HUTCHINSON, Kan. — It was one of the largest collections of Apollo-era astronauts gathered by the Cosmosphere at one time. It was a full house as the space museum celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 8 moon mission.

Apollo 8 and 13 astronaut Jim Lovell, Apollo 17 moon walker Harrison Schmidt, Apollo 16 lunar pilot Charlie Duke and Apollo 7 astronaut Walt Cunningham were joined by Skylab Astronaut Jack Lousma and numerous members of mission control.

All took time to talk about that special mission that was made even more so when astronauts Lovell, Frank Borman and Bill Anders read from the book of Genesis on Christmas Eve. Lovell recalled seeing the earth for the first time as they orbited the moon:

 

The Apollo 8 mission was moved from a test flight to a lunar flight after it was discovered the Soviet Union may be on the verge of sending man to the moon. The mission was changed and made up in just 14 weeks. Jack Lousma said that, despite the great risk, he felt that NASA was able to control the risks involved with such a flight:

 

The flight was also just the third for the Saturn V rocket that failed to perform in a previous test flight.

Charlie Duke also spoke and said the only time he got to see earth from the moon was when he fell on his back during one of his moon walks on Apollo 16.

The evening was also attended by family members of Neil Armstrong and Alan Shepard, along with NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Hutchinson Regional Medical Center announced a new telepulmonology program that will allow the hospital to provide top quality pulmonology services to patients 24 hours a day, seven days a week, regardless of local provider schedules.

According to a release from the hospital, due to the growing shortage of physicians, rural hospitals nationwide are using telemedicine to ensure consistent physician coverage.

The hospital already utilizes telemedicine in its stroke program, and Horizons Mental Health Center has also been aided by telemedicine using it to provide therapy and evaluation services to its clients.

Telemed is used to do screenings through the Emergency Department, for appointments at the Reno County Correctional Facility and to treat patients in remote locations.

The telepulmonology program is made possible through a partnership between Hutch Regional and Eagle Telemedicine, an Atlanta-based provider that is a pioneer in the field.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Hutchinson Public Works says a portion of Adams Street will be closed starting Wednesday.

Work crews will be making improvements to sewer lines in the area between 6th and 7th avenues. That one-block section will be closed. Detours around the work will be marked.

The project is expected to take three days to complete.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Eight years of work and waiting came down to several minutes of anxious anticipation as the mission control group running the InSight Mars project held its breath as the rover successfully landed on the Martian surface just before 2 p.m. central time.

A great crowd turned out at the Cosmosphere to witness what is just the fourth successful landing on Mars in 11 attempts.

The crowd watched as mission control called out the last second of InSight’s descent:

 

 

Michael Stabb, who is a Cosmosphere alum and a mission control specialist for NASA, gave the audience details of the mission and described what was happening during the landing. While other rovers on Mars have looked over the surface, Stabb says this mission will be very different:

 

InSight will spend two years investigating the building blocks below the planet’s surface that recorded its history.

To reach Mars, InSight cruised 301,223,981 miles at a top speed of 6,200 mph while being followed by two cube satellites. The suitcase-sized spacecraft, called MarCO, are the first cube satellites to fly into deep space. MarCO will try to share data about InSight when it enters the Martian atmosphere for the landing.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Reno County commissioners will have a light agenda for Tuesday. The board will seek approval of a resolution for establishing sewer rates for the new Highlands sewer district.

Under the resolution, sewer rates for the Highlands will be $78 per month for residents and $118 for each commercial connection. A $500 connection charge will be paid in advance. All connection and user fees for water districts eight and 101, and sewer districts 201 and 202 will remain the same.

Also Tuesday, the board will seek approval of filing a resolution allowing the tax foreclosure on properties in Reno County. The foreclosure occurs when a property owner is three years behind on their taxes. If a settlement is not reached, the property goes on the tax sale, which is usually held in the fall.

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

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Another trial date has been set for a Hutchinson man facing murder charges stemming from a shooting in September of 2017.

Quinton Moore is charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of 42-year-old Clarence D. Allen at a home in the 1700 block of E. 30th. The 34-year-old is accused of shooting Allen multiple times while he slept. The trial in the case has been continued numerous times. It was continued again Wednesday at the request of the public defender’s office who has assigned a new attorney to the case.

Barring any further delays, the trial is now set to begin Jan. 28.