HUTCHINSON, Kan. — After the hearing was continued twice, the sentencing hearing for a Hutchinson man convicted of aggravated criminal sodomy is scheduled for Friday.

The attorney for Nathan Crum had asked for the continuance so some type of evaluation could be done at a facility in Wichita before sentencing. Reno County District Judge Tim Chambers will decide the sentence for Crum.

Crum was found guilty of sexually assaulting a local woman while they watched a movie at his home. Crum admitted they had sex, but claims it was consensual. The sodomy incident occurred Aug. 17, 2018.

The state also charged him with one count of rape, but the jury found Crum not guilty of that count.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Hutchinson Community Foundation announced and handed out the 2019 Fund for Hutchinson grant awards Thursday morning. The event was held at the Crystal Ballroom at The Burt.

Established in 1990, the foundation’s founding board of directors wanted a permanent resource for the changing needs of Reno County. $3.7 million has been awarded to more than 170 area organizations and agencies from this fund.

This year, 25 organizations providing a wide variety of services and programs in Reno County will collectively receive $209,985.

“We’re really excited to have the opportunity to hand out over $205,000 in grants to help make this community greater,” Sarah Blake, program associate, said. “It’s been a wonderful experience to get to do it here in the Crystal Ballroom, to get to show the community members how we can invest in our community and make it an even more special place.”

Kari Mailloux, program officer for the foundation, talked about having the event at the Crystal Ballroom.

“We love the history of this place and it’s really innovative in bringing back a historical asset to our community,” Mailloux said. “It’s a great location to have one of our favorite events of the year in bringing out nonprofit partners and talking about the innovative work that they’re doing in the community.” She adds that this is a chance for them to connect with each other, donors and the board, or to just celebrate all the hard, good work that happens in the community every year.

The foundation also announced plans to conduct a Match Day on May 5, 2020. Match Day serves as an opportunity for nonprofit endowments at the community foundation to grow exponentially, as the foundation will match individual gifts from a matching pool of $50,000. The last Match Day in 2016 raised $267,801 from 729 donors for 35 nonprofit endowments in over 24 hours.

“The year 2020 seems like a good time to look to the future and consider the sustainability of the work being done by the nonprofits in our community,” Aubrey Abbott Patterson, community foundation president and CEO, said. “The community foundation can help ensure that sustainability by supporting endowed funds so that our nonprofits aren’t so dependent on grants and annual fundraising and have more time to focus on their missions.”

The following organizations received 2019 Fund for Hutchinson grants:

Arts & Culture – $25,997

Family Community Theatre, $10,000 – Lift the Flag: Upgrade and remodel the Flag Theatre lobby, making the theater more pleasant and inviting for community members, whether participating as part of the cast and crew or attending performances for personal enjoyment. Funding will also cover the installation of a restroom in the men’s dressing room.

Family Community Theatre, $1,475 – Strategic Planning: Support for a facilitator to lead a strategic-planning retreat for the board of directors and develop a draft of a strategic plan (Made from the Fund for Hutchinson – Community Leadership).

Hutchinson Symphony Association, $5,522 – Our Message is in the Music: Celebrate America’s positive spirit through an entire series of concerts and community collaborations featuring the different periods and genres of American music. Collaborations with Stage 9, Hutchinson Community College’s Badinage, Fox Theatre performers Sons of Serendip, and area high schools are among the highlights of the series.

Hutchinson Theatre Guild (Stage 9), $9,000 – The Foundry: Provide students ages 12 to 18 an opportunity to produce and perform an original work of theater. Over the course of two weeks, middle school students will work alongside high school mentors and adult instructors developing skills in all aspects of a theatrical production. Stage 9 will collaborate with the Hutchinson High School drama instructor and Hutchinson Middle School vocal music instructor for this theater lab.

Civic Improvement – $54,621

Cosmosphere, $10,000 – Accessible Low Ropes Course: Transform a vacant lot at 11th Avenue and Ford Street in Hutchinson into a low ropes course that can serve people of all ages and abilities as they experience team building, develop leadership and problem-solving skills, and gain personal confidence. The Cosmosphere will partner with Disability Supports of the Great Plains on this project that will benefit not only the organizations’ camp programs and clients, but also be available to the neighborhood and entire Reno County community.

Haven Gathering Place, $14,621 – Haven Gathering Place: Promote social and emotional health by creating a safe place where community members can connect with each other and learn about local resources. Funds will allow construction of an ADA-compliant restroom in the downtown Haven building being renovated for this project, which is a collaboration among Haven High School, Haven Chamber of Commerce and the city of Haven.

Hutch Rec, $15,000 x 3 years – Neighborhood Development: Final year of a three-year grant to support collaborative work with residents and community partners, including the city of Hutchinson and the Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber of Commerce, on innovative neighborhood development strategies with the overarching goal of ensuring Hutchinson has safe neighborhoods and is an attractive place to live, work, play and raise an active family.

Interfaith Housing and Community Services, $15,000 – A Server to Continue Serving: Replace the organization’s outdated 2008 server with a new server that will provide the capacity and longevity necessary for continued operations. An updated server will ensure clients’ access to the phone system, computerized application processes, program information and payment services will be uninterrupted and that the organization’s staff can provide the effective service the clients deserve.

Health & Human Services – $37,335

BrightHouse, Inc., $15,000 – From Adequate to Exemplary: Updating the BrightHouse Child Visitation and Exchange Center: Increase BrightHouse’s capacity to provide high quality supervised child visitation and monitored exchange services by investing in technological and environmental upgrades, including visitation management software and furniture that will help create a more comfortable and welcoming experience for the children and families served.

Circles of Hope Reno County, $13,995 x 3 years – Bridge Funding for New Circles Director Position: First year of a three-year grant to create a part-time director position that will provide focus, structure and supervision for the program’s staff and volunteers. Having a director in place will also increase Circle’s capacity to recruit volunteers and develop and carry out fundraising efforts in order to sustain the initiative and grow its impact.

Poverty Collaborative Task Force, $2,500 – Capacity Building: Group coaching to strengthen collaborative relationships among people, churches, and organizations concerned about poverty, as well as costs associated with convening partners to better understand the emergency referral system and consider potential interventions for increased efficiency and empathy (Made from the Fund for Hutchinson – Community Leadership).

Resilience Reno County, $5,840 x 3 years – Resilience Reno County 3.0: First year of a three-year grant for an AmeriCorps Volunteers In Service to America position to strengthen this collaborative effort to equip community members and organizations with resources on healing from Adverse Childhood Experiences. Ultimately, Resilience Reno County aims to create a trauma-informed community that is more empathetic and able to connect individuals and families who have experienced trauma to organizations offering supportive relationships and resilience-building tools. Partial match by the Davis Foundation.

Early Childhood & Youth Development – $45,396

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Reno County, $2,500 – Diversity and Inclusion for All: Support a marketing and media campaign, along with after-hours events, Lunch and Learns, and Coffee and Conversation opportunities designed to recruit a diverse population of professional and retired community members throughout Reno County to serve as adult mentors for youth who are a minority or who identify as LGBTQ.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Reno County, $1,700 – Catching up with Technology: Update aging office equipment with the purchase of two new laptops, which will allow the organization to be more efficient when serving clients and volunteers.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Hutchinson, Inc., $12,000 x 3 years – Hawk Huddle: Final year of a three-year grant for an after-school program providing seventh- and eighth-grade students at Hutchinson Middle School with homework help and opportunities to become involved in school events, allowing for continuous academic assistance while a sustainable funding source is built.

Circles of Hope Reno County, $3,696 x 2 years – Hutchinson High School Project-Building Capacity of Youth Who Are Living in Poverty: Final year of a two-year grant to increase the resilience of Hutchinson High School students from unstable homes by building their capacity to stabilize their lives and create their future stories.

Girls on the Run Heart of Kansas, $7,500 over 3 years – Program Expansion to New Sites & New Program Scholarships: Second year of a three-year grant to ensure that girls who would not typically have access to quality youth programming have the opportunity to participate in Girls on the Run (third- through fifth-graders) or Heart & Sole (sixth- through eighth-graders) programs that inspire girls to be joyful, healthy and confident through experienced-based curriculum that creatively integrates running.

Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber of Commerce, $4,000 – Youth Entrepreneur Event: Host an event for Reno County high school students who are involved in entrepreneurship and journalism programs with the goal of providing practical experience in business and entrepreneurship, creating awareness of the opportunities available in Reno County, and providing tools and inspiring confidence to go after those opportunities. Annual meeting speaker and editor-in-chief of Entrepreneur Magazine Jason Feifer will share experiences and knowledge with students during the event in February.

Hutchinson Public Schools, $4,000 – Expanding the IB Career-Related Programme: Provide support for scholarships and some of the necessary materials for the International Baccalaureate Career-Related Programme at Hutchinson High School, making rigorous college-preparatory courses more accessible and ensuring more students are college- and career-ready upon graduation. Matched by the Davis Foundation.

Kansas Children’s Service League, $5,000 – Healthy Families-Reno County: Increase the caseload capacity and community awareness for this program, which provides primary child abuse and neglect prevention services to Reno County families. Matched 1:1 by Medicaid.

Salthawk Community Support, $10,000 x 3 years – Removing Barriers to Education: Final year of a three-year grant providing students in need at Hutchinson High School with basic necessities and access to academic tutoring, financial education and self-esteem-building activities coordinated by emotionally encouraging staff and volunteers.

Helen Adams Hamilton Children and Education Fund, $24,888 – To foster the growth, education and development of young people who are 18 years of age and younger, with a preference for funding activities that result in an early intervention in an at-risk child’s life.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Hutchinson and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Reno County, $11,200 – Collective Impact Collaboration: Provide leaders of multiple agencies the time and resources to work toward developing a collective impact strategy for at-risk Reno County youth ages 14 to 21, with the ultimate goal of bringing together organizations and resources across the community to help youth overcome adversities, build relationships, develop work-ready skills and create a positive future story that they will be able to fully achieve.

Hadley Day Care Center, $13,688 – Countertops, Cabinets & Cubbies: Replace countertops and cabinets in six classrooms, ensuring safe storage of cleaning products and supplies. The grant will also fund construction of individual cubbies for the 70 children using the classrooms, allowing each child his/her own space for personal items, such as jackets, backpacks and an extra change of clothes.

Kansas Health Foundation Public Health Endowment Fund, $21,748 – Supporting health and well-being through healthy lifestyles, behaviors and environments.

City of Hutchinson, $7,500 – Phase Zero Hutch: Experiment with a series of placemaking and tactical urbanism projects to help the community reimagine several of our public places. Community members will have the opportunity to experience short-term, low-cost demonstration projects in Midtown, the State Fair/Main Street area, and Farmington Park and offer feedback based on their personal interactions with the projects prior to a commitment of major public financing for permanent features.

Girl Scouts of Kansas Heartland, $1,941 – Community Based Programs: Creating Tomorrow’s Leaders: Provide financial assistance for Reno County girls to participate in the Girl Scouts’ skill-building Community Based Program, attend summer camp and help with costs, such as uniforms and curriculum materials.

Headquarters, Inc., $2,158 – Collaborating to Prevent Suicide: Provide suicide prevention expertise to the Reno County Suicide Prevention Coalition as they select evidence-based suicide prevention strategies. Headquarters, Inc., will help identify public education, awareness campaigns and school-based suicide prevention initiatives that best fit the particular needs of the Reno County community.

Kansas Food Bank Warehouse, $5,000 – Food 4 Kids Backpack Program 2020: Provide volunteer-assembled, weekend food packets to children in Reno County who are experiencing food insecurity, allowing them to return to school on Monday mornings feeling less anxious, healthier and better prepared to learn.

Reno County Health Department, $1,400 – Creating New Connections: Welcome new people to the community by coordinating a quarterly potluck dinner and information-sharing session with the goals of raising awareness about community resources, encouraging attendees to become more vested in their new community, and providing a space and opportunity for social connections.

Rise Up Reno – Prevention Network, $3,749 – A Platform for Progress: Purchase a software platform that will allow the organization to more effectively manage contact with and service to stakeholders, helping to better match partners and participants with their specific interests among the many programs Rise Up Reno – Prevention Network (formerly Reno County Communities That Care) implements. The software platform will also increase staff efficiency, resulting in more time for direct contact with students and families.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — A local man arrested last Friday faces seven counts of aggravated criminal sodomy and seven counts of aggravated sexual battery. Brandon Hoffman is also charged with intimidation of a witness.

The sexual crimes allegedly occurred over a five-year period and involved the same victim. According to the complaint filed by the state, the victim was at least 16 or older at the time of the crimes.

The intimidation charge is alleged to have occurred in 2017 when Hoffman attempted to keep the victim from coming forward with the allegations and testifying in any hearing or trial in the case.

The case is just now coming to light after a long and extensive investigation by the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, according to Kimberly Rodebaugh, Reno County senior assistant district attorney.

Hoffman was able to post bond and is scheduled to make an initial court appearance Monday, Nov. 18.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — A man arrested for passing two counterfeit $20 bills to a pizza delivery driver last month now faces more charges.

During a search of William Crider’s home, police found a stolen check book, stolen mail, methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.

The suspect was caught because he used similar counterfeit money in a case from last year. Crider is now charged with counterfeiting money and one count of theft by deception.

Hutchinson police took a report of a delivery driver who received two counterfeit $20 bills where Crider lived. Detectives with the Repeat Offender Unit recognized the counterfeit currency as having been produced by Crider. The serial number on the two counterfeit $20 bills was identical to the bills Crider had been convicted of producing in the 2018 case.

A parole search of Crider’s residence Thursday morning turned up more counterfeit currency and other items pertaining to additional criminal cases.

The investigation is ongoing. Crider now faces additional charges. More charges could be coming, according to Senior Assistant District Attorney Kimberly Rodebaugh.

NEWTON, Kan. — Newton School Superintendent Deb Hamm announced her resignation in September. The district has now started the process to find her replacement.

The Kansas Association of School Boards, in coordination with the Newton School District, has announced it will be conducting an online survey to seek community input on desired characteristics for a new superintendent.

Officials say the survey will take approximately five minutes to complete and can be accessed here. Officials want to get feedback from residents of the district.

The survey must be completed by Nov. 22 at midnight.

Hamm’s last day will be June 30, 2020.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. – A 27-year-old Reno County woman is jailed on a $50,000 bond for allegedly having a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old boy this past summer.

Leticia Carrillo faces two counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child, a case investigated by the Reno County Sheriff’s Office.

The investigation stemmed from a sexting case that occurred in Reno County. Through the investigation it was determined Carrillo had sexual relations with the boy on two separate occasions.

Because of the age of the boy, its is unlawful for the woman to have a sexual relationship with him.

Carrillo made a first appearance on the charges Wednesday morning and will be back in court in the coming days, depending on how soon the state files formal charges.

SOUTH HUTCHINSON, Kan. — A man who has served time in prison is now jailed on a $17,500 bond for charges of arson, aggravated burglary, burglary and violation of conditions for release on parole.

Victor Tatro was arrested around 11:10 p.m. Sunday after he was caught inside a residence. A child inside told his mom that there was a man in the house. The mother approached Tatro with a knife while her daughter called police from the garage.

Earlier, the South Hutchinson Fire Department was called to the Trails West motel for the report of a fire in one of the rooms. The room was registered to Tatro. Officials believe the fire was intentionally set because they found some type of petroleum solution on the wall.

Tatro is on parole for two convictions of aggravated indecent liberties with a child. The convictions are out of Cloud County from 2006.

Tatro will be back in court Friday.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — One of the residents of that portion of Reno County where NextEra was denied a conditional use permit for a wind farm was before the Reno County Commission Tuesday. Andy Helten is upset about some of the questions residents who signed petitions are being asked by those doing depositions in the lawsuit.

Helten wanted to know what the county is doing in regard to the lawsuit. He was under the impression that the county was representing those who signed the protest petitions. County Commission Chair Bob Bush noted that their legal counsel is only involved to represent the planning commission and the county commission. He says that would be over the process.

Helten says some residents are upset about questions being asked by lawyers for NextEra. He says they have asked personal questions, including the ages of their children. He says they feel like they were bullied by NextEra. He wanted the county to intervene. County Counselor Joe O’Sullivan noted that some homeowners who signed the petitions hired their own attorneys to represent them and to intervene in the lawsuit, which was granted by District Judge Tim Chambers.

He also noted that courts usually grant wide latitude to attorneys over what questions can be asked during depositions even though some may not be deemed relevant during a court proceeding. O’Sullivan and two commissioners noted that it is not the county’s responsibility to represent those who signed the petitions.

The lawsuit is still pending in front of Judge Tim Chambers.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The USD 308 School Board took an important step toward creating a new strategic plan Monday.

The board approved mission and vision statements for the district and core values. Members have been working on the statements for nearly a year. The board is working to revamp the 2014-19 strategic plan.

The mission statement “Educating, empowering and preparing every student for life” was approved.

The vision statement is “Today’s students prepared for tomorrow’s world.”

The core values statement is “Honor, persistence, compassion, scholarship and excellence.”

In other action, the board passed a resolution to file a formal complaint with the Kansas State Department of Education’s Professional Practices Commission on Andrea Coleman, music teacher at McCandless Elementary School, requesting her teaching license be canceled. Coleman’s resignation was not accepted by the board at its Oct. 28 meeting. She was sent a letter directing her to return to work.