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Author: Hutch Post Staff

UPDATE: 56th Ave. from Hendricks to Pennington now open

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HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Fire and emergency crews are on the scene of a small gas pipeline leak northwest of Hutchinson.

According to Reno County Emergency Management, the leak is very small and there is no danger to the public. No evacuations have been ordered, but 56th Avenue from Hendricks to Pennington is closed until crews can fix the leak.

No other damage has occurred and no injuries were reported with the incident.

Council will consider amendments to city planning codes

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HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Long desired by area business owners, potential developers and some members of the Hutchinson City Council, some changes could be coming to city codes during the agenda session Tuesday.

The council had asked late last year to make planning and zoning regulations more user-friendly for potential developers.

Areas that will be amended include: parking regulations, landscaping requirements, site plan reviews, conditional and special use permits, and matters concerning the board of zoning appeals. It is hoped that the action will condense the broad range of categories and regulations currently in place.

The changes come after some study was done at the request of Councilwoman Jade Piros de Carvalho, who felt that — while the city needs strong regulations — some of it had become too complex and difficult for potential developers to work through.

The matter will be taken up at Tuesday’s agenda session at 9 a.m. in the Hutchinson city offices.

HutchCC lands major vocational training contract with Spirit Aerosystems

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HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Hutchinson Community College has been awarded a $1.2 million contract for vocational training of potential assembly workers for Spirit Aerosystems. The announcement came during last night’s Board of Trustees meeting. It is thought to be the largest contract of its kind to come to HutchCC, which regularly bids on such opportunities. Steve Porter, Vice President of Workforce Development and Outreach for HutchCC, made the announcement:

 

Dave Mullins, Director of Business and Industry, says the school’s ability to react quickly and provide the necessary training was instrumental in getting the contract:

 

Mullins discussed some of the skills they will teach for the 500 workers Spirit is looking for:

 

The potential workers will come from a workforce agency in Wichita. The students will go through more than 150 contact hours of training before getting hands-on training and eventually full employment. HutchCC plans to have the workers trained and on the job in 36 to 42 months. The BOT approved the hiring of two industrial trainers to help with the program, which will also use HutchCC faculty as well. The training will be done in a yet-to-be-determined facility in Wichita.

City will push against proposed Amtrak service cuts

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HUTCHINSON, Kan. — After providing nearly $40,000 in matching funds on three TIGER grants connected to Amtrak’s Southwest Chief, City Manager John Deardoff expressed disappointment in Amtrak’s plans to curtail service along the route:

 

 

Amtrak wants to eliminate train service between Dodge City and Albuquerque, and bus passengers between the two points. Deardoff says the city will continue to press federal legislators to keep the route intact:

 

Amtrak and BNSF threatened cities along the route that they would discontinue service if major upgrades were not made. Three major grants and a lot of track improvements were done at Amtrak’s request. The grants were matched with funds from cities and the state, including three $12,500 allocations from the city of Hutchinson.

Now under new leadership, Amtrak is wanting to step away from the efforts to keep the route in place. BNSF maintains the line, but Amtrak is the only train that runs on it from La Junta to Albuquerque.

HRMC recognized for its organ and tissue donation work

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HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Midwest Transplant Network has once again awarded Hutchinson Regional Medical Center and eight other Kansas and Missouri hospitals with the Excellence in Donation Award for successful efforts in promoting organ and tissue donations.

HRMC spokesperson Richard Shank says it is a designation the hospital is very proud of:

 

 

 

Many people don’t realize how many lives can be saved with organ and tissue donations. Shank gives a rundown of some of the vital numbers:

 

While many think of organs when it comes to donations, many other things can be donated to save lives. Shank talks about some of the smaller parts of the body that can be donated:

 

Representatives of the Midwest Transplant Network will visit Hutchinson during July to present the award to the staff whose responsibility includes organ and tissue donations. The Midwest Transplant Network, established in 1973, is headquartered in Westwood, Kansas, and assists donors, families and hospitals in joint efforts to facilitate organ and tissue donations in Kansas and the western two-thirds of Missouri.

Buhler City Council delays decision on franchise fee

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BUHLER, Kan. — The Buhler City Council tabled any action on the proposal to implement franchise fees during Tuesday’s agenda session.

According to City Clerk Merrill Peterson, Mayor Daniel Friesen was not able to attend the meeting. The matter will be taken up next month. Friesen brought the proposal to the council last month as a way to help fund capital improvement projects.

Under the proposal, a 2.5 percent fee would be placed on the city utility bill, which includes water, sewer and trash.

With the city generating about $500,000 a year on utilities, the fee would mean about $15,000 a year for capital improvement projects.

Some helpful tips for dealing with hot weather

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HUTCHINSON, Kan. — With the hot weather suddenly upon us again, care needs to be taken to make sure you don’t overdo it over the next several days. Nick Baldetti with the Reno County Health Department reminds us of some helpful tips for staying safe in the sun:

 

 

Baldetti says that many people think of the dangers of overexertion in the extreme cold, but it can happen just as often in the hot weather:

 

Baldetti says you also need to make sure you’re aware of what your body is telling you in order to avoid any health issues that come from the extreme heat:

 

It’s always a good idea to limit your activity to the early morning or late evening and wear light-colored, loose-fitted clothing.

Harvest could be finished by Sunday

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HUTCHINSON, Kan. — If the hot, windy weather hangs on and the rain stays away, the wheat harvest could be wrapped up in the area by the weekend.

Lee Burgess with Central Prairie Coop says some farmers were able to get back into the fields Tuesday after thunderstorms dropped heavy rain this past week.

Burgess says the rain has hurt test weights some, but reports some impressive yield numbers on irrigated land that are running between 70 and 100 bushels per acre. Cutting is in full swing north of Highway 4 in central Kansas.

Most expect the average yield in the area to run between 30 and 40 bushels per acre. This year’s wheat crop was plagued by a cold snap in April, followed by very hot, dry weather in June.

Seitnater named interim Director of Planning and Development

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HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The City of Hutchinson has announced that Downtown Development Director Jim Seitnater has been appointed as interim Director of Planning and Development with the City of Hutchinson effective July 5, 2018. Sietnater will replace current Director, Jana McCarron, who resigned to take a new position within the community.

Seitnater has held his current position since 2005 and will continue overseeing downtown development efforts. His position was eliminated as part of a budget reduction and was moved into Planning and Development.

No timeline has been established for recruiting a new Director of Planning and Development.

During the interim, Seitnater will oversee all aspects of the planning and development
operations along with housing and downtown development.

Registration underway for annual Boys and Girls golf tournament

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HUTCHINSON, Kan. — It is probably one of the more successful and popular benefit golf tournaments in the area.

The annual Boys & Girls Clubs of Hutchinson’s Great Futures Annual Golf Classic is set for Friday, Aug. 3, at Cottonwood Hills.

The day will begin at 7 a.m. with registration followed by an 8 a.m. shotgun start. Along with participation in the tournament, all who enter will receive mulligans, a dryfit polo, and several additional goodies.

All funds raised from the tournament benefit the Healthy Lifestyles programming at the Boys & Girls Club. The deadline for player or sponsor registration is Friday, July 13. Golfer registrations may be submitted online for individuals or corporate teams at www.bgchutch.com.

Those interested in purchasing a hole sponsorship should contact Lindsey Fields at 620-665-7171, ext. 104.

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