PENALOSA, Kan. — A Penalosa man had to shoot a cow that apparently charged him while it was on his property Monday evening.

Sixty-three-year-old Terry Foster told Reno County sheriff’s deputies that he heard a noise coming from his property. When he went to see what it was, he saw his two dogs attacking a cow.

He attempted to separate the animals and the cow charged him. Foster said he shot the cow twice in the head to protect himself.

No one knows who owned the cow.

The incident occurred just after 7 p.m. Monday.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. – The USD 308 school board approved a recommendation from a committee tasked with district branding to move to a single logo that will be used for pre-kindergarten through high school.

The committee has been working with QueenBee Marketing on its logo and branding. The work also includes a refresh on the district’s website.

The board adopted the H-Hawk as the logo for the district and all schools. The H-Hawk logo was developed several years ago for Hutchinson High School athletics and gradually has become a logo for many district activities. The H-Hawk has been trademarked, but Monday’s action will update the trademark with appropriate styles and colors for it. QueenBee is also developing a guide for district use of the H-Hawk.

The district will trademark its mascot — Salthawk or Salthawks. The district knows of no other team represented by the Salthawk.

While the district has adopted the H-Hawk as its logo, there are legacy emblems that may still be used. Those would include the various renditions of Sammy Salthawk and the Hawk at Hutchinson Middle School.

The unified logo is also designed to help families. A Salthawk shirt a family buys in elementary school won’t go out of favor until outgrown by the student in middle school or high school.

During the process of working on a logo, the committee reached out to district staff several times for input.

The board met at Hutchinson Magnet School at Allen in its continuing tour of district schools.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — A local man who faces some serious charges after his arrest Friday made a first appearance in court Monday.

Curtis Linscheid faces potential charges of distribution of drugs, burglary, theft, possession of methamphetamine, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, criminal use of weapons and driving while suspended.

Hutchinson police were called to the report of a burglary in the 1500 block of East 4th. When they arrived, officers were given a description of the vehicle and spotted it a short time later. They discovered that Linscheid was driving on a suspended license. He was arrested. Officers searched the vehicle he was driving and found two antique knives, a bag of meth, marijuana, scales, brass knuckles and a 22-caliber rifle.

Linscheid is jailed on a $20,000 bond and will be back in court on Feb. 18.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Hospice & HomeCare of Reno County has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval. The approval is for demonstrating continuous compliance with its performance standards.

The Gold Seal of Approval is a symbol of quality that reflects an organization’s commitment to providing safe and effective care. In addition to accreditation, Hospice & HomeCare is now certified in Community Based Palliative Care for its palliative and pulmonary programs.

Officials say they underwent a rigorous on-site survey in November. During the survey, common site and home care standards reflecting key organization areas were evaluated.

That included the provision of care, treatment and services, emergency management, human resources, individual rights and responsibilities, and leadership. The accreditation process also provided Hospice & HomeCare of Reno County with education and guidance to help staff continue to improve its home care program’s performance.

Established in 1988, The Joint Commission’s Home Care Accreditation Program supports the efforts of its accredited organizations to help deliver safe, high quality care and services.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Reno County Commission appears to have a mostly routine agenda for Tuesday’s meeting.

The highlight would have to be one study item where the commission will consider backing the food policy council in Reno County.

Previously, the city of South Hutchinson passed a resolution establishing the Reno County Food Policy Council, but has since dissolved its involvement. Now, the Reno County Commission will consider backing it.

The council addresses food disparities and food access issues in the county. Officials say the council is still active, but is not formally recognized by a governing body at this time.

They say food security is a necessity of life, recognized as a condition in which all county residents must be able to obtain a safe, culturally acceptable, nutritionally-adequate diet through a sustainable food system.

The county commission will also discuss an environmental health proposal to create an environmental engineer evaluation policy.

The Reno County Commission meeting is at 9 a.m. Tuesday in the Reno County Courthouse.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Reno County District Judge Trish Rose denied the defense’s request for a venue change in a 2015 murder case.

Brennan Trass is scheduled for trial on March 25 for shooting and killing 24-year-old Jose Morales, whose body was found on the floor of a residence on Aug. 17, 2015.

There is still a suppression motion scheduled before trial. Judge Rose set a hearing for that motion on Feb. 21.

Trass remains jailed on a $250,000 bond.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Police have received reports from local residents who say they were scammed out of thousands of dollars.

According to Police Lt. Dustin Loepp, the scammers will call elderly residents saying they are with different companies — such as AT&T or the Social Security Administration. The scammers will then tell the victim their account has been hacked. The victim is then told to purchase a gift card at Walmart or Dillons. The scam artist then asks for the numbers off the back of the gift card.

In one case, a man purchased six Home Depot cards for $500 each. In another case, a woman was convinced to give her bank account information.

This phone scam in the local area has garnered the crooks thousands of dollars.

They often make civil threats toward victims and manipulate them into fulfilling their requests.

“The scam artist could be in another state or even another country,” Lt. Loepp said, “it makes it hard to find these people.”

If you suspect something is suspicious with a caller, hang up and call your bank — or the organization the scammer claims to represent — to check the legitimacy of the claim and ensure your accounts are safe.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — A 26-year-old Liberal woman arrested in Reno County on Jan. 30 for drug charges failed to get a bond reduction when she appeared in court Thursday morning.

Deborah Jones is charged with trying to arrange a drug transaction using a cell phone in what the state says is the unlawful distribution of methamphetamine. Jones is also charged with possession of methamphetamine, marijuana and interference with law enforcement.

Jones asked for a bond reduction for fear of losing her job in Liberal. However, she has prior crimes in both Seward and Meade counties. She also has a history of failing to appear in court, so Magistrate Judge Daniel Gilligan denied her request.

Jones will be back in court March 6.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — A 28-year-old man well known for criminal activity over the years was back before a judge Thursday morning for two new cases.

In one case, Cody Reno is charged with burglary of a dwelling in the 900 block of East 10th. This crime occurred on Jan. 27. The state alleges this crime was conducted to commit a felony, theft or sexually-motivated crime.

The second case is somewhat more serious and involves the same victim. Reno is charged with aggravated assault for placing the victim in fear of her safety with his vehicle. He’s also charged with battery-domestic violence for striking the victim during an altercation on Jan. 28.

Reno has numerous drug convictions going back to 2010. His bond was set at $55,000.