GAINESVILLE, Florida – For the second-consecutive meet, the Hutchinson Community College women's Distance Medley Relay broke a school record.

On Friday, the Blue Dragon relay did so on Day 1 of the NJCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships.

The relay team of&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/wtrack/2023-24/bios/van_zelfden_ellie_7nqg">Ellie Van Zelfden</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/wtrack/2023-24/bios/dominique_kemisha_fekc">Kemisha Dominique</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/wtrack/2023-24/bios/grantham_abigail_cxzg">Abigail Grantham</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/wtrack/2023-24/bios/hoskinson_taylor_qmkp">Taylor Hoskinson</a>&nbsp;broke the record set two weeks ago at the Region VI Championships with a time of 12:27.28.

The women's DMR was the only event the Blue Dragons scored in on Day 1 Friday. Through 7 of 20 events, Jayhawk Conference rival Barton leads the team race with 37 points. Iowa Western is second with 32. The Dragons, who have athletes in four events on Saturday, are 25th after Day 1.

The Blue Dragons had one athlete advance to Saturday's finals out of Friday's preliminaries.

Sophomore&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/wtrack/2023-24/bios/james_kaylee_rvey">Kaylee James</a>&nbsp;qualified for the 60-meter hurdle finals. She finished eighth, qualifying with a PR time of 8.79 seconds. That's the second-best time in Blue Dragon history, behind only former national champion Adriana Janic.

Other Blue Dragon performances on Friday:+ Sophomore&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/wtrack/2023-24/bios/larson_serenity_tezp">Serenity Larson</a>&nbsp;placed 15th in the 5,000-meter finals, but did so with a PR time of 18:39.52. That mark is the top 5,000 meter time run by a Blue Dragon at the indoor nationals in team history and improves Larson's own second-place time in team history.

+ Hoskinson finished 18th in the 1,000-meter preliminaries with a tie of 3:05.26, the second-fastest time in the event at nationals by a Blue Dragon runner.

+&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/wtrack/2023-24/bios/o-hair_nakaela_53zq">Nakaela O'Hair</a>&nbsp;placed 14th in the pole vault, clearing 10-2 1/2. Aliva Noll was 16th in the event, clearing 9-8 1/2.

+ Freshman&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/wtrack/2023-24/bios/green_ayranna_o09z">Aiyanna Green</a>&nbsp;placed 18th in the shot put with a top attempt of 37-10 (11.53 meters).

Saturday's Blue Dragon schedule.+ 9:30 a.m. (CT) –&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/wtrack/2023-24/bios/hawkins_brooke_1fkd">Brooke Hawkins</a>&nbsp;competes in the high jump.

+ 12:05 p.m. (CT) – James runs in the 60-meter hurdle finals.

+ 12:45 p.m. (CT) – Hawkins competes in the triple jump.

+ 2:35 p.m. (CT) – Both Hoskinson and Van Zelfden run the Mile run finals.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1709399990853.jpeg" alt="The Blue Dragon women's Distance Medley Relay of ( to r) Taylor Hoskinson, Abigail Grantham, Kemesha Dominique and Ellie Van Zelffen finished eighth on Friday at the NJCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships and set a new school record in the event at 12:27.28." />
 <figcaption>The Blue Dragon women's Distance Medley Relay of ( to r) Taylor Hoskinson, Abigail Grantham, Kemesha Dominique and Ellie Van Zelffen finished eighth on Friday at the NJCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships and set a new school record in the event at 12:27.28.</figcaption>
 </figure>Courtesy of HutchCC AthleticsGAINESVILLE, Florida – For the second-consecutive meet, the Hutchinson Community College women's Distance Medley Relay broke a school record.On Friday, the Blue Dragon relay did so on Day 1 of the NJCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships.The relay team of&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/wtrack/2023-24/bios/van_zelfden_ellie_7nqg">Ellie Van Zelfden</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/wtrack/2023-24/bios/dominique_kemisha_fekc">Kemisha Dominique</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/wtrack/2023-24/bios/grantham_abigail_cxzg">Abigail Grantham</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/wtrack/2023-24/bios/hoskinson_taylor_qmkp">Taylor Hoskinson</a>&nbsp;broke the record set two weeks ago at the Region VI Championships with a time of 12:27.28.The women's DMR was the only event the Blue Dragons scored in on Day 1 Friday. Through 7 of 20 events, Jayhawk Conference rival Barton leads the team race with 37 points. Iowa Western is second with 32. The Dragons, who have athletes in four events on Saturday, are 25th after Day 1.The Blue Dragons had one athlete advance to Saturday's finals out of Friday's preliminaries.Sophomore&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/wtrack/2023-24/bios/james_kaylee_rvey">Kaylee James</a>&nbsp;qualified for the 60-meter hurdle finals. She finished eighth, qualifying with a PR time of 8.79 seconds. That's the second-best time in Blue Dragon history, behind only former national champion Adriana Janic.Other Blue Dragon performances on Friday:+ Sophomore&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/wtrack/2023-24/bios/larson_serenity_tezp">Serenity Larson</a>&nbsp;placed 15th in the 5,000-meter finals, but did so with a PR time of 18:39.52. That mark is the top 5,000 meter time run by a Blue Dragon at the indoor nationals in team history and improves Larson's own second-place time in team history.+ Hoskinson finished 18th in the 1,000-meter preliminaries with a tie of 3:05.26, the second-fastest time in the event at nationals by a Blue Dragon runner.+&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/wtrack/2023-24/bios/o-hair_nakaela_53zq">Nakaela O'Hair</a>&nbsp;placed 14th in the pole vault, clearing 10-2 1/2. Aliva Noll was 16th in the event, clearing 9-8 1/2.+ Freshman&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/wtrack/2023-24/bios/green_ayranna_o09z">Aiyanna Green</a>&nbsp;placed 18th in the shot put with a top attempt of 37-10 (11.53 meters).Saturday's Blue Dragon schedule.+ 9:30 a.m. (CT) –&nbsp;<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/wtrack/2023-24/bios/hawkins_brooke_1fkd">Brooke Hawkins</a>&nbsp;competes in the high jump.+ 12:05 p.m. (CT) – James runs in the 60-meter hurdle finals.+ 12:45 p.m. (CT) – Hawkins competes in the triple jump.+ 2:35 p.m. (CT) – Both Hoskinson and Van Zelfden run the Mile run finals.

🏃‍♀️ Dragon Women's DMR breaks own record on Day 1 at NJCAA

Daryl Dean Bowser, 76, of Hutchinson, died February 27, 2024, at Harry Hynes Memorial Hospice Center - Ascension Via Christi St. Francis, in Wichita. He was born July 25, 1947, in Hutchinson, to Carl E. and Lois I. (Harms) Bowser.

Daryl graduated from Haven High School and Cowley County Community College, where he played football. Daryl was a salesman for many years for Hutch Improvement. He loved being outdoors, fishing and working with horses. Daryl also was a sports fanatic who loved to watch any and all sports, and especially loved cheering on his grandchildren in their sporting events. He loved tinkering in his shop and could fix anything made out of wood or on wheels. Daryl attended Risen Savior Lutheran Church in Wichita.

On July 21, 1972, he married Connie S. Koons, in Hutchinson. They shared 43 years of marriage before her death on December 8, 2015.

Daryl is survived by: his children, Donna and Dan Rydberg of Ovilla, TX, Denise Allen of Plano, TX, Billy and Kristin Bowser of Kyle, TX, Becky Ball of Sterling; nine grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; friend, Cheryl Valdois of Park City; brother, Larry and Sheryl Bowser of Newton; and one nephew.

Funeral service will be 10 a.m. Monday, March 4, 2024, at Elliott Chapel, with Pastor CJ Luttinen officiating. Burial will follow in Memorial Park Cemetery.

The service will be livestreamed and the link to view it below will be available beginning at 9:45 the day of the service.

<a href="https://view.oneroomstreaming.com/index.php?data=MTcwOTI0MDIwNTI5ODE1NCZvbmVyb29tLWFkbWluJmNvcHlfbGluaw==">Click here to view the service</a>

Friends may call from 1-8 p.m., with the family present to receive friends from 6-8 p.m. Sunday at Elliott Mortuary.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1709390698804.jpeg" alt="Daryl Dean Bowser" />
 <figcaption>Daryl Dean Bowser</figcaption>
 </figure>Daryl Dean Bowser, 76, of Hutchinson, died February 27, 2024, at Harry Hynes Memorial Hospice Center - Ascension Via Christi St. Francis, in Wichita. He was born July 25, 1947, in Hutchinson, to Carl E. and Lois I. (Harms) Bowser.Daryl graduated from Haven High School and Cowley County Community College, where he played football. Daryl was a salesman for many years for Hutch Improvement. He loved being outdoors, fishing and working with horses. Daryl also was a sports fanatic who loved to watch any and all sports, and especially loved cheering on his grandchildren in their sporting events. He loved tinkering in his shop and could fix anything made out of wood or on wheels. Daryl attended Risen Savior Lutheran Church in Wichita.On July 21, 1972, he married Connie S. Koons, in Hutchinson. They shared 43 years of marriage before her death on December 8, 2015.Daryl is survived by: his children, Donna and Dan Rydberg of Ovilla, TX, Denise Allen of Plano, TX, Billy and Kristin Bowser of Kyle, TX, Becky Ball of Sterling; nine grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; friend, Cheryl Valdois of Park City; brother, Larry and Sheryl Bowser of Newton; and one nephew.He was preceded in death by his parents.Funeral service will be 10 a.m. Monday, March 4, 2024, at Elliott Chapel, with Pastor CJ Luttinen officiating. Burial will follow in Memorial Park Cemetery.The service will be livestreamed and the link to view it below will be available beginning at 9:45 the day of the service.<a href="https://view.oneroomstreaming.com/index.php?data=MTcwOTI0MDIwNTI5ODE1NCZvbmVyb29tLWFkbWluJmNvcHlfbGluaw==">Click here to view the service</a>Friends may call from 1-8 p.m., with the family present to receive friends from 6-8 p.m. Sunday at Elliott Mortuary.

Daryl Dean Bowser |1947-2024|

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Rotary Club of Hutchinson will hold its next meeting Monday, March&nbsp;4 at noon at the Stringer Fine Arts Center on the campus of Hutchinson Community College.

Monday's program will be an update on the Landmark Project, presented by Laura Meyer Dick and Justin Pregont. Laura will be filling attendees in on all things Landmark and what the vision is for the iconic building in Downtown Hutchinson.&nbsp;

Laura Meyer Dick is a lifelong Hutchinson resident who is involved with First National Bank, First National Travel, DJ Liquor as well as commercial real estate investments.&nbsp; Following completion of her master’s in business administration from the University of Kansas, Laura worked as a commercial lender in the Kansas City area until returning home to Hutchinson in 2002.

Laura is passionate about Hutchinson and has enjoyed serving on many local non profit boards as well as USD 313 Board of Education for the past 14 years.&nbsp; &nbsp;Upon the passing of her father, Nation Meyer, Laura wanted to honor his love of Downtown Hutchinson.&nbsp; She collaborated with the Chamber and the Community Foundation to pursue a Downtown Master Plan.&nbsp; &nbsp;This plan was the beginning of the journey to re-purpose the historical Landmark Building.&nbsp; &nbsp;Laura and her husband Michael have 3 grown children and they are thrilled that one of them has chosen to call Hutchinson home with her new husband.

Justin Pregont is a self-employed real estate developer focusing on adaptive reuse and historic preservation projects in rural Kansas downtown districts. Following his graduation from the University of Kansas MPA program, Justin worked for twelve years in city management, capital project management, and economic development prior to starting his own company, Pomeroy Development. 

Justin’s most recent development work includes Fox Theatre Atchison (2019), 1913 Apartments (2020), and Central School Apartments (2022) in Atchison as well as Frontier Apartments (2023) in Hays. His current work includes the former Zarah Hotel in Great Bend, the former St. John's Rest Home in Victoria, and the former Landmark Hotel in downtown Hutchinson. Justin and his wife, Melinda, live in Atchison, Kansas with their two children.

<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/2021/4/1619621531887.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Rotary Club of Hutchinson HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Rotary Club of Hutchinson will hold its next meeting Monday, March&nbsp;4 at noon at the Stringer Fine Arts Center on the campus of Hutchinson Community College.Monday's program will be an update on the Landmark Project, presented by Laura Meyer Dick and Justin Pregont. Laura will be filling attendees in on all things Landmark and what the vision is for the iconic building in Downtown Hutchinson.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1709321214338.jpeg" alt="Laura Meyer Dick" />
 <figcaption>Laura Meyer Dick</figcaption>
 </figure>Laura Meyer Dick is a lifelong Hutchinson resident who is involved with First National Bank, First National Travel, DJ Liquor as well as commercial real estate investments.&nbsp; Following completion of her master’s in business administration from the University of Kansas, Laura worked as a commercial lender in the Kansas City area until returning home to Hutchinson in 2002.Laura is passionate about Hutchinson and has enjoyed serving on many local non profit boards as well as USD 313 Board of Education for the past 14 years.&nbsp; &nbsp;Upon the passing of her father, Nation Meyer, Laura wanted to honor his love of Downtown Hutchinson.&nbsp; She collaborated with the Chamber and the Community Foundation to pursue a Downtown Master Plan.&nbsp; &nbsp;This plan was the beginning of the journey to re-purpose the historical Landmark Building.&nbsp; &nbsp;Laura and her husband Michael have 3 grown children and they are thrilled that one of them has chosen to call Hutchinson home with her new husband.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1709321235038.jpeg" alt="Justin Pregont" />
 <figcaption>Justin Pregont</figcaption>
 </figure>Justin Pregont is a self-employed real estate developer focusing on adaptive reuse and historic preservation projects in rural Kansas downtown districts. Following his graduation from the University of Kansas MPA program, Justin worked for twelve years in city management, capital project management, and economic development prior to starting his own company, Pomeroy Development. Justin’s most recent development work includes Fox Theatre Atchison (2019), 1913 Apartments (2020), and Central School Apartments (2022) in Atchison as well as Frontier Apartments (2023) in Hays. His current work includes the former Zarah Hotel in Great Bend, the former St. John's Rest Home in Victoria, and the former Landmark Hotel in downtown Hutchinson. Justin and his wife, Melinda, live in Atchison, Kansas with their two children.<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;

Meyer Dick and Pregont to present to Rotary

The Hutchinson Community College baseball team combined for 31 runs on 31 hits to defeat Coffeyville in the first two games of a four-game series on Thursday at Hobart-Detter Field.

Within that, the Blue Dragons had three single innings scoring seven or more runs as Hutchinson posted wins of 14-4 and 17-6, both run-rule wins over the Red Ravens.

The Blue Dragons improved to 10-3 overall while Coffeyville dropped to 6-5. The series wraps up on Friday with games at 1 and 3:30 p.m. at Hobart-Detter Field.

GAME 1 RECAP – Hutchinson 14, Coffeyville 4

Leading 4-1 through two innings, the Blue Dragons exploded for nine runs on nine hits with each Dragon player in the lineup collecting a hit. Ten Hutchinson players reached base after the second out was recorded – the Dragons were 8 for 13 with in two-out situations in Game 1.

Blake Bradford had a wind-aided bloop two-run double in the inning. Colin Cymbalista also had a two-run double and Cooper Wesslund added a two-run single as the big hits in the inning.

The Blue Dragons racked up 15 hits in Game 1 with six extra-base hits and six different players racking up two hits each.

Cody Gunderson was 2 for 4 with three RBIs – a two-run single in the first and an RBI double in the third inning. Cymbalista was 2 for 5 with three RBIs.

Luis Pementel-Guerrero hit a two-run home run in the first inning, finishing 2 for 2 with two RBIs, two runs scored and two walks. Bradford was 2 for 4 with a double and two RBIs. Tyson Vassart was 2 for 4 with an RBI. Kael Babin was 2 for 4 with three runs scored.

The Blue Dragons trailed 1-0 before they came to the plate for the first time. The Dragons immediately answered when Gunderson hit a two-run single to left and Pementel-Guerrero followed with his two-run homer for a 4-1 Blue Dragon lead.

Ethan Giesbrecht (2-1) started and worked the first five innings for his second win of the season. Giesbrecht struck out a season-high eight batters. He allowed six hits and four runs, only one run was earned. Ashton Perkins had a strikeout in a perfect sixth inning.

GAME 2 RECAP – Hutchinson 17, Coffeyville 6

Blue Dragon starting pitcher Sam Ojeda took a no-hitter into the sixth inning in the second game, retiring the first 13 batters he faced.

Ojeda tied a season high with five strikeouts. He finished a season-high six innings allowing three hits, three unearned runs and walking two.

By the time the Dragons left the game, he had plenty of run support as the Dragons gave up a nine-run lead with a two-run first inning and seven-run fourth inning.

The Dragons sent 13 batters to the plate in the fourth inning and had did the damage with just two hits, but took advantage of three Red Raven errors, four walks and a hit batsman.

Hutchinson topped that inning with an eight-run sixth inning. Thirteen Hutchinson players came to the plate and tallied nine hits – Jordan Tucker, Quinn Mayer and Wesslund had two hits each in the inning.

Four different Blue Dragon players had three hits each in a 16-hit attack in Game 2.

Tucker went 3 for 4 with a double, three runs scored and three RBIs. Maher was 3 for 4 with two runs scored. Wesslund was 3 for 4 with a double, two runs and two RBIs. Bradford was 2 for 3 with a double and three RBIs.

Gunderson extended his consecutive-game hitting to seven games, going 2 for 3 with three RBIs and a pair of runs scored.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1709301992313.jpeg" alt="Sam Ojeda carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning on Thursday in a doubleheader sweep of Coffeyville at Hobart-Detter Field. (Andrew Carpenter/Blue Dragon Sports Information)" />
 <figcaption>Sam Ojeda carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning on Thursday in a doubleheader sweep of Coffeyville at Hobart-Detter Field. (Andrew Carpenter/Blue Dragon Sports Information)</figcaption>
 </figure>Courtesy of HutchCC AthleticsThe Hutchinson Community College baseball team combined for 31 runs on 31 hits to defeat Coffeyville in the first two games of a four-game series on Thursday at Hobart-Detter Field.Within that, the Blue Dragons had three single innings scoring seven or more runs as Hutchinson posted wins of 14-4 and 17-6, both run-rule wins over the Red Ravens.The Blue Dragons improved to 10-3 overall while Coffeyville dropped to 6-5. The series wraps up on Friday with games at 1 and 3:30 p.m. at Hobart-Detter Field.GAME 1 RECAP – Hutchinson 14, Coffeyville 4Leading 4-1 through two innings, the Blue Dragons exploded for nine runs on nine hits with each Dragon player in the lineup collecting a hit. Ten Hutchinson players reached base after the second out was recorded – the Dragons were 8 for 13 with in two-out situations in Game 1.Blake Bradford had a wind-aided bloop two-run double in the inning. Colin Cymbalista also had a two-run double and Cooper Wesslund added a two-run single as the big hits in the inning.The Blue Dragons racked up 15 hits in Game 1 with six extra-base hits and six different players racking up two hits each.Cody Gunderson was 2 for 4 with three RBIs – a two-run single in the first and an RBI double in the third inning. Cymbalista was 2 for 5 with three RBIs.Luis Pementel-Guerrero hit a two-run home run in the first inning, finishing 2 for 2 with two RBIs, two runs scored and two walks. Bradford was 2 for 4 with a double and two RBIs. Tyson Vassart was 2 for 4 with an RBI. Kael Babin was 2 for 4 with three runs scored.The Blue Dragons trailed 1-0 before they came to the plate for the first time. The Dragons immediately answered when Gunderson hit a two-run single to left and Pementel-Guerrero followed with his two-run homer for a 4-1 Blue Dragon lead.Ethan Giesbrecht (2-1) started and worked the first five innings for his second win of the season. Giesbrecht struck out a season-high eight batters. He allowed six hits and four runs, only one run was earned. Ashton Perkins had a strikeout in a perfect sixth inning.GAME 2 RECAP – Hutchinson 17, Coffeyville 6Blue Dragon starting pitcher Sam Ojeda took a no-hitter into the sixth inning in the second game, retiring the first 13 batters he faced.Ojeda tied a season high with five strikeouts. He finished a season-high six innings allowing three hits, three unearned runs and walking two.By the time the Dragons left the game, he had plenty of run support as the Dragons gave up a nine-run lead with a two-run first inning and seven-run fourth inning.The Dragons sent 13 batters to the plate in the fourth inning and had did the damage with just two hits, but took advantage of three Red Raven errors, four walks and a hit batsman.Hutchinson topped that inning with an eight-run sixth inning. Thirteen Hutchinson players came to the plate and tallied nine hits – Jordan Tucker, Quinn Mayer and Wesslund had two hits each in the inning.Four different Blue Dragon players had three hits each in a 16-hit attack in Game 2.Tucker went 3 for 4 with a double, three runs scored and three RBIs. Maher was 3 for 4 with two runs scored. Wesslund was 3 for 4 with a double, two runs and two RBIs. Bradford was 2 for 3 with a double and three RBIs.Gunderson extended his consecutive-game hitting to seven games, going 2 for 3 with three RBIs and a pair of runs scored.

⚾ Dragon bats break out to take first 2 games from Red Ravens

Merwin Frye passed away from this life on February 26, 2024, at the age of 88, and he wants you to know that his work here is done. &nbsp;He received a call at his home in Schowalter Villa, Hesston, Kansas; an offer one can’t refuse, for an appointment from which he will not be returning. &nbsp;This assignment came with security and a faithful promise: &nbsp;a reunion with family and friends Merwin had not seen in a long time. &nbsp;

Born and raised in Little River, Kansas, he was of German-Austria-Scottish decent; Merwin was hardened on the outside, but warm and caring in the middle. &nbsp;The first of two children born to Ross Birchard and Martha Elizabeth (Willinger) Frye in Little River, Kansas on October 15, 1935, he grew up living on a small farm near Little River. &nbsp;After his school years as a Little River Redskin, Merwin chose to continue his education and graduated from Adela Hale Business College in Hutchinson. &nbsp;

In December 1958, a young, registered nurse, named Lenna Reynolds, whisked him off his feet to the altar in the First Baptist Church, Hutchinson, Kansas where he was a church member. &nbsp;Merwin was an office employee of Morton Salt Company, South Hutchinson, Kansas, for over 40 years, working as a traffic clerk. &nbsp;After Merwin retired from Morton Salt Company, he and Lenna moved to Bella Vista, Arkansas, where they lived for almost twenty years before moving to Hesston, Kansas.&nbsp;

Merwin was preceded in death by his parents and his brother and sister-in-law, Eldon Dee and Sue (Sponamore) Frye. &nbsp;

He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Lenna Frye of Hesston, two sons: &nbsp;Robin Ross Frye (Karen) of Lewisville, Texas, and Rick Erwin Frye (Alma) of Grand Prairie, Texas, one granddaughter, Elizabeth Jane Frye, four step-grandchildren, Rachel Diaz, Michael Diaz, David Diaz, and Elizabeth Diaz, and many nieces and nephews.&nbsp;

Merwin was one with many varied interests in life. &nbsp;He served in various capacities in his church which included almost 40 years as a door greeter, various committees, youth sponsor, Sunday School teacher, deacon, and usher. &nbsp;Merwin played basketball in high school and fast pitch softball for the Morton Salt Team. He served as an assistant baseball coach, was a hunter-safety instructor for over 25 years, a supporter of the Shriners hospital in St. Louis, and belonged to the Masonic Lodge and Scottish Rite Consistory. &nbsp;He loved to golf and was an avid golfer in his retirement years. &nbsp;Merwin also served on the Bella Vista Golf committee, Village Pride Committee to beautify Bella Vista, and the cemetery board. He belonged to Forest Hills Church in Bella Vista and upon moving to Hesston, he joined the Little River Congregational Christian Church.

Graveside service will be 11:00 a.m. Monday, March 4, 2024, at Bean Cemetery, Little River, with Pastor Ted Weis of the Little River Congregational Church officiating. &nbsp;Masonic honors will also be conducted.&nbsp;

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Little River Congregational Church in Little River or the Hospice and HomeCare of Reno County, in care of Elliott Mortuary, 1219 N. Main, Hutchison, KS &nbsp;67501.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1709232326785.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Merwin Frye passed away from this life on February 26, 2024, at the age of 88, and he wants you to know that his work here is done. &nbsp;He received a call at his home in Schowalter Villa, Hesston, Kansas; an offer one can’t refuse, for an appointment from which he will not be returning. &nbsp;This assignment came with security and a faithful promise: &nbsp;a reunion with family and friends Merwin had not seen in a long time. &nbsp;Born and raised in Little River, Kansas, he was of German-Austria-Scottish decent; Merwin was hardened on the outside, but warm and caring in the middle. &nbsp;The first of two children born to Ross Birchard and Martha Elizabeth (Willinger) Frye in Little River, Kansas on October 15, 1935, he grew up living on a small farm near Little River. &nbsp;After his school years as a Little River Redskin, Merwin chose to continue his education and graduated from Adela Hale Business College in Hutchinson. &nbsp;In December 1958, a young, registered nurse, named Lenna Reynolds, whisked him off his feet to the altar in the First Baptist Church, Hutchinson, Kansas where he was a church member. &nbsp;Merwin was an office employee of Morton Salt Company, South Hutchinson, Kansas, for over 40 years, working as a traffic clerk. &nbsp;After Merwin retired from Morton Salt Company, he and Lenna moved to Bella Vista, Arkansas, where they lived for almost twenty years before moving to Hesston, Kansas.&nbsp;Merwin was preceded in death by his parents and his brother and sister-in-law, Eldon Dee and Sue (Sponamore) Frye. &nbsp;He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Lenna Frye of Hesston, two sons: &nbsp;Robin Ross Frye (Karen) of Lewisville, Texas, and Rick Erwin Frye (Alma) of Grand Prairie, Texas, one granddaughter, Elizabeth Jane Frye, four step-grandchildren, Rachel Diaz, Michael Diaz, David Diaz, and Elizabeth Diaz, and many nieces and nephews.&nbsp;Merwin was one with many varied interests in life. &nbsp;He served in various capacities in his church which included almost 40 years as a door greeter, various committees, youth sponsor, Sunday School teacher, deacon, and usher. &nbsp;Merwin played basketball in high school and fast pitch softball for the Morton Salt Team. He served as an assistant baseball coach, was a hunter-safety instructor for over 25 years, a supporter of the Shriners hospital in St. Louis, and belonged to the Masonic Lodge and Scottish Rite Consistory. &nbsp;He loved to golf and was an avid golfer in his retirement years. &nbsp;Merwin also served on the Bella Vista Golf committee, Village Pride Committee to beautify Bella Vista, and the cemetery board. He belonged to Forest Hills Church in Bella Vista and upon moving to Hesston, he joined the Little River Congregational Christian Church.Graveside service will be 11:00 a.m. Monday, March 4, 2024, at Bean Cemetery, Little River, with Pastor Ted Weis of the Little River Congregational Church officiating. &nbsp;Masonic honors will also be conducted.&nbsp;In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Little River Congregational Church in Little River or the Hospice and HomeCare of Reno County, in care of Elliott Mortuary, 1219 N. Main, Hutchison, KS &nbsp;67501.&nbsp;

Merwin Frye |1935-2024|

Courtesy of Hutchinson CC Sports Information

The Hutchinson Community College softball team swept Jayhawk Conference Division I Player and Pitcher of the Week honors on Tuesday.

Sophomore outfielder&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/sball/2023-24/bios/darnell_jaeleigh_5kwl">Jaeleigh Darnell</a>&nbsp;was named KJCCC Player of the Week for Week 4. Freshman&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/sball/2023-24/bios/lake_dakota_j57w">Dakota Lake</a>&nbsp;was named the KJCCC Pitcher of the Week.

Darnell hit .545 with three home runs and 11 RBIs in a 3-1 week for the Blue Dragons. Darnell slugged 1.545 and had an on-base percentage of .643 to pace the Blue Dragon offense.

She went 6 for 11 with two doubles and three home runs. Against Colby, Darnell was 4 for 6 with a double, two homers and six RBIs.

Lake struck out 13 batters in six innings of work, picking up a victory in a 3-1 week for the Blue Dragons. Lake pitched the final 2 1-3 innings of Hutchinson's 16-6 run-rule victory over Colby last Thursday. She struck out four Colby batters in that performance.

For the week, Lake appeared in all four Blue Dragon games. She allowed just three hits, two walks and an unearned run while fanning 13 in 6.0 innings.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1709152326627.jpeg" alt="Hutch Softball seeks KJCCC Weekly Honors" />
 <figcaption>Hutch Softball seeks KJCCC Weekly Honors</figcaption>
 </figure>Courtesy of Hutchinson CC Sports InformationThe Hutchinson Community College softball team swept Jayhawk Conference Division I Player and Pitcher of the Week honors on Tuesday.Sophomore outfielder&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/sball/2023-24/bios/darnell_jaeleigh_5kwl">Jaeleigh Darnell</a>&nbsp;was named KJCCC Player of the Week for Week 4. Freshman&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/sball/2023-24/bios/lake_dakota_j57w">Dakota Lake</a>&nbsp;was named the KJCCC Pitcher of the Week.Darnell hit .545 with three home runs and 11 RBIs in a 3-1 week for the Blue Dragons. Darnell slugged 1.545 and had an on-base percentage of .643 to pace the Blue Dragon offense.She went 6 for 11 with two doubles and three home runs. Against Colby, Darnell was 4 for 6 with a double, two homers and six RBIs.Lake struck out 13 batters in six innings of work, picking up a victory in a 3-1 week for the Blue Dragons. Lake pitched the final 2 1-3 innings of Hutchinson's 16-6 run-rule victory over Colby last Thursday. She struck out four Colby batters in that performance.For the week, Lake appeared in all four Blue Dragon games. She allowed just three hits, two walks and an unearned run while fanning 13 in 6.0 innings.

🥎 HutchCC’s Darnell, Lake sweep KJCCC weekly honors

The Hutchinson Community College softball team set a new single-game team scoring record and tied a record for hits in a game as the Blue Dragons rolled to a Jayhawk Conference sweep of Pratt on Tuesday at Fun Valley.

The Blue Dragons defeated Pratt 12-0 in Game 1 as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/sball/2023-24/bios/tomlinson_morgan_sq65">Morgan Tomlinson</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/sball/2023-24/bios/lake_dakota_j57w">Dakota Lake</a>&nbsp;combined for a one-hit shutout. Then in Game 2,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/sball/2023-24/bios/sandoval_olivia_ydnf">Olivia Sandoval</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/sball/2023-24/bios/backhaus_brooke_06ze">Brooke Backhaus</a>&nbsp;both went 5 for 5 and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/sball/2023-24/bios/kealey_annie_xr9m">Annie Kealey</a>&nbsp;had a career-high seven RBIs in a 31-1 victory.

The Blue Dragons improved to 12-4 overall and 5-1 in the Jayhawk Conference. The Dragons extended their winning streak over Pratt (4-8, 0-2) to 30 games, which dates back to 2013. The Blue Dragons play North Iowa Area, Indian Hills twice and Iowa Western this weekend in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

The 31 runs scored in Game 2 surpassed the old single-game record of 30 runs set last season against Northwest Tech. Hutchison's 30 total hits tied last season's game against Northwest Tech and a 2014 game against Brown Mackie.

The Blue Dragons' 28 team runs batted in are No. 2 in single-game history. Hutchinson's seven doubles tied for fourth most in single-game history.

Sandoval also reached a career milestone by becoming the 17th Blue Dragon in modern day statistical history to reach 100 career hits. Sandoval now has 104 career hits.

GAME 2 RECAP – Hutchinson 31, Pratt 1The Blue Dragons put together two of the biggest single innings in program history in Game 2.

The Dragons tied a season high with 11 runs in the second inning. They sent 15 batters to the plate and racked up nine hits, including five doubles. The Blue Dragons topped that one inning later with 13 runs on 12 hits, including a Kealey grand slam.

The 13-run third was the third highest scoring inning in program history. The 11-runs in the second tied for the sixth most runs in an inning in program history.

Sandoval and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/sball/2023-24/bios/backhaus_brooke_06ze">Brooke Backhaus</a>&nbsp;both went 5 for 5 in the game, which tied for the third-most hits in program history.

Sandoval tied a Blue Dragon single-game record scoring five runs. She had four singles and a double and she drove in a career-high four runs.

Backhaus completed a perfect 7 for 7 doubleheader with three singles and a pair of doubles. She scored a career high four runs an drove in three RBIs.

Seven different Blue Dragon players had multi-hit games

Kealey went 4 for 5 with a double and grand slam as part of her seven RBI game. Kealey had an RBI double and a two-run single in the second inning. Her grand slam came in the third inning.

<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/sball/2023-24/bios/backhaus_bailey_6uk7">Bailey Backhaus</a>&nbsp;went 2 for 3 with a triple and three runs scored.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/sball/2023-24/bios/dice_emily_aof6">Emily Dice</a>&nbsp;was 2 for 3 with a run scored.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/sball/2023-24/bios/mastin_alexis_jxjs">Alexis Mastin</a>&nbsp;went 2 for 3 with a double and three RBIs. Lake went 2 for 2 with two runs and an RBI.

<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/sball/2023-24/bios/brawner_brie_9nkv">Brie Brawner</a>&nbsp;went 1 for 2, but drove in three runs.

<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/sball/2023-24/bios/lies_korri_k1mj">Korri Lies</a>&nbsp;(3-1) went the first three innings in the pitching circle to earn the win. She allowed four hits and one earned run with two strikeouts and a walk. Lake struck out five in two innings. She allowed two hits.

GAME 1 RECAP – Hutchinson 12, Pratt 0Tomlinson (3-1) and Lake combined for a one-hit shutout, the third-straight shutout for Blue Dragons pitching.

Tomlinson struck out six in 3 1-3 innings with a walk. The only hit Tomlinson gave up came in the second inning, which she pitched out of a runners at first and third situation with a pair of strikeouts.

Lake struck out four in 1 2-3 innings to complete the shutout.

Offensively,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/sball/2023-24/bios/backhaus_bailey_6uk7">Bailey Backhaus</a>&nbsp;was 4 for 4 with two runs, two RBIs and two stolen bases to lead Hutchinson's 15-hit attack.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/sball/2023-24/bios/backhaus_brooke_06ze">Brooke Backhaus</a>&nbsp;was 2 for 2 with two doubles.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/sball/2023-24/bios/divis_madi_gofs">Madi Divis</a>&nbsp;was 1 for 2 with an RBI triple and sacrifice fly. Hailey Kruger had a two-run double.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1709152146347.jpeg" alt="Brooke Backhaus was a perfect 7 for 7, including 5 for 5 in Game 2, to lead the Blue Dragon softball team to wins of 12-0 and 31-1 on Tuesday at Fun Valley. (MacKenzie Franklin/Blue Dragon Sports Information)." />
 <figcaption>Brooke Backhaus was a perfect 7 for 7, including 5 for 5 in Game 2, to lead the Blue Dragon softball team to wins of 12-0 and 31-1 on Tuesday at Fun Valley. (MacKenzie Franklin/Blue Dragon Sports Information).</figcaption>
 </figure>Courtesy of Hutchinson CC Sports InformationThe Hutchinson Community College softball team set a new single-game team scoring record and tied a record for hits in a game as the Blue Dragons rolled to a Jayhawk Conference sweep of Pratt on Tuesday at Fun Valley.The Blue Dragons defeated Pratt 12-0 in Game 1 as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/sball/2023-24/bios/tomlinson_morgan_sq65">Morgan Tomlinson</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/sball/2023-24/bios/lake_dakota_j57w">Dakota Lake</a>&nbsp;combined for a one-hit shutout. Then in Game 2,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/sball/2023-24/bios/sandoval_olivia_ydnf">Olivia Sandoval</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/sball/2023-24/bios/backhaus_brooke_06ze">Brooke Backhaus</a>&nbsp;both went 5 for 5 and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/sball/2023-24/bios/kealey_annie_xr9m">Annie Kealey</a>&nbsp;had a career-high seven RBIs in a 31-1 victory.The Blue Dragons improved to 12-4 overall and 5-1 in the Jayhawk Conference. The Dragons extended their winning streak over Pratt (4-8, 0-2) to 30 games, which dates back to 2013. The Blue Dragons play North Iowa Area, Indian Hills twice and Iowa Western this weekend in Council Bluffs, Iowa.The 31 runs scored in Game 2 surpassed the old single-game record of 30 runs set last season against Northwest Tech. Hutchison's 30 total hits tied last season's game against Northwest Tech and a 2014 game against Brown Mackie.The Blue Dragons' 28 team runs batted in are No. 2 in single-game history. Hutchinson's seven doubles tied for fourth most in single-game history.Sandoval also reached a career milestone by becoming the 17th Blue Dragon in modern day statistical history to reach 100 career hits. Sandoval now has 104 career hits.GAME 2 RECAP – Hutchinson 31, Pratt 1The Blue Dragons put together two of the biggest single innings in program history in Game 2.The Dragons tied a season high with 11 runs in the second inning. They sent 15 batters to the plate and racked up nine hits, including five doubles. The Blue Dragons topped that one inning later with 13 runs on 12 hits, including a Kealey grand slam.The 13-run third was the third highest scoring inning in program history. The 11-runs in the second tied for the sixth most runs in an inning in program history.Sandoval and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/sball/2023-24/bios/backhaus_brooke_06ze">Brooke Backhaus</a>&nbsp;both went 5 for 5 in the game, which tied for the third-most hits in program history.Sandoval tied a Blue Dragon single-game record scoring five runs. She had four singles and a double and she drove in a career-high four runs.Backhaus completed a perfect 7 for 7 doubleheader with three singles and a pair of doubles. She scored a career high four runs an drove in three RBIs.Seven different Blue Dragon players had multi-hit gamesKealey went 4 for 5 with a double and grand slam as part of her seven RBI game. Kealey had an RBI double and a two-run single in the second inning. Her grand slam came in the third inning.<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/sball/2023-24/bios/backhaus_bailey_6uk7">Bailey Backhaus</a>&nbsp;went 2 for 3 with a triple and three runs scored.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/sball/2023-24/bios/dice_emily_aof6">Emily Dice</a>&nbsp;was 2 for 3 with a run scored.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/sball/2023-24/bios/mastin_alexis_jxjs">Alexis Mastin</a>&nbsp;went 2 for 3 with a double and three RBIs. Lake went 2 for 2 with two runs and an RBI.<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/sball/2023-24/bios/brawner_brie_9nkv">Brie Brawner</a>&nbsp;went 1 for 2, but drove in three runs.<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/sball/2023-24/bios/lies_korri_k1mj">Korri Lies</a>&nbsp;(3-1) went the first three innings in the pitching circle to earn the win. She allowed four hits and one earned run with two strikeouts and a walk. Lake struck out five in two innings. She allowed two hits.GAME 1 RECAP – Hutchinson 12, Pratt 0Tomlinson (3-1) and Lake combined for a one-hit shutout, the third-straight shutout for Blue Dragons pitching.Tomlinson struck out six in 3 1-3 innings with a walk. The only hit Tomlinson gave up came in the second inning, which she pitched out of a runners at first and third situation with a pair of strikeouts.Lake struck out four in 1 2-3 innings to complete the shutout.Offensively,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/sball/2023-24/bios/backhaus_bailey_6uk7">Bailey Backhaus</a>&nbsp;was 4 for 4 with two runs, two RBIs and two stolen bases to lead Hutchinson's 15-hit attack.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/sball/2023-24/bios/backhaus_brooke_06ze">Brooke Backhaus</a>&nbsp;was 2 for 2 with two doubles.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bluedragonsports.com/sports/sball/2023-24/bios/divis_madi_gofs">Madi Divis</a>&nbsp;was 1 for 2 with an RBI triple and sacrifice fly. Hailey Kruger had a two-run double.

 🥎 Dragons rack up record runs against Pratt

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — A new home at 2905 Morris Rd had an open house Tuesday. The $279,000 home is fully constructed by the building trades students from Hutchinson Career and Technical Education Academy.&nbsp;

Travis Riebel, director of HC&amp;TEA, said the building trades program is a partnership between Hutchinson USD 308, Hutchinson Community College and the career and technical academy. The first open house for the home was on Tuesday, Feb. 27.&nbsp;

"Just the project home is a project we are very proud of," Riebel said. "It gives students some hands on experience, and they are learning the industry by building a home that someday, people are going to live in. So I feel like with our students whenever they enter into the program, I always tell them you are going to drive your kids through here, bring your grandkids through here and you'll always be able to say that hey, I helped build that house and that's always an incredible thing."

The home is 1700 square ft. and includes a three bedroom, two bath home and a three car garage. The basement is unfinished. Construction started in August of 2022 and finished in November of 2023.&nbsp;

The property is marketed and owned by Hutchinson USD 308. For inquiries if you are interested in a private tour, contact Travis Riebel at (620) 615-4123.&nbsp;

<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile&nbsp;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.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1709147033817.jpeg" alt="The building trades house at 2905 Morris Rd. The house is listed for $279,000. Photo by Emmie Boese. " />
 <figcaption>The building trades house at 2905 Morris Rd. The house is listed for $279,000. Photo by Emmie Boese. </figcaption>
 </figure>EMMIE BOESE&nbsp; Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — A new home at 2905 Morris Rd had an open house Tuesday. The $279,000 home is fully constructed by the building trades students from Hutchinson Career and Technical Education Academy.&nbsp;Travis Riebel, director of HC&amp;TEA, said the building trades program is a partnership between Hutchinson USD 308, Hutchinson Community College and the career and technical academy. The first open house for the home was on Tuesday, Feb. 27.&nbsp;"Just the project home is a project we are very proud of," Riebel said. "It gives students some hands on experience, and they are learning the industry by building a home that someday, people are going to live in. So I feel like with our students whenever they enter into the program, I always tell them you are going to drive your kids through here, bring your grandkids through here and you'll always be able to say that hey, I helped build that house and that's always an incredible thing."The home is 1700 square ft. and includes a three bedroom, two bath home and a three car garage. The basement is unfinished. Construction started in August of 2022 and finished in November of 2023.&nbsp;The property is marketed and owned by Hutchinson USD 308. For inquiries if you are interested in a private tour, contact Travis Riebel at (620) 615-4123.&nbsp;<a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to download the Hutch Post mobile&nbsp;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.

Building Trades program hosts open house

With heavy hearts, we announce the passing of Wade Arlin Gaeddert, MD, who passed away on Thursday, February 15, 2024, at the age of 58. His final moments were spent in the serene embrace of Princeville, Hawaii, on the picturesque island of Kauai, where he and his beloved wife, Angie, were enjoying a peaceful vacation.

Born on March 27, 1965, in the town of Moundridge, KS, Wade was the son of Arlin Dean and Beverly Anne (Wiegand) Gaeddert. After graduating from Inman High School in 1983 and Bethany College (Lindsborg) in 1987, he pursued the noble path of healing, earning his doctorate degree from the University of Kansas Medical School. He would later further his medical expertise during his residency in Columbia, MO. &nbsp;

During his transformative years at Bethany College, fate intertwined his journey with that of Angela Karen Poss, his soulmate. Their union in marriage took place in 1990 in Angie’s hometown of Hugo, CO.

Dr. Gaeddert served the McPherson community for many years as an ear, nose, &amp; throat specialist, working in the McPherson branch of the Hutchinson Clinic. &nbsp;His reputation as a caring and skilled health care provider was widely known, bringing patients from near and far to seek his medical expertise. &nbsp;Along with being a devoted doctor, he wholeheartedly loved his family. &nbsp;He was a wonderful son, husband, father, brother, and most recently, a grandfather who relished every moment spent with his grandchildren. &nbsp;Wade was humble and inclusive, genuinely caring for those around him. &nbsp;

Wade possessed an abiding affection for the great outdoors, whether it be snow or water skiing, traversing landscapes through hiking, or finding solace by the lakeside. Many cherished moments were often with the company of family and friends, singing karaoke and creating everlasting memories.

Wade leaves behind a legacy of love and devotion and is survived by his cherished wife of 34 years, Angie, and their three children: Nichelle (Nate) Chastain and their children, Otto and Hugo, of Kansas City, MO; Brooke (Ethan) Fowler and their daughter, Maren, of Jackson, MS; and William (Louie) Gaeddert of Lenexa, KS. &nbsp;Other family members include his siblings: Wylene (Doug) Lengel of McPherson, KS; Dawn (Gary) Belknap of Elkhorn, NE; and Keena (Michael) Leochner of Lee’s Summit, MO; his step-father, Loren Regier of Inman, KS; and a multitude of cousins, nieces, nephews, extended family members, colleagues, and friends.

He was preceded in death by his father, Arlin Gaeddert; mother, Beverly Gaeddert-Regier; and an infant brother, Lyle Dean.

The family will receive friends on Friday, March 8, 2024, between 5:00 PM and 7:00 PM, at the First United Methodist Church. &nbsp;A celebration of his life will take place on Saturday, March 9, at 10:00 AM, also at the First United Methodist Church, with a burial following at the North Inman Cemetery.

Memorial contributions can be made to First United Methodist Church, McPherson Family YMCA, Life’s Bridges Hawaii, Inc, Pleasant View Home (Inman), or Bethany College (Lindsborg) in care of Stockham Family Funeral Home, 205 North Chestnut, McPherson, KS 67460.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1709142864728.jpeg" alt="Wade A. Gaeddert M.D." />
 <figcaption>Wade A. Gaeddert M.D.</figcaption>
 </figure>With heavy hearts, we announce the passing of Wade Arlin Gaeddert, MD, who passed away on Thursday, February 15, 2024, at the age of 58. His final moments were spent in the serene embrace of Princeville, Hawaii, on the picturesque island of Kauai, where he and his beloved wife, Angie, were enjoying a peaceful vacation.Born on March 27, 1965, in the town of Moundridge, KS, Wade was the son of Arlin Dean and Beverly Anne (Wiegand) Gaeddert. After graduating from Inman High School in 1983 and Bethany College (Lindsborg) in 1987, he pursued the noble path of healing, earning his doctorate degree from the University of Kansas Medical School. He would later further his medical expertise during his residency in Columbia, MO. &nbsp;During his transformative years at Bethany College, fate intertwined his journey with that of Angela Karen Poss, his soulmate. Their union in marriage took place in 1990 in Angie’s hometown of Hugo, CO.Dr. Gaeddert served the McPherson community for many years as an ear, nose, &amp; throat specialist, working in the McPherson branch of the Hutchinson Clinic. &nbsp;His reputation as a caring and skilled health care provider was widely known, bringing patients from near and far to seek his medical expertise. &nbsp;Along with being a devoted doctor, he wholeheartedly loved his family. &nbsp;He was a wonderful son, husband, father, brother, and most recently, a grandfather who relished every moment spent with his grandchildren. &nbsp;Wade was humble and inclusive, genuinely caring for those around him. &nbsp;Wade possessed an abiding affection for the great outdoors, whether it be snow or water skiing, traversing landscapes through hiking, or finding solace by the lakeside. Many cherished moments were often with the company of family and friends, singing karaoke and creating everlasting memories.Wade leaves behind a legacy of love and devotion and is survived by his cherished wife of 34 years, Angie, and their three children: Nichelle (Nate) Chastain and their children, Otto and Hugo, of Kansas City, MO; Brooke (Ethan) Fowler and their daughter, Maren, of Jackson, MS; and William (Louie) Gaeddert of Lenexa, KS. &nbsp;Other family members include his siblings: Wylene (Doug) Lengel of McPherson, KS; Dawn (Gary) Belknap of Elkhorn, NE; and Keena (Michael) Leochner of Lee’s Summit, MO; his step-father, Loren Regier of Inman, KS; and a multitude of cousins, nieces, nephews, extended family members, colleagues, and friends.He was preceded in death by his father, Arlin Gaeddert; mother, Beverly Gaeddert-Regier; and an infant brother, Lyle Dean.The family will receive friends on Friday, March 8, 2024, between 5:00 PM and 7:00 PM, at the First United Methodist Church. &nbsp;A celebration of his life will take place on Saturday, March 9, at 10:00 AM, also at the First United Methodist Church, with a burial following at the North Inman Cemetery.Memorial contributions can be made to First United Methodist Church, McPherson Family YMCA, Life’s Bridges Hawaii, Inc, Pleasant View Home (Inman), or Bethany College (Lindsborg) in care of Stockham Family Funeral Home, 205 North Chestnut, McPherson, KS 67460.

Wade A. Gaeddert M.D. |1965-2024|

Editor's Note: More photos are available to view at the <a href="https://klcjournal.com/stafford-depot-end-of-the-line/">KLC Journal site</a>.

BECCY TANNER <a href="https://klcjournal.com/stafford-depot-end-of-the-line/">KLC Journal</a>

The clock is ticking on Stafford’s 113-year-old depot.

Town and state preservationists want to save the building on the north end of town and turn it into a regional rail museum with a destination restaurant. Meanwhile, BNSF Railway officials appear ready to demolish it.&nbsp;

The end of the line hasn’t arrived for the depot yet. But it certainly appears imminent.

At the end of January, Zak Andersen, chief of staff and vice president, communications, for BNSF sent a letter to Greg Kite, a Wichita attorney and historic preservationist, telling him the company will not donate the Stafford depot to the city of Stafford.

The letter indicated the railroad would retain ownership of the depot to protect future growth opportunities and keep the area safe.&nbsp;

Officials with BNSF had said in the past the town’s depot was a liability. Inspections revealed heavy termite damage and other issues with structural integrity.

Andersen’s letter indicated that the railroad had requested a plan for fencing and accessing the property to ensure safety if the depot were opened to the public. But while the railroad received photographs of fences “around Kansas depots” and proof of available funding, the official stated that it never received actual plans for the depot with estimated costs and timelines.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

“Not every structure can be preserved, and unfortunately, that is the case for the Stafford Depot,” Andersen wrote.

During the seven years Kite has been involved in negotiations for the depot, he says the railroad has asked for two things: a plan for a fence and proof of funds for a fence. He says he’s provided those.

Kite was hoping for more – mostly because of the historic railroading past that Stafford shares with much of Kansas.

Two railroads arrived in Stafford in the late 1880s, the Chicago, Kansas and Western Railroad, which would be absorbed by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, and the Denver, Memphis and Atlantic Railway, which became part of the Missouri Pacific Railroad. Neither of those acquiring lines survive today. Through a merger, the Santa Fe is now the BNSF. The Missouri Pacific was bought out by the Union Pacific Railroad.

The Missouri Pacific maintained a depot on the south side of Stafford but it was demolished in the 1980s.

In 1911, when the Santa Fe built its depot in Stafford, the town had a population approaching 2,000. The depot was expansive and done in the&nbsp; Mission Revival similar to many other stations the rail line was building. That architectural style, sometimes mixed with American Craftsman elements, was also called “the county seat style.” (Interesting, because Stafford is not a county seat.)&nbsp;

Over the nearly 14 decades since, Stafford County residents have been able to lie in bed at night with train whistles and the heavy metallic sound of steel wheels on rails lulling them to sleep.

Those sounds may also be the first to wake them.

Freight trains still rumble through the county, sometimes carrying impressive Spirit AeroSystems airliner fuselages made in Wichita and headed to Boeing’s Seattle plant, or hauling grain harvested by local farmers headed to mills and ports far away.

During the 19th century, the success of a Kansas town often depended on a railroad such as the Santa Fe linking residents to the rest of the nation.

Now, some in Stafford worry that the future of their 960-person town may once again depend on a railroad. Saving the depot, they say, could give the community a chance to create a tourist attraction that could pull in visitors.

Passenger service stopped at the Stafford depot nearly half a century ago. After that, the building was used as a railroad storage facility. It’s been vacant for years.

In preservation circles, when a building sits empty for long periods of time, continuing to deteriorate, that’s called demolition by neglect, and it has added urgency to preservationists’ efforts to change minds within&nbsp;BNSF’s corporate offices.

“I remember in school we would take train trips to Hutchinson and tour. But my dad (Frederic Moore) always talked about riding the train to Kansas City with my great grandmother (Sarah Henderson) and she would buy things in Kansas City,” says Clare Moore, age 74, a central Kansas real estate agent who grew up on a farm near Stafford and now lives in Hesston.

Clare Moore started working more than 20 years ago on a project to save the Stafford Depot.

He has been preserving buildings since the mid-1970s and was instrumental in helping save Wichita’s L.W. Clapp house, as well as houses in Stafford, by getting them placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

At the turn of the 20th century, Kansas boasted nearly 1,850 depots. Now fewer than 200 of the iconic buildings remain, according to the Kansas State Historical Society.&nbsp;

The buildings were once bustling community landmarks. They would house Western Union telegraph offices and Railway Express Agency package delivery facilities. Platforms would be crowded with outgoing and incoming freight. On lines such as Stafford’s, where there was regular passenger service, depots greeted arriving travelers and served as an embarkation point for journeys near and far. Communities that had rail service tended to prosper.

This isn’t the first time BNSF has said no to Stafford.

In 2016, there was a large-scale effort by local residents and state preservationists to save the depot. At that time, Kite, president of the Historic Preservation Alliance (HPA) based in Wichita, joined the efforts to save the building.

Kite and the alliance are best known for obtaining preservation grants to save the historic&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansas.com/news/local/article1062351.html">“Home on the Range” cabin</a>&nbsp;in Smith County, where Brewster Higley penned the lyrics for what became the Kansas state song.&nbsp;

He and others in the group were instrumental in saving many of the artifacts from Wichita’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansas.com/news/article1142311.html">Joyland Amusement Park</a>&nbsp;– such as a 1927 caboose now stored in a Wichita warehouse – and led the efforts in tracking down and prosecuting the person who stole the amusement park’s Louie the Clown display.

Plans for demolition of the Stafford Depot began in 2016 when employees contracted by BNSF removed the depot’s windows as well as asbestos, once a common building material that has been found to cause lung disease.&nbsp;

There was a last-minute e-mail campaign to save the depot. Appeals were made to Warren Buffett, co-founder, chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, the conglomerate that bought BNSF in 2010.

“I know you grew up in Omaha, Nebraska, and I believe, like us, you have strong midwestern values. So, I am appealing to those strong midwestern values.”

Although Buffett didn’t directly respond, there were communications, verbal and email, back and forth between railroad officials and preservationists indicating the depot would be donated to Stafford.

“My email to Mr. Buffett ended up on the corner of the desk of Carl Ice, the president and CEO of BNSF at the time,” Kite says.&nbsp;

In fact, an email from Andy Williams, BNSF’s director of regional public affairs, to Kite dated Jan. 10, 2019 said: “I believe we may be ready to start the official disposition&nbsp;process.”

Then last spring, a significant turn in the nature of the discussions among Stafford, BNSF and Kite’s group took place. On April 24, Kite received an email from Stafford requesting an update on the depot. Kite says he was told that there had been a request from BNSF to demolish the building.&nbsp;

Since then, efforts to have the depot donated have been denied.

Locals have not given up hope for saving the depot, but their options are limited.

“They (BNSF) are like a sovereign nation,” says Stafford Mayor Don Hardin. “They can do whatever they want to do … but if there is something that can be done – if we can keep knocking on doors and sending emails – whatever we need to do, we will.”

Although no date is known for the depot’s demolition, preservationists believe the situation is dire.

“There are always a number of options and alternatives that HPA can undertake – as we have before – and utilize our preservation stature in disagreeing with entities that want to demolish historic structures,” Kite says. “I’m just wishing there was some Hail Mary, guardian angel that would come forward and have some clout for them to reconsider and do the right thing.”

Moore says the case reminds him of the late Kathlien Edmiston, a 1933 graduate of the University of Wichita who went on to serve on the university’s board of regents and board of trustees.

“She was a philanthropist and promoter of Wichita State,” Moore says.

In 1973, Edmiston led efforts to save the iconic pillars of the university’s original Carnegie Morrison Library. The building, which was completed in 1909 when the school was Fairmount College, was badly damaged in a fire in 1964. The remains of the building and its pillars sat for a decade until the construction of the Ulrich Museum was about to begin at the site.&nbsp;

Edmiston launched an effort to save three of the columns – now relocated near 17th and Fairmount streets on WSU’s campus.

“At some point when the bulldozer shows up, we can do what she did,” Moore says. “She sat on the steps of the building that was about to be razed until she could get someone to say they would save the pillars of the building. The pillars survived. She would not leave until she was guaranteed they would be saved.”

Sometimes there can be a disconnect between communities, depots and the railroad companies that own them, says Dave Webb, a Kansas historian who lives in a Santa Fe depot he moved from Ashland to his family’s farm near Protection.

“Call it ownership,” Webb says. “Sometimes a depot is the oldest building in town. Residents feel ownership even though they may have never owned it.&nbsp;

“Unfortunately to the railroad, the depot is just an empty building they pay tax on. They are concerned about public safety near it, and it may be just easier to get rid of it.”&nbsp;

Webb says his depot is a wood frame building similar to those used in many towns – quick to put up and intended for temporary use.

“They were often replaced with permanent depots often made of brick or stone,” Webb says. “A century later, ironically, those (wood buildings) are the ones most saved because they can easily be moved off site. Permanent depots are often the ones destroyed because they can’t be moved.”

But when residents see a building that’s been part of their town’s heritage for more than a century, they begin to see it as theirs too.

Such was the case of the Rock Island depot in Herington, built in 1887.

In the mid-1980s, local residents talked about saving the vacant depot building but no group was organized to press the case. The building had been listed on the Kansas Register of Historic Places and was in the process of being nominated to the National Register of Historic Places.

The Cotton Belt railroad, then the owner, opposed the national listing, effectively blocking it. Permission for placement on the national register is required by the owner.

At 5:40 a.m. on March 23, 1988 – while most residents were still in their beds – the century-old two-story gothic limestone depot was demolished by a private contractor on orders from the railroad. Using an industrial backhoe, it took less than an hour to reduce it to rubble.

The demolition became a public relations nightmare for the railroad. Newspapers across the state ran articles; Kansans were outraged.

As detailed in the Kansas Preservation newsletter from May-June 1988, railroad officials and their contractor didn’t even apply for the $5 permit Herington required for demolition projects.

Virginia Brunner, the curator of the Tri-County Historical Society, told The Wichita Eagle-Beacon. “They robbed future generations. They robbed the whole town.”

The Herington demolition prompted then-Kansas Attorney General Bob Stephan to urge the Legislature to amend state preservation law, providing penalties for persons and entities that failed to apply for and obtain the necessary permits before destroying historic properties or their environs.

The legislature quickly approved a bill, and it was signed into law by Gov. Mike Hayden on May 13,1988.

Patrick Zollner, executive director of the Kansas State Historical Society, said that in recent years, fewer depots have been placed on the state and national registers. That’s partly because state and federal transportation enhancement grants for historic transportation buildings are not as plentiful as they once were.

“There was a time when people were actively looking for the transportation enhancement grants,” Zollner says. “Strong City was one of those, Marion and Marysville.”

There are resources that communities can access to save such buildings, Zollner says. But first, communities such as Stafford need to acquire the building.

“These depots are treasures, community landmarks and icons. They are still the centers of the community and are now used in a variety of different uses between museums, visitor centers. Our (historic preservation) programs – between the tax credits and grants – can help with that.”

Despite its present condition, Stafford’s mayor sees the depot as a potential way to help keep the town vibrant.

Like many small towns in Kansas, Stafford struggles to bring tourism dollars into the community, not to mention keeping residents’ dollars within the city limits.

If the city can manage to obtain the depot and find funding to restore it, Moore’s idea is to turn it into a combination railroad museum with a railroad-themed restaurant.

“We are close to Pratt, close to Great Bend and Hutchinson,” Hardin says. “It is too easy for people (in Stafford) to go north, south or east to shop and to the restaurants in those towns.

“So anything we can do to keep that money in our little communities is helpful to the economic base and brings in sales tax revenue.”

As long as the Stafford Depot still stands, local and state preservationists remain hopeful.

“But first, we need the building,” Zollner says. “Start with this hardcore fact – there is limited manpower hours and money to go around.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1709060741568.jpeg" alt="Clare Moore of Hesston started working more than 20 years ago on a project to save the Stafford Depot. Credit: Jeff Tuttle" />
 <figcaption>Clare Moore of Hesston started working more than 20 years ago on a project to save the Stafford Depot. Credit: Jeff Tuttle</figcaption>
 </figure>Editor's Note: More photos are available to view at the <a href="https://klcjournal.com/stafford-depot-end-of-the-line/">KLC Journal site</a>.BECCY TANNER <a href="https://klcjournal.com/stafford-depot-end-of-the-line/">KLC Journal</a>The clock is ticking on Stafford’s 113-year-old depot.Town and state preservationists want to save the building on the north end of town and turn it into a regional rail museum with a destination restaurant. Meanwhile, BNSF Railway officials appear ready to demolish it.&nbsp;The end of the line hasn’t arrived for the depot yet. But it certainly appears imminent.At the end of January, Zak Andersen, chief of staff and vice president, communications, for BNSF sent a letter to Greg Kite, a Wichita attorney and historic preservationist, telling him the company will not donate the Stafford depot to the city of Stafford.The letter indicated the railroad would retain ownership of the depot to protect future growth opportunities and keep the area safe.&nbsp;Officials with BNSF had said in the past the town’s depot was a liability. Inspections revealed heavy termite damage and other issues with structural integrity.Andersen’s letter indicated that the railroad had requested a plan for fencing and accessing the property to ensure safety if the depot were opened to the public. But while the railroad received photographs of fences “around Kansas depots” and proof of available funding, the official stated that it never received actual plans for the depot with estimated costs and timelines.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Not every structure can be preserved, and unfortunately, that is the case for the Stafford Depot,” Andersen wrote.During the seven years Kite has been involved in negotiations for the depot, he says the railroad has asked for two things: a plan for a fence and proof of funds for a fence. He says he’s provided those.Kite was hoping for more – mostly because of the historic railroading past that Stafford shares with much of Kansas.Two railroads arrived in Stafford in the late 1880s, the Chicago, Kansas and Western Railroad, which would be absorbed by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, and the Denver, Memphis and Atlantic Railway, which became part of the Missouri Pacific Railroad. Neither of those acquiring lines survive today. Through a merger, the Santa Fe is now the BNSF. The Missouri Pacific was bought out by the Union Pacific Railroad.The Missouri Pacific maintained a depot on the south side of Stafford but it was demolished in the 1980s.In 1911, when the Santa Fe built its depot in Stafford, the town had a population approaching 2,000. The depot was expansive and done in the&nbsp; Mission Revival similar to many other stations the rail line was building. That architectural style, sometimes mixed with American Craftsman elements, was also called “the county seat style.” (Interesting, because Stafford is not a county seat.)&nbsp;Over the nearly 14 decades since, Stafford County residents have been able to lie in bed at night with train whistles and the heavy metallic sound of steel wheels on rails lulling them to sleep.Those sounds may also be the first to wake them.Freight trains still rumble through the county, sometimes carrying impressive Spirit AeroSystems airliner fuselages made in Wichita and headed to Boeing’s Seattle plant, or hauling grain harvested by local farmers headed to mills and ports far away.During the 19th century, the success of a Kansas town often depended on a railroad such as the Santa Fe linking residents to the rest of the nation.Now, some in Stafford worry that the future of their 960-person town may once again depend on a railroad. Saving the depot, they say, could give the community a chance to create a tourist attraction that could pull in visitors.A long historyPassenger service stopped at the Stafford depot nearly half a century ago. After that, the building was used as a railroad storage facility. It’s been vacant for years.In preservation circles, when a building sits empty for long periods of time, continuing to deteriorate, that’s called demolition by neglect, and it has added urgency to preservationists’ efforts to change minds within&nbsp;BNSF’s corporate offices.“I remember in school we would take train trips to Hutchinson and tour. But my dad (Frederic Moore) always talked about riding the train to Kansas City with my great grandmother (Sarah Henderson) and she would buy things in Kansas City,” says Clare Moore, age 74, a central Kansas real estate agent who grew up on a farm near Stafford and now lives in Hesston.Clare Moore started working more than 20 years ago on a project to save the Stafford Depot.He has been preserving buildings since the mid-1970s and was instrumental in helping save Wichita’s L.W. Clapp house, as well as houses in Stafford, by getting them placed on the National Register of Historic Places.At the turn of the 20th century, Kansas boasted nearly 1,850 depots. Now fewer than 200 of the iconic buildings remain, according to the Kansas State Historical Society.&nbsp;The buildings were once bustling community landmarks. They would house Western Union telegraph offices and Railway Express Agency package delivery facilities. Platforms would be crowded with outgoing and incoming freight. On lines such as Stafford’s, where there was regular passenger service, depots greeted arriving travelers and served as an embarkation point for journeys near and far. Communities that had rail service tended to prosper.A corporation’s concernThis isn’t the first time BNSF has said no to Stafford.In 2016, there was a large-scale effort by local residents and state preservationists to save the depot. At that time, Kite, president of the Historic Preservation Alliance (HPA) based in Wichita, joined the efforts to save the building.Kite and the alliance are best known for obtaining preservation grants to save the historic&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansas.com/news/local/article1062351.html">“Home on the Range” cabin</a>&nbsp;in Smith County, where Brewster Higley penned the lyrics for what became the Kansas state song.&nbsp;He and others in the group were instrumental in saving many of the artifacts from Wichita’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansas.com/news/article1142311.html">Joyland Amusement Park</a>&nbsp;– such as a 1927 caboose now stored in a Wichita warehouse – and led the efforts in tracking down and prosecuting the person who stole the amusement park’s Louie the Clown display.Plans for demolition of the Stafford Depot began in 2016 when employees contracted by BNSF removed the depot’s windows as well as asbestos, once a common building material that has been found to cause lung disease.&nbsp;There was a last-minute e-mail campaign to save the depot. Appeals were made to Warren Buffett, co-founder, chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, the conglomerate that bought BNSF in 2010.In a letter to Buffett, Kite wrote:“I know you grew up in Omaha, Nebraska, and I believe, like us, you have strong midwestern values. So, I am appealing to those strong midwestern values.”Although Buffett didn’t directly respond, there were communications, verbal and email, back and forth between railroad officials and preservationists indicating the depot would be donated to Stafford.“My email to Mr. Buffett ended up on the corner of the desk of Carl Ice, the president and CEO of BNSF at the time,” Kite says.&nbsp;In fact, an email from Andy Williams, BNSF’s director of regional public affairs, to Kite dated Jan. 10, 2019 said: “I believe we may be ready to start the official disposition&nbsp;process.”But the donation never happened.Then last spring, a significant turn in the nature of the discussions among Stafford, BNSF and Kite’s group took place. On April 24, Kite received an email from Stafford requesting an update on the depot. Kite says he was told that there had been a request from BNSF to demolish the building.&nbsp;Since then, efforts to have the depot donated have been denied.Wishing for a Guardian angelLocals have not given up hope for saving the depot, but their options are limited.“They (BNSF) are like a sovereign nation,” says Stafford Mayor Don Hardin. “They can do whatever they want to do … but if there is something that can be done – if we can keep knocking on doors and sending emails – whatever we need to do, we will.”Although no date is known for the depot’s demolition, preservationists believe the situation is dire.“There are always a number of options and alternatives that HPA can undertake – as we have before – and utilize our preservation stature in disagreeing with entities that want to demolish historic structures,” Kite says. “I’m just wishing there was some Hail Mary, guardian angel that would come forward and have some clout for them to reconsider and do the right thing.”Moore says the case reminds him of the late Kathlien Edmiston, a 1933 graduate of the University of Wichita who went on to serve on the university’s board of regents and board of trustees.“She was a philanthropist and promoter of Wichita State,” Moore says.In 1973, Edmiston led efforts to save the iconic pillars of the university’s original Carnegie Morrison Library. The building, which was completed in 1909 when the school was Fairmount College, was badly damaged in a fire in 1964. The remains of the building and its pillars sat for a decade until the construction of the Ulrich Museum was about to begin at the site.&nbsp;Edmiston launched an effort to save three of the columns – now relocated near 17th and Fairmount streets on WSU’s campus.“At some point when the bulldozer shows up, we can do what she did,” Moore says. “She sat on the steps of the building that was about to be razed until she could get someone to say they would save the pillars of the building. The pillars survived. She would not leave until she was guaranteed they would be saved.”Remembering HeringtonSometimes there can be a disconnect between communities, depots and the railroad companies that own them, says Dave Webb, a Kansas historian who lives in a Santa Fe depot he moved from Ashland to his family’s farm near Protection.“Call it ownership,” Webb says. “Sometimes a depot is the oldest building in town. Residents feel ownership even though they may have never owned it.&nbsp;“Unfortunately to the railroad, the depot is just an empty building they pay tax on. They are concerned about public safety near it, and it may be just easier to get rid of it.”&nbsp;Webb says his depot is a wood frame building similar to those used in many towns – quick to put up and intended for temporary use.“They were often replaced with permanent depots often made of brick or stone,” Webb says. “A century later, ironically, those (wood buildings) are the ones most saved because they can easily be moved off site. Permanent depots are often the ones destroyed because they can’t be moved.”But when residents see a building that’s been part of their town’s heritage for more than a century, they begin to see it as theirs too.Such was the case of the Rock Island depot in Herington, built in 1887.In the mid-1980s, local residents talked about saving the vacant depot building but no group was organized to press the case. The building had been listed on the Kansas Register of Historic Places and was in the process of being nominated to the National Register of Historic Places.The Cotton Belt railroad, then the owner, opposed the national listing, effectively blocking it. Permission for placement on the national register is required by the owner.At 5:40 a.m. on March 23, 1988 – while most residents were still in their beds – the century-old two-story gothic limestone depot was demolished by a private contractor on orders from the railroad. Using an industrial backhoe, it took less than an hour to reduce it to rubble.The demolition became a public relations nightmare for the railroad. Newspapers across the state ran articles; Kansans were outraged.As detailed in the Kansas Preservation newsletter from May-June 1988, railroad officials and their contractor didn’t even apply for the $5 permit Herington required for demolition projects.Virginia Brunner, the curator of the Tri-County Historical Society, told The Wichita Eagle-Beacon. “They robbed future generations. They robbed the whole town.”The Herington demolition prompted then-Kansas Attorney General Bob Stephan to urge the Legislature to amend state preservation law, providing penalties for persons and entities that failed to apply for and obtain the necessary permits before destroying historic properties or their environs.The legislature quickly approved a bill, and it was signed into law by Gov. Mike Hayden on May 13,1988.Patrick Zollner, executive director of the Kansas State Historical Society, said that in recent years, fewer depots have been placed on the state and national registers. That’s partly because state and federal transportation enhancement grants for historic transportation buildings are not as plentiful as they once were.“There was a time when people were actively looking for the transportation enhancement grants,” Zollner says. “Strong City was one of those, Marion and Marysville.”There are resources that communities can access to save such buildings, Zollner says. But first, communities such as Stafford need to acquire the building.“These depots are treasures, community landmarks and icons. They are still the centers of the community and are now used in a variety of different uses between museums, visitor centers. Our (historic preservation) programs – between the tax credits and grants – can help with that.”Despite its present condition, Stafford’s mayor sees the depot as a potential way to help keep the town vibrant.Like many small towns in Kansas, Stafford struggles to bring tourism dollars into the community, not to mention keeping residents’ dollars within the city limits.If the city can manage to obtain the depot and find funding to restore it, Moore’s idea is to turn it into a combination railroad museum with a railroad-themed restaurant.“We are close to Pratt, close to Great Bend and Hutchinson,” Hardin says. “It is too easy for people (in Stafford) to go north, south or east to shop and to the restaurants in those towns.“So anything we can do to keep that money in our little communities is helpful to the economic base and brings in sales tax revenue.”As long as the Stafford Depot still stands, local and state preservationists remain hopeful.“But first, we need the building,” Zollner says. “Start with this hardcore fact – there is limited manpower hours and money to go around.“Get the building first.”<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;

Is this the end of the line for Stafford’s 1911-built train depot?

<a href="https://www.njcaa.org/sports/wbkb/rankings/DI/index">WOMEN'S POLL</a>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <a href="https://www.njcaa.org/sports/mbkb/rankings/DI/index">MEN'S POLL</a>

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The National Junior College Athletic Association released its latest Top 25 polls for both men's and women's basketball on Monday afternoon, and each Hutchinson Community College team stayed put.

The Blue Dragon women (27-0, 21-0 KJCCC) remain the No. 1 team for the third straight week. Hutchinson received all 10 first place votes for the third straight time, as well. Gulf Coast State (Fla.) is No. 2, followed by Wabash Valley (IL), Collin County (TX) and Shelton State (AL) round out the top-five.

Dodge City is the lone other representative from the Jayhawk Conference in the Top 25 at No. 14, up a spot from last week.

The HutchCC men (23-4, 18-3 KJCCC) remain No. 15 in the men's Top 25 poll for the fourth straight week. Barton headlines the poll at No. 1, giving the Cougars the top-ranking for the first time in 21 years. South Plains (TX), Triton College (IL), Salt Lake (UT) and Vincennes University (IN) round out the top-five.

Other KJCCC schools ranked in the men's poll include Cowley at No. 11 and No. 19 Butler.

The Blue Dragons will host Coffeyville on Wednesday for Sophomore Night with the women tipping off at 5:30 p.m. and the men at 7:30 p.m. Both games can be heard on the flagship station for Blue Dragon athletics, <a href="https://streamdb5web.securenetsystems.net/v5/KHUT">KHUT-FM (102.9)</a>&nbsp;with pregame beginning at 5:15 p.m.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1708180137298.jpeg" alt="MacKenzie Franklin/Blue Dragon Sports Information" />
 <figcaption>MacKenzie Franklin/Blue Dragon Sports Information</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://www.njcaa.org/sports/wbkb/rankings/DI/index">WOMEN'S POLL</a>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <a href="https://www.njcaa.org/sports/mbkb/rankings/DI/index">MEN'S POLL</a>HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The National Junior College Athletic Association released its latest Top 25 polls for both men's and women's basketball on Monday afternoon, and each Hutchinson Community College team stayed put.The Blue Dragon women (27-0, 21-0 KJCCC) remain the No. 1 team for the third straight week. Hutchinson received all 10 first place votes for the third straight time, as well. Gulf Coast State (Fla.) is No. 2, followed by Wabash Valley (IL), Collin County (TX) and Shelton State (AL) round out the top-five.Dodge City is the lone other representative from the Jayhawk Conference in the Top 25 at No. 14, up a spot from last week.The HutchCC men (23-4, 18-3 KJCCC) remain No. 15 in the men's Top 25 poll for the fourth straight week. Barton headlines the poll at No. 1, giving the Cougars the top-ranking for the first time in 21 years. South Plains (TX), Triton College (IL), Salt Lake (UT) and Vincennes University (IN) round out the top-five.Other KJCCC schools ranked in the men's poll include Cowley at No. 11 and No. 19 Butler.The Blue Dragons will host Coffeyville on Wednesday for Sophomore Night with the women tipping off at 5:30 p.m. and the men at 7:30 p.m. Both games can be heard on the flagship station for Blue Dragon athletics, <a href="https://streamdb5web.securenetsystems.net/v5/KHUT">KHUT-FM (102.9)</a>&nbsp;with pregame beginning at 5:15 p.m.