
HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
Hutchinson Community College freshman forward Hadlie Lowe continued her late-season tear and was named the Jayhawk Conference Division I Women’s Soccer Player of the Week on Tuesday.

This is the second conference player of the week award for the Wichita Kapaun-MT. Carmel product. She also earned conference honors on September 28.

Lowe had back-to-back huge games and tied a Blue Dragon single season record in a 2-0 week for Hutchinson after wins over Dodge City and Neosho County.

Lowe had back-to-back hat tricks and seven-point games, collecting game-winning goals in each of those matches. For the week, Lowe had six goals and two assists. She now had 18 goals and three assists for the season.

Her seventh and eighth game-winning goals tied Melissa Hetherington (2011) for the Hutchinson single-season record for game winners in a season.

This is the fourth overall Jayhawk Conference women’s player or goalkeeper of the week award for Hutchinson in 2021. Twice this season, freshman goalkeeper Olivia Felix-Cardona was named the league’s Division I Goalkeeper of the Week.

HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
Hutchinson Community College freshman forward Hadlie Lowe continued her late-season tear and was named the Jayhawk Conference Division I Women’s Soccer Player of the Week on Tuesday.This is the second conference player of the week award for the Wichita Kapaun-MT. Carmel product. She also earned conference honors on September 28.Lowe had back-to-back huge games and tied a Blue Dragon single season record in a 2-0 week for Hutchinson after wins over Dodge City and Neosho County.Lowe had back-to-back hat tricks and seven-point games, collecting game-winning goals in each of those matches. For the week, Lowe had six goals and two assists. She now had 18 goals and three assists for the season.Her seventh and eighth game-winning goals tied Melissa Hetherington (2011) for the Hutchinson single-season record for game winners in a season.This is the fourth overall Jayhawk Conference women’s player or goalkeeper of the week award for Hutchinson in 2021. Twice this season, freshman goalkeeper Olivia Felix-Cardona was named the league’s Division I Goalkeeper of the Week.

Lowe wins weekly honor for 2nd time

Release from Kansas Department of Transportation


HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
Melissa Poe recalls that she was a 20-year-old “just fresh out of college” when she interviewed for a human-resources-assistant job at KDOT’s District Five Office in Hutchinson.

The interview lasted about 15 minutes. It was so short, it seemed, that Melissa’s mother was surprised when she returned to the car where her mother waited outside the office building. Then that afternoon, Melissa received a call asking if she would accept the job offer. “And, of course, I said, ‘Yes,’” Melissa recalled. That was October 1996. And now Melissa – District Five Accountant -- is celebrating 25 years of service to the state.

“So I’ve been at KDOT over half my life,” she said.

As District Five Accountant, she handles every kind of financial transaction. It’s a long list, including expense reports, vouchers, inventory, auction sales, purchase orders and requisitions.

Over the years, Melissa has seen quite an evolution in the computers she has used. “I had one of those big, box computers when I first started working there,” she said. “It seemed like it was bigger than me.”

Her favorite aspect of her job? “The people that I work with,” she said. “They’re amazing. And we all work together. It’s all about teamwork in my position. It makes the job fun.”

Melissa and her spouse, Kara, live in Hutchinson. The family includes their children, Katelyn, DeShaun and Keaton -- and three cats, three dogs and a bearded dragon.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1635270792672.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Release from Kansas Department of Transportation
HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — 
Melissa Poe recalls that she was a 20-year-old “just fresh out of college” when she interviewed for a human-resources-assistant job at KDOT’s District Five Office in Hutchinson.The interview lasted about 15 minutes. It was so short, it seemed, that Melissa’s mother was surprised when she returned to the car where her mother waited outside the office building. Then that afternoon, Melissa received a call asking if she would accept the job offer. “And, of course, I said, ‘Yes,’” Melissa recalled. That was October 1996. And now Melissa – District Five Accountant -- is celebrating 25 years of service to the state.“So I’ve been at KDOT over half my life,” she said.As District Five Accountant, she handles every kind of financial transaction. It’s a long list, including expense reports, vouchers, inventory, auction sales, purchase orders and requisitions.Over the years, Melissa has seen quite an evolution in the computers she has used. “I had one of those big, box computers when I first started working there,” she said. “It seemed like it was bigger than me.”Her favorite aspect of her job? “The people that I work with,” she said. “They’re amazing. And we all work together. It’s all about teamwork in my position. It makes the job fun.”Melissa and her spouse, Kara, live in Hutchinson. The family includes their children, Katelyn, DeShaun and Keaton -- and three cats, three dogs and a bearded dragon.

Hutchinson’s Melissa Poe celebrates 25 years with KDOT

Allen Dean Thiessen, 91, died October 24, 2021, at Hospice House, Hutchinson. He was born September 5, 1930, in Reno County, to Henry B. and Katherine (Schierling) Thiessen.

Allen attended Inman High School and Hutchinson Community Junior College.&nbsp; He retired from Kansas Gas Service, after 33 years of service.&nbsp; Allen was a former trustee at First Mennonite Church, Hutchinson, and currently was a member of Trinity United Methodist Church, Hutchinson.

On April 8, 1951, he married Sophie Gaeddert, at Buhler Hebron Mennonite Church. She died May 19, 1994, after sharing 43 years of marriage.&nbsp; On October 18, 1997, he married LaVaughn (Young) Theede.&nbsp;

Allen is survived by:&nbsp; his wife of 24 years, LaVaughn Thiessen of Hutchinson; daughters, Kristine Seck (Richard) of Hutchinson, Keri Thiessen of Dyer, IN, and Jenifer Wolff (Brett); granddaughter, Sophie Ana Wolff, all of Oswego, IL; stepsons, Steve Theede (Kay) of Houston, TX, Roger Theede (Cathy) of Nickerson, and Mitch Theede (Jay) of Columbia, MO; and numerous step-grandchildren and step-great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by:&nbsp; his parents; son, Timothy Ray Thiessen; and a brother, Edward Thiessen.

Graveside service will be 10:00 a.m. Friday, October 29, 2021, at Hebron Cemetery, rural Buhler, with the Reverend Michael Tomson-DeGreeff officiating. Friends may call from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Thursday, with the family present from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at Elliott Mortuary.

Allen Dean Thiessen, 91, died October 24, 2021, at Hospice House, Hutchinson. He was born September 5, 1930, in Reno County, to Henry B. and Katherine (Schierling) Thiessen.Allen attended Inman High School and Hutchinson Community Junior College.&nbsp; He retired from Kansas Gas Service, after 33 years of service.&nbsp; Allen was a former trustee at First Mennonite Church, Hutchinson, and currently was a member of Trinity United Methodist Church, Hutchinson.On April 8, 1951, he married Sophie Gaeddert, at Buhler Hebron Mennonite Church. She died May 19, 1994, after sharing 43 years of marriage.&nbsp; On October 18, 1997, he married LaVaughn (Young) Theede.&nbsp;Allen is survived by:&nbsp; his wife of 24 years, LaVaughn Thiessen of Hutchinson; daughters, Kristine Seck (Richard) of Hutchinson, Keri Thiessen of Dyer, IN, and Jenifer Wolff (Brett); granddaughter, Sophie Ana Wolff, all of Oswego, IL; stepsons, Steve Theede (Kay) of Houston, TX, Roger Theede (Cathy) of Nickerson, and Mitch Theede (Jay) of Columbia, MO; and numerous step-grandchildren and step-great-grandchildren.He was preceded in death by:&nbsp; his parents; son, Timothy Ray Thiessen; and a brother, Edward Thiessen.Graveside service will be 10:00 a.m. Friday, October 29, 2021, at Hebron Cemetery, rural Buhler, with the Reverend Michael Tomson-DeGreeff officiating. Friends may call from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Thursday, with the family present from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at Elliott Mortuary.

Allen D. Thiessen |1930-2021|

In studio with us Charles Johnston, he is running for the at-large seat on the Hutchinson city council. Both Charles and Marla Jean are running against Sarah Bagwell. She is the incumbent in that race. She will be with us tomorrow morning here on BW, but for Charles, first of all, good morning. How are you doing?

So far, so good. So as we've said, everyone has an issue that is the reason that they're running for city council. What city policy was the one that made you decide to run in the first place?

You know, I ran in 2019 because I saw that people weren't being listened to and ultimately the race I was running in, Steve Garza won, and I think that was actually a really good fit for the time and when I thought about running this year. It's because I feel like I'm the right fit for the time. And there are lots of issues that are out there. But the one that I think strikes me the most is the city does not lead with vision. We play whack-a-mole over all sorts of different issues. So the thing I think I would bring to council is not only an understanding of issues on a macro level though, um, or excuse me, on micro level though, to be, in full disclosure, there are some things I'm not quite as familiar on as I'd like to be, but also to lead the city through some of these bigger decisions, thinking about what Hutchinson's going to look like in 20, 30, 40, 50 years from now, not just next year.

Do you currently owe any obligations to any taxing entities for any years prior to this one?

Did you vote in the last city council election? That seems ironic to ask.

I certainly did, both in the primary and in the general.

All right. What can be done to reduce regulation on businesses coming to Hutchinson?

So when I think about what can be done to relieve businesses, to make our economy more friendly and to help our chamber and the city department in charge of recruiting businesses is to make sure that they don't have barriers. And the barriers that I constantly hear from both current developers and potential developers is the fact that our code system is not in good shape. It's not consistent, which to me perhaps is the largest problem because I hear that from residents too, that codes that are on the city books get reinforced or enforced over here while for someone else it doesn't. And, to me, that's a problem. So I'd be very interested in establishing some basic guidelines for how codes are approached for businesses and for individuals. The biggest gap, I think that I can point out that speaks to this today is the fact that there's a local business that has been here for 50 years, out in the Carey Park area that has been under constant threat of losing their property because it's out of shape.

The ironic thing is that we're going to spend $1.5 million on a similar developer to take care of a problem. That's been here for almost 10 years, developing to the full point in 2019, where we lost it. And of course I'm talking about the Atrium Hotel. From my perspective, I would not have supported the action that the current city council is taking, because I think that's rewarding bad behavior. If I think about the things that $1.5 million could have been spent on, I have a lot different priorities. And the thing is, I don't believe we used all of the punitive actions available to us to be able to resolve that problem, or to at least give us the opportunity as a city to not spend as much money to solve it.

To a certain point, I presume that you're referring to the Barnard's property, you're talking about the one on the other end of town. So to follow up on that, just a moment, to a certain point, the Atrium is I'm not going to say an easier decision politically, but it's one that may be more palatable to the general public because you can tax the people that are coming into town for that through bed tax rather than rather than taxing, at least for the most part, the people that live here, which if you tried to do the same sort of rehabilitation project, it would be very difficult to use bed tax, to help on the other end of town. Right or wrong, um, that, that may have made it an easier decision politically.

Sure. Although I would argue that because, the sales tax generated off of Bernard's catering business is actually more consistent, uh, at least in past when they were operating as a business, more consistent and feeds into our economy, better along with the property tax that they pay, because a lot of people don't know this, but because of my experience, with the bed tax, you can only use that for specific things. Sales tax can be used for any variety of things, property tax can be used, for any variety of things. So while yes, there's benefit to the specific areas where bed tax is used, that doesn't, I appreciate the, how should I say this, the point and the contrast that you're trying to draw, but for me, it is discongruent to reward someone for taking advantage of our market, because, let's be clear that hotel has been in trouble since the day it opened. Since the first time I was aware of it, which was probably in high school in 1999, it's gone through, I don't know, maybe six different chains, ultimately leading to this one, which we saw the developer dealing with in Salina and knew the writing on the wall when we gave it to him. So, for me, as a person who supports tourism, and knows that to the point of the president and CEO of the NJCAA, excuse me, coming to town and saying, you've got to fix this. You're going to lose our business. It just frustrates me.

What's a proper level of bonding for a city Hutchinson's size, what percentage of the city's budget should be debt service?

I answer this with the knowledge that, on the early part of the conversation, I'm not an accountant, I'm not a financial advisor, so that is not my area. However, I will say that one of the reasons our form of government exists here in town is because the council is responsible for hiring professionals to take care of these issues for us, the city manager and the director of finance are both responsible for advising us with the best decisions. Now, I'm fortunate enough to remember John Deardoff coming to the city council, this was back in, I think, 20 15, 2016 and saying, we have to have a larger general fund because if we don't, our debt rating is going to go down. And as you know, because of the consumer, excuse me, the consumer familiarity with a credit score, the better credit score you have, the better interest rates you can get. And I think that as a city, right now, we have to be focused on maintaining the best debt rating as possible so we can get the best deals.

And I would also say that historically right now, our bonding rates are so low that it almost makes more sense to borrow money and make sure that we get our value right now. I would say that I am not comfortable doing bonding for projects that we can pay for on their own. However, we do have to have some sort of balance. And for me, I am not a person who supports excessive taxes on the people. So, a way that we can relieve some of that tax obligation is to spread out some of the costs of those larger projects through bonds.

What length should the city's street maintenance program be? We're finally to a set length, at least I believe it's eight years at this point. Is that right? Wrong? Do we need to take a look? How's that work?

So I hear constantly from people I speak to about the quality of streets around town. My spouse will often comment about how he's tired of hearing about potholes. I am pleased to say that the cities finally have a tool to be able to address that. So we're making progress, but the bottom line is that there are parts of town that simply have awful streets. I think of the College Grove area in town, where we have historic brick streets that are simply decaying. And when you think about streets that are on our maintenance plan, I actually live down south of town at 1022 East Sherman, and it had been a dirt road for years and years and years was turned into a asphalt road, probably a decade and a half ago. And it's never been touched since except for repairs. So from my perspective, I would like to re-examine that street schedule, knowing that the arterial streets, you know, 11th, Severance, 17th, need to be maintained at a level that's acceptable to people who are coming to visit, but also recognize that, you know, when we have a five foot hole, that's a exaggeration, but more like a foot hole in one of our brick streets that we have to put a cone in so that people don't drive their cars into, that's a problem. I know that part of the quarter-cent sales tax that funds the Cosmosphere and Strataca also goes to street work. I do have a question about when that goes away or when it comes back up, are we going to be able to pass it for the taxpayer so that we can continue to maintain our streets? I'm concerned, because if we don't, we're going to fall behind even more than we already are.

Are you for or against taking the money from the federal government to put roundabouts in at the Woodie Seat Freeway? Let us know what you think about that issue?

I love that you're bringing this up because this is another area that I am so frustrated on. And it's one of the reasons I decided to really dip into the race this year, because it's emblematic of a problem of our city government. And that is that a few people who feel like they know best about what should happen on a city level, proceed without actually talking to the people that it's going to cause the biggest impact to. I appreciate the opportunity to spend federal dollars to offset some of our costs as a city. However, to do that in this case is going to completely isolate Southwest Bricktown. And that, to me, particularly since residents, weren't really notified that they're going to lose Avenue B, one of their thoroughfares. It's a problem. On the other hand, we also have a bridge problem where if we don't deal with it, it's going to be unsafe for the amount of truck traffic. So it's a conundrum, but from my perspective, we have to deal with our residents first, so we know what they need and want, and if we can't accomplish what they need and want exactly, can we come up with a compromise where they feel good about the decision that has to be made? Again, we have to engage residents before we make decisions like this. And that is what is not happening on a city government level right now.

Now to the infrastructure under the city's streets, the storm water utility fee is in place. And, so, should it stay while we continue the work that, we're still trying to get that big project done, but have the railroads to deal with first?

That's I think critical to important, too, for people to understand as well that sometimes our barriers are not just the city, it's the partners that we work with and the Union Pacific and BNSF are great partners, but there are certain things that from time to time, they cause us to be able to deal with. I think about the, uh, Walnut closure right now that no one's been able to use for almost three weeks. So, when we're talking about the storm water utility fee, one of the problems is that an exorbitant fee like that causes businesses to not be able to come into town, because depending on the size parking lot that they get, that's really the bottom line about what they have to pay. And when you're dealing with, for example, a business that has a small business that has maybe 50 employees, who's trying to come into this building that has this huge parking lot, they can't make a reasonable profit. And so I think we need to re-examine that storm water fee and figure out how we can make it more business friendly.

All right. Well, I'm not going to get to all my questions, but I do want to ask about this and give you a chance to talk about yourself a little bit. How will you build consensus with the other members of the council?

So, I have a proven track record of being able to do this. My background here in town is primarily as a nonprofit executive from 2013 to 2019, I ran Stage 9 and we grew the theater with the cooperation of volunteers and board members by, from a budget perspective, about 300%, um, excuse me, 150% three times. So we were able to increase that budget and the way we were able to do it is because we worked together. Ultimately, as a council member, I realized that it takes three to be able to play. So we have to get consensus between the three of us. Can you do that in a council meeting? Yes. Is there background relationships that have to be able to be built? Yes. And so I think there's relationship work to be done because from my perspective, relationships equal progress, because if you can have good relationships, it's going to make everything easier and progress better.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/12/1609255107994.jpeg" alt="City hall.jpg" />
 <figcaption>City hall.jpg</figcaption>
 </figure>Nick Gosnell (00:00):In studio with us Charles Johnston, he is running for the at-large seat on the Hutchinson city council. Both Charles and Marla Jean are running against Sarah Bagwell. She is the incumbent in that race. She will be with us tomorrow morning here on BW, but for Charles, first of all, good morning. How are you doing?Charles Johnston (00:17):I'm very well. Nick, how about you?Nick Gosnell (00:18):So far, so good. So as we've said, everyone has an issue that is the reason that they're running for city council. What city policy was the one that made you decide to run in the first place?Charles Johnston (00:31):You know, I ran in 2019 because I saw that people weren't being listened to and ultimately the race I was running in, Steve Garza won, and I think that was actually a really good fit for the time and when I thought about running this year. It's because I feel like I'm the right fit for the time. And there are lots of issues that are out there. But the one that I think strikes me the most is the city does not lead with vision. We play whack-a-mole over all sorts of different issues. So the thing I think I would bring to council is not only an understanding of issues on a macro level though, um, or excuse me, on micro level though, to be, in full disclosure, there are some things I'm not quite as familiar on as I'd like to be, but also to lead the city through some of these bigger decisions, thinking about what Hutchinson's going to look like in 20, 30, 40, 50 years from now, not just next year.Nick Gosnell (01:27):Do you currently owe any obligations to any taxing entities for any years prior to this one?Charles Johnston (01:31):No, I do not.Nick Gosnell (01:33):Did you vote in the last city council election? That seems ironic to ask.Charles Johnston (01:37):I certainly did, both in the primary and in the general.Nick Gosnell (01:40):All right. What can be done to reduce regulation on businesses coming to Hutchinson?Charles Johnston (01:46):So when I think about what can be done to relieve businesses, to make our economy more friendly and to help our chamber and the city department in charge of recruiting businesses is to make sure that they don't have barriers. And the barriers that I constantly hear from both current developers and potential developers is the fact that our code system is not in good shape. It's not consistent, which to me perhaps is the largest problem because I hear that from residents too, that codes that are on the city books get reinforced or enforced over here while for someone else it doesn't. And, to me, that's a problem. So I'd be very interested in establishing some basic guidelines for how codes are approached for businesses and for individuals. The biggest gap, I think that I can point out that speaks to this today is the fact that there's a local business that has been here for 50 years, out in the Carey Park area that has been under constant threat of losing their property because it's out of shape.Charles Johnston (02:56):The ironic thing is that we're going to spend $1.5 million on a similar developer to take care of a problem. That's been here for almost 10 years, developing to the full point in 2019, where we lost it. And of course I'm talking about the Atrium Hotel. From my perspective, I would not have supported the action that the current city council is taking, because I think that's rewarding bad behavior. If I think about the things that $1.5 million could have been spent on, I have a lot different priorities. And the thing is, I don't believe we used all of the punitive actions available to us to be able to resolve that problem, or to at least give us the opportunity as a city to not spend as much money to solve it.Nick Gosnell (03:40):To a certain point, I presume that you're referring to the Barnard's property, you're talking about the one on the other end of town. So to follow up on that, just a moment, to a certain point, the Atrium is I'm not going to say an easier decision politically, but it's one that may be more palatable to the general public because you can tax the people that are coming into town for that through bed tax rather than rather than taxing, at least for the most part, the people that live here, which if you tried to do the same sort of rehabilitation project, it would be very difficult to use bed tax, to help on the other end of town. Right or wrong, um, that, that may have made it an easier decision politically.Charles Johnston (04:34):Sure. Although I would argue that because, the sales tax generated off of Bernard's catering business is actually more consistent, uh, at least in past when they were operating as a business, more consistent and feeds into our economy, better along with the property tax that they pay, because a lot of people don't know this, but because of my experience, with the bed tax, you can only use that for specific things. Sales tax can be used for any variety of things, property tax can be used, for any variety of things. So while yes, there's benefit to the specific areas where bed tax is used, that doesn't, I appreciate the, how should I say this, the point and the contrast that you're trying to draw, but for me, it is discongruent to reward someone for taking advantage of our market, because, let's be clear that hotel has been in trouble since the day it opened. Since the first time I was aware of it, which was probably in high school in 1999, it's gone through, I don't know, maybe six different chains, ultimately leading to this one, which we saw the developer dealing with in Salina and knew the writing on the wall when we gave it to him. So, for me, as a person who supports tourism, and knows that to the point of the president and CEO of the NJCAA, excuse me, coming to town and saying, you've got to fix this. You're going to lose our business. It just frustrates me.Nick Gosnell (06:07):What's a proper level of bonding for a city Hutchinson's size, what percentage of the city's budget should be debt service?Charles Johnston (06:13):I answer this with the knowledge that, on the early part of the conversation, I'm not an accountant, I'm not a financial advisor, so that is not my area. However, I will say that one of the reasons our form of government exists here in town is because the council is responsible for hiring professionals to take care of these issues for us, the city manager and the director of finance are both responsible for advising us with the best decisions. Now, I'm fortunate enough to remember John Deardoff coming to the city council, this was back in, I think, 20 15, 2016 and saying, we have to have a larger general fund because if we don't, our debt rating is going to go down. And as you know, because of the consumer, excuse me, the consumer familiarity with a credit score, the better credit score you have, the better interest rates you can get. And I think that as a city, right now, we have to be focused on maintaining the best debt rating as possible so we can get the best deals.Charles Johnston (07:15):And I would also say that historically right now, our bonding rates are so low that it almost makes more sense to borrow money and make sure that we get our value right now. I would say that I am not comfortable doing bonding for projects that we can pay for on their own. However, we do have to have some sort of balance. And for me, I am not a person who supports excessive taxes on the people. So, a way that we can relieve some of that tax obligation is to spread out some of the costs of those larger projects through bonds.Nick Gosnell (07:53):What length should the city's street maintenance program be? We're finally to a set length, at least I believe it's eight years at this point. Is that right? Wrong? Do we need to take a look? How's that work?Charles Johnston (08:10):So I hear constantly from people I speak to about the quality of streets around town. My spouse will often comment about how he's tired of hearing about potholes. I am pleased to say that the cities finally have a tool to be able to address that. So we're making progress, but the bottom line is that there are parts of town that simply have awful streets. I think of the College Grove area in town, where we have historic brick streets that are simply decaying. And when you think about streets that are on our maintenance plan, I actually live down south of town at 1022 East Sherman, and it had been a dirt road for years and years and years was turned into a asphalt road, probably a decade and a half ago. And it's never been touched since except for repairs. So from my perspective, I would like to re-examine that street schedule, knowing that the arterial streets, you know, 11th, Severance, 17th, need to be maintained at a level that's acceptable to people who are coming to visit, but also recognize that, you know, when we have a five foot hole, that's a exaggeration, but more like a foot hole in one of our brick streets that we have to put a cone in so that people don't drive their cars into, that's a problem. I know that part of the quarter-cent sales tax that funds the Cosmosphere and Strataca also goes to street work. I do have a question about when that goes away or when it comes back up, are we going to be able to pass it for the taxpayer so that we can continue to maintain our streets? I'm concerned, because if we don't, we're going to fall behind even more than we already are.Nick Gosnell (09:50):Are you for or against taking the money from the federal government to put roundabouts in at the Woodie Seat Freeway? Let us know what you think about that issue?Charles Johnston (09:59):I love that you're bringing this up because this is another area that I am so frustrated on. And it's one of the reasons I decided to really dip into the race this year, because it's emblematic of a problem of our city government. And that is that a few people who feel like they know best about what should happen on a city level, proceed without actually talking to the people that it's going to cause the biggest impact to. I appreciate the opportunity to spend federal dollars to offset some of our costs as a city. However, to do that in this case is going to completely isolate Southwest Bricktown. And that, to me, particularly since residents, weren't really notified that they're going to lose Avenue B, one of their thoroughfares. It's a problem. On the other hand, we also have a bridge problem where if we don't deal with it, it's going to be unsafe for the amount of truck traffic. So it's a conundrum, but from my perspective, we have to deal with our residents first, so we know what they need and want, and if we can't accomplish what they need and want exactly, can we come up with a compromise where they feel good about the decision that has to be made? Again, we have to engage residents before we make decisions like this. And that is what is not happening on a city government level right now.Nick Gosnell (11:20):Now to the infrastructure under the city's streets, the storm water utility fee is in place. And, so, should it stay while we continue the work that, we're still trying to get that big project done, but have the railroads to deal with first?Charles Johnston (11:34):That's I think critical to important, too, for people to understand as well that sometimes our barriers are not just the city, it's the partners that we work with and the Union Pacific and BNSF are great partners, but there are certain things that from time to time, they cause us to be able to deal with. I think about the, uh, Walnut closure right now that no one's been able to use for almost three weeks. So, when we're talking about the storm water utility fee, one of the problems is that an exorbitant fee like that causes businesses to not be able to come into town, because depending on the size parking lot that they get, that's really the bottom line about what they have to pay. And when you're dealing with, for example, a business that has a small business that has maybe 50 employees, who's trying to come into this building that has this huge parking lot, they can't make a reasonable profit. And so I think we need to re-examine that storm water fee and figure out how we can make it more business friendly.Nick Gosnell (12:35):All right. Well, I'm not going to get to all my questions, but I do want to ask about this and give you a chance to talk about yourself a little bit. How will you build consensus with the other members of the council?Charles Johnston (12:45):So, I have a proven track record of being able to do this. My background here in town is primarily as a nonprofit executive from 2013 to 2019, I ran Stage 9 and we grew the theater with the cooperation of volunteers and board members by, from a budget perspective, about 300%, um, excuse me, 150% three times. So we were able to increase that budget and the way we were able to do it is because we worked together. Ultimately, as a council member, I realized that it takes three to be able to play. So we have to get consensus between the three of us. Can you do that in a council meeting? Yes. Is there background relationships that have to be able to be built? Yes. And so I think there's relationship work to be done because from my perspective, relationships equal progress, because if you can have good relationships, it's going to make everything easier and progress better.

Transcript: Hutchinson City Council candidate Charles Johnston

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Hutchinson USD 308 and the Hutchinson Community College Automotive Technology Program will host a special event to provide automotive inspections to frontline workers at Hutchinson Regional Medical Center on Thursday, October 28.

&nbsp;“The event is a Community Service benefit to our frontline staff by the USD 308 and HCC Automotive Technologies Program.&nbsp; Due to the pandemic, the hours our staff put in doesn't allow them a lot of time to take care of routine maintenance or inspection of their vehicles,” Cory Griffiths, Safety Officer for Hutchinson Regional Medical Center said.

The event will take place in two sessions, one in the morning from 8:30 a.m. till 10:30 a.m., and an afternoon session from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. The free inspections will take place at the Hutchinson Regional Medical Center Annex, and be performed by students of the USD 308 and Hutchinson Community College Automotive Technology Program. During the inspections students will check windshields, mirrors, tail lights, engine oil, tires, and other important aspects of automotive upkeep. HRMC staff then will be provided an inspection sheet indicating areas of concern that they can use to schedule repairs with their automotive service provider.

“This is a unique opportunity for USD 308, Hutchinson Community College and Hutchinson Regional Medical Center to collaborate together for a fun event! Our students will be able to put the skills learned in the program to work while offering auto service checks to Hutchinson Regional Medical center frontline workers.” Travis Riebel, Director of Hutchinson Career &amp; Technical Academy said..

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/10/1570555463894.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Hutchinson USD 308 and the Hutchinson Community College Automotive Technology Program will host a special event to provide automotive inspections to frontline workers at Hutchinson Regional Medical Center on Thursday, October 28.&nbsp;“The event is a Community Service benefit to our frontline staff by the USD 308 and HCC Automotive Technologies Program.&nbsp; Due to the pandemic, the hours our staff put in doesn't allow them a lot of time to take care of routine maintenance or inspection of their vehicles,” Cory Griffiths, Safety Officer for Hutchinson Regional Medical Center said.The event will take place in two sessions, one in the morning from 8:30 a.m. till 10:30 a.m., and an afternoon session from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. The free inspections will take place at the Hutchinson Regional Medical Center Annex, and be performed by students of the USD 308 and Hutchinson Community College Automotive Technology Program. During the inspections students will check windshields, mirrors, tail lights, engine oil, tires, and other important aspects of automotive upkeep. HRMC staff then will be provided an inspection sheet indicating areas of concern that they can use to schedule repairs with their automotive service provider.“This is a unique opportunity for USD 308, Hutchinson Community College and Hutchinson Regional Medical Center to collaborate together for a fun event! Our students will be able to put the skills learned in the program to work while offering auto service checks to Hutchinson Regional Medical center frontline workers.” Travis Riebel, Director of Hutchinson Career &amp; Technical Academy said..<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the HutchPost mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily HutchPost email news update.&nbsp;&nbsp;

HHS and HutchCC to provide automotive check up for HRMC staff

Jody Marie Dombaugh Miller, 88, of McPherson, Kansas, passed away peacefully at 11:01 a.m., Saturday, October 23rd, 2021 while in the company of family members at Hutchinson Regional Medical Center, Hutchinson, Kansas.

Jody was born in Coldwater, Kansas on April 28, 1933, the daughter of Fred Clifford and Myrtle Marie (Atteberry) Clinesmith.

Jody attended the Coldwater elementary schools and graduated from Coldwater High School in 1951. She then attended the Pratt Community College, Pratt, Kansas for one year.

She was a member of First United Methodist Church in McPherson.

Jody enjoyed her dogs, camping and traveling in her motor home, cooking, music, music theater, she loved her church family and loved spending time with her friends and family.

Jody was a homemaker. Prior to her retirement she was a secretary for Flory and Karstetter Law Office and later was a secretary for Prairie View Mental Health Center, McPherson, Kansas.

Jody was united in marriage to Darrell Neil Dombaugh on May 17, 1953 at the Methodist Church, Coldwater, Kansas. Darrell died on December 19, 2002. Jody was then married to Merlin J. Miller on August 18, 2008 in McPherson, Kansas.

She is survived by her husband, Merlin Miller, of McPherson, Kansas; her daughter Dalyn Cantrell and husband Mark, of McPherson, Kansas; her step children, Cheri Hudson and husband Neal, of Wasso, California, Kevin Miller and husband Herb Acevedo, of Provincetown, Massachusetts and Diane Patton and husband Jim, of Maize, Kansas. She is also survived by her two grandchildren, Casey Cantrell and Cristen Cantrell, of McPherson, Kansas and her step grandchildren, Colby Patton, of Oxford, Kansas, Riley Patton and Cara Hudson, of McPherson, Kansas.

Jody was preceded in death by her parents, a brother Clifford Clinesmith, her husband Darrell Dombaugh and her son David Dombaugh.

A memorial service will be held on November 22, 2021 at 10:00 am at First United Methodist Church, McPherson, Kansas, with Reverends Emily Cannon and Chris Whitacre officiating.

Burial will be at the McPherson Cemetery, McPherson, Kansas.

Memorial contributions may be made to First United Methodist Church or McPherson Animal Shelter and they can be sent to Glidden-Ediger Funeral Home; 222 W. Euclid St., McPherson, KS 67460.

Jody Marie Dombaugh Miller, 88, of McPherson, Kansas, passed away peacefully at 11:01 a.m., Saturday, October 23rd, 2021 while in the company of family members at Hutchinson Regional Medical Center, Hutchinson, Kansas.Jody was born in Coldwater, Kansas on April 28, 1933, the daughter of Fred Clifford and Myrtle Marie (Atteberry) Clinesmith.Jody attended the Coldwater elementary schools and graduated from Coldwater High School in 1951. She then attended the Pratt Community College, Pratt, Kansas for one year.She was a member of First United Methodist Church in McPherson.Jody enjoyed her dogs, camping and traveling in her motor home, cooking, music, music theater, she loved her church family and loved spending time with her friends and family.Jody was a homemaker. Prior to her retirement she was a secretary for Flory and Karstetter Law Office and later was a secretary for Prairie View Mental Health Center, McPherson, Kansas.Jody was united in marriage to Darrell Neil Dombaugh on May 17, 1953 at the Methodist Church, Coldwater, Kansas. Darrell died on December 19, 2002. Jody was then married to Merlin J. Miller on August 18, 2008 in McPherson, Kansas.She is survived by her husband, Merlin Miller, of McPherson, Kansas; her daughter Dalyn Cantrell and husband Mark, of McPherson, Kansas; her step children, Cheri Hudson and husband Neal, of Wasso, California, Kevin Miller and husband Herb Acevedo, of Provincetown, Massachusetts and Diane Patton and husband Jim, of Maize, Kansas. She is also survived by her two grandchildren, Casey Cantrell and Cristen Cantrell, of McPherson, Kansas and her step grandchildren, Colby Patton, of Oxford, Kansas, Riley Patton and Cara Hudson, of McPherson, Kansas.Jody was preceded in death by her parents, a brother Clifford Clinesmith, her husband Darrell Dombaugh and her son David Dombaugh.A memorial service will be held on November 22, 2021 at 10:00 am at First United Methodist Church, McPherson, Kansas, with Reverends Emily Cannon and Chris Whitacre officiating.Burial will be at the McPherson Cemetery, McPherson, Kansas.Memorial contributions may be made to First United Methodist Church or McPherson Animal Shelter and they can be sent to Glidden-Ediger Funeral Home; 222 W. Euclid St., McPherson, KS 67460.

Jody Marie Dombaugh Miller |1933-2021|

As we celebrate the 150th birthday of Hutchinson and Reno County, we want to go through the years, decade by decade, to see how things have changed and — remarkably — how they have stayed the same. This would not be possible without the efforts of Steve Harmon, the Reno County Museum, and the Hutchinson Public Library, who have made a great effort to supply us with the information and photos that you’ll see in this 15-part series. We hope you enjoy it.

We invite you to help us with this trip down memory lane. If you have specific memories of our city or county's growth&nbsp;since the 1960s, or have photos you'd like to share, send them to&nbsp;<a href="mailto:HutchPost@eagleradio.net">HutchPost@eagleradio.net</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Many changes were a part of the 1960s, including a new home for Hutchinson High School, air passenger service in Hutchinson and the start of what is now one of the premier museums in the United States. That and more as we look back on the 1960s.

1960: Dillons Stores looks for an easier way for shoppers who need just a few things when it opens its first Kwik Shop. The partnership continues through 2018 when Kroger sold off the chain.&nbsp;

There are conflicting dates as to when this project was completed, but in 1961, the Farmers Commission grain elevator was in full operation. It is still the second-longest single-head house elevator in the world.

Sen. John F. Kennedy speaks at the Sports Arena.

Captain Kangaroo entertains a large crowd of children at the Hutchinson Sports Arena.

A gas explosion rips through the community of Haven, destroying the Haven Journal and two other buildings.

Dillons expands with a new distribution center on the city's east side.

Air passenger service comes to Hutchinson as Central Airlines. Eventually, the airline becomes Frontier Airlines.

The Hutchinson Fire Department builds a new training tower in Sylvan Park.

High school students in Hutchinson have a new home as the new Hutchinson High School is built at 13th and Severance.

1961: The Hutchinson Planetarium is opened by Patty Carey in a chicken coop at the Kansas State Fairgrounds. Her love of space and the vision of others is now on full display at the Cosmosphere, which is now one of the premier space museums in the world. The museum is one of just two that has a spacecraft flown in all three Cold War programs: Mercury, Gemini and Apollo.

In an effort to preserve the history of Hutchinson and Reno County, the Reno County Historical Society was formed.

Although you still have to stand in line for some state and county business, it was in 1961 that the state began to mail out license plates to residents.

A military plane crashes in Reno County. Crews were able to parachute to safety.

Hutchinson taxpayers form the Taxpayers League to promote better government.

1962: Fairfield High School opened in Abbyville. Today it is located just north of the community of Langdon.

Softball-sized hail hammers the area, causing more than $6 million in damages. The total would be $55 million in 2021.

Although it is well within the city limits today, Union Valley residents fought against annexation by the city in 1962.

Construction of a dam begins in southern Reno County in what would eventually become Cheney Reservoir.

Former President Harry S. Truman speaks at the Sports Arena.

&nbsp;1963: Many great events have come and gone from Reno County, but many still stand today, including the Abbyville Frontier Days Rodeo, which started in 1963.

The first Reno County Museum opened in 1963. The museum was located in several rooms of the home of Goldie Maupin, who was president of the historical society at that time.

Consolidation of school districts continues as county districts are redrawn again.

IRS agents raid the Eagles Club and seize slot machines.

More than 48,000 residents receive the Sabin polio vaccine in an effort to eradicate infantile paralysis.

1964: Still entertaining today, the Hutchinson Symphony Orchestra was formed in 1964.

As consolidation of school districts continues, voters in Arlington approve the closing of Arlington High School.

The police department makes the decision to stop escorting funeral processions.&nbsp;

Dog owners are unhappy with the city’s new ordinance that requires all dogs to be in a fenced yard or on a leash.

As the Cold War escalates, Kansas State University advises the public about when it would be safe to exit a fallout shelter if the U.S. were attacked.

1965: Trinity High School is built at 17th and Lorraine.

After standing proud in Hutchinson for so many years, the Bisonte Hotel catches fire during demolition, bringing a quick end to the hotel's demise.&nbsp;

Flooding hits the town of Nickerson as residents are forced to use sandbags to protect property.

The Ultra Van powered by a Corvair engine and transaxle was designed by David Peterson in the early '60s. These units were produced in limited quantities by Ultra, Inc. of Hutchinson, Kansas, until June of 1970.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Hutchinson News was awarded a Pulitzer Prize in 1965.

After years of military service, the old naval base has new life as it becomes the Hutchinson Air Base Industrial Tract. Today it is still home to various industries, The Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center and a popular glider port.

Hutchinson Junior College is taken under the reins of the state. The college had been run as a division of the Hutchinson School District. The college and the high school still have a close working relationship today.

Unable to secure more space downtown, Sears builds the Sears Shopping Plaza at the corner of 1st and Adams.

The planetarium moves to the campus of Hutchinson Junior College, now the site of the Cosmosphere.

After four years of construction, Cheney Reservoir is finished.

1966: Local doctors were found to have blocked free chest X-rays for five years, citing opposition to government encroachment into the private practice of medicine.

A new innovation aids police in catching speeders as Hutchinson begins using radar.

In what was the driest year on record, Reno County received just a little more than 13 inches of rain for the year.

The Human Relations Commission was formed in 1966 at the urging of the NAACP.

Mildred Baughman becomes the first woman in the state of Kansas to hold the office of county commissioners. She went on to serve for 25 years.

A new thing called a "computer" kickstarts a business in Hutchinson called the Data Center Inc.

The Dillons Northgate Shopping Center is built at 30th and Plum.

1967: Unable to receive any help from Reno County tax dollars, the Reno County Museum moves to Haven.

People read her advice column for years, but in 1967, Ann Landers spoke in Hutchinson.

The year after six residents die in the Broadacres County Home, Reno County commissioners approve air conditioning for the facility.

The Daisy BB gun shooting championships are held at Gowans Stadium July 7-9.

Old brine wells erupt in South Hutchinson.&nbsp;

Haven postal carrier Homer Astle retires after carrying mail on the same route for 46 years.

A danger that still exists today, a large prairie fire consumes the northern part of Reno County.

1968: A runaway train leaves Hutchinson heading west. The train travels 78 miles before it is derailed in the small town of Kinsley.

Wheat continues to be the crop in Reno County with a record 11.4 million bushels harvested.

Reno County servicemen write home about the horrors of the Vietnam War as local casualties increase.&nbsp;

USD 312 patrons approve a $1 million bond issue to build a new high school.

A popular event still held each year in Nickerson, the first Klear Nearly Days event is held in 1968.

The Fair Housing Ordinance was passed by the city of Hutchinson, outlawing discrimination in housing.

The Hutchinson Community College debate team wins the national title.&nbsp;

Thousands of trees die from Dutch elm disease.

The reformatory supervisor resigns after months of controversy over financial irregularities and an investigation by the governor's panel.

1969: What might have been for Hutchinson, no one will ever know for sure, but the new interstate system route does not go through Hutchinson, instead taking a route to the east through Newton.

The Board of Trade diminishes use of the Wiley Building, eventually closing. When the Wiley Building was renovated, 2013 papers, maps and most everything that was a part of the board was still there.

New telephones allow Hutchinson residents to make their own long-distance phone calls.

Vietnam protesters march down Main Street and hold a rally in Sylvan Park.

In what was finally an end to consolidation in the county, the number of school districts is reduced to six. There were 88 in 1948.

Addition: We are asking for your memories of events that happened up to the current date. Here are some of the things one reader shared with us about the 1950s and 1960s — Kathy says some of her memories include:

Sitting on Random Road watching movies playing at the drive-in.

Dragging Main with the turnaround at Sandy’s Drive-In.

Having the Morgan Grade School teacher walk the entire class to Dairy Queen on the last day of school.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1629504018461.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>As we celebrate the 150th birthday of Hutchinson and Reno County, we want to go through the years, decade by decade, to see how things have changed and — remarkably — how they have stayed the same. This would not be possible without the efforts of Steve Harmon, the Reno County Museum, and the Hutchinson Public Library, who have made a great effort to supply us with the information and photos that you’ll see in this 15-part series. We hope you enjoy it.We invite you to help us with this trip down memory lane. If you have specific memories of our city or county's growth&nbsp;since the 1960s, or have photos you'd like to share, send them to&nbsp;<a href="mailto:HutchPost@eagleradio.net">HutchPost@eagleradio.net</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;Many changes were a part of the 1960s, including a new home for Hutchinson High School, air passenger service in Hutchinson and the start of what is now one of the premier museums in the United States. That and more as we look back on the 1960s.1960: Dillons Stores looks for an easier way for shoppers who need just a few things when it opens its first Kwik Shop. The partnership continues through 2018 when Kroger sold off the chain.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634165961952.jpeg" alt="Kwik Shop - New Prototype Store - 507 E. 30th - 1960. Photo courtesy of Steve Harmon." />
 <figcaption>Kwik Shop - New Prototype Store - 507 E. 30th - 1960. Photo courtesy of Steve Harmon.</figcaption>
 </figure>There are conflicting dates as to when this project was completed, but in 1961, the Farmers Commission grain elevator was in full operation. It is still the second-longest single-head house elevator in the world.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634072902572.jpeg" alt="Farmers Commission Co. - Grain Elevator B - 6th &amp; Halstead. Photo courtesy of Steve Harmon." />
 <figcaption>Farmers Commission Co. - Grain Elevator B - 6th &amp; Halstead. Photo courtesy of Steve Harmon.</figcaption>
 </figure>Sen. John F. Kennedy speaks at the Sports Arena.Captain Kangaroo entertains a large crowd of children at the Hutchinson Sports Arena.A gas explosion rips through the community of Haven, destroying the Haven Journal and two other buildings.Dillons expands with a new distribution center on the city's east side.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634166251432.jpeg" alt="J.S. Dillon &amp; Sons - Distribution Center - Architect's Painting as it was constructed in 1960 - 2700 E. 4th (Grocery Whse. Offices, Produce &amp; Frozen Food Whse.). Photo courtesy of Steve Harmon." />
 <figcaption>J.S. Dillon &amp; Sons - Distribution Center - Architect's Painting as it was constructed in 1960 - 2700 E. 4th (Grocery Whse. Offices, Produce &amp; Frozen Food Whse.). Photo courtesy of Steve Harmon.</figcaption>
 </figure>Air passenger service comes to Hutchinson as Central Airlines. Eventually, the airline becomes Frontier Airlines.The Hutchinson Fire Department builds a new training tower in Sylvan Park.High school students in Hutchinson have a new home as the new Hutchinson High School is built at 13th and Severance.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634072861636.jpeg" alt="Hutchinson High School Aerial at Opening &amp; Sports Arena - June 1960. Photo courtesy of Steve Harmon." />
 <figcaption>Hutchinson High School Aerial at Opening &amp; Sports Arena - June 1960. Photo courtesy of Steve Harmon.</figcaption>
 </figure>1961: The Hutchinson Planetarium is opened by Patty Carey in a chicken coop at the Kansas State Fairgrounds. Her love of space and the vision of others is now on full display at the Cosmosphere, which is now one of the premier space museums in the world. The museum is one of just two that has a spacecraft flown in all three Cold War programs: Mercury, Gemini and Apollo.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634166653512.jpeg" alt="Planetarium - Patty Carey (right) at original fairgrounds location - c. 1962. Photo courtesy of Steve Harmon." />
 <figcaption>Planetarium - Patty Carey (right) at original fairgrounds location - c. 1962. Photo courtesy of Steve Harmon.</figcaption>
 </figure>In an effort to preserve the history of Hutchinson and Reno County, the Reno County Historical Society was formed.Although you still have to stand in line for some state and county business, it was in 1961 that the state began to mail out license plates to residents.A military plane crashes in Reno County. Crews were able to parachute to safety.Hutchinson taxpayers form the Taxpayers League to promote better government.1962: Fairfield High School opened in Abbyville. Today it is located just north of the community of Langdon.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1595965876065.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Softball-sized hail hammers the area, causing more than $6 million in damages. The total would be $55 million in 2021.Although it is well within the city limits today, Union Valley residents fought against annexation by the city in 1962.Construction of a dam begins in southern Reno County in what would eventually become Cheney Reservoir.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634166566897.jpeg" alt="Cheney Dam flood gate. Photo courtesy of Floyd Sounders." />
 <figcaption>Cheney Dam flood gate. Photo courtesy of Floyd Sounders.</figcaption>
 </figure>Former President Harry S. Truman speaks at the Sports Arena.&nbsp;1963: Many great events have come and gone from Reno County, but many still stand today, including the Abbyville Frontier Days Rodeo, which started in 1963.The first Reno County Museum opened in 1963. The museum was located in several rooms of the home of Goldie Maupin, who was president of the historical society at that time.The first Reno County 4H fair was held.Consolidation of school districts continues as county districts are redrawn again.IRS agents raid the Eagles Club and seize slot machines.More than 48,000 residents receive the Sabin polio vaccine in an effort to eradicate infantile paralysis.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634166686551.jpeg" alt="Clowntown Kiddieland - 1960 - Train Ride (Thad Stevens conductor). Photo courtesy of Steve Harmon." />
 <figcaption>Clowntown Kiddieland - 1960 - Train Ride (Thad Stevens conductor). Photo courtesy of Steve Harmon.</figcaption>
 </figure>1964: Still entertaining today, the Hutchinson Symphony Orchestra was formed in 1964.As consolidation of school districts continues, voters in Arlington approve the closing of Arlington High School.The police department makes the decision to stop escorting funeral processions.&nbsp;Dog owners are unhappy with the city’s new ordinance that requires all dogs to be in a fenced yard or on a leash.As the Cold War escalates, Kansas State University advises the public about when it would be safe to exit a fallout shelter if the U.S. were attacked.1965: Trinity High School is built at 17th and Lorraine.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634073623550.jpeg" alt="Trinity High School - 1400 E. 17th - 1965 (At completion by N.F. English Const.). Photo courtesy of Steve Harmon." />
 <figcaption>Trinity High School - 1400 E. 17th - 1965 (At completion by N.F. English Const.). Photo courtesy of Steve Harmon.</figcaption>
 </figure>After standing proud in Hutchinson for so many years, the Bisonte Hotel catches fire during demolition, bringing a quick end to the hotel's demise.&nbsp;Flooding hits the town of Nickerson as residents are forced to use sandbags to protect property.The Ultra Van powered by a Corvair engine and transaxle was designed by David Peterson in the early '60s. These units were produced in limited quantities by Ultra, Inc. of Hutchinson, Kansas, until June of 1970.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634166737095.jpeg" alt="Ultra Van at Airbase Mfg. Plant - 1965 to 1969. Photo courtesy of Steve Harmon." />
 <figcaption>Ultra Van at Airbase Mfg. Plant - 1965 to 1969. Photo courtesy of Steve Harmon.</figcaption>
 </figure>The Hutchinson News was awarded a Pulitzer Prize in 1965.After years of military service, the old naval base has new life as it becomes the Hutchinson Air Base Industrial Tract. Today it is still home to various industries, The Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center and a popular glider port.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634073042325.jpeg" alt="Hutchinson Airbase Industrial Tract (H.A.B.I.T) at old Naval Air Station (aerial) - c. 1960s. Photo courtesy of Steve Harmon." />
 <figcaption>Hutchinson Airbase Industrial Tract (H.A.B.I.T) at old Naval Air Station (aerial) - c. 1960s. Photo courtesy of Steve Harmon.</figcaption>
 </figure>Hutchinson Junior College is taken under the reins of the state. The college had been run as a division of the Hutchinson School District. The college and the high school still have a close working relationship today.Unable to secure more space downtown, Sears builds the Sears Shopping Plaza at the corner of 1st and Adams.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634073499749.jpeg" alt="Sears Plaza Center (New) - 15 N. Adams - c. 1968 (with Jack &amp; Jill Grocery #1 - 5 S. Adams). Photo courtesy of Steve Harmon." />
 <figcaption>Sears Plaza Center (New) - 15 N. Adams - c. 1968 (with Jack &amp; Jill Grocery #1 - 5 S. Adams). Photo courtesy of Steve Harmon.</figcaption>
 </figure>The planetarium moves to the campus of Hutchinson Junior College, now the site of the Cosmosphere.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634167010072.jpeg" alt="Hutchinson Jr. College - Kennedy Library &amp; Planetarium finished construction - 11th &amp; Plum - 1965 (Later Became Cosmosphere). Photo courtesy of Steve Harmon." />
 <figcaption>Hutchinson Jr. College - Kennedy Library &amp; Planetarium finished construction - 11th &amp; Plum - 1965 (Later Became Cosmosphere). Photo courtesy of Steve Harmon.</figcaption>
 </figure>After four years of construction, Cheney Reservoir is finished.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634073322260.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>1966: Local doctors were found to have blocked free chest X-rays for five years, citing opposition to government encroachment into the private practice of medicine.A new innovation aids police in catching speeders as Hutchinson begins using radar.In what was the driest year on record, Reno County received just a little more than 13 inches of rain for the year.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634167055991.jpeg" alt="Main Street Looking South from First - 1963 (showing B &amp; G Hosiery - 28 N. Main, Anthony's - 22-24 N. Main &amp; Gordons - 18 N. Main). Photo courtesy of Steve Harmon." />
 <figcaption>Main Street Looking South from First - 1963 (showing B &amp; G Hosiery - 28 N. Main, Anthony's - 22-24 N. Main &amp; Gordons - 18 N. Main). Photo courtesy of Steve Harmon.</figcaption>
 </figure>The Human Relations Commission was formed in 1966 at the urging of the NAACP.Mildred Baughman becomes the first woman in the state of Kansas to hold the office of county commissioners. She went on to serve for 25 years.A new thing called a "computer" kickstarts a business in Hutchinson called the Data Center Inc.The Dillons Northgate Shopping Center is built at 30th and Plum.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634072991998.jpeg" alt="Dillons Northgate - 30th &amp; Plum - 1966 (old Kwik Shop move). Photo courtesy of Steve Harmon." />
 <figcaption>Dillons Northgate - 30th &amp; Plum - 1966 (old Kwik Shop move). Photo courtesy of Steve Harmon.</figcaption>
 </figure>1967: Unable to receive any help from Reno County tax dollars, the Reno County Museum moves to Haven.People read her advice column for years, but in 1967, Ann Landers spoke in Hutchinson.The year after six residents die in the Broadacres County Home, Reno County commissioners approve air conditioning for the facility.The Daisy BB gun shooting championships are held at Gowans Stadium July 7-9.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634741339212.jpeg" alt="Daisy National BB Gun Championships. Photo courtesy of Jerry Regier, provided by the Daisy Company, Lawrence Taylor." />
 <figcaption>Daisy National BB Gun Championships. Photo courtesy of Jerry Regier, provided by the Daisy Company, Lawrence Taylor.</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634764009733.jpeg" alt="Daisy National BB Gun Championships. Photo courtesy of Jerry Regier,&nbsp;provided by the Daisy Company, Lawrence Taylor." />
 <figcaption>Daisy National BB Gun Championships. Photo courtesy of Jerry Regier,&nbsp;provided by the Daisy Company, Lawrence Taylor.</figcaption>
 </figure>Old brine wells erupt in South Hutchinson.&nbsp;Haven postal carrier Homer Astle retires after carrying mail on the same route for 46 years.A danger that still exists today, a large prairie fire consumes the northern part of Reno County.1968: A runaway train leaves Hutchinson heading west. The train travels 78 miles before it is derailed in the small town of Kinsley.Wheat continues to be the crop in Reno County with a record 11.4 million bushels harvested.Reno County servicemen write home about the horrors of the Vietnam War as local casualties increase.&nbsp;USD 312 patrons approve a $1 million bond issue to build a new high school.A popular event still held each year in Nickerson, the first Klear Nearly Days event is held in 1968.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634073278060.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The Fair Housing Ordinance was passed by the city of Hutchinson, outlawing discrimination in housing.The Hutchinson Community College debate team wins the national title.&nbsp;Thousands of trees die from Dutch elm disease.The reformatory supervisor resigns after months of controversy over financial irregularities and an investigation by the governor's panel.1969: What might have been for Hutchinson, no one will ever know for sure, but the new interstate system route does not go through Hutchinson, instead taking a route to the east through Newton.The Board of Trade diminishes use of the Wiley Building, eventually closing. When the Wiley Building was renovated, 2013 papers, maps and most everything that was a part of the board was still there.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634072661589.jpeg" alt="Wiley Bldg. - N.E. Cor. 1st &amp; Main." />
 <figcaption>Wiley Bldg. - N.E. Cor. 1st &amp; Main.</figcaption>
 </figure>New telephones allow Hutchinson residents to make their own long-distance phone calls.Vietnam protesters march down Main Street and hold a rally in Sylvan Park.In what was finally an end to consolidation in the county, the number of school districts is reduced to six. There were 88 in 1948.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1634166047032.jpeg" alt="Wesley Towers Construction - 1969. Photo courtesy of Steve Harmon." />
 <figcaption>Wesley Towers Construction - 1969. Photo courtesy of Steve Harmon.</figcaption>
 </figure>Addition: We are asking for your memories of events that happened up to the current date. Here are some of the things one reader shared with us about the 1950s and 1960s — Kathy says some of her memories include:Sitting on Random Road watching movies playing at the drive-in.Dragging Main with the turnaround at Sandy’s Drive-In.Going to the rodeo at the Sports Arena.Going roller skating at the Rollerena.Taking swimming lessons at Carey Park.Having the Morgan Grade School teacher walk the entire class to Dairy Queen on the last day of school.And finally, shopping at Pegues and Wileys — the only places you could buy dresses in town.Thanks for sharing!The Decades are brought to you by: <a href="http://www.hutchinsonfc.com/">Hutchinson Funeral Chapel</a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/rothefloors/">Rothe Family Flooring</a> <a href="https://www.hutchpl.org/">Hutchinson Public Library</a>Check back next Sunday for the next part in this series.<a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/239f71e3-58f9-4107-b657-04ace0aba6e5">CLICK HERE FOR THE 1870s</a> <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/4523eb41-6726-4b1d-8ef5-54dedbe74d38">CLICK HERE FOR THE 1880s</a> <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/aed5c227-5456-4c86-b4e0-2da58b625d79">CLICK HERE FOR THE 1890s</a> <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/cbb05344-de8a-41cb-bc81-4f2b031d0e3e">CLICK HERE FOR THE 1900s</a> <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/3a46367b-74cf-45f8-908a-80df2eba6230">CLICK HERE FOR THE 1910s</a> <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/8b97ee4d-1ff3-4093-b15d-fc874c77ddff">CLICK HERE FOR THE 1920s</a> <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/d7ef87fc-b259-4f19-b2b4-1bbc1753e021">CLICK HERE FOR THE 1930s</a> <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/52bb60af-ca6a-4d7a-b83f-07d4ed8d7dbf">CLICK HERE FOR THE 1940s</a> <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/efeb2935-17a6-4d6b-bdb6-59ccf927155a">CLICK HERE FOR THE 1950s</a><a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.

The Decades: 1960s

Ronald Keith Anderson was born on January 8, 1936, in McPherson, the son of Leonard R. Anderson and Fern A. (Spencer) Anderson. Fern passed when Ron was ten years old. Leonard remarried Lena Marie Miller. Marie loved him like her own. He farmed in the summer for his uncle, Melvin Spencer, after his mother passed away. Farming made him strong with a strong grip that was part of his success later as a discus thrower. He loved farming. Ron served with the Army National Guard, Company A, 137th Infantry from 1954 through 1962 when he was honorably discharged. He was a teacher, coach, and counselor in the Lawrence, Kansas area from 1957 through 1975. He moved back to McPherson when his father-in-law asked him to come help set up an oil company for him. He taught two years at Central Christian School in Hutchinson in the midst of helping start up many businesses, including Cap Oil, The Christian Counseling Center, and Economy Hearing Aid Center. Ron graduated with the McPherson High Class of 1954. Until he was a freshman in high school, he had never thrown a discus. During those four years, he broke the school record nine times. He placed first in the league meets, first in regional meets, and first at KU Relay. He didn’t look like a discus thrower—he was 6 ft. 1 inch tall and entered high school at 140 pounds and weighed 157 pounds when he graduated. During high school, he also lettered in basketball and football. On September 20, 1956, Ron was united in marriage to Patricia Helen Casebeer in Enid, OK. He graduated with the McPherson College Class of 1958. Ron lettered in track and basketball. He was a three-time All American, four-time Discus NAIA Qualifier, KCAC Record holder, and two-year Conference champion. In 1957, he won the NAIA Discus National Championship. He was also an Olympic Trial Qualifier in the Discus. In 2000, he was inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame. He threw in Masters and Senior Olympic meets from 1992 to 2016. His last competition was when he was 80 years old. He competed in 205 meets, earned 175 gold metals, and held 80 meet records during that time. Their son, Rick, followed in his dad’s footsteps and took up throwing the discus and shot put also. He enjoyed many trips with Rick and his wife, Alice, when Rick became eligible to compete in the Masters and Senior Olympic meets. It gave Ron great joy when his son started beating his records! He loved God, his wife Pat of 65 years, his family, and teaching others about our Lord and Savior. He had a special love for teaching Prophecy. He loved to take his children and grandchildren fishing when he was younger. He enjoyed watching his son and grandchildren play sports. He had a silly sense of humor. He was called Papa and was greatly loved by all. In Ron’s last days, he was ministered to by Serenity Hospice Care. They loved him, and he loved them. They made his last days as pleasant as possible under the circumstances. He also had family members, you know who you are, who helped when Hospice couldn’t be there. Ron went to be with Jesus on Wednesday, October 13, 2021, surrounded by family at his home in McPherson. He was eighty-five. He is survived by his wife, Pat; his son, Rick and wife, Alice, of Lawrence, KS; his daughters, Terry Kanitz of McPherson, and Kim Schafer and husband, Tim, of McPherson; four grandchildren, Dustan Kanitz and wife, Brooke, of McPherson, Jessica Koehn and husband, Shawn, of Moundridge, George Schafer of McPherson, and Jamie Schafer of McPherson; 11 great-grandchildren, Riley Koehn, Madison Koehn, Lincoln Koehn, Kemper Koehn, Steele Koehn, Crew Koehn, Henley Koehn, Kreighton Kanitz, Kaizer Kanitz, Kash Kanitz, and Kager Kanitz; his sisters, Phyllis Keeslar and husband, Elden, of Florida, Jackie Eberle of Illinois, Kathy Unruh and husband, Doug, of McPherson, Vicki Vollmer and husband, Doug, of Kanopolis; and many nieces and nephews. The memorial service will be held at 10:00 AM, Thursday, October 28, 2021, at Stockham Family Funeral Home with Pastor Mark Hoover officiating. Burial with Military Honors will follow at McPherson Cemetery. To view a live stream broadcast of the service, please click on the following link:&nbsp;<a href="https://boxcast.tv/view/ronald-k-anderson-memorial-service-219176" target="_blank">https://boxcast.tv/view/ronald-k-anderson-memorial-service-219176</a>

Ronald Keith Anderson was born on January 8, 1936, in McPherson, the son of Leonard R. Anderson and Fern A. (Spencer) Anderson. Fern passed when Ron was ten years old. Leonard remarried Lena Marie Miller. Marie loved him like her own. He farmed in the summer for his uncle, Melvin Spencer, after his mother passed away. Farming made him strong with a strong grip that was part of his success later as a discus thrower. He loved farming. Ron served with the Army National Guard, Company A, 137th Infantry from 1954 through 1962 when he was honorably discharged. He was a teacher, coach, and counselor in the Lawrence, Kansas area from 1957 through 1975. He moved back to McPherson when his father-in-law asked him to come help set up an oil company for him. He taught two years at Central Christian School in Hutchinson in the midst of helping start up many businesses, including Cap Oil, The Christian Counseling Center, and Economy Hearing Aid Center. Ron graduated with the McPherson High Class of 1954. Until he was a freshman in high school, he had never thrown a discus. During those four years, he broke the school record nine times. He placed first in the league meets, first in regional meets, and first at KU Relay. He didn’t look like a discus thrower—he was 6 ft. 1 inch tall and entered high school at 140 pounds and weighed 157 pounds when he graduated. During high school, he also lettered in basketball and football. On September 20, 1956, Ron was united in marriage to Patricia Helen Casebeer in Enid, OK. He graduated with the McPherson College Class of 1958. Ron lettered in track and basketball. He was a three-time All American, four-time Discus NAIA Qualifier, KCAC Record holder, and two-year Conference champion. In 1957, he won the NAIA Discus National Championship. He was also an Olympic Trial Qualifier in the Discus. In 2000, he was inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame. He threw in Masters and Senior Olympic meets from 1992 to 2016. His last competition was when he was 80 years old. He competed in 205 meets, earned 175 gold metals, and held 80 meet records during that time. Their son, Rick, followed in his dad’s footsteps and took up throwing the discus and shot put also. He enjoyed many trips with Rick and his wife, Alice, when Rick became eligible to compete in the Masters and Senior Olympic meets. It gave Ron great joy when his son started beating his records! He loved God, his wife Pat of 65 years, his family, and teaching others about our Lord and Savior. He had a special love for teaching Prophecy. He loved to take his children and grandchildren fishing when he was younger. He enjoyed watching his son and grandchildren play sports. He had a silly sense of humor. He was called Papa and was greatly loved by all. In Ron’s last days, he was ministered to by Serenity Hospice Care. They loved him, and he loved them. They made his last days as pleasant as possible under the circumstances. He also had family members, you know who you are, who helped when Hospice couldn’t be there. Ron went to be with Jesus on Wednesday, October 13, 2021, surrounded by family at his home in McPherson. He was eighty-five. He is survived by his wife, Pat; his son, Rick and wife, Alice, of Lawrence, KS; his daughters, Terry Kanitz of McPherson, and Kim Schafer and husband, Tim, of McPherson; four grandchildren, Dustan Kanitz and wife, Brooke, of McPherson, Jessica Koehn and husband, Shawn, of Moundridge, George Schafer of McPherson, and Jamie Schafer of McPherson; 11 great-grandchildren, Riley Koehn, Madison Koehn, Lincoln Koehn, Kemper Koehn, Steele Koehn, Crew Koehn, Henley Koehn, Kreighton Kanitz, Kaizer Kanitz, Kash Kanitz, and Kager Kanitz; his sisters, Phyllis Keeslar and husband, Elden, of Florida, Jackie Eberle of Illinois, Kathy Unruh and husband, Doug, of McPherson, Vicki Vollmer and husband, Doug, of Kanopolis; and many nieces and nephews. The memorial service will be held at 10:00 AM, Thursday, October 28, 2021, at Stockham Family Funeral Home with Pastor Mark Hoover officiating. Burial with Military Honors will follow at McPherson Cemetery. To view a live stream broadcast of the service, please click on the following link:&nbsp;<a href="https://boxcast.tv/view/ronald-k-anderson-memorial-service-219176" target="_blank">https://boxcast.tv/view/ronald-k-anderson-memorial-service-219176</a>

Ronald K. Anderson  |1936-2021| 

Raymond Paul Diggs, 68, of Hutchinson, died October 19, 2021, at Wesley Medical Center, Wichita. He was born July 5, 1953, in Hutchinson at Grace Hospital to Ellis Wayne and Iva Mae (Mooney) Diggs.

Raymond grew up in Hutchinson and lived in Kansas, Missouri, Colorado, and Georgia over the course of his life. He attended Winans Grade School, Sherman Junior High, and Hutchinson High School. Raymond also completed programs at Job Corps in Utah and Salina Area Technical College. He was a truck driver for many years and through this job he visited all 48 continental states. Raymond was a handy-man and fix TVs, appliances, and cars. He was a cowboy at heart and he loved singing and dancing, especially Christmas music. Raymond grew up attending Westside Baptist Church with his family and recently visited as well.

He is survived by: daughter, Paula Hawley (Damond), Kansas City, Missouri; son, Jason Diggs (Lori), Kansas City, Missouri; brothers, Wayne “Sonny” Diggs, Longmont, Colorado; Ronald Diggs (Sandy), Newalla, Oklahoma, Jack Diggs, Mayzville, Georgia, Darrell Diggs (Trenna), Conway Springs, David Diggs (Peggy), Wichita, Kenny Diggs (Anne), Leonardtown, Maryland; sisters, Karen Miller (Walter), Luther, Oklahoma, Janis Sue Wallace (David), Rockmart, Georgia; grandchildren, Taylor Swindler (Casey), Gage Diggs, Andrea Williams (Aaron), Jaden Diggs, Ianeda Hawley, Mallory Diggs, Damond Hawley Jr., Neah Hawley; great-grandchildren, Aaron, Neriah, Emmaline, DeAndre, Myla Mae; best friend, Charles “Corky” Davis; and significant other, Cindy Lips.

Raymond was preceded in death by: his parents; sister, Patricia Kay Baker; son, Bradley Ellis Diggs; and grandson, Gavin Ellis Diggs.

Funeral service will be 1 p.m. Saturday, October 23, 2021, at Westside Baptist Church, with Pastor Tim Adrian officiating. Burial will follow in Fairlawn Burial Park. Friends may call from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday with the family present from 6 to 8 p.m. at Elliott Mortuary.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to Westside Baptist Church, in care of Elliott Mortuary, 1219 N. Main, Hutchinson, KS 67501.

Raymond Paul Diggs, 68, of Hutchinson, died October 19, 2021, at Wesley Medical Center, Wichita. He was born July 5, 1953, in Hutchinson at Grace Hospital to Ellis Wayne and Iva Mae (Mooney) Diggs.Raymond grew up in Hutchinson and lived in Kansas, Missouri, Colorado, and Georgia over the course of his life. He attended Winans Grade School, Sherman Junior High, and Hutchinson High School. Raymond also completed programs at Job Corps in Utah and Salina Area Technical College. He was a truck driver for many years and through this job he visited all 48 continental states. Raymond was a handy-man and fix TVs, appliances, and cars. He was a cowboy at heart and he loved singing and dancing, especially Christmas music. Raymond grew up attending Westside Baptist Church with his family and recently visited as well.He is survived by: daughter, Paula Hawley (Damond), Kansas City, Missouri; son, Jason Diggs (Lori), Kansas City, Missouri; brothers, Wayne “Sonny” Diggs, Longmont, Colorado; Ronald Diggs (Sandy), Newalla, Oklahoma, Jack Diggs, Mayzville, Georgia, Darrell Diggs (Trenna), Conway Springs, David Diggs (Peggy), Wichita, Kenny Diggs (Anne), Leonardtown, Maryland; sisters, Karen Miller (Walter), Luther, Oklahoma, Janis Sue Wallace (David), Rockmart, Georgia; grandchildren, Taylor Swindler (Casey), Gage Diggs, Andrea Williams (Aaron), Jaden Diggs, Ianeda Hawley, Mallory Diggs, Damond Hawley Jr., Neah Hawley; great-grandchildren, Aaron, Neriah, Emmaline, DeAndre, Myla Mae; best friend, Charles “Corky” Davis; and significant other, Cindy Lips.Raymond was preceded in death by: his parents; sister, Patricia Kay Baker; son, Bradley Ellis Diggs; and grandson, Gavin Ellis Diggs.Funeral service will be 1 p.m. Saturday, October 23, 2021, at Westside Baptist Church, with Pastor Tim Adrian officiating. Burial will follow in Fairlawn Burial Park. Friends may call from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday with the family present from 6 to 8 p.m. at Elliott Mortuary.In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to Westside Baptist Church, in care of Elliott Mortuary, 1219 N. Main, Hutchinson, KS 67501.

Raymond Paul Diggs |1953-2021|

With a new coaching staff and entirely new roster, the Hutchinson Community College men’s basketball team was picked to finish fifth this season by a vote of the league’s coaches as the Jayhawk Conference released its annual preseason coaches’ poll on Thursday.

With several teams from the former Jayhawk East dropping to Division II this season, the 13 remaining KJCCC Division I teams will once again play in one conference with a double round-robin schedule. The KJCCC was last a one-division league from 2015-16 to 2017-18.

New Blue Dragon head coach Tommy DeSalme will introduce his new team to the public in a scrimmage at 5 p.m. on Friday at the Sports Arena and then officially open the season on November 3 against Fort Scott before playing host to the Blue Dragon/BSN Tipoff Classic on November 5 and 6.

The 2021-22 Blue Dragons will have an entirely new roster with 15 new players. Five players – Jacquez Yow, Cameron Robins, Kobe Campbell, Tarese Morse and Josiah Harris – followed DeSalme to Hutchinson from Cowley College.

The last time Hutchinson men’s basketball was picked this low in a preseason conference coaches poll was 2000 when the Blue Dragons were picked fourth in a nine-team Jayhawk West.

Defending national champion Coffeyville is the preseason pick to capture the 2021-22 league championship. Dodge City is picked second, followed by Butler, Colby and Hutchinson.

The Blue Dragons received votes in the preseason NJCAA rankings.

2021-22 KJCCC MEN’S BASKETBALL PRESEASON POLL

STEVE CARPENTERHutchCC Sports InformationWith a new coaching staff and entirely new roster, the Hutchinson Community College men’s basketball team was picked to finish fifth this season by a vote of the league’s coaches as the Jayhawk Conference released its annual preseason coaches’ poll on Thursday.With several teams from the former Jayhawk East dropping to Division II this season, the 13 remaining KJCCC Division I teams will once again play in one conference with a double round-robin schedule. The KJCCC was last a one-division league from 2015-16 to 2017-18.New Blue Dragon head coach Tommy DeSalme will introduce his new team to the public in a scrimmage at 5 p.m. on Friday at the Sports Arena and then officially open the season on November 3 against Fort Scott before playing host to the Blue Dragon/BSN Tipoff Classic on November 5 and 6.The 2021-22 Blue Dragons will have an entirely new roster with 15 new players. Five players – Jacquez Yow, Cameron Robins, Kobe Campbell, Tarese Morse and Josiah Harris – followed DeSalme to Hutchinson from Cowley College.The last time Hutchinson men’s basketball was picked this low in a preseason conference coaches poll was 2000 when the Blue Dragons were picked fourth in a nine-team Jayhawk West.Defending national champion Coffeyville is the preseason pick to capture the 2021-22 league championship. Dodge City is picked second, followed by Butler, Colby and Hutchinson.The Blue Dragons received votes in the preseason NJCAA rankings.2021-22 KJCCC MEN’S BASKETBALL PRESEASON POLL1. Coffeyville2. Dodge City3. Butler4. Colby5. Hutchinson6. Seward County7. Independence8. Cowley9. Garden City10. Barton11. Pratt12. Cloud County13. Northwest Tech

HutchCC men fifth in KJCCC preseason poll

The two-time defending Jayhawk West champion Hutchinson Community College women’s basketball team was picked to finish second in the 2021-22 Jayhawk Conference title chase after the league released its annual preseason coaches’ poll on Thursday.

Head coach John Ontjes begins his 15th season with the Blue Dragons this season. Only once since 2010 have the Blue Dragons not been picked either first or second in the KJCCC preseason rankings. That was a third-place pick in 2013. The Blue Dragons have never been picked lower than fourth in a preseason poll under Ontjes.

Butler is the preseason pick to win the Jayhawk Conference this season. The rest of the Top 5 is Hutchinson, defending Region VI champion Independence, Seward County and Coffeyville.

The Blue Dragons went 19-5 last season and claimed a Jayhawk West title with a 17-5 league record. The Blue Dragons were ousted in the Region VI Tournament semifinals and didn’t receive an at-large bid to the 2021 NJCAA Tournament.

Five players return for the upcoming season, which begins on February 2 against the Bethany College JV in the Sports Arena.

Super sophomore Tor’e Alford was Hutchinson’s leading scorer at 12.4 points per game and she shot 43 percent from 3-point range.

Also back are guards Kalyn Ervin, Ishante Suttington and Yana Grassity. The fifth player returning is center Lani Morris.

Ervin averaged 8.3 points per game last season, but over her last 10 games, she was one of the Blue Dragons’ top offensive threats averaging 12.5 points per game over that span. Suttington averaged 9.3 points per game. Grassity averaged 6.3 points and 3.6 assists, but missed the last 10 games because of injury. Grassity will not be available at the start of this season because of injury. Morris averaged 3.3 points and 3.0 rebounds in limited duty last season.

2021-22 KJCCC WOMEN’S BASKETBALL PRESEASON POLL

STEVE CARPENTERHutchCC Sports InformationThe two-time defending Jayhawk West champion Hutchinson Community College women’s basketball team was picked to finish second in the 2021-22 Jayhawk Conference title chase after the league released its annual preseason coaches’ poll on Thursday.With several teams from the former Jayhawk East dropping to Division II this season, the 13 remaining KJCCC Division I teams will once again play in one conference with a double round-robin schedule. The KJCCC was last a one-division league from 2015-16 to 2017-18.Head coach John Ontjes begins his 15th season with the Blue Dragons this season. Only once since 2010 have the Blue Dragons not been picked either first or second in the KJCCC preseason rankings. That was a third-place pick in 2013. The Blue Dragons have never been picked lower than fourth in a preseason poll under Ontjes.Butler is the preseason pick to win the Jayhawk Conference this season. The rest of the Top 5 is Hutchinson, defending Region VI champion Independence, Seward County and Coffeyville.The Blue Dragons went 19-5 last season and claimed a Jayhawk West title with a 17-5 league record. The Blue Dragons were ousted in the Region VI Tournament semifinals and didn’t receive an at-large bid to the 2021 NJCAA Tournament.Five players return for the upcoming season, which begins on February 2 against the Bethany College JV in the Sports Arena.Super sophomore Tor’e Alford was Hutchinson’s leading scorer at 12.4 points per game and she shot 43 percent from 3-point range.Also back are guards Kalyn Ervin, Ishante Suttington and Yana Grassity. The fifth player returning is center Lani Morris.Ervin averaged 8.3 points per game last season, but over her last 10 games, she was one of the Blue Dragons’ top offensive threats averaging 12.5 points per game over that span. Suttington averaged 9.3 points per game. Grassity averaged 6.3 points and 3.6 assists, but missed the last 10 games because of injury. Grassity will not be available at the start of this season because of injury. Morris averaged 3.3 points and 3.0 rebounds in limited duty last season.2021-22 KJCCC WOMEN’S BASKETBALL PRESEASON POLL1. Butler2. Hutchinson3. Independence4. Seward County5. Coffeyville6. Cowley7. Barton8. Dodge City9. Cloud County10. Garden City11. Colby12. Pratt13. Northwest Tech

HutchCC women second in preseason KJCCC poll

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Small town businesses and industry, including those in Hutchinson, are keeping a close eye on the vaccination mandate put in place by the Biden Administration.

Dan Naccarato, business professor for Hutchinson Community College, says the mandate will have a very negative impact on area businesses and industry.

“It’s another problem for business managers to deal with all across the country,” Naccarato said. “There’s three things in common right now that we're seeing . . . businesses can’t find enough people to hire to fill vacant positions . . . they’re struggling on certain items to be supplied with and they're getting shortages because of the supply chain problem, and number three, costs are going up.”

Naccarato says he expects to see mixed reaction to the mandate, but some will have no choice.

“I think some companies will push back and some companies will try to comply,” Naccarato said. “Because the pressure is if you’re doing any business with any government agency and the executive branch of the federal government is saying either implement a mandate for vaccination or lose your government contract, it catches the company in a tough position.”

Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt says he plans to fight the mandate.

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/5/1620054865846.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By ROD ZOOKHutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — Small town businesses and industry, including those in Hutchinson, are keeping a close eye on the vaccination mandate put in place by the Biden Administration.Dan Naccarato, business professor for Hutchinson Community College, says the mandate will have a very negative impact on area businesses and industry.“It’s another problem for business managers to deal with all across the country,” Naccarato said. “There’s three things in common right now that we're seeing . . . businesses can’t find enough people to hire to fill vacant positions . . . they’re struggling on certain items to be supplied with and they're getting shortages because of the supply chain problem, and number three, costs are going up.”Naccarato says he expects to see mixed reaction to the mandate, but some will have no choice.“I think some companies will push back and some companies will try to comply,” Naccarato said. “Because the pressure is if you’re doing any business with any government agency and the executive branch of the federal government is saying either implement a mandate for vaccination or lose your government contract, it catches the company in a tough position.”Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt says he plans to fight the mandate.<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile app. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/5e73b532afae0f4d5f5d90ea" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Prof: Small town industry will be hurt by mandate

Wayne A. Pittman, Minister, 81, died October 14, 2021, at the University of Missouri Hospital, Columbia, MO. He was born February 19, 1940, in Ardmore, OK, the son of Shadrix A. and Mable E. Musgrave Pittman. He was a 1958 graduate of Ardmore High School. He had received his Bachelor of Theology from Midwest Christian College, Oklahoma City, OK. In 1963. He ministered in churches in Ardmore and Muskogee, OK before serving at Crossroads Christian Church, Hutchinson, for 42 years, most recently serving as the Senior’s Minister.

He married Viola Bernice Platt on August 23, 1963, in Ardmore, OK. She died August 10, 2005.

Survivors include his children; Greg (Andrea) Pittman, Tulsa, OK, Arista (Saul) Lagunez, McKinney, TX, Harold (Kelly) Pittman, Manhattan, KS, and Rachel Pittman, Hutchinson, KS; 16 grandchildren; and 14 great grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his wife Viola Bernice Pittman of 42 years; a grandson, Christopher Shane Uphoff; and 2 sisters, Dorothy Pittman and Peggy Lamer.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 AM, Friday, October 22, 2021, at Crossroads Christian Church; 4310 N. Monroe, Hutchinson, KS. Funeral services will be live streamed on the Inman Funeral Home Facebook Page. Burial will follow at Memorial Park Cemetery. To honor Wayne’s lifelong passion for starting new churches, memorial contributions may be made to CEA Kansas (Christian Evangelizing Association,) in care of the funeral home. Condolences may be left to the family at <a href="http://www.inmanfh.com">www.inmanfh.com</a>.

Wayne A. Pittman, Minister, 81, died October 14, 2021, at the University of Missouri Hospital, Columbia, MO. He was born February 19, 1940, in Ardmore, OK, the son of Shadrix A. and Mable E. Musgrave Pittman. He was a 1958 graduate of Ardmore High School. He had received his Bachelor of Theology from Midwest Christian College, Oklahoma City, OK. In 1963. He ministered in churches in Ardmore and Muskogee, OK before serving at Crossroads Christian Church, Hutchinson, for 42 years, most recently serving as the Senior’s Minister.He married Viola Bernice Platt on August 23, 1963, in Ardmore, OK. She died August 10, 2005.Survivors include his children; Greg (Andrea) Pittman, Tulsa, OK, Arista (Saul) Lagunez, McKinney, TX, Harold (Kelly) Pittman, Manhattan, KS, and Rachel Pittman, Hutchinson, KS; 16 grandchildren; and 14 great grandchildren.He was preceded in death by his wife Viola Bernice Pittman of 42 years; a grandson, Christopher Shane Uphoff; and 2 sisters, Dorothy Pittman and Peggy Lamer.Funeral services will be held at 11:00 AM, Friday, October 22, 2021, at Crossroads Christian Church; 4310 N. Monroe, Hutchinson, KS. Funeral services will be live streamed on the Inman Funeral Home Facebook Page. Burial will follow at Memorial Park Cemetery. To honor Wayne’s lifelong passion for starting new churches, memorial contributions may be made to CEA Kansas (Christian Evangelizing Association,) in care of the funeral home. Condolences may be left to the family at <a href="http://www.inmanfh.com">www.inmanfh.com</a>.

Wayne A. Pittman |1940-2021|

New Hutchinson Community College men’s basketball coach Tommy DeSalme will see his first Blue Dragon team start the season outside of the NJCAA Top 25, but within striking distance of an early-season entry.

The NJCAA releases its preseason basketball rankings for all three divisions on Monday. The Blue Dragons are one of 12 teams in the receiving votes column of the Division I Men’s Preseason rankings. The Blue Dragons had started the season inside the Top 25 for 10 consecutive seasons.

DeSalme and the Blue Dragons open the season on November 3 against Fort Scott before playing host to the BSN/Blue Dragon Classic. Barton, No. 12 Odessa and NOC-Tonkawa are in that Classic field.

The Blue Dragons were 19-7 last season. Despite a quarterfinal exit in the Region VI Tournament, the Blue Dragons earned an at-large bid to the NJCAA Tournament, where they won an opening-round game, but were eliminated in the second round.

DeSalme and his former team, the Cowley Tigers, were Region VI champions and advanced all the way to the NJCAA Tournament championship game where it lost to Jayhawk East rival Coffeyville.

DeSalme has no returning players from last season’s Blue Dragon team, but five members of his Cowley team followed him to Hutchinson this season.

STEVE CARPENTERHutchCC Sports InformationNew Hutchinson Community College men’s basketball coach Tommy DeSalme will see his first Blue Dragon team start the season outside of the NJCAA Top 25, but within striking distance of an early-season entry.The NJCAA releases its preseason basketball rankings for all three divisions on Monday. The Blue Dragons are one of 12 teams in the receiving votes column of the Division I Men’s Preseason rankings. The Blue Dragons had started the season inside the Top 25 for 10 consecutive seasons.DeSalme and the Blue Dragons open the season on November 3 against Fort Scott before playing host to the BSN/Blue Dragon Classic. Barton, No. 12 Odessa and NOC-Tonkawa are in that Classic field.The Blue Dragons were 19-7 last season. Despite a quarterfinal exit in the Region VI Tournament, the Blue Dragons earned an at-large bid to the NJCAA Tournament, where they won an opening-round game, but were eliminated in the second round.DeSalme and his former team, the Cowley Tigers, were Region VI champions and advanced all the way to the NJCAA Tournament championship game where it lost to Jayhawk East rival Coffeyville.DeSalme has no returning players from last season’s Blue Dragon team, but five members of his Cowley team followed him to Hutchinson this season.There are four teams from the Jayhawk Conference earning preseason notoriety. Defending national champion Coffeyville is seventh and Dodge City is ranked 10th. Hutchinson and Colby are receiving votes.Salt Lake is the unanimous pick for No. 1 with all nine first-place votes. Indian Hills, Florida Southwestern State, South Plains and Mineral Area round out the Top 5.NJCAA DIVISION I PRESEASON MEN'S BASKETBALL RANKINGS1. Salt Lake (9) 2252. Indian Hills 2163. Florida Southwestern State 2074. South Plains 1985. Mineral Area 1896. John A. Logan 1807. Coffeyville 1718. Shelton State 1629. Kilgore 15310. Dodge City 14411. Northwest Florida State 13512. Odessa 12613. Chipola 11714. Eastern Florida State 10815. Southern Idaho 9916. Northeastern Oklahoma A&amp;M 9017. Navarro 8118. New Mexico JC 7219. Moberly Area 6320. Harcum 5421. South Georgia State 4522. Northeast Mississippi 3623. Georgia Highlands 2724. Northeastern JC 1825. Columbia State 9 Receiving Votes: Arizona Western, Brunswick, Colby, Hutchinson, Indian River State, Jones, Motlow State, Pearl River, Snow, Triton, Vincennes, Western Wyoming