BUHLER, Kan. — The Buhler City Council will be in a special session Tuesday evening to hold its public hearing on the 2020 budget.

At the request of the city council, the mill levy will hold steady at 51.2 mills. Capital improvements and regular cost increases had City Manager Merrill Peterson asking for a ½ mill increase, or about $3,500, in the budget. However, the council asked Peterson to trim the budget so the mill levy would stay as is.

The proposed budget totals $1,645,000 on total taxes levied of $351,959.

The special meeting and public hearing begin at 7 p.m. at the Buhler city offices.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Hutchinson City Council will take action on a bid proposal for the next phase of the Main Street project during Tuesday’s agenda session. The bid from Vogts Parga Construction totals $3,543,173.

The next phase of the project will run from 13th down to 5th Avenue and include new utilities, rebuilding the sidewalk curbs and gutters, and a resurfacing of the street.

As with the previous phases of the project, most of the utility work will be done this fall with the rest of the project completed in the spring.

Also Tuesday, the council will seek approval of contracts with its union workers including police, fire, emergency dispatch and service employees. The council will also hold a public hearing and approve the budget for 2020.

Tuesday’s meeting of the Hutchinson City Council begins at 9 a.m. in the Hutchinson city offices.

SOUTH HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The South Hutchinson City Council will make it official this evening. The council will pass a resolution to send a proposal for Sunday liquor sales to a vote.

The action comes after city resident Greg Dovel gathered enough signatures on a petition to let the public decide to allow Sunday sales.

Under the resolution, Sunday liquor would be allowed with the exception of certain hours on Easter, Labor Day, Memorial Day and Independence Day.

The passage of the resolution is a formality since the council must send the proposal to a vote. The vote will come during the Nov. 5 general election.

The council will also hold its public hearing and take action on the 2020 budget during tonight’s meeting, which starts at 7 p.m. at the South Hutchinson city offices.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Single event tickets for the 2019 season at the Hutchinson Fox Theatre went on sale today.

This is the opportunity to get the best seats available for all shows. Tickets are available at the Fox box office, 18 E. 1st Ave., by calling 877-FOX-SHOW, or online at www.hutchinsonfox.com.

The season includes performances by The Midtown Men, Mary Wilson of the Supremes, The Music of CREAM 50th Anniversary World Tour, The Buckinghams & The Box Tops, Sons of Serendip with the Hutchinson Symphony, and Georgia On My Mind: Celebrating the Music of Ray Charles.

For the complete lineup, visit www.hutchinsonfox.com.

HAVEN, Kan. — the Haven School Board will hold a special meeting this evening to discuss the last negotiation session with its teachers.

After meeting with a mediator last week the two sides have an offer on the table in their continued stalemate over base pay. The new offer is $3,014. The latest offer would cost the district about $196-thousand per year.

If the board takes action on the offer tonight, the teachers would then vote on the offer.

The Board will also go through its strategic planning for the year and continue the discussion of its redesign launch plans. The redesign is part of a new state program on how students are taught in class.

Tonight’s meeting begins at 6 p.m. at the Haven Community Building at 215 S. Reno Avenue.

Updated Aug. 19 at 10:06 a.m.

WALTON, Kan. — Trains are running again on the BNSF main line through Harvey County after two trains were blown off the tracks during Saturday night’s storm.

The derailments near Walton occurred when an intermodal train hauling containers was blown off the main line and into a second train on a siding.

According to Andy Williams with BNSF, the track was opened again around midnight. Both Amtrak trains were also able to pass without delay.

There were no injuries reported and crews will continue to work to remove a large amount of wreckage that involved 93 empty tank cars on the train parked on the siding and 52 cars on the intermodal train. Williams says the train was traveling about 15 miles per hour when it left the tracks. The wreckage also involved 104 semi containers on board.

There were no injuries reported.

WALTON, Kan. — Strong winds from a line of thunderstorms blew over two BNSF freight trains in Harvey County Saturday night near the small town of Walton, or about 7 miles northeast of Newton. The winds, estimated at nearly 70 miles per hour, pushed over an intermodal train on the mainline and an empty LP gas tank car train on the siding. 

Emergency crews were on the scene throughout the day trying to clear the wreckage so trains could start moving again. Two portions of the nearly two-mile-long intermodal train left the tracks while the entire train hauling the tank cars fell on its side. The wreck also stopped Amtrak’s Southwest Chief heading west before it could reach Newton.

The line is one of BNSF’s transcontinental routes and sees about 45 trains per day. Officials with BNSF were not available for comment.