HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Central Kansas Credit Union is being swallowed up by a Wichita credit union. The local credit union has signed an intent-to-merge agreement with Wichita-based Credit Union of America, according to an article in Credit Union Journal.
Central Kansas Credit Union currently has about 6,000 members and $36 million in assets, while Credit Union of America boasts nearly 66,000 members and $805 million in assets. Under terms of the agreement, CUA will become the surviving entity. Both credit unions will vote on the proposed merger by March 29. The merger will not affect any employees of CKCU, which posted a net loss of about $43,200 last year after generating net income of $71,600 in 2016.
Meanwhile, CUA generated net income of about $10.1 million in 2017 after posting net income of about $9.5 million in the previous year.
LANGDON, Kan. — The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) has issued a boil water advisory for Fairfield High School. KDHE officials issued the advisory because of a loss of pressure. Failure to maintain adequate pressure may result in a loss of chlorine residuals and bacterial contamination.
The advisory took effect this morning and will remain in effect until conditions that place the system at risk of contamination are deemed by KDHE officials to be adequately resolved. According to USD 310 Superintendent Nathan Reed, a pump failed over the weekend and caused the pressure loss. Reed says water was donated and school was in session Tuesday. Reed expects the order to be lifted in the next 24 hours.
KDHE will issue the rescind order following testing at a certified laboratory.
RENO COUNTY — (As of 3 p.m.) Things are still quiet, but the winds continue to blow with gusts of 59 mph coming in from the Hutchinson Airport. Rural Fire District 3 responded to a house fire in Nickerson in the past hour. No word on damage or injuries. Westar has restored service to about 65 customers in South Hutchinson who were without power for part of the afternoon. Only minor outages are being reported at this time. Some of the outages are fire-related, but most are due to the wind.
(As of 2 p.m.) Hutchinson and rural fire crews have been battling several fires throughout the day Tuesday. Fires were reported near the Sylvia and Medora communities.
Several other fires were also reported near Haven and just north of Cheney State Park in the 8200 block of Pleasant Valley Road.
Wind gusts have been reported as high as 59 mph during the day and similar gusts are expected throughout the day. As of 2 p.m., the fires had been brought under control.
Westar is also reporting about 75 customers without service due to high wind.
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — CrossPoint Church in Hutchinson was filled to capacity Monday morning as friends, family and military personnel celebrated the life of Christina Schoenecker. The 26-year-old Army Reserve soldier died in a non-combat incident in Iraq Feb. 19.
The service included the Fallen Soldier Tribute from the Tornado Alley Young Marines as well as a standing ovation to honor Schoenecker and those who serve. A picture slideshow before the service displayed her love of fishing and family.
The Rev. Steve Gill spoke on behalf of Schoenecker’s teachers and coaches who remembered her outgoing personality and toughness:
One of Schoenecker’s friends, Tasha Miller, talked of her friend’s willingness to help others. While Tina — as Schoenecker was known to friends and family — had a tough exterior, she also had a soft spot in her heart for others:
The sermon was presented by the Rev. Dennis Wallace, who talked about Schoenecker’s love of art and her artistic abilities:
Schoenecker’s flag-draped casket was brought to the church, escorted by the Patriot Guard, which also led the procession to the Arlington City Cemetery where Schoenecker was laid to rest with full military honors from the Fort Riley Honor Guard.
Schoenecker was a human resources specialist who joined the Army in 2009. She was promoted to sergeant in January 2015 and was completing her first deployment at the time of her death. Her awards include the Army Achievement Medal with one oak leaf cluster and the Army Reserve Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters.
Schoenecker grew up in the Arlington area and was a 2010 graduate of Fairfield High School.
SOUTH HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Hutchinson and the surrounding area was rattled by an earthquake just before 2:30 p.m. Thursday.
According to Rick Miller with the Kansas Geological Survey, the quake measured 3.1 on the Richter scale and was centered just southwest of South Hutchinson.
Miller says the quake was about three to four miles deep and had a duration of about 2 minutes and, while not impossible, is somewhat rare this far north in Kansas.
Reno County 911 says it has no reports of any damage so far.
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Starting today, Reno County residents will be alerted to emergencies and other notifications through “Everbridge.” Reno County 911 Director Michelle Abbott says the new alert system went online after Emergency management and Reno County 911 felt the change was needed to keep up with technology:
Abbott says, while the previous alert system featured weather alerts, the new system will not provide that mass alert from the National Weather Service:
The system can, however, provide a new program that is event-specific in providing alerts for weather and any other potential emergency situations:
Sign-up is underway. anyone who was on Civic Ready will need to sign up again. Abbott explains how to register:
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Funeral services have been announced for a soldier from Arlington who died in Iraq last week.
Services for Sgt. Christina Schoenecker will be held Monday, March 5, at CrossPoint Church with burial to follow at the Arlington Cemetery.
Schoenecker was a human resources specialist who joined the Army in 2009. She was promoted to sergeant in January 2015 and was completing her first deployment at the time of her death. Her awards include the Army Achievement Medal with one oak leaf cluster and the Army Reserve Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters.
Schoenecker grew up in the Arlington area and was a 2010 graduate of Fairfield High School.
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — A report given to the Hutchinson USD 308 School Board shows that nearly one in every five students in the 8th grade reads below that level or — in some cases — as many as four or five grades below the 8th grade level.
Principal Bruce Hurford reported to the board steps the school is taking to ensure students reading below the required level get the special help they need:
Of the 18 percent of students reading below the grade level, nearly half are reading several grades under the requirements. A majority of those require special education programs.
Students can make their way through the program, and eventually get out of the support classes and back into a normal school schedule. Hurford says, once a student gets back to an acceptable level of reading, there are steps taken to ensure they can maintain that level:
Student assessments are taken twice a year in both reading and math to help track learning trends.
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The quarterly earnings period has been, for the most part, positive for companies with ties to Hutchinson and Reno County. BNSF kept that trend going Monday with a very strong fourth quarter.
The nation’s second-largest railroad and second-highest property tax payer in Reno County saw fourth quarter revenue jump by 6 percent over 2016 to $5.6 billion.
For the fiscal year 2017, the railroad increased revenue by more than 8 percent to $21.3 billion.
The railroad still saw a continued decrease in coal volume due to warm weather and the continued decrease in coal-fired generation facilities. It’s a trend that will continue as low natural gas prices and the push for renewable energy moves ahead. Despite the decline in the fourth quarter, the railroad still had an overall increase in coal shipments for the year at 1.8 million car loads.
BNSF also saw a 3 percent decrease in agriculture shipments in the quarter with car loadings remaining flat for 2017.
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Hutchinson USD 308 School Board will give consideration to the sale of some property that would be used by the YMCA for future parking.
The board will take action on the sale of a small grassy area in front of the Education Service Center, just west of the Y. The land will allow the Y to expand parking. The Y had been using city-owned parking on the north side of the Sports Arena until arena expansion eliminated that parking.
The YMCA would purchase and maintain the property while the school keeps the building and is allowed to have bus loading in front of the E.S.C. south entrance.
The YMCA would be responsible for construction costs and maintaining the property. USD 308 would be given easement for a limited number of reserved parking spaces south of the building. The district would also retain all parking west and north of the E.S.C.
Tonight’s meeting of the USD 308 School Board beings at 6 p.m. at the school district offices at 1520 N. Plum.
