TOPEKA, Kan. — The Cold Weather Rule, designed to help Kansans who are behind on their utility payments avoid disconnection during the winter months, will begin Friday, Nov. 1, and remain in effect through March 31.

The Kansas Corporation Commission, the agency that regulates public utilities in the state, encourages Kansans who are past due on utility bills and at risk for disconnection to prepare for the colder weather by contacting their utility company to make the necessary payment arrangements.

The Cold Weather Rule was first enacted by the commission in 1983 to prevent utility companies from disconnecting a customer’s natural gas or electric service during periods of extreme cold. Utility companies are prohibited from disconnecting a customer’s service when temperatures are forecast to be at or below 35 degrees within the following 48-hour period.

The Cold Weather Rule also requires utility companies to offer a 12-month payment plan to allow consumers to maintain or re-establish service. Any residential customer with a past due balance will qualify for payment arrangements; however, it is the customer’s responsibility to contact their gas or electric company to make those arrangements.

Payment plan terms to maintain or restore service require that customers agree to pay 1/12th of the total amount owed, 1/12th of the current bill, the full amount of any disconnection or reconnection fee, plus any applicable deposit to the utility. The remaining balance must be paid in equal payments over the next 11 months, in addition to the current monthly bill.

The Cold Weather Rule applies only to residential customers of electric and natural gas utility companies under the KCC’s jurisdiction. More information about the Cold Weather Rule is available on the commission’s website. Kansans may also contact their local utility company or the KCC’s Office of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at (800) 662-0027.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The USD 308 School Board approved the 2019-20 contract with district teachers. Teachers approved the contract Oct. 18.

The agreement calls for a base salary for new teachers with a bachelor’s degree of $39,807 — a 3.2% increase from 2018-19.

Because money was placed on the base pay, all teachers on the salary schedule received an increase.

The contract also allowed teachers to move for another year of experience and additional education. It has language that includes a minimum 20-minute lunch period for teachers.

The board also approved the Career and Technical Education Agreement with Hutchinson Community College. The longstanding agreement is for the merged programs between HutchCC and the Hutchinson Career and Technical Education Academy. The agreement allows USD 308 students (and those from neighboring districts) to gain college credit for classes operated under the agreement.

College tuition is paid by the Kansas Board of Regents. HutchCC compensates USD 308 for providing the instructors and facilities for the specified programming.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — A 25-year-old man who tried to grab a purse from a woman outside Dillons at 725 E. 4th on Sept. 24 waived his preliminary hearing Monday and entered a plea in the case.

Trae Taylor is charged with attempted robbery and criminal damage. He entered guilty pleas to both counts.

The case began as the victim was walking into the store. Taylor grabbed her purse with so much force that it knocked her to the ground. She held on and was dragged five to six feet. This caused some bruising, but she managed to hold on to the purse. He finally gave up and ran away.

The incident was caught on store video. Police used the video to track down Taylor. He was arrested the next day.

With him entering a plea, Reno County District Judge Joe McCarville set sentencing for Dec. 6.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Reno County is one of 27 counties that will receive a combined total of $5 million under the Kansas Department of Transportation’s Local Bridge Improvement Program.

Requests for transportation funding outpaced available funds by nearly three times.

The bridge program was reinstated by KDOT this past summer to assist cities and counties by providing up to $150,000 toward the replacement or rehabilitation of a bridge on the local roadway system.

This program targets bridges that are 20 to 50 feet in length and have a daily vehicle count of less than 100. Deficient structures that are longer and deficient structures on higher-volume roads also qualify for funding under the program, but these will be limited to the same state funding amounts.

Don Brittain, superintendent with Reno County Public Works, says they have one bridge in the county that was approved for funds.

The county will receive $150,000 to replace a bridge on Arlington Road about two miles north and 1.8 miles west of Castleton. If the county takes another deficient bridge off KDOT’s list, he says they would receive an additional $50,000. Brittain says this will go before the Reno County Commission to approve replacing an additional bridge at the county’s expense in order to receive the additional money.

The total cost to replace the bridge on Arlington Road is estimated to be as much as $700,000, maybe as much as $800,000.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Now through Nov. 1, the Reno County Sheriff’s Office, along with several other law enforcement agencies across the state, will be conducting seat-belt enforcement around area schools.

Sheriff’s officials say this enforcement is targeted toward children who are not properly restrained.

The campaign is focused on reducing child deaths from motor vehicle accidents, as well as educating the operators of vehicles carrying these children.

Make sure your kids are buckled up.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Reno County Commission will consider two items Tuesday.

One is over the 2019 Title VI policy so it reflects census data and new interpretation service available.

The other is consideration of a request to purchase six used self contained breathing apparatus packs, 25 used face masks and 12 new cylinders for Reno County Fire District 3 at a total cost not to exceed $30,150.

Those are the only two items listed, however, other items could be added at the beginning of the meeting.

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

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — A 37-year-old man convicted in a domestic case was sentenced Friday to two years and five months in prison.

Burgess Martin was convicted of choking the victim during an altercation on Oct. 28, 2018.

Martin has prior convictions for misdemeanor drug charges.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — One of the two men convicted of reckless second-degree murder for the shooting death of a Hutchinson man was sentenced Friday to just under 11 years in prison.

Curtis Garcia entered a plea in the case as part of an agreement with the state. He was originally charged with felony murder for the killing of Norman Cushinberry.

Some statements from Garcia early in the investigation stated that he came to the home in the 500 block of Washington to sell an Xbox and accessories. But in fact, it was to sell a quarter pound of marijuana. When he arrived, the victim tried to pay him with counterfeit money, so Garcia left.

Another person involved in the case then texted Garcia to come back because they would have real money. Once Garcia arrived a second time, the victim allegedly got into Garcia’s pickup. He then asked him to turn the truck off. Once Garcia complied, Cushinberry pulled a 9 mm Ruger semi-automatic handgun. Tristan Delaney came from the porch with a 12-gauge shotgun. Garcia grabbed a .380 handgun he had in the pickup and fired at Delaney, striking him. An altercation then occurred in the pickup and Cushinberry was shot. Garcia then went to the passenger side of the truck, pulled the victim out and left him in the street.

Police found Cushinberry in the street suffering from gunshot wounds to his upper chest, on his side around the rib cage and around his upper arm. Efforts to revive him were unsuccessful.

During sentencing, the defense asked for a durational departure to five years and five months, while the state wanted the aggravated number of 138 months.

Garcia told the court he wished he could go back and take it all back. He apologized to the family. A member of the Cushinberry family told the court that Garcia left the victim there to die and claims he ran over the victim, breaking both legs.

Judge Tim Chambers said he couldn’t find any substantial or compelling reasons to depart and sentenced Garcia to just under 11 years. He noted that Garcia was selling marijuana with his children in the vehicle.

Delaney, who also entered a plea to the same charge in this case, will be sentenced Nov. 1.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — A local woman has been formally charged by the state with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

Melissa Everett is accused of putting another woman in fear of her safety with a handgun. This allegedly occurred Oct. 21.

Everett is free on bond. She will be back in court Nov. 27.