HUTCHINSON, Kan. — A 29-year-old man facing three distribution cases in Reno County is scheduled to be in court Wednesday where he may enter a plea.

The state filed a third case against Kirk Surdi accusing him of the sale of methamphetamine within a thousand feet of a school and using a cellphone to make the transaction. That was on Nov. 28, 2018.

The other two cases occurred around Nov. 26 where he faces the same two charges of selling methamphetamine within a thousand feet of a school and using a cellphone for the transaction.

He also faces a probation violation in a fourth case.

Surdi has prior convictions for indecent liberties, burglary and theft.

The hearing Wednesday is in front of Reno County District Judge Joe McCarville.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — With no public comments during the public hearing, the Reno County Commission approved the 2020 budget during its meeting Tuesday.

The budget for next year totals $75,687,419 on total taxes levied of $25,080,339. With that, the mill levy will stay at 41.6 mills.

The budget includes increases for employee benefits totaling more than $11.3 million and capital improvements totaling $1.135 million. The county’s road and bridge fund will have $6.5 million in its budget with several large projects in the works for next year.

The county will also add one position within the Reno County Sheriff’s Office, according to County Administrator Gary Meagher. He says this position will be for the offender registration department, which he says has seen significant growth.

Commissioners also budgeted the cost to do some weatherization for the Reno County Courthouse. Meagher says the commission has been wanting to get the weatherization done, but it has previously been put off because of budget restraints.

The commission also approved the budgets for special districts in the county.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Reno County Sheriff Randy Henderson says his department is staying within its budget despite having to pay more overtime on both the patrol side and the corrections side.

In a report to Reno County Commissioners, Henderson says they are paying additional overtime on the patrol side, putting them over budget by about 9%. This is because of emergency responses. The department responded to Rice County when the sheriff and undersheriff in that county were wounded by a suspect during a standoff. The department also assisted Hutchinson police with a standoff on West 16th.

The rest of the overtime is because of check lanes the department conducted to try to apprehend those who may be intoxicated while driving. Sheriff Henderson says the county is reimbursed, but those funds go into the county’s general fund and not back into his budget.

On the corrections side, they are also over budget for overtime pay by about 9%. The sheriff says they lost three officers to Hutchinson police, two others resigned and a civilian clerk was replaced by a corrections officer. He also noted that two inmates had to be hospitalized for a couple of days, requiring deputies to guard those inmates 24 hours a day. Also, corrections staff have been used by the warrant division to assist in prisoner trips because of it being cost effective to use a $17-an-hour employee as opposed to a $30-an-hour employee.

The sheriff’s department has made 26 trips to Larned and 25 trips to Hays for mental health transports so far this year. Henderson says most of those trips occurred after hours.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — A South Hutchinson man facing three charges associated with sexual abuse of children was bound over for trial Monday after his preliminary hearing.

Shawn Rosenberg is charged with three counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child, one of which falls under Jessica’s Law, meaning he could receive a life sentence on that count alone if convicted. The state made a plea offer that would have lowered the time in prison if convicted, but the defendant turned it down.

A 15-year-old girl was going to Horizons for depression. It was learned during a session that she had been sexually abused for some time by Rosenberg. The abuse started at a home in Great Bend, but then occurred at a home in South Hutchinson.

Another woman alleges she was sexually abused by Rosenberg as well. She says the abuse went back to when she was 13.

Rosenberg is free on bond and will be arraigned on the three charges next month.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — A 43-year-old man was jailed on a single count of lewd and lascivious behavior after he was seen touching himself inappropriately while sitting in a lawn chair outside his apartment near 31st and Ridgewood.

It happened around 1:20 p.m. Saturday when a woman driving by with her small child saw Nathan Bennett and called police. There were two others doing lawn work next door.

When police arrived, they found the lawn chair, but not Bennett. When officers made contact, Bennett told them he had just taken a shower. When asked what he did before that, Bennett said he couldn’t remember.

His bond was set at $7,500. He should be back in court next week.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — An 18-year-old Hutchinson man was jailed on a charge of aggravated arson after being accused of starting a fire at Lowe’s in Hutchinson Sunday night while four employees were inside.

According to statements made in court, Toney Montre allegedly started a fire in the bathroom using PVC glue. He apparently left the store after he tried to put the fire out. He went to Hutchinson Regional Medical Center for treatment of burns. Officers made contact with Montre after store management told them where he was. He told police that he inadvertently started the fire, but Hutchinson fire officials believe it was intentionally set.

Montre is jailed on a $15,000 bond. The fire occurred around 10:30 p.m. Sunday.