HAVEN, Kan. — Haven school recently completed its summer meal program and it was another great success.

After serving more than 6,000 breakfasts and lunches last year, USD 312 reported Monday that it served more than 7,400 meals this year.

That included 2,944 breakfasts and 4,476 lunches. The meals were open to children 1 to 18 years old.

The district says more local families were involved in the program this year. Officials hope to expand the lunch program into the Mount Hope area next year.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Because school starts soon, the Reno County Sheriff’s Department wants to remind motorists that school buses will be stopping on city streets and county roads.

All motorists must stop when the school bus extends its stop arm and red lights come on. That includes all four-lane streets and roads that are not divided by a median. Even vehicles on streets with center turn lanes must stop in both directions. Motorists are to remain stopped until the bus is no longer displaying the stop arm and lights.

Violation of this law not only endangers children, but is punishable by a fine and court costs totaling $420.

NICKERSON, Kan. — Reno County Public Works says the bridge on Herren Road that crosses Salt Fork Creek just west of Nickerson will be closed indefinitely after an overweight truck caused significant damage to the span.

The area is located between 17th and 30th avenues. The damage was caused by a contractor working on the pipeline project that has been crossing the county this summer.

Public Works Superintendent Don Brittain says the vehicle broke out the deck and portions of the support structure.

It is not known when the bridge might open again.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Hutchinson Police Department’s Repeat Offender Unit, two K9 Teams, Detectives and members of the Traffic Bureau conducted a selective enforcement operation focused on crime reduction.

The operation focused on areas of Hutchinson that have been identified as high crime areas and lasted approximately 3 ½ hours.

The operation resulted in:
• Seven Warrant Arrests
• Three Probable Cause Drugs Arrests
• 10 Citations
• Numerous Citizen Contacts

The community should expect similar operations in the future as they continue to deploy their intelligence lead policing strategy in an effort to reduce crime and make the City of Hutchinson a safer place to live and raise a family.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Each year more than 5,000 teens are killed in motor vehicle accidents. Nearly half of them are single-car fatalities.

Once again this year, the Tire Rack Street Survival event is coming to the Yoder Naval Air Station Sept. 21.

The event is held to teach students about driving safety both in the classroom and behind the wheel, on a course that is designed to teach them why their decision behind the wheel matters.

Students will learn how to handle their car in extreme situations, the importance of wearing seatbelts and hands-on experience in the dangers of distracted driving.

The class is limited to the first 20 students and registration is $95. A limited number of scholarships are available. Go to streetsurvival.org for more information.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — It seems hard to believe but the Kansas State Fair begins in four weeks.

Along with the grandstand entertainment, the fair is serving up some major Kansas talent in 2019. More than 200 free performances are scheduled for the various stages around the fairgrounds.
The Fair recently finalized its free stage concert lineup, which spans all genres of music.

Headlining the concert series is 12-year-old rising country star Mason Ramsey, who will perform Tuesday, Sept. 10 at Bretz and Young Injury Lawyers Arena. That’s followed by Lindsay Ell with Madison Kozak — two more country up-and-comers who perform Thursday, Sept. 12.

Here’s what’s on tap for this year’s free stages.

Kansas Roots

Chris Housman: Housman, a native of Hanston, Kansas (population 200), taught himself to play the fiddle at age 7. Singing followed, which led to the formation of a traveling family bluegrass/gospel band. Since attending Nashville’s Belmont University, he has been actively writing and performing.

Lindsborg Swedish Folk Dancers: The Lindsborg Swedish Folk Dancers, established in 1963, is a group of high school dancers dedicated to promoting the study and appreciation of traditional Swedish folk dance and music. This year, the group includes 58 students.

Keefer Madness: Formed by founding member Jim Keefer, the blues band released an album titled “Raw” in 1994 and played throughout the Midwest for a few years. Fast forward to 2014, the band reformed with a new cast of characters and a desire to write and record original music, releasing new album “Hoodoo Train” the next year.

Mariachi Los Reyes: This Wichita-based mariachi family has played throughout the state for over 30 years. The family will do a special event at 6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 13 at Hutchinson Regional Healthcare System Stage at Lake Talbott.

Mike and Glenda’s Magic Show: Mike and Glenda Mann have been performing at the Kansas State Fair for over 15 years. This husband and wife duo works together effortlessly. Glenda astounds the audience with her polished magical presentations, and Mike jokes with a variety of his puppets using ventriloquism.

Crosspoint Church Praise Band: Crosspoint Church is a multi-site church with campuses across Kansas. The Crosspoint Hutch worship team, led by Matt Atherton, is made up of people from all walks of life with an aim to reach Kansans with the Gospel message.

Educational Opportunities

Dulcimer Petting Zoo: Erin Mae, a mountain dulcimer teacher and folk musician from Wichita, along with friends from the Great Plains Dulcimer Alliance & Hutchinson Mountain Dulcimer Players, will bring an instrumental petting zoo to the Fair on Wednesday, Sept. 11 at the Fair’s House of Capper. Kids (and the young at heart) will have the opportunity to “pet” a variety of acoustic instruments, including mountain dulcimers, autoharps, banjos and more. Come meet the instruments, learn how sounds are created and try to play a tune. Then, make your own noise-making instrument to take home.

State Fair Square-Dancing Festival: The State Fair Promenaders and Hutchinson High School will entertain and teach fairgoers square dancing at House of Capper Monday, Sept. 9.

Lecompton Bleeding Kansas Reenactors: These reenactors, part of the Fair’s new Explore Kansas Weekend Sept. 7-8, will depict an 1850s town hall meeting, reflecting the sentiments of that time regarding slavery in Kansas and the eventual vote settlers would take to determine if their new state constitution would allow or prohibit slavery. The 30-minute performance is educational, entertaining and includes audience interaction. The Lecompton Reenactors will perform two days at the Fair — Sunday, Sept. 8 and Monday, Sept. 9.

Others Not to Miss

Casi Joy: A seasoned performer, her impressive social media presence eventually led to a highly-touted run on NBC’s The Voice, where she instantly turned all four chairs and was singled out by Rolling Stone as having one of the top 10 blind auditions of all time.

Hypnotist Ron Diamond: A master at all levels of magic and hypnosis, Ron Diamond will intrigue you with his superb sense of timing and humor. With advanced certification in hypnotherapy, he brings his expertise in this field, as well, to his shows so that each and every program promises something different. Diamond is sponsored by Kuhn-Krause.

Great Lakes Navy Band: This special performance coincides with Navy Week, which is coming to Wichita and the Kansas State Fair. The band formed in 1911 and, in 1917, Lieutenant Commander John Philip Sousa became the bandmaster. Today’s director is Lieutenant Patrick Hill and the band’s music represents the pride and professionalism that is synonymous with the United States Navy. The band will perform at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 11 at Bretz and Young Injury Lawyers Arena.

Meanwhile, don’t forget the Fair’s new Free Concert Series! Two up-and-coming country acts will headline the free series at Bretz and Young Injury Lawyers Arena.

Mason Ramsey, the 12-year-old “Little Hank Williams,” will perform Tuesday, Sept. 10.

Lindsay Ell, this year’s Country Music Association’s Newcomer of the Year nominee, will take the stage Thursday, Sept. 12 with special guest Madison Kozak. Both concerts start at 7:30 p.m. Ell’s concert is sponsored by First Choice Communications, an authorized AT&T Retailer.

This new venue, which will take the place of the grandstand concerts these nights, will have the same beverage amenities available as the grandstand. Beer sales in the arena will start at 6 p.m. and conclude at the end of the show. Food vendors will also be available nearby. Seating is on a first-come, first-serve basis. Fairgoers will be able to stand in front of the stage or take a seat in the stands.

For the full free stage lineup and performer biographies, visit the Kansas State Fair website at www.kansasstatefair.com.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Some new banners will start showing up in the downtown area soon.

Recently the Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber of Commerce took on the role of promotion for Downtown Hutchinson. In an effort to engage all downtown stakeholders, a Downtown Coalition was formed and meets the second Wednesday of each month.

One item that arose from those meetings was the need for new streetlight banners along Main Street. To make this happen, the Downtown Design Committee has developed three banner designs incorporating the new Hutchinson Flag, which will be installed in the coming month.

Sponsorship to help cover the costs of the banners are available for $75. For more information on sponsorship, contact the chamber at 620-662-3391, or go to hutchchamber.com.