HAVEN, Kan. — The Haven USD 312 School Board took time to discuss the Partridge Elementary School closing again Monday night.

One resident asked if the district would allow buses from other districts to pick students up for school.

Per policy, the district has not allowed such busing in the past. According to Superintendent Clark Wedel, that policy will stay in place.

Wedel says the district currently has three bus routes in the Partridge area.

Wedel says that, with the routes in place, most students won’t have a ride longer than an hour to and from school.

Wedel says work is also progressing on getting the Partridge certified staff relocated to their positions, although most of the classified staff will lose their jobs when the school closes.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Reno County Commissioners have a full slate of items for their agenda session Tuesday. The Board will give consideration to a contract for engineering services with Kirkam, Michael, and Associates for the biennial bridge inventory and appraisal.

The study is done every two years to keep up with the status of all county bridges. It will cost just under $32,000.

Also Tuesday, the Board will hear a report from County Appraiser Brad Wright on efforts to locate and record, or salvage, more non-highway vehicles to the tax rolls. The county wants to make sure residents are paying property taxes on their non-running vehicles. Currently, the county has some 600 such vehicles on the tax rolls, but feel there are many more out there.

The Board will also seek approval to take two parcels of land out of rural fire district jurisdiction. The land is being used for a new shopping and housing development in South Hutchinson. Action is needed so that South Hutchinson can annex the property.

Tuesday’s meeting of the Reno County Commission begins at 9 a.m. in the Reno County Courthouse.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Residents and motorists passing by the Hutchinson Airport will notice a lot of emergency vehicles and smoke for the next couple of weeks.

Beginning today (Monday), airport and USDA staff — assisted by the Hutchinson Fire Department — will initiate controlled burning on the airport property.

The east side of the property near Obee Road, south of 23rd Avenue, and the grassland located parallel to Airport road — across from Lowen and Arconic Aerospace — are included in the burn, which will cover more than 150 acres of grassland.

Depending on weather and wind conditions, the prescribed burns will be accomplished within 10-25 days and should be finished by March 23.

Residents can contact airport management at 620.694.2692 ext. 3 with any questions or concerns.

HAVEN, Kan. — After a lot of discussion, the Haven USD 312 School Board voted to close the Partridge Elementary School.

Last month, a survey was sent out asking patrons affected by the closing where they planned to send their children to school. The results of that survey, and other matters related to the closing, will be discussed during Monday’s Board meeting. Superintendent Clark Wedel talked about what the Board will cover Monday:

As far as the survey goes, Wedel says it yielded mixed results, as expected:

Monday’s meeting of the Haven School Board begins at 6 p.m. at the school district offices.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Corporations with ties to Reno County continue to do well in the latest round of quarterly earnings reports.

Tyson Foods, Inc., reported a great first quarter as earnings blew past estimates. Tyson, which operates two facilities in the area, reported net income of $1.6 billion, or $4.40 a share, in the quarter, up from $594 million, or $1.59 a share, in the year-earlier period. The number was boosted by 21 cents a share by the tax overhaul signed into law in December. Adjusted per-share earnings came to $1.81, ahead of the FactSet consensus of $1.49.

Sales rose to $10.2 billion from $9.2 billion, also ahead of the FactSet consensus of $9.9 billion. Tyson’s prepared foods division continued to do well as sales jumped by more than 11 percent at $2.2 billion.

The company said it expects fiscal 2018 earnings to be boosted by about 85 cents a share thanks to the tax bill. It expects to generate more than $300 million in cash, which it will invest in frontline team members. The company is planning to make more than $100 million in one-time cash bonuses in the second quarter.