HUTCHINSON, Kan. — A 30-year-old man with an extensive criminal history charged in a drug distribution case was denied a bond reduction Friday during a court appearance.

Rayland Brown Jr. is jailed for distribution of methamphetamine, marijuana and other drugs. Brown was unlawfully in possession of three handguns when police arrived at a Hutchinson home in March. There were also two children in the home.

Brown wanted the bond reduced because of his job, but Deputy District Attorney Tom Stanton disagreed with the prospect. “His bond of $18,000 is very generous considering his criminal history,” Stanton said. “If anything, the bond should be increased.”

Magistrate Judge Daniel Gilligan didn’t agree to raise the bond, but denied the request to reduce it.

Brown denied he was in possession of any weapons and noted they were locked in a cabinet.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The latest unemployment numbers show an unchanged rate for Hutchinson. The rate stayed at 4% in March — the same rate from February and also March of 2018.

The rate for Reno County was also unchanged at 3.6%. However, that rate is slightly lower than March of 2018 when the rate was 3.8%.

Last month, 1,047 residents of the county — mostly from Hutchinson — were actively seeking work.

Some of the counties in the area saw a modest gain in their rates last month, but had no major changes.

Statewide, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 3.5% in March. This was up from 3.4% in February and up from 3.4% in March 2018.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — When you call 911 for any kind of emergency, you don’t speak with police, fire, EMS or the sheriff’s department. You talk to a dispatcher who is there to coordinate which agency and what type of response you need for that emergency.

Every year during the second week of April, the telecommunications personnel in the public safety community are honored.

The center in the Reno County Law Enforcement basement is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

The work can be very stressful for those workers.

What happens when you make an emergency call to 911?

“We take that information and put it into the CAD system, that is computer-aided dispatch, and then we dispatch based off the location, based off the type of emergency that it is,” Leon Boyea, the center’s assistant director, said. Boyea says they send the appropriate agency to that emergency.

Those who work in this center must respond in a calm, professional manner.

“When a call comes in here, they have zero time to process and think their policy and procedure, it’s automatic. A lot of the field units have the radio dispatch time, their drive time to get to the event to think about policies, procedures, staging, you know, how we’re going to respond. Ours is immediate. When we answer the phone, we don’t know if it’s going to be a dog barking, or a domestic, or a guy with a gun,” Michelle Abbott, dispatch center director, said. “It’s immediate, we have to react and be ready to send units.”

The week is set aside each year to honor those who work in these types of centers. These dispatchers make sure first responders get to the right location in emergency situations.

PRETTY PRAIRIE, Kan. — Pretty Prairie city leaders believe there needs to be a community response after the school’s band room was vandalized.

Officials are planning a community-wide fundraiser with a tentative date of May 5.

Plans are underway for an afternoon and evening event at JM Collingwood Barn. Activities would include yard games, a cookout, a cake bar, silent and live auctions, and a family friendly movie.

Donations will be accepted for participation in each of these events. Residents are welcome to enjoy one or all of the events.

The city has received donations for a silent and live auction.

The city is seeking additional donations for the auctions and also accepting cash donations.

If you would like to help Pretty Prairie, contact Brenda Pace at (620) 459-6825 or Liz Shepherd at (855) 675-7077.

HAVEN, Kan. — A 26-year-old South Hutchinson man was injured after a one-vehicle accident in the county last night.

Francis Bergkamp says he was northbound when his vehicle went off the roadway in the 21600 block of South Worthington Road. His pickup struck an embankment, went airborne, struck the ground, continued north, struck a second embankment, went back onto the road and stopped.

Bergkamp was evaluated on scene and transported by EMS to Hutchinson Regional Medical Center for treatment of injuries.

The accident occurred around 10:15 p.m. Wednesday.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Police were called to the report of an overdose at an apartment in Hutchinson. The victim told police she had taken methamphetamine. She also told officers who she purchased the drugs from.

Police then went to the home of 44-year-old Michael McBride and found him in his bedroom. Officers allegedly found two bags of methamphetamine, marijuana and Alprazolam, as well as drug paraphernalia.

McBride is jailed for possession of those drugs and could face a corrections violation for a conviction of violating the offender registration act. The Kansas Department of Corrections has him listed as an absconder.

The arrest came just after 11:30 p.m. Tuesday in the 200 block of West 7th.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The suspect in a kidnapping and rape case entered a plea Tuesday to an amended complaint, which dropped the kidnapping charge and also changed five rape charges to aggravated sexual battery.

Victor Pedraza also entered a plea to aggravated domestic battery and possession of marijuana.

He requested a departure before sentencing, but that was denied by Reno County District Judge Joe McCarville. He was then sentenced to just under six years in prison.

Pedraza was convicted for the beating and sexual battery of the victim who attended Hutchinson Community College. He set her passport and documents on fire. Police say the victim was tied to a bed and beaten, then forced into sex twice. The crimes occurred in June of 2017.

Pedraza entered a plea last year, but then withdrew it. He apparently had a change of heart and entered a plea in the case Tuesday.

Deputy District Attorney Tom Stanton had agreed to the plea earlier so the victim wouldn’t have to testify in the United States. She was allowed to stay home in Japan.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Reno County Landfill was the hot topic at Tuesday’s Reno County Commission meeting. Landfill rates will be going up for the 2020 and 2021 budget years.

The rates will increase by $4. The landfill rate will be $96 per year for residents and commercial businesses.

The landfill will also charge $33 per ton for out-of-county users, $40 for contaminated soil and $40 per ton for special waste.

Commissioners also discussed the approval for Engineering and Planning Services from SCS Engineers for 2019 at a cost of $205,100.

The landfill is looking at building a new scale house and offices on the east side of Mohawk Road in 2021. That could potentially carry a $3 million price tag. That money would come from the landfill’s capital improvements budget.

Commissioners discussed how the landfill will piggyback on land already being used, which will give the landfill’s current location another 50 years or more use.

The commission also approved a costly item for public work with the purchase of a 2020 Kenworth truck with a mounted asphalt distributor. This would be purchased from G.W. Van Keppel of Wichita for $154,644.

The commission did table one item — whether to grant a letter of intent for tax and job incentives to Wifco Steel Products. That topic will come back for discussion Tuesday, April 30, when the head of that company can be present.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Reno County planning commission will resume the the NextEra wind farm hearing April 23.

The hearing will continue at the Fox Theatre in Hutchinson at 6 p.m.

After days of public comments and rebuttal, the planning department will give its thoughts on the project.

County planner Mark Vonachen expects the meeting to last about two hours. The planning commission could also reveal its recommendation for the Reno County Commission.

“This is an open meeting, not an open discussion. There is no opportunity for public comment, but it is an open meeting for everyone to come watch the process,” County Commission Chair Bob Bush said.

NextEra wants to place 80 or more wind turbines in the southeastern part of Reno County. Most residents of that area appear to be opposed.

After receiving the recommendation, the Reno County Commission will consider the proposal and make a final decision.

NextEra wants to begin construction this summer and have the turbines operational in December.