HUTCHINSON, Kan. — After a great event in Hutchinson Sunday to honor the life of Martin Luther King Jr., there was another event Monday at the Second Missionary Baptist Church.

The Rev. Terrell Davis, executive director of public affairs and special projects for the Wichita school district, spoke about this day and what it means to everyone:

 

Davis has a specific message for young people who were not alive during the civil rights era:

 

Davis said we must help each other:

 

In addition to the speakers at Monday’s event, there was plenty of music and prayers.

There was also an event at the Cosmosphere late Monday afternoon.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The United Way of Reno County still needs donations to make its $1,350,000 goal. The current campaign ends Jan. 31.

Some local businesses have added incentives to encourage residents to give. Lisa Gleason, who heads the local organization, says Jackson Meat is setting up a drawing for those who can donate a little more:

 

She says, the more you give, the more chances there are to win. Papa Johns is also adding an incentive to give:

 

Gleason also talked about a big challenge that would help the organization gain some ground:

 

However, she says the person who made the challenge won’t donate the money unless she finds three others to match that $25,000.

Every little bit helps.

For more information on United Way and the annual campaign, call 620-669-9329, or stop by the offices at 924 N. Main. You can also visit unitedwayofrenocounty.org.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Even though the holidays are over, that hasn’t stopped con artists.

Police are still taking reports of fake money being passed around.

Two reports were made over the weekend. A Hutchinson woman told police that someone bought her iPhone 6 with counterfeit money.

An employee of McDonald’s reported a white male also attempting to pass counterfeit currency.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Just before 7:30 a.m. Sunday, the Hutchinson Fire Department responded to 120 E. 5th for a reported house fire.

First arriving units found fire in a bedroom on the second floor of the residence. Fire crews were able to extinguish the fire in coordination with operating truck companies to ventilate the residence.

The fire was extinguished with moderate smoke and heat damage to the second floor interior of the house.

Four cats were inside the residence. All were unharmed.

Fire crews remained on scene for two hours conducting overhaul and investigation. Investigators are still trying to figure out the cause. There were no injuries reported.

Red Cross was called to assist the residents.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — A Hutchinson man sentenced to 18 years in prison for a 2015 robbery case was back in court Friday morning.

The defense requested an appeal bond for Jerry Anderson.

District Judge Trish Rose agreed to set a bond of $150,000 for Anderson while his case is appealed. That amount was suggested by the state.

He was convicted of aggravated robbery for walking into LoanMax Title Loans on May 4, 2015, and demanding money at gunpoint.

Another hearing over restitution will be scheduled at a later date.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Hutchinson Police Chief Jeffrey Hooper announced recently that his department has gone to a beat system. The same officers will patrol the same parts of the city each day. The city has been divided into four areas.

Chief Hooper made the change when he took over and talked about that change Friday morning.

He says he believes in community policing:

 

Chief Hooper also commented on what is expected of those officers as they work their beats daily:

 

So far, he says the system has topped his expectations:

 

Recent body-cam footage showed officers taking time for a snowball fight with local youth.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The latest numbers from the Kansas Department of Labor didn’t show much change in December. In fact, the rate for Hutchinson stayed the same at 3.4 percent. That’s the same number as reported in November, but below the rate in December 2017 when it was at 3.8 percent.

For Reno County, there was only a slight increase to 3.2 percent in December, compared to 3.1 percent in November, which is lower than the 3.4 percent rate in December 2017.

Area counties remained nearly the same with little or no change.

For the state of Kansas, the numbers show a seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 3.3 percent in December. This was up from 3.2 percent in November and down from 3.5 percent in December 2017.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Just before 2 a.m. Thursday, the Hutchinson Fire Department responded to 1905 E. 95th for a reported structure fire. The home was occupied at the time by one adult who was able to escape and notify the department after her smoke alarm alerted her of the fire.

First arriving units found a small fire in the front room of the residence. Fire crews were able to quickly extinguish the fire. There was minor damage to the interior of the house.

Two dogs and four cats were inside the residence — all were unharmed.

Fire crews remained on scene for an hour conducting overhaul and investigation. Investigators ruled the fire was caused by electrical issues.

There were no injuries reported.