HUTCHINSON, Kan. — As the city and the county begin their budget process for next year, the Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber of Commerce has been giving presentations for its request of taxpayer dollars.

At the Reno County Commission meeting, President of the Chamber Debra Teufel noted that county funds provide program support to economic development work at the Chamber, now organized under the Greater Hutch program.

They are requesting $210,000 from the city: $95,000 for Greater Hutch; $20,000 for Growth Inc. and $95,000 for Market Hutch.

The amount being requested from the county is $50,000: $36,500 allocated for Greater Hutch and $13,500 for Market Hutch.

The money will be used for program funding for economic development business retention, expansion and recruitment, and marketing for real estate. Money for Greater Hutch would include database management, workforce development programs and enhanced community capacity building. The money for Market Hutch would include targeted marketing.

The Hutchinson City Council and the Reno County Commission will decide how much money to approve for the yearly budget.

PLEASANTVIEW, Kan. — Emergency officials are working a serious accident on U.S. 50 near Pleasantview.

According to 911 dispatch, one person was flown to a Wichita hospital with a head injury. That person’s condition is unknown at this time.

Details of the accident are still unknown, but Reno County Sheriff’s Capt. Steve Lutz says it involved a motorcycle and a car.

Updates will be made as more details become available.

 

UPDATE: One injured in 3-vehicle accident

MCPHERSON, Kan. – Deputies with the McPherson County Sheriff’s Office made an arrest Tuesday morning of a man who they believe to have been driving a stolen vehicle from Wichita.

A deputy attempted to stop the vehicle with two males inside on a seat belt violation in the parking lot of the 24/7 Travel Store. The driver refused to stop which lead to a chase through parts of McPherson, ending in the 400 block of Hartup.

Once stopped, the two occupants ran from the vehicle. The driver, identified as Michael Huffman, was located and arrested. In addition to any new charges, he was jailed for two outstanding warrants. The passenger remains at large.

Two schools were temporarily placed on lockdown due to safety concerns.

TOPEKA, Kan. – Each year, the Kansas Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture awards scholarships to college students studying in fields that benefit agriculture and rural Kansas. Forty-two recipients received $25,000 in scholarships for the 2019-20 school year.

Dixie Miller of Reno County is the winner of the $500 Godfrey and Emma Bahr Miller Agriculture Scholarship, a permanent, privately endowed scholarship fund for students attending a college in Kansas and majoring in a subject related to agronomy and conservation.

Sara Schlickau of Reno County received $1,000 for the K-State Agricultural Communications and Journalism Scholarship.

Twenty-five recipients received $500 scholarships. These students are attending a Kansas college with a Kansas Farm Bureau Collegiate chapter. Students must be a Farm Bureau Collegiate member.

Recipients from Hutchinson Community College included Chisum Grund from Wallace County and Katelynn Wilt from Reno County.

MCPHERSON —Normal water usage can resume throughout the City of McPherson as of 4:45 p.m. on Tuesday, May 21. Temporary repairs have been completed at the Waste Water Treatment Facility according to Public Works Director Jeff Woodward. “We are grateful to the many employees from the Waste Water Treatment Facility, BPU and Stevens Contractors of Salina,” said Woodward. “They worked diligently to provide a temporary solution, and all residents will benefit from their efficiency and dedication.”

The Public Works Department will continue to monitor wastewater equipment and keep the public informed of any changes. Updates will be provided on Facebook (McPherson, Kansas) and Twitter (@McPhersonKSInfo). For more information, contact the Public Works Department at 620.245.2545.

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MCPHERSON, Kan. – All residents in McPherson are being advised to refrain from using water during the next 48 to 72 hours.

Heavy rains and equipment failure at the McPherson Waste Water Treatment Facility are preventing the ability to process water flow properly. The plant is processing at less than half the normal capacity.

The Public Works Department indicates the only solution available is water conservation and reduced rains.

Residents are asked to eliminate daily water use such as showers, toilets, dishes, and laundry.

All are advised the situation could potentially result in sewer backup into homes.

City officials say they will notify residents when normal water usage can resume.

For more information, residents can contact the Public Works Department at 620-245-2545.

HUTCHINSON – With flooding widespread and more rain in the forecast, the Reno County Commission once again has approved a disaster declaration for the county.

The request came from Emergency Management Director Adam Weishaar.

“It opens up our emergency operation plan, basically both our response and recovery operations,” he said. “It also gives law enforcement some teeth to keep people out of the river and make sure people aren’t driving around the barricades as well.”

The declaration also goes to the office of Gov. Laura Kelly, which could help the county with the costs of flood recovery efforts.

“This opens us up for both state and federal resources and, if we hit our dollar threshold which we already did on our previous disaster which is just over $243,000, we qualify for 75 to 85 percent reimbursement of the expenditures that we have due to this flooding event,” Weishaar said.

This is the second declaration approved by the Reno County Commission in the last month and is effective for seven days.

RENO COUNTY – Four people from Wichita suspected of being involved with an attempted robbery at the Kansas State Fairgrounds have been formally charged. 

Kerrah Shulze, Blaine White, Kaleb Beard and Richard Fenters are all four charged with attempted robbery and conspiracy to commit an armed robbery.

The four are suspected of plotting and driving from Wichita to rob Armando Castillo Jr, of Mineral Wells, Texas. He had reported being confronted by four individuals while inside his 5th wheel camper. He was battered but was able to grab a firearm he had hidden in the camper. Castillo fired several shots to try and get the neighbors to call 911.

Everyone involved was still on scene when officers arrived. No injuries were reported due to gunfire. During the investigation, it was discovered that the suspects came to Castillo’s camper to get cash.

With the charges filed, all four will be back in court on Wednesday, June 12.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Officials with the American Red Cross say they have a critical need for type O blood donations and are urging individuals to give now to help ensure a sufficient blood supply for patients in need.

Currently, there are just six units of type O blood available for every 100,000 people, but at least two times that amount is needed every day.

Brenda Hanavan who is the Blood Bank Supervisor for Hutchinson Regional Medical Center talks about not being able to get what they need from the Red Cross and it is having an effect.

“It has an impact on us because we’ve been shorted what we tried to order,” said Hanavan. “We just have to be really careful, it can impact surgeries, like prescheduled surgeries,” said Hanavan. It hasn’t happened currently but there have been times in the past where we’ve had to speak to the surgeons and say, we’re really low on these products, if you think you’re going to use them, you may want to reconsider doing these elective surgeries until after the shortages are over.

While type O is critically needed, platelet and blood donors of all types are urged to give now to help trauma patients and others who depend on lifesaving blood products.

There is another blood drive coming to Hutchinson on June 3 through June 5 at First Presbyterian Church in Hutchinson.

Donors are also encouraged to schedule a blood donation appointment using the Blood Donor App, by visiting www.redcrossblood.org, or calling 1-800-Red Cross.