WICHITA, Kan. — A Rice County woman was injured in a two-vehicle accident near Wichita Friday morning.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reports that 21-year-old Mary Loesch of Lyons was eastbound on K-254 when a car driven by 78-year-old Barbara Baldwin of El Dorado pulled in front of her off Rock Road. Loesch’s vehicle hit Baldwin’s vehicle in the passenger side.

Both drivers were taken to Saint Francis Hospital for treatment. The accident happened around 10:10 a.m., two miles east of Kechi.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Wheat planting in Reno County mirrors what the rest of the state is reporting. The number of acres planted is down from the previous year.

Darrin Busick with the Reno County Extension Service says the wet weather and October flooding kept farmers out of the fields and limited planting. The flood also drowned several fields, although some of that wheat did get replanted, according to Busick.

Delays in getting fall crops out of the field limited late planting. In Rice County, the story is the same, acres are down by 5 percent to 15 percent from last year.

Justin Knopf, who farms in Saline County, estimates acres planted will be only 60 percent to 70 percent of last year, mostly because they didn’t get planted behind soybeans.

Many counties in south central and central Kansas estimate the number of acres planted to wheat will fall by 5 percent to 10 percent.

Busick says about 5 percent of the crop is in good shape with the rest of the fields in fair shape.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — There is some major renovation work about to go under way at the Cosmosphere. The museum and education center is doing a large renovation of its classroom area. President and CEO Jim Remar explained:

 

Remar said Hutton Construction out of Wichita will be the general contractor. He also stated that they went with the Wichita Company after no local contractors contacted them for the work:

 

 

Egli Energy of Yoder will be one of the sub contractors for the renovation and Edigar Flooring will do the floor work. The total cost of the renovation is $400,000. Remar also wanted to stress that the work is being paid for from private donations and no tax dollars are being used in the project.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The quarterly earnings session comes to a close when Kroger reports its third quarter before the bell Thursday.

The parent company of Dillons reported second quarter adjusted net earnings were $336 million, or $0.41 per diluted share. Total sales increased 1 percent to $27.9 billion in the second quarter compared to $27.6 billion for the same period last year.

The company expects positive results during the quarter as it continues to make adjustments in the face of higher competition.

 

SOUTH HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Mennonite Friendship Communities announced Wednesday an anonymous gift of $100,000.

The donors have been long-time friends and supporters of mfc. This gift will allow the retirement community to continue the mission of “enhancing the quality of life of residents, staff, and the community at large within a framework of Mennonite values.”

The retirement community says $35,000 have been earmarked as a matching gift for mfc’s year-end appeal to fund replacement of flooring in the main healthcare center, one of the oldest buildings on campus. Additionally, $35,000 is earmarked for updating the nurse-call system with the balance of $30,000 going to the Continuing Care Endowment Fund.

Mfc President & CEO Lowell Peachey also noted that, even as the donors wish to remain anonymous, they want to encourage others to consider making meaningful gifts to local non-profit organizations that enhance the quality of community life.