability. I think that is something that we need to look at of trying to bring some more jobs here and tax, obviously. I mean, it's the biggest issue that there is in the state. There's a tax bill this last year that a lot of the incumbents will run off of that they made tax breaks, they cut taxes and they saved the state of Kansas money. But I don't believe that any of the constituents will actually feel it, so.

Nick Gosnell:&nbsp;All right, so where do you think tax breaks need to come then if you wanna serve on tax? Where's the place to put them so that the most people get their money back, so to speak?

&nbsp;Kyler Sweely:&nbsp;Yeah, I mean, like we said earlier, we're talking about property tax. That's one of the biggest ones for sure. I think income tax is kind of a completely different aspect of how you go about that. But lowering the mill levy and doing just even a little bit what the state level can do. It's not all in the state, but even just what the state can do. And it seems like they haven't done enough on that property tax. And I mean, if I knocked, you obviously don't get an awesome answer rate when you knock doors. I mean, a good answer rate's like 10 or 15%. But if I knocked 10 doors and 10 people answered and I said, what's your biggest issue? They'd say either inflation or property tax. And I mean, 80% of them are including property tax in that. It's the issue that everyone cares about. It's the issue that they feel the state hasn't done enough. And it's not like the federal government or anything letting them down. They feel that the state has let them down on that. And a lot of people don't understand this. A lot of the county stuff and it's similar type projects that when anything wants to happen in a county or city type government, I mean, property taxes have to go up. There has to be the money getting somewhere. They don't just get this unlimited budget that people think the government gets. So the look at it is more of the property tax. And then later down the road, trying to do income tax and things like that. Fair enough.

Nick Gosnell:&nbsp;How can people find out more about your campaign?

Kyler Sweely:&nbsp;So I have a Facebook, obviously public. I have a website, just kylersweely.com. The Facebook is Kyler Sweely for Kansas House. And if anyone wants to get a hold of me, there has been pros and cons to this, but my personal cell phone has been public on my website, my Facebook. A lot of the door hangers that I pass out, that's my personal cell phone. It's not a campaign phone. And obviously there's been good and negative to that. So, but it's a good thing to have it out. And I loved when people reach out to me. So it's very open and I'm glad that people feel that they can reach out to me and we can actually talk about getting stuff done.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1693410500058.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Nick Gosnell: In studio with us this morning is Kyler Sweely. He is running as a Republican for the House District 102 seat. And good morning, Kyler. How are you? Kyler Sweely: Good morning, how are you guys? Nick Gosnell:&nbsp;Doing OK. Just want you to let people know who you are a little bit, because you won the primary, but if they haven't been paying attention since mid-August, then just want people to kind of know who Kyler is. So talk about being from this part of the state and just a little bit about your background.Kyler Sweely:&nbsp;Yeah, so I was born and raised in Newton. Everyone tries to say it's so far away. It's 25 minutes away, so it's not any really different of an upbringing than Hutchinson. In public school, spent my whole life there. And then I enlisted in the Army right out of high school, where I served a couple months under five years, deployed twice. And then when I got out of the Army, I started working on the financial budget side of things in Topeka, and that's where I fell into it, and fell in love with politics, and saw the gap or the misrepresentation that was happening at the state level. So I ultimately decided to run. Nick Gosnell:&nbsp;All right, so talk to me about, because you haven't introduced yourself to people, I'll bet you've knocked on a lot of doors in this district. Talk to me about what you've heard from people when you've talked to them.Kyler Sweely:&nbsp;Yeah, so I mean, I've been pretty much out every single day since the primary. And even during the primary, I mean, I'm over just myself, no outside help or anything, over 5,000 doors in the last couple of months, which I think would be a hard number to compete with for sure. But the biggest thing is this inflation that everyone's feeling, and mostly that's a national level. But the things at the state level that we can do a lot is this property tax and just straight taxes all aboard. It seems like everything in Kansas is continuing to rise, and it's harder for people to afford things like groceries and everything else without having property taxes just every single year continue to rise. Nick Gosnell:&nbsp;All right, now, most of the property tax burden that comes to people is stuff that is local government. Here in Hutchinson, the JUCO is also a property tax piece. But the part that the state legislature has at least some control over is the 20 mills connected with the school finance formula. Now, there is the issue of the school finance lawsuit that was settled and is now done, and how adjusting the school finance formula at all could impact future action in that. But that said, that's the lever that the state can do about property taxes. There was at least one budget proposal where they talked about at least a little bit of a trim there. Is that something that you believe would happen again if you get elected to the legislature? Kyler Sweely:&nbsp;Last week, I think Governor Kelly, or not, I think the quotes out there, Governor Kelly came out and said in 2025, there'll be no property tax cuts, there'll be no property tax breaks or anything that the governor's gonna be working on for property tax. So I think Republicans have really made it their message to get that relief that they actually hear from their constituents. It's not about election years or anything like that. It's actually about who voted us into these positions. So I mean, it's ultimately one of my main goals, but like you said, the main argument against it is funding public schools. We talk about this 20 mill levy, but also what have we been bragging about for the last couple of years that the state's had more money than they've ever had? We're at a $3 billion surplus, and I believe a billion and a half in a rainy day fund. And this is the people's money. It's not just some magical money that fell out of the sky. And these relief, these tax dollars need to go back to the people with this surplus of money that the state has still funding public schools. I mean, we're not talking about taking a cut to public schools or anything like that. We're talking about giving an actual break that people can actually feel and still with this huge surplus of money, over $3 billion, still funding public schools. Nick Gosnell:&nbsp;All right, quickly related to the budget issue and since Governor Kelly has come out saying that she doesn't wanna touch the property tax part of that, another issue that's come up is that the legislature is considering the idea of changing the way that the initial budget is set. You and I know, Kyler, because you've worked on it, that the blank piece of paper that the state is starting from isn't blank. It comes starting from the governor's office and goes down from there. It did so, and it's done so in every governor that I've covered, Brownback, Colyer, Kelly, and on. So it's not, this isn't partisan, this is the way it's worked. The legislature wants to change the way that works. What do you think about that? Kyler Sweely:&nbsp;Yeah, I think it's, firstly, coming on to this budget side of things, I mean, it was kind of a blind side. I don't think a business just starts off of an already increased budget from the year before. I mean, I think it's kind of an absurd message. So just say, if you want to say the budget last year was $20 billion, and that's what the actual state spent, the legislature show up and it's $22.5 billion. And then there's all these programs that the legislators want to bring on or grant money funding, whatever you want to talk about that they fund, that's already on top of the starting at a two and a half billion dollar in budget, which is the governor recommendations. And I think it's just a really weird way to fund our state. I think it's a really weird way because when they raise stuff like that and then they talk, oh, we're only at a five to 10% increase, but that five to 10% increase is already off the governor's recommendation that's also at a five to 10% increase. So it's an odd way to do it, but I definitely think there's, if we put our heads together at the state level, I definitely think there's a better way of getting it done. And continuing to be fiscally conservative or just responsible. Nick Gosnell:&nbsp;Kyler, I talked a little bit with your opponent in his segment this morning about the committees he served on. So what committees would you want to serve on? Kyler Sweely:&nbsp;I've been pretty public or pretty open with what committees I wanted to be on. Kind of the main committee I'd want to be on would be appropriations. It's where all the money comes in and comes out. That's where we can actually get a grip on this overspending and just keeping the spending under control so we're not continuing to have raised taxes in any sort or find new money somewhere else.Nick Gosnell:&nbsp;So one big piece of policy that the Appropriations Committee works through every year is something called budget provisos. Those are the single year changes to the budget. And that's where the so-called, pet projects come in usually. Although budget provisos have also been used to do things like not fund things when we didn't have money. As an example, special education. Back in the Brownback days, budget provisos were used to make that funding less than what it was previously. But the bottom line is, one year changes to the budget for special projects, do you think those were a good idea or should we actually pass legislation on this stuff? Kyler Sweely:&nbsp;There is also obviously gonna be stuff that comes in as a proviso that will only need to be one year. So I don't want to completely get rid of it, but I do think it needs to be under control a little bit. And you see it. This is kind of what I'm talking about. You'll sit in appropriations and so you'll watch the live stream. And it's, oh, we need 1 million here, 5 million here, 10 million here. We need 3 million here, $500,000 here. And we talk about this happening so often that $5 million doesn't seem a lot to 25 billion. It's a penny, it's pretty much a penny or pennies. But you do this multiple, multiple times over and over again. And this is where it starts to add up that this is unnecessary money coming into the budget. Nick Gosnell:&nbsp;All right, so we talked about appropriations. Any other committees? I know transportation is where you worked. Kyler Sweely:&nbsp;Yeah, so I worked on transportation and public safety, the budget side. You know, it's a lot of the law enforcement agencies and the department of transportation, state highway fund and things like that. Obviously that's kind of where I fell in love with politics. So I mean, I'd definitely be really biased and I would definitely request that if I had the chance. And that's kind of where my background started. So I'd really enjoy to be on that. But also tax or commerce, I think would be big for me right now too. I mean, I think we need to get economic development and jobs back in Hutch. I think we have the workforce, we have the stability. I think that is something that we need to look at of trying to bring some more jobs here and tax, obviously. I mean, it's the biggest issue that there is in the state. There's a tax bill this last year that a lot of the incumbents will run off of that they made tax breaks, they cut taxes and they saved the state of Kansas money. But I don't believe that any of the constituents will actually feel it, so. Nick Gosnell:&nbsp;All right, so where do you think tax breaks need to come then if you wanna serve on tax? Where's the place to put them so that the most people get their money back, so to speak? &nbsp;Kyler Sweely:&nbsp;Yeah, I mean, like we said earlier, we're talking about property tax. That's one of the biggest ones for sure. I think income tax is kind of a completely different aspect of how you go about that. But lowering the mill levy and doing just even a little bit what the state level can do. It's not all in the state, but even just what the state can do. And it seems like they haven't done enough on that property tax. And I mean, if I knocked, you obviously don't get an awesome answer rate when you knock doors. I mean, a good answer rate's like 10 or 15%. But if I knocked 10 doors and 10 people answered and I said, what's your biggest issue? They'd say either inflation or property tax. And I mean, 80% of them are including property tax in that. It's the issue that everyone cares about. It's the issue that they feel the state hasn't done enough. And it's not like the federal government or anything letting them down. They feel that the state has let them down on that. And a lot of people don't understand this. A lot of the county stuff and it's similar type projects that when anything wants to happen in a county or city type government, I mean, property taxes have to go up. There has to be the money getting somewhere. They don't just get this unlimited budget that people think the government gets. So the look at it is more of the property tax. And then later down the road, trying to do income tax and things like that. Fair enough. Nick Gosnell:&nbsp;How can people find out more about your campaign? Kyler Sweely:&nbsp;So I have a Facebook, obviously public. I have a website, just kylersweely.com. The Facebook is Kyler Sweely for Kansas House. And if anyone wants to get a hold of me, there has been pros and cons to this, but my personal cell phone has been public on my website, my Facebook. A lot of the door hangers that I pass out, that's my personal cell phone. It's not a campaign phone. And obviously there's been good and negative to that. So, but it's a good thing to have it out. And I loved when people reach out to me. So it's very open and I'm glad that people feel that they can reach out to me and we can actually talk about getting stuff done.Below is the audio interview.<div><iframe title="Kyler Sweely, House District 102" 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=vbr4y-170f235-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=60a0c8&font-color=auto&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=ff6d00" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

Transcript: Kyler Sweely, House 102

Hutch Post, in partnership with Steve Harmon and the Conard-Harmon Collection, is proud to present Throwback Thursday. Enjoy a weekly release from Steve Harmon as he presents the "Hutch - Then &amp; Now Collection."

STEVE HARMON Hutch Post Contributor

Today's "Throwback Thursday Collection" takes us to the corner of 16th Avenue and Plum on the east side.

In 1905, Mattie Hoke began the Apostolic Holiness Bible School at 215 E. 4th. It grew to become the two-year Bresee Nazarene Theological College and by 1926, they built a new building at 600 E. 16th. The first photo shows that building at completion.

It was well-attended in the 1930s and merged with the Bethany College of Oklahoma City, but by 1940, attendance had fallen off and the school here closed.

In 1962, the city school system bought the property and built a dormitory on the east edge of the property.

In 1967, U.S.D. 308 built a new administration center here. The second photo shows the property and the building today, now addressed as 1520 N. Plum Street, still the administration center and still owned by U.S.D. 308.

To purchase a photo print, contact:&nbsp;<a href="mailto:sharmon5@cox.net">sharmon5@cox.net</a>.

Throwback Thursday is brought to you by:

<a href="https://www.hutchchamber.com/">Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber of Commerce</a> <a href="https://underkansas.org/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI_KHt9Zeq_QIVwRPUAR3CTwTSEAAYASAAEgJDJPD_BwE">STRATACA Kansas Underground Salt Museum</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729088591380.png" alt="Bresee College of the Nazarene Church - 1520 N. Plum (1926-1940). Courtesy of the Conard-Harmon Collection." />
 <figcaption>Bresee College of the Nazarene Church - 1520 N. Plum (1926-1940). Courtesy of the Conard-Harmon Collection.</figcaption>
 </figure>Hutch Post, in partnership with Steve Harmon and the Conard-Harmon Collection, is proud to present Throwback Thursday. Enjoy a weekly release from Steve Harmon as he presents the "Hutch - Then &amp; Now Collection."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1714573898261.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>STEVE HARMON Hutch Post ContributorToday's "Throwback Thursday Collection" takes us to the corner of 16th Avenue and Plum on the east side.In 1905, Mattie Hoke began the Apostolic Holiness Bible School at 215 E. 4th. It grew to become the two-year Bresee Nazarene Theological College and by 1926, they built a new building at 600 E. 16th. The first photo shows that building at completion.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729088591380.png" alt="Bresee College of the Nazarene Church - 1520 N. Plum (1926-1940). Courtesy of the Conard-Harmon Collection." />
 <figcaption>Bresee College of the Nazarene Church - 1520 N. Plum (1926-1940). Courtesy of the Conard-Harmon Collection.</figcaption>
 </figure>It was well-attended in the 1930s and merged with the Bethany College of Oklahoma City, but by 1940, attendance had fallen off and the school here closed.In 1962, the city school system bought the property and built a dormitory on the east edge of the property.In 1967, U.S.D. 308 built a new administration center here. The second photo shows the property and the building today, now addressed as 1520 N. Plum Street, still the administration center and still owned by U.S.D. 308.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729088651075.png" alt="Bresee College - USD 308 Admin. Center - 1520 N. Plum - Sept. 11, 2024. Courtesy of the Conard-Harmon Collection." />
 <figcaption>Bresee College - USD 308 Admin. Center - 1520 N. Plum - Sept. 11, 2024. Courtesy of the Conard-Harmon Collection.</figcaption>
 </figure>To purchase a photo print, contact:&nbsp;<a href="mailto:sharmon5@cox.net">sharmon5@cox.net</a>.Throwback Thursday is brought to you by:<a href="https://www.hutchchamber.com/">Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber of Commerce</a> <a href="https://underkansas.org/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI_KHt9Zeq_QIVwRPUAR3CTwTSEAAYASAAEgJDJPD_BwE">STRATACA Kansas Underground Salt Museum</a>

📷 Throwback Thursday: Bresee College - Vol. 92

The National Weather Service in Wichita has issued a Wind Advisory for Thursday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

South winds 25 to 35 mph with gusts up to 50 mph expected in Barton, Ellsworth, Lincoln, McPherson, Rice, Russell, Saline, and Reno Counties.

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

Winds this strong can make driving difficult, especially for high profile vehicles. Use extra caution. Secure outdoor objects.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729161209198.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The National Weather Service in Wichita has issued a Wind Advisory for Thursday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.South winds 25 to 35 mph with gusts up to 50 mph expected in Barton, Ellsworth, Lincoln, McPherson, Rice, Russell, Saline, and Reno Counties.Gusty winds will blow around unsecured objects. Small tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result.Winds this strong can make driving difficult, especially for high profile vehicles. Use extra caution. Secure outdoor objects.

Wind Advisory Thursday

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — As Hutchinson USD 308 prepares to put a bond issue before voters in 2025, Superintendent Dr. Dawn Johnson said the Board of Education wants to get a Construction Manager at Risk involved.

"A CMAR is an opportunity for early collaboration between a construction manager that we would hire if a bond would go forward, and then between the owner, 308, and then the design team, which is our architects," Johnson said. "Really this benefit leads to accurate cost estimates, better project planning, reduced risk of cost overruns, because essentially the at-risk piece in the CMAR means that the construction company is assuming the financial risk."

This means after discussion with the architects, the CMAR will set a final price for the project as a whole.

"We all know if you've ever built something, how the prices go up, and we've had supply chain issues and some of those kinds of things," Johnson said. "This will ensure the accountability for delivering the project on time and within budget, and then if it goes over budget, the construction manager is at risk for that cost of going over budget."

Having a CMAR involved will also allow the Board of Education and the public to understand the process a little better.

"Our public really just wants transparency in the process," Johnson said. "This is an opportunity for us to provide one more piece of digging into really what are the costs are and where are we asking for exactly what we need and can we get that price down to exactly what is necessary so that we can have confidence as we go to the polls if we get there."

The Board will need to send out a request for proposal from potential construction managers before bringing one on.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655147159618.jpeg" alt="USD 308 Admin Building-Photo by Daren Dunn" />
 <figcaption>USD 308 Admin Building-Photo by Daren Dunn</figcaption>
 </figure>NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — As Hutchinson USD 308 prepares to put a bond issue before voters in 2025, Superintendent Dr. Dawn Johnson said the Board of Education wants to get a Construction Manager at Risk involved."A CMAR is an opportunity for early collaboration between a construction manager that we would hire if a bond would go forward, and then between the owner, 308, and then the design team, which is our architects," Johnson said. "Really this benefit leads to accurate cost estimates, better project planning, reduced risk of cost overruns, because essentially the at-risk piece in the CMAR means that the construction company is assuming the financial risk."This means after discussion with the architects, the CMAR will set a final price for the project as a whole."We all know if you've ever built something, how the prices go up, and we've had supply chain issues and some of those kinds of things," Johnson said. "This will ensure the accountability for delivering the project on time and within budget, and then if it goes over budget, the construction manager is at risk for that cost of going over budget."Having a CMAR involved will also allow the Board of Education and the public to understand the process a little better."Our public really just wants transparency in the process," Johnson said. "This is an opportunity for us to provide one more piece of digging into really what are the costs are and where are we asking for exactly what we need and can we get that price down to exactly what is necessary so that we can have confidence as we go to the polls if we get there."The Board will need to send out a request for proposal from potential construction managers before bringing one on.

USD 308 looking at CMAR to help keep future bond costs in line

HUTCHINSON, Kan. —&nbsp;Kansas State Fair General Manager Bryan Schulz updated Hutch Post on the progress of repairs and construction at the Bison Arena.

"Right now we have the construction company, Harman Huffman is over there, they are starting on Phase I," Schulz said. "Phase I will include a brand new roof, doors, windows, redoing all of the brick work, all that kind of stuff."

Schulz says people that have driven by the arena on the grounds should notice work being done.

"If you've driven by there lately, you'll see a lot of work has been done," Schulz said. "They're in the process right now of redoing the roof. All of the windows have been taken out, so they're working very diligently to try getting all of that ready to go."

Schulz also gave a timeline of the construction process.

"Phase I is scheduled to be done middle of August next year," Schulz said. "We're also looking at Phase II, which is with the architects right now, they're getting all of the final paperwork done, and then that will go out to bid, which will include quite a bit of the interior on the main floor, including a restroom, HVAC system, about 50 percent of the concrete on the main floor. There are some alternates that if the bids come in low enough, we'll be able to do some more work."

Schulz says there is a chance the arena could be open next year for the fair.

"There is a chance, depending on how quickly we get the bid out and how long it's going to take," Schulz said. "There might be a possibility being able to use some of it next year for fair, as well, but we're not 100 percent sure."

The 2025 Kansas State Fair will be held Sept. 5-14.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653060590462.jpeg" alt="Bison Arena-Photo Courtesy Kansas State Fair" />
 <figcaption>Bison Arena-Photo Courtesy Kansas State Fair</figcaption>
 </figure>SEAN BOSTON Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. —&nbsp;Kansas State Fair General Manager Bryan Schulz updated Hutch Post on the progress of repairs and construction at the Bison Arena."Right now we have the construction company, Harman Huffman is over there, they are starting on Phase I," Schulz said. "Phase I will include a brand new roof, doors, windows, redoing all of the brick work, all that kind of stuff."Schulz says people that have driven by the arena on the grounds should notice work being done."If you've driven by there lately, you'll see a lot of work has been done," Schulz said. "They're in the process right now of redoing the roof. All of the windows have been taken out, so they're working very diligently to try getting all of that ready to go."Schulz also gave a timeline of the construction process."Phase I is scheduled to be done middle of August next year," Schulz said. "We're also looking at Phase II, which is with the architects right now, they're getting all of the final paperwork done, and then that will go out to bid, which will include quite a bit of the interior on the main floor, including a restroom, HVAC system, about 50 percent of the concrete on the main floor. There are some alternates that if the bids come in low enough, we'll be able to do some more work."Schulz says there is a chance the arena could be open next year for the fair."There is a chance, depending on how quickly we get the bid out and how long it's going to take," Schulz said. "There might be a possibility being able to use some of it next year for fair, as well, but we're not 100 percent sure."The 2025 Kansas State Fair will be held Sept. 5-14.

Schulz gives update on Bison Arena construction

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The snow removal plan for the coming winter for the city of Hutchinson will include side streets for the first time this year.

"We have broken the category to storms of five categories," said interim public works director Cecil Weible. "They range from anything from a light mist on a freezing day where we might get slip spots on bridges or something higher up in the air, all the way to a category, condition five, which would basically be for this area where there's a whiteout, you can't see it."

In the lighter events, an on-call operator will come in and drive the roads to see how fast conditions are getting worse.

"At the moment that they start seeing any issues, they'll start calling in a crew as needed," Weible said. "That crew can range from just two more operators to run some bridges while that other operator maintains contact with the dispatch if anything else comes in, all the way up to our full blown, we'll run a full crew of 15 people, 12-hour shifts around the clock,so we'll have two shifts running 24 hours a day, and we'll run that as long as it takes to get the streets back to normal."

There are eight primary routes, according to Weible.

"All of our routes are designed so one truck should be able to leave the shop, be able to go out, and if it's just salting, they should be able to salt that whole route and be back at the shop before they're in. That's at 250 to 300 pounds per one mile. The routes are designed around that distance. We're being as efficient as we can. We don't have to go half the way out to the shop and come back and get more salt. Our eighth route is what we call our school route. If we know schools are gonna be in session the next day, then we make sure we hit those schools with plows in the afternoon and salt them as well. If we already know schools are canceling, we can use that as a truck to help on some of these other routes. Then as we're moving forward, we're gonna be throwing residentials into this."

Because of the size of the residential streets, they intend to use four one-ton trucks to do the residential neighborhoods.

"On a normal Kansas storm, two inches to four inches, we're planning on being able to go into those residential areas and plowing basically in and out. So we'll plow that street twice, giving everybody about a 16-foot pass to get to a street to drive," Weible said. "Now they may have to jump over a little bit of a windrow to get to that street, but right now, until we can get all the residents to understand, we don't know if we can safely get curb-to-curb on residential streets that are too tight."

The city does have GPS on its plows so that they can send the closest one if needed in case of a fire or other emergency.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729086734517.jpg" alt="winter, snow, cold" />
 <figcaption>winter, snow, cold</figcaption>
 </figure>NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — The snow removal plan for the coming winter for the city of Hutchinson will include side streets for the first time this year."We have broken the category to storms of five categories," said interim public works director Cecil Weible. "They range from anything from a light mist on a freezing day where we might get slip spots on bridges or something higher up in the air, all the way to a category, condition five, which would basically be for this area where there's a whiteout, you can't see it."In the lighter events, an on-call operator will come in and drive the roads to see how fast conditions are getting worse."At the moment that they start seeing any issues, they'll start calling in a crew as needed," Weible said. "That crew can range from just two more operators to run some bridges while that other operator maintains contact with the dispatch if anything else comes in, all the way up to our full blown, we'll run a full crew of 15 people, 12-hour shifts around the clock,so we'll have two shifts running 24 hours a day, and we'll run that as long as it takes to get the streets back to normal."There are eight primary routes, according to Weible."All of our routes are designed so one truck should be able to leave the shop, be able to go out, and if it's just salting, they should be able to salt that whole route and be back at the shop before they're in. That's at 250 to 300 pounds per one mile. The routes are designed around that distance. We're being as efficient as we can. We don't have to go half the way out to the shop and come back and get more salt. Our eighth route is what we call our school route. If we know schools are gonna be in session the next day, then we make sure we hit those schools with plows in the afternoon and salt them as well. If we already know schools are canceling, we can use that as a truck to help on some of these other routes. Then as we're moving forward, we're gonna be throwing residentials into this."Because of the size of the residential streets, they intend to use four one-ton trucks to do the residential neighborhoods."On a normal Kansas storm, two inches to four inches, we're planning on being able to go into those residential areas and plowing basically in and out. So we'll plow that street twice, giving everybody about a 16-foot pass to get to a street to drive," Weible said. "Now they may have to jump over a little bit of a windrow to get to that street, but right now, until we can get all the residents to understand, we don't know if we can safely get curb-to-curb on residential streets that are too tight."The city does have GPS on its plows so that they can send the closest one if needed in case of a fire or other emergency.

Snow removal plan released

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — David Foster with the Hutchinson YMCA told Hutch Post that the date is firm for the ceremonial groundbreaking on the new Y.

"We are going to do that December 4th at 2 p.m. and we'll actually be at the new YMCA site which as you know is near the corner of 20th and Lorraine in that open field over there," Foster said.&nbsp;

They won't be able to start right away, most likely, because of the winter weather.

&nbsp;"It will be somewhat ceremonial till it warms back up a little bit," Foster said. "We can start moving some dirt and doing some other things over there which will be really exciting and we'll have some renderings of what the new Y will look like inside and out and it will just be a great time to get everybody excited and that aren't already excited and on board about it that'll be a great time to get that project officially kicked off."

The hope is to get the work done in about 18 months, once they start.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/2/1582214071436.png" alt="YMCA Logo" />
 <figcaption>YMCA Logo</figcaption>
 </figure>NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — David Foster with the Hutchinson YMCA told Hutch Post that the date is firm for the ceremonial groundbreaking on the new Y."We are going to do that December 4th at 2 p.m. and we'll actually be at the new YMCA site which as you know is near the corner of 20th and Lorraine in that open field over there," Foster said.&nbsp;They won't be able to start right away, most likely, because of the winter weather.&nbsp;"It will be somewhat ceremonial till it warms back up a little bit," Foster said. "We can start moving some dirt and doing some other things over there which will be really exciting and we'll have some renderings of what the new Y will look like inside and out and it will just be a great time to get everybody excited and that aren't already excited and on board about it that'll be a great time to get that project officially kicked off."The hope is to get the work done in about 18 months, once they start.

YMCA ceremonial groundbreaking set

EMMIE BOESE Pretty Prairie USD 311

PRETTY PRAIRIE, Kan. — Several Pretty Prairie Middle School students have been nominated and selected for the Kansas Music Educators Association (KMEA) District Honor Choir.

The students selected are Hallie Deel, Olivia Goering, Kendra Reese, Allison Tipton, Micheal Chance, Ronan Loyd, CJ Krebbs and Zac England.

Choir Director Michelle Gumble said each year the school nominates students to participate in an all district choir in Goddard on Saturday, Nov. 9.

"We will take them over by transport that morning and they will join more than 100 other middle school choir members to rehearse that morning and perform a concert that afternoon for the public," Gumble said. "I am honored to have the following students represent our school."

According to their website, KMEA is an organization of educators whose goal is to help foster the study of music and its positive influence on society.

More information about the middle school honor choir is available at <a href="http://ksmea.org">ksmea.org</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1721071743324.png" alt="Pretty Prairie LOGO.PNG" />
 <figcaption>Pretty Prairie LOGO.PNG</figcaption>
 </figure>EMMIE BOESE Pretty Prairie USD 311PRETTY PRAIRIE, Kan. — Several Pretty Prairie Middle School students have been nominated and selected for the Kansas Music Educators Association (KMEA) District Honor Choir.The students selected are Hallie Deel, Olivia Goering, Kendra Reese, Allison Tipton, Micheal Chance, Ronan Loyd, CJ Krebbs and Zac England.Choir Director Michelle Gumble said each year the school nominates students to participate in an all district choir in Goddard on Saturday, Nov. 9."We will take them over by transport that morning and they will join more than 100 other middle school choir members to rehearse that morning and perform a concert that afternoon for the public," Gumble said. "I am honored to have the following students represent our school."According to their website, KMEA is an organization of educators whose goal is to help foster the study of music and its positive influence on society.More information about the middle school honor choir is available at <a href="http://ksmea.org">ksmea.org</a>.SopranosHallie DeelOlivia GoeringAltosKendra ReeseAllison TiptonTenorsMicheal ChanceRonan LoydBassesCJ KrebbsZac England

Pretty Prairie students make district honor choir

JENNIFER WEATHERS Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber of Commerce

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber of Commerce is pleased to present the October Small Business of the Month award to Waggoners Inc., a family-owned company with deep roots in our community. Their story is one of vision, hard work, and adaptation over the years, and today we’re celebrating their success.

Waggoners Inc. was founded in the late 1960s by James J. Waggoner. After noticing churches adding cushions to their pews, he saw an opportunity and launched what would become a thriving business. Starting small — with family members helping on sales trips and even making cushion buttons — the company steadily grew. Today, Waggoners is a leader in pew cushions and upholstery services, serving churches across the U.S. and even internationally.

From just a handful of employees, Waggoners has grown to employ over 20 people, expanding its facility multiple times. They’ve worked on high-profile projects like Travis Avenue Baptist Church in Texas, the Cadet Chapel at West Point, and historic sites like Christ Church in Philadelphia. Their focus has shifted from just geographic growth to offering more services, including upholstery repairs, to stay ahead in the market.

What sets Waggoners apart is their full-service approach. They handle everything — from measuring and manufacturing to installing cushions — providing a personal touch that customers love. Their commitment to direct communication, competitive pricing, and customer satisfaction has made them a trusted partner for churches nationwide.

Waggoners is also a proud supporter of our local community. Paul Waggoner, who returned to help run the business in 1984, is actively involved in organizations like the Boy Scouts, Open Door Health Services, and the Salvation Army. They are committed to giving back and supporting local causes, making them not only a business success but a community pillar.

We are honored to recognize Waggoners Inc. as the Small Business of the Month. Congratulations to Paul Waggoner and the entire team at Waggoners for their outstanding work and continued contributions to Reno County.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729156027220.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>JENNIFER WEATHERS Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber of CommerceHUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber of Commerce is pleased to present the October Small Business of the Month award to Waggoners Inc., a family-owned company with deep roots in our community. Their story is one of vision, hard work, and adaptation over the years, and today we’re celebrating their success.Waggoners Inc. was founded in the late 1960s by James J. Waggoner. After noticing churches adding cushions to their pews, he saw an opportunity and launched what would become a thriving business. Starting small — with family members helping on sales trips and even making cushion buttons — the company steadily grew. Today, Waggoners is a leader in pew cushions and upholstery services, serving churches across the U.S. and even internationally.From just a handful of employees, Waggoners has grown to employ over 20 people, expanding its facility multiple times. They’ve worked on high-profile projects like Travis Avenue Baptist Church in Texas, the Cadet Chapel at West Point, and historic sites like Christ Church in Philadelphia. Their focus has shifted from just geographic growth to offering more services, including upholstery repairs, to stay ahead in the market.What sets Waggoners apart is their full-service approach. They handle everything — from measuring and manufacturing to installing cushions — providing a personal touch that customers love. Their commitment to direct communication, competitive pricing, and customer satisfaction has made them a trusted partner for churches nationwide.Waggoners is also a proud supporter of our local community. Paul Waggoner, who returned to help run the business in 1984, is actively involved in organizations like the Boy Scouts, Open Door Health Services, and the Salvation Army. They are committed to giving back and supporting local causes, making them not only a business success but a community pillar.We are honored to recognize Waggoners Inc. as the Small Business of the Month. Congratulations to Paul Waggoner and the entire team at Waggoners for their outstanding work and continued contributions to Reno County.

Chamber October Small Business winner is Waggoners Inc.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Main Street Yoga and Wellness, Hutchinson’s newest non-profit organization, will officially open its doors from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at 302 North Main.

Even if you’ve never tried yoga, this is the chance to try it out with free classes and even kitten yoga from 1:30 to 2 p.m. in a partnership with the Hutchinson Animal Shelter.

The official ribbon cutting is set for 2 p.m.

There will be drawings throughout the day beginning at 9:30 a.m. for free goodies from Main Street vendors.

Main Street Yoga and Wellness was developed as an answer to Hutchinson’s only dedicated yoga studio closing this past spring. It recently earned designation as a 501(c) 3 non-profit corporation by the United States Internal Revenue Service.

Those wanting to try out yoga or take advantage of the free classes should wear comfortable clothes. Mats are available at the studio. Those who have their own mats, of course, are welcome to bring theirs.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729155719960.jpeg" alt="Main Street Yoga and Wellness" />
 <figcaption>Main Street Yoga and Wellness</figcaption>
 </figure>Main Street Yoga and WellnessHUTCHINSON, Kan. — Main Street Yoga and Wellness, Hutchinson’s newest non-profit organization, will officially open its doors from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at 302 North Main.Even if you’ve never tried yoga, this is the chance to try it out with free classes and even kitten yoga from 1:30 to 2 p.m. in a partnership with the Hutchinson Animal Shelter.The official ribbon cutting is set for 2 p.m.There will be drawings throughout the day beginning at 9:30 a.m. for free goodies from Main Street vendors.Main Street Yoga and Wellness was developed as an answer to Hutchinson’s only dedicated yoga studio closing this past spring. It recently earned designation as a 501(c) 3 non-profit corporation by the United States Internal Revenue Service.Those wanting to try out yoga or take advantage of the free classes should wear comfortable clothes. Mats are available at the studio. Those who have their own mats, of course, are welcome to bring theirs.Yoga instructors are certified.Saturday’s schedule:<ul>
 <li>9:30 to 9:45 a.m. – The “I have never tried yoga” class.</li><li>10 to 10:15 – Cardio drum class demonstration.</li><li>11 to 11:30 – Drop-in sun salutations.</li><li>Noon to 1:30 p.m. – Lunch is served.</li><li>1:30 to 2 – “Kitten Yoga” with furry cuddling creatures provided by the Hutchinson Animal Shelter.</li><li>2 to 2:10 – Official ribbon cutting</li>
 </ul>

Non-profit yoga center will open Saturday

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;

10/17/2024 12:00 AM-Melody	Ann Ramirez-DUI; 1st conv; comp evidence of blood/breath .08+

10/16/2024 10:24 PM-Derek	Ignacio Trevino-Theft; Possess Stolen Property; $1,500 to $24,999

10/16/2024 9:28 PM=Reina	Diane Smith-Viol protection order; Condition of release; Domestic Battery; Knowingly Cause Physical Contact (1st conviction); Criminal Damage to Property; Without consent; &lt; $1,000; Disorderly Conduct; Fighting words or noisy conduct

<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; 10/17/2024 12:00 AM-Melody	Ann Ramirez-DUI; 1st conv; comp evidence of blood/breath .08+10/16/2024 10:24 PM-Derek	Ignacio Trevino-Theft; Possess Stolen Property; $1,500 to $24,99910/16/2024 9:28 PM=Reina	Diane Smith-Viol protection order; Condition of release; Domestic Battery; Knowingly Cause Physical Contact (1st conviction); Criminal Damage to Property; Without consent; &lt; $1,000; Disorderly Conduct; Fighting words or noisy conduct

Daily Bookings

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Hutchinson City Council will move the public comment portion of the meetings, along with any proclamations to the beginning of those gatherings going forward, after comments from Vice Mayor Stacy Goss at the meeting on Tuesday.

"I think that when we moved to night meetings and we said that one of the metrics that we wanted to use to judge the success of night meetings is how many people attend council meetings, but then we, at the same time, moved the comment to the end of the meetings, I think that we kind of screwed up the experiment," Goss said. "It just doesn't seem like we're truly listening to what people want to say if we make them sit through an hour meeting before we allow them to speak."

The original rationale was to get through the business so that employees that had to be there all day would have to stay less time, but there was consensus to change it back.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729097400973.jpeg" alt="Stacy Goss" />
 <figcaption>Stacy Goss</figcaption>
 </figure>NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Hutchinson City Council will move the public comment portion of the meetings, along with any proclamations to the beginning of those gatherings going forward, after comments from Vice Mayor Stacy Goss at the meeting on Tuesday."I think that when we moved to night meetings and we said that one of the metrics that we wanted to use to judge the success of night meetings is how many people attend council meetings, but then we, at the same time, moved the comment to the end of the meetings, I think that we kind of screwed up the experiment," Goss said. "It just doesn't seem like we're truly listening to what people want to say if we make them sit through an hour meeting before we allow them to speak."The original rationale was to get through the business so that employees that had to be there all day would have to stay less time, but there was consensus to change it back.

Public comment going back to beginning of Hutch City Council meetings

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Hutchinson City Council officially approved the date and location change for the SW Bricktown Fiesta after it was rained out last month at their meeting on Tuesday.

"It's October 26," said City Attorney Paul Brown. "The location is right outside City Hall. It will be the section of East B in front of City Hall, it will be George Pyle Park and also the block of South Walnut in front of Memorial Hall."

The special event district was approved unanimously.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726500460708.jpeg" alt="SW Bricktown Fiesta 2024" />
 <figcaption>SW Bricktown Fiesta 2024</figcaption>
 </figure>NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Hutchinson City Council officially approved the date and location change for the SW Bricktown Fiesta after it was rained out last month at their meeting on Tuesday."It's October 26," said City Attorney Paul Brown. "The location is right outside City Hall. It will be the section of East B in front of City Hall, it will be George Pyle Park and also the block of South Walnut in front of Memorial Hall."The special event district was approved unanimously.

Fiesta reschedule approved

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — People near the Atrium Hotel should see movement on the site right away, according to a Tuesday update from City of Hutchinson Building Official Jason Lady.

"We did talk with the contractor today," Lady said. "The contractor is going to start with some pre-asbestos work on Wednesday. That's going to take approximately three days for that pre-asbestos work. What that includes is moving a lot of the furniture and the loose materials out of the facility, so the asbestos company can get in there and actually lay down all their mats and everything they need to do to do the asbestos work."

"Fencing will go up on Thursday," Lady said. "We still have about eight days to wait for the KDHE notice, for the asbestos contractor to get started. We anticipate six to eight weeks for removal of the asbestos and demo will begin right after that."

How quickly demo can go will be somewhat weather dependent, but the deadline set in the city's previous action is&nbsp;within 120 days of the completion of the asbestos abatement.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1719935624992.jpeg" alt="Black mold is present in dozens of rooms at the Atrium Hotel. Image courtesy City of Hutchinson." />
 <figcaption>Black mold is present in dozens of rooms at the Atrium Hotel. Image courtesy City of Hutchinson.</figcaption>
 </figure>NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — People near the Atrium Hotel should see movement on the site right away, according to a Tuesday update from City of Hutchinson Building Official Jason Lady."We did talk with the contractor today," Lady said. "The contractor is going to start with some pre-asbestos work on Wednesday. That's going to take approximately three days for that pre-asbestos work. What that includes is moving a lot of the furniture and the loose materials out of the facility, so the asbestos company can get in there and actually lay down all their mats and everything they need to do to do the asbestos work."The fence will also be going up soon."Fencing will go up on Thursday," Lady said. "We still have about eight days to wait for the KDHE notice, for the asbestos contractor to get started. We anticipate six to eight weeks for removal of the asbestos and demo will begin right after that."How quickly demo can go will be somewhat weather dependent, but the deadline set in the city's previous action is&nbsp;within 120 days of the completion of the asbestos abatement.

Atrium pre-asbestos work to start

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The local portion of the sales tax rate actually dropped as of October 1, because the Hutchinson Sports Arena renovations were paid off.

"We let the state of Kansas know," said City of Hutchinson Finance Director Angela Richard. "We received confirmation back that they received that. They put out a quarterly guide of tax rate changes. Businesses are responsible for checking that."&nbsp;

The sales tax rate was reduced from 1.1 to 0.75 for the city portion of the sales tax.&nbsp;

The graphic below shows what the current rate should be in different parts of Hutchinson based on the Department of Revenue's Oct. 1 update.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1702936913239.jpg" alt="dollars, banknotes, money" />
 <figcaption>dollars, banknotes, money</figcaption>
 </figure>NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — The local portion of the sales tax rate actually dropped as of October 1, because the Hutchinson Sports Arena renovations were paid off."We let the state of Kansas know," said City of Hutchinson Finance Director Angela Richard. "We received confirmation back that they received that. They put out a quarterly guide of tax rate changes. Businesses are responsible for checking that."&nbsp;The sales tax rate was reduced from 1.1 to 0.75 for the city portion of the sales tax.&nbsp;The graphic below shows what the current rate should be in different parts of Hutchinson based on the Department of Revenue's Oct. 1 update.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729002792328.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>

Hutchinson sales tax went down as of Oct. 1

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — After the announcement by KDHE earlier this month that there have been <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/3acec202-e039-4bc2-8e5e-f681515000a2">rabid cats</a> found in the state, Erica Miller, DVM with Apple Lane Animal Hospital reminds us to get those barn cats vaccinated.

"One of those cats I think was in Jewell County,which is where my in-laws are from," Miller said. "I sent that article to my husband to show his parents, yes, even the barn cats, outdoor only. Truly, I mean, those are the ones that need to be vaccinated for rabies because they have the most exposure."

The outdoor cats in particular are exposed to the wildlife.

"I'm sure everyone's seen videos where we've got the plate of cat food out, and we've seen, you know, then we've got like possums and raccoons coming up to eat it too," Miller said. "We can see that, so more exposure to the wildlife with our outdoor pets, and you know, not only that, but rabies is required in the state of Kansas, so you know, I have to tell you, everything has to be vaccinated for rabies."

If you find a litter of kittens in your barn, remember to get those new ones vaccinated as soon as possible.

"Specifically rabies vaccine, you know, four months, 16 weeks," Miller said. "We do recommend other vaccines for cats, even barn cats, you know, one of the vaccines helps prevent against kind of the upper respiratory tract infections, they'll pass to one another being outdoors, and then the feline leukemia vaccine that they can also pass, and so most people with barn cats, or, you know, that aren't kind of the family cats, they will just do the rabies."

To set an appointment for those vaccinations, call your veterinarian.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729004735695.jpg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — After the announcement by KDHE earlier this month that there have been <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/3acec202-e039-4bc2-8e5e-f681515000a2">rabid cats</a> found in the state, Erica Miller, DVM with Apple Lane Animal Hospital reminds us to get those barn cats vaccinated."One of those cats I think was in Jewell County,which is where my in-laws are from," Miller said. "I sent that article to my husband to show his parents, yes, even the barn cats, outdoor only. Truly, I mean, those are the ones that need to be vaccinated for rabies because they have the most exposure."The outdoor cats in particular are exposed to the wildlife."I'm sure everyone's seen videos where we've got the plate of cat food out, and we've seen, you know, then we've got like possums and raccoons coming up to eat it too," Miller said. "We can see that, so more exposure to the wildlife with our outdoor pets, and you know, not only that, but rabies is required in the state of Kansas, so you know, I have to tell you, everything has to be vaccinated for rabies."If you find a litter of kittens in your barn, remember to get those new ones vaccinated as soon as possible."Specifically rabies vaccine, you know, four months, 16 weeks," Miller said. "We do recommend other vaccines for cats, even barn cats, you know, one of the vaccines helps prevent against kind of the upper respiratory tract infections, they'll pass to one another being outdoors, and then the feline leukemia vaccine that they can also pass, and so most people with barn cats, or, you know, that aren't kind of the family cats, they will just do the rabies."To set an appointment for those vaccinations, call your veterinarian.

Vet: Get barn cats vaccinated

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The nationwide shortage of IV fluids has had a minimal impact thus far on operations at Hutchinson Regional&nbsp; Medical Center.

"There's basically three main manufacturers of IV fluids," said Nicole Brand, director of pharmacy at Hutchinson Regional. "One of them is Baxter, and Baxter's plant that produced like 60% of the nation's IV fluids was hit by the hurricane in North Carolina."

Hutch Regional uses a different supplier as its main supplier for IV fluids. 

"We had allocation with ICU medical, and so far we're able to maintain that allocation," Brand said. "It technically hasn't affected us at all yet."

The system is looking ahead, though, if the shortage continues for a lengthy period.

"We have implemented some mitigation strategies on our end to just reduce the usage of IV fluids to kind of help prolong our inventory just in case it does go longer than the end of the year," Brand said. "We are still doing some things internally that will just kind of help us reserve our IV fluids just in case."

Some medicines have IV as an option, but not the only option.

"People who are able to tolerate oral products, we'll have them take more fluids instead of infusing IV fluids. There are also, the main thing that we can impact is antibiotics. There's a lot of IV antibiotics that are available and equivalent in the oral form. So if the patient is able to take and tolerate oral, then we would give them oral instead of IV."

Baxter is telling pharmacists the plan is to be back at capacity by the end of the year.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729008493351.jpeg" alt="Image by rawpixel.com on Freepik" />
 <figcaption>Image by rawpixel.com on Freepik</figcaption>
 </figure>NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — The nationwide shortage of IV fluids has had a minimal impact thus far on operations at Hutchinson Regional&nbsp; Medical Center."There's basically three main manufacturers of IV fluids," said Nicole Brand, director of pharmacy at Hutchinson Regional. "One of them is Baxter, and Baxter's plant that produced like 60% of the nation's IV fluids was hit by the hurricane in North Carolina."Hutch Regional uses a different supplier as its main supplier for IV fluids. "We had allocation with ICU medical, and so far we're able to maintain that allocation," Brand said. "It technically hasn't affected us at all yet."The system is looking ahead, though, if the shortage continues for a lengthy period."We have implemented some mitigation strategies on our end to just reduce the usage of IV fluids to kind of help prolong our inventory just in case it does go longer than the end of the year," Brand said. "We are still doing some things internally that will just kind of help us reserve our IV fluids just in case."Some medicines have IV as an option, but not the only option."People who are able to tolerate oral products, we'll have them take more fluids instead of infusing IV fluids. There are also, the main thing that we can impact is antibiotics. There's a lot of IV antibiotics that are available and equivalent in the oral form. So if the patient is able to take and tolerate oral, then we would give them oral instead of IV."Baxter is telling pharmacists the plan is to be back at capacity by the end of the year.

IV fluid shortage not a problem at HRMC

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;

10/15/2024 11:27 PM-Taylor	Faye Green-Driving while license cancelled/suspended/revoked; misd; unknown conv; Insurance; Fail to Show Proof of Liability Insurance; Registration Violation; No/Expired License Plate

10/15/2024 11:11 PM-Christina	Marie Hays-Driving while license cancelled/suspended/revoked; misd; unknown conv; Insurance; Fail to maintain liability insurance

10/15/2024 6:54 PM-Shawn	Anthony Yonally-Driving while license cancelled/suspended/revoked; misd; unknown conv; Insurance; Fail to Show Proof of Liability Insurance&nbsp;

10/15/2024 5:18 PM-Kayla	Lynn Kilano-Disorderly Conduct; Fighting words or noisy conduct

10/15/2024 2:56 PM-Travis	Wade Christian-Probation Violation

10/15/2024 12:52 PM-Osman	Hernan Amaya-Probation Violation; Failure to Appear&nbsp;

10/15/2024 11:05 AM-Crystal	Jessica Acosta-Probation Violation&nbsp;

10/15/2024 9:19 AM-Allen	Clay Strickland-Driving while license cancelled/suspended/revoked; misd; unknown conv&nbsp;

<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;10/15/2024 11:27 PM-Taylor	Faye Green-Driving while license cancelled/suspended/revoked; misd; unknown conv; Insurance; Fail to Show Proof of Liability Insurance; Registration Violation; No/Expired License Plate10/15/2024 11:11 PM-Christina	Marie Hays-Driving while license cancelled/suspended/revoked; misd; unknown conv; Insurance; Fail to maintain liability insurance10/15/2024 6:54 PM-Shawn	Anthony Yonally-Driving while license cancelled/suspended/revoked; misd; unknown conv; Insurance; Fail to Show Proof of Liability Insurance&nbsp;10/15/2024 5:18 PM-Kayla	Lynn Kilano-Disorderly Conduct; Fighting words or noisy conduct10/15/2024 2:56 PM-Travis	Wade Christian-Probation Violation10/15/2024 12:52 PM-Osman	Hernan Amaya-Probation Violation; Failure to Appear&nbsp;10/15/2024 11:05 AM-Crystal	Jessica Acosta-Probation Violation&nbsp;10/15/2024 9:19 AM-Allen	Clay Strickland-Driving while license cancelled/suspended/revoked; misd; unknown conv&nbsp;

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — All four county commission candidates on the stage Tuesday night at the Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber forum support commercial solar. They all seemed to one degree or another to want to see solar in the county in the name of economic growth.

The current Board of County Commissioners is now awaiting regulations from planning and zoning on commercial solar in the zoned areas of the county.&nbsp;

Current planning and zoning commission member Garth Strand trusts that commission’s process well enough that he would support zoning in all of the county, but he understands that not everyone shares that confidence.

As for the state house and senate issues raised at the forum, Medicaid Expansion may be the clearest line in the sand between the Democratic candidates, Shanna Henry in Senate 34, Jason Probst in House 102 and Lynnette Krieger-Zook in House 104 and the Republican candidates, Michael Murphy in Senate 34, Kyler Sweely in House 102 and Paul Waggoner in House 104.&nbsp;

The Democratic candidates all support Medicaid Expansion, the Republican candidates oppose it, but Sweely seemed open to discuss specifics of a bill in a way the others were not. For Henry, it was her primary issue.

All of the candidates were offered the opportunity to come on the KWBW Morning Show and answer questions between now and election day.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729042061315.jpeg" alt="The candidates in competitive races for the Reno County Commission attended the Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber of Commerce forum on Tuesday, Oct. 15. Photo by Nick Gosnell." />
 <figcaption>The candidates in competitive races for the Reno County Commission attended the Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber of Commerce forum on Tuesday, Oct. 15. Photo by Nick Gosnell.</figcaption>
 </figure>NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — All four county commission candidates on the stage Tuesday night at the Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber forum support commercial solar. They all seemed to one degree or another to want to see solar in the county in the name of economic growth.The current Board of County Commissioners is now awaiting regulations from planning and zoning on commercial solar in the zoned areas of the county.&nbsp;Current planning and zoning commission member Garth Strand trusts that commission’s process well enough that he would support zoning in all of the county, but he understands that not everyone shares that confidence.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729041991828.jpeg" alt="The candidates in competitive races for Kansas House and Senate attended the Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber of Commerce forum on Tuesday, Oct. 15. Photo by Nick Gosnell." />
 <figcaption>The candidates in competitive races for Kansas House and Senate attended the Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber of Commerce forum on Tuesday, Oct. 15. Photo by Nick Gosnell.</figcaption>
 </figure>As for the state house and senate issues raised at the forum, Medicaid Expansion may be the clearest line in the sand between the Democratic candidates, Shanna Henry in Senate 34, Jason Probst in House 102 and Lynnette Krieger-Zook in House 104 and the Republican candidates, Michael Murphy in Senate 34, Kyler Sweely in House 102 and Paul Waggoner in House 104.&nbsp;The Democratic candidates all support Medicaid Expansion, the Republican candidates oppose it, but Sweely seemed open to discuss specifics of a bill in a way the others were not. For Henry, it was her primary issue.All of the candidates were offered the opportunity to come on the KWBW Morning Show and answer questions between now and election day.

Chamber forum raises county, state issues

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Following the Monday conviction of Michael Hurley in the case connected with the accident that killed Trey Jones and critically injured Amy and Ava Jones of Nickerson, Kansas, a jury recommended a total of 75 years in prison for the charges. They handed down their recommendation on Tuesday, October 15. 

The case has been scheduled for a formal sentencing hearing on Friday, December 13 at 10:00 a.m. in Circuit Court Division 2.

The Jones family was in Louisville for an AAU basketball tournament Ava Jones was playing in.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1727107640801.jpg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Following the Monday conviction of Michael Hurley in the case connected with the accident that killed Trey Jones and critically injured Amy and Ava Jones of Nickerson, Kansas, a jury recommended a total of 75 years in prison for the charges. They handed down their recommendation on Tuesday, October 15. The case has been scheduled for a formal sentencing hearing on Friday, December 13 at 10:00 a.m. in Circuit Court Division 2.The Jones family was in Louisville for an AAU basketball tournament Ava Jones was playing in.&nbsp;

Sentencing recommendation given in Hurley case

TOPEKA, Kan. — Governor Laura Kelly announced today that 11 Kansas communities have secured more than $17 million for energy grid resilience. This investment combines nearly $12 million in federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) funding from the U.S. Department of Energy’s 40101(d) Grid Resilience Grant Program and more than $5.8 million in matching funds from the Kansas Infrastructure Hub and Build Kansas Fund.

“By leveraging federal funds to supplement our state and local investments, we are strengthening opportunities for economic growth across Kansas,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “The 40101(d) Grid Resiliency program ensures our communities have the resources to build, operate, or maintain critical infrastructure.”

“The survival and economic development of our rural communities are dependent on a solid infrastructure,” said Representative Troy Waymaster, chair of the Build Kansas Fund Advisory Committee. “The awards made through the Build Kansas Fund Advisory Committee, and ultimately approved by the U.S. Department of Energy, ensure that these communities will continue to thrive. I am glad these eleven Kansas projects were selected for this program.”

The Hutch Post area projects receiving grid resiliency funding are:

Ark Valley Electric Cooperative – System Resiliency Project

“The importance of grid resiliency cannot be overstated,” said Rick Pemberton, energy division director for the Kansas Corporation Commission. “Safe and reliable power infrastructure is vital to our rural economy.”

“Rural Kansas communities do not always have the funding needed to meet the match requirements of large federal grants,” said Matthew Volz, P.E., executive director of the Kansas Infrastructure Hub. “Having the Build Kansas Fund available can make all the difference in whether or not they can apply for these lucrative federal funding opportunities.”

In addition to these awards, in recent months, the Build Kansas Fund has been used to leverage federal grant awards in the cities of Ozawkie, Manhattan, Russell, Concordia, Dodge City, Topeka, Nortonville, Ellsworth, Edgerton, Hutchinson, Independence; Coffey and Morton County; Southwest Kansas Groundwater Management District; and the Salina Airport Authority. The combined total investment by the Build Kansas Fund in all projects is just over $28.5 million, which has resulted in federal grant awards of more than $44 million.

The Kansas Infrastructure Hub connects multiple state agencies and serves as a resource center for Kansas communities to identify best practices for maximizing BIL funding opportunities. The Build Kansas Fund provides state matching dollars for projects throughout Kansas that successfully apply for federal grants under BIL. In 2023, the Kansas Legislature and Governor Kelly approved $200 million for the Build Kansas Fund to provide state-matching dollars to Kansas entities and projects to meet federal-local match requirements.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726262832335.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. — Governor Laura Kelly announced today that 11 Kansas communities have secured more than $17 million for energy grid resilience. This investment combines nearly $12 million in federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) funding from the U.S. Department of Energy’s 40101(d) Grid Resilience Grant Program and more than $5.8 million in matching funds from the Kansas Infrastructure Hub and Build Kansas Fund.“By leveraging federal funds to supplement our state and local investments, we are strengthening opportunities for economic growth across Kansas,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “The 40101(d) Grid Resiliency program ensures our communities have the resources to build, operate, or maintain critical infrastructure.”“The survival and economic development of our rural communities are dependent on a solid infrastructure,” said Representative Troy Waymaster, chair of the Build Kansas Fund Advisory Committee. “The awards made through the Build Kansas Fund Advisory Committee, and ultimately approved by the U.S. Department of Energy, ensure that these communities will continue to thrive. I am glad these eleven Kansas projects were selected for this program.”The Hutch Post area projects receiving grid resiliency funding are:City of Pratt – Substation HardeningBuild Kansas Funding - $1,034,551Federal Funding Awarded - $2,140,449Total Project - $3,175,000Ark Valley Electric Cooperative – System Resiliency ProjectBuild Kansas Funding - $235,421Federal Funding Awarded - $487,079Total Project - $722,500“The importance of grid resiliency cannot be overstated,” said Rick Pemberton, energy division director for the Kansas Corporation Commission. “Safe and reliable power infrastructure is vital to our rural economy.”“Rural Kansas communities do not always have the funding needed to meet the match requirements of large federal grants,” said Matthew Volz, P.E., executive director of the Kansas Infrastructure Hub. “Having the Build Kansas Fund available can make all the difference in whether or not they can apply for these lucrative federal funding opportunities.”In addition to these awards, in recent months, the Build Kansas Fund has been used to leverage federal grant awards in the cities of Ozawkie, Manhattan, Russell, Concordia, Dodge City, Topeka, Nortonville, Ellsworth, Edgerton, Hutchinson, Independence; Coffey and Morton County; Southwest Kansas Groundwater Management District; and the Salina Airport Authority. The combined total investment by the Build Kansas Fund in all projects is just over $28.5 million, which has resulted in federal grant awards of more than $44 million.The Kansas Infrastructure Hub connects multiple state agencies and serves as a resource center for Kansas communities to identify best practices for maximizing BIL funding opportunities. The Build Kansas Fund provides state matching dollars for projects throughout Kansas that successfully apply for federal grants under BIL. In 2023, the Kansas Legislature and Governor Kelly approved $200 million for the Build Kansas Fund to provide state-matching dollars to Kansas entities and projects to meet federal-local match requirements.

Energy grid resilience projects awarded

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The City of Hutchinson is going to attempt to clear some of the side streets in large snowstorms starting in the 2024-2025 season.

"A lot of it just stems from approaching it innovatively within the equipment that we have, the staffing that we have, we believe that we can accomplish these objectives," said Hutchinson City Manager Enrico Villegas.&nbsp;

What can residents expect in terms of service level?

&nbsp;"Every city does it differently," Villegas said. "In this example, say, if it's from a dusting to two inches, we would leave the residential street alone. If it's from two to three inches that we would do one pass in and one pass out. If it exceeds four then we would do back of curb to back of curb or at least attempt to."

They can only do that in areas the plows can get through.

"We intend to place reasonable limitations on this kind of new level of service if you will," Villegas said. "For example, if it's a if the width of the road Is very narrow and cars are parked on both sides of the street then we would skip that street, if we can't reasonably fit a plow in there. In this situation, that is the level of service that that street is used to is not having their road plowed, so it's not like they're being deprived of anything."

They don't expect everything to be perfect with the first snowfall.&nbsp;

"There's always going to be challenges," Villegas said. "We anticipate kind of growing pains with this the first year second year third year, but hopefully as we move throughout we get better and better, the expectations are understood from the community, but we do anticipate some growing pains with this."

The Hutchinson City Council meeting is at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at City Hall.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1646935807473.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — The City of Hutchinson is going to attempt to clear some of the side streets in large snowstorms starting in the 2024-2025 season."A lot of it just stems from approaching it innovatively within the equipment that we have, the staffing that we have, we believe that we can accomplish these objectives," said Hutchinson City Manager Enrico Villegas.&nbsp;What can residents expect in terms of service level?&nbsp;"Every city does it differently," Villegas said. "In this example, say, if it's from a dusting to two inches, we would leave the residential street alone. If it's from two to three inches that we would do one pass in and one pass out. If it exceeds four then we would do back of curb to back of curb or at least attempt to."They can only do that in areas the plows can get through."We intend to place reasonable limitations on this kind of new level of service if you will," Villegas said. "For example, if it's a if the width of the road Is very narrow and cars are parked on both sides of the street then we would skip that street, if we can't reasonably fit a plow in there. In this situation, that is the level of service that that street is used to is not having their road plowed, so it's not like they're being deprived of anything."They don't expect everything to be perfect with the first snowfall.&nbsp;"There's always going to be challenges," Villegas said. "We anticipate kind of growing pains with this the first year second year third year, but hopefully as we move throughout we get better and better, the expectations are understood from the community, but we do anticipate some growing pains with this."The Hutchinson City Council meeting is at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at City Hall.

City announcing new snow policy Tuesday

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The USD 308 Board of Education approved on Monday the use of $1.6 million in capital outlay to go with the $872,211 in grant funds already accepted to put a Lil' Hawks Daycare 0-3 facility on ground on the northwest corner next to Morgan Elementary.

"The cost of the building itself is $1.1 million," said USD 308 Superintendent Dr. Dawn Johnson. "We've got to do the dirt work, we're going to create the concrete footing and stem walls. The building's going to be brought in for the most part, kind of done. It's a residential area. We want it to tie in to kind of the look of our district, not look like a metal building. There's board siding that we're going to add to it. Those are some additional costs, a FEMA shelter, we'll have sidewalks in there, parking is in there, storm sewer, water, electric, all the utilities that have to go there. We'll work with the city on that, then put in a playground. We'll have all that, we have the contractor's costs, design fees and contingency fees and general construction."

Now that they have solidified a location, they can meet with the city and the architects to get the details of the Morgan Elementary site worked out and begin site preparation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655147159618.jpeg" alt="USD 308 Admin Building-Photo by Daren Dunn" />
 <figcaption>USD 308 Admin Building-Photo by Daren Dunn</figcaption>
 </figure>NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — The USD 308 Board of Education approved on Monday the use of $1.6 million in capital outlay to go with the $872,211 in grant funds already accepted to put a Lil' Hawks Daycare 0-3 facility on ground on the northwest corner next to Morgan Elementary."The cost of the building itself is $1.1 million," said USD 308 Superintendent Dr. Dawn Johnson. "We've got to do the dirt work, we're going to create the concrete footing and stem walls. The building's going to be brought in for the most part, kind of done. It's a residential area. We want it to tie in to kind of the look of our district, not look like a metal building. There's board siding that we're going to add to it. Those are some additional costs, a FEMA shelter, we'll have sidewalks in there, parking is in there, storm sewer, water, electric, all the utilities that have to go there. We'll work with the city on that, then put in a playground. We'll have all that, we have the contractor's costs, design fees and contingency fees and general construction."Now that they have solidified a location, they can meet with the city and the architects to get the details of the Morgan Elementary site worked out and begin site preparation.

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