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Author: Hutch Post Staff

Special Mars landing event at Cosmosphere

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HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Cosmosphere announced that, on Monday, Nov. 26, from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m., current NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory Mission Control engineer and Cosmosphere Camp alum, Michael Staab, will offer commentary as live images are transmitted from the Mars Insight lander as it descends on the surface of Mars.

Photo courtesy of NASA.

Staab will also present on the lander’s mission and offer an insider’s perspective on the science it took to land on the surface of Mars for the first time in six years.

This event is free and open to the public. For more information on the Mars Insight lander, visit: www.mars.nasa.gov/insight/

Thanksgiving dinner for 10 less than $50

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HUTCHINSON, Kan. — For the first time in several years, the cost of a Thanksgiving dinner for 10 is less than $5 per person.

According to the American Farm Bureau federation, this year the average nationwide cost of a holiday meal for 10 people is $48.90, according to the farm group’s annual survey. That’s a 22-cent decrease from last year’s average. The bureau has been tracking the price of a basket of Thanksgiving groceries since 1989. Adjusting for inflation, this year’s spread would have cost just $19.37 at that time.

Most of the decrease is due to turkey prices, which are at their lowest since 2014, according to the bureau. The cost is at $21.71 for a 16-pound bird, or roughly $1.36 per pound. The other things that go along with the turkey like milk, fresh sweet potato, canned green peas and dinner roll prices are also down.

As for how to get the cheapest turkey: Buy frozen, said economist Jay Zagorsky, an adjunct associate professor at Boston University. The typical store earns about 30 cents per frozen bird, which is barely enough to cover the cost of transporting it to the store or keeping it frozen.

It’s a different story for fresh turkeys — which are also the birds people most like to serve, according to Zagorsky. The retail price of a fresh hen turkey is about $1.51 a pound or $30.20 for a 20-pound bird.

What you pay can also depend on where you live, with the priciest turkeys sold in Hawaii and in the south central states, from Louisiana to Colorado.

Tyson shows slow 4Q earnings

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HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Although numbers fell in some areas during the fourth quarter, Tyson still ended up in positive territory for the year, according to the latest numbers released by the poultry and prepared foods giant.

For the quarter, Tyson saw total earnings of $537 million, or $1.58 per share, compared with $394 million and $1.43 per share in 2017. For the year, the company reported profit of $3.02 billion, or $8.19 per share. Revenue was reported as $40.05 billion.

Tyson saw fourth quarter declines in several sectors, including prepared foods, which saw sales fall by nearly eight percent from $2.26 billion to $2.09 billion. For the year, prepared foods sales increased by 4.1 percent to $8.6 billion.

Tyson operates prepared foods facilities in Hutchinson and South Hutchinson.

Toy run participants donate 785 toys in annual event

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HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The annual Reno County Toy Run went off without a hitch as motorcycle riders braved the sunny, but chilly conditions.

More than 320 motorcycles made their way down Main Street to 30th Avenue before going east to K-61 Highway and eventually to Lorraine and the Moose Lodge.

A total of 785 toys were taken in along with the usual semi trailer full of donated bicycles.

The toy run is held each year so children can have a better Christmas.

USD 309 steering committee to meet again tonight

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NICKERSON, Kan. — Another steering committee meeting is set for this evening in the Nickerson USD 309 School District to further discuss the district facility needs.

The meeting comes after a number of public forums to address a possible bond issue.

Superintendent Dr. Dawn Johnson discusses the high school’s needs:

 

If the committee decides to go with everything on the list, Johnson says they would be looking at a bond issue of around $55 million:

 

If the committee feels it has what it wants in the facilities improvement plan, members will bring it to the school board for presentation during the Nov. 28 meeting. If committee members still feel the need to chew over the numbers, the presentation would be pushed back to December.

USD 309 facilities meeting Thursday evening

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NICKERSON, Kan. — The last of a series of public forums for patrons in the Nickerson USD 309 School District to gather information on district future needs is set for Thursday evening.

The meetings have been held to learn about and provide input into the Nickerson-South Hutchinson facility planning efforts. For several months, a 309 Facility Steering Committee and strategic planners from Schaefer Johnson Cox Frey Architecture have been gathering information from staff and parents on facility needs.

After much work, they are ready to share the progress of their efforts and receive public input and feedback. Everyone is welcome. The district is looking to expand space at South Hutchinson Elementary School, as well as make improvements to Nickerson High School.

Thursday night’s meeting begins at 5:30 in the Nickerson High School auditorium.

Chamber breakfast honors those in agriculture

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HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The annual Farm Focus Family breakfast in honor of National Farm City Week was celebrated by the Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber of Commerce Wednesday morning.

The Hutch Chamber awarded the Farm Focus Family of the Year and the Agri-Business of the Year. The Farm Focus Family award began in 1985 and this year marked 100 families in Reno County that have been recognized for their contributions to Reno County Agriculture.

This year’s award went to Jim and Amy Theis. Amy grew up on her family farm in Hutchinson and Jim has worked on a farm all his life with the hopes of one day owning a farm of his own. Jim and Amy began farming part time raising cattle until Amy’s parents decided to turn their farm over to them in 2010, allowing Jim to begin farming full time. Today, their farm operation consists of raising cattle and growing a variety of crops including wheat, corn, milo, and soy beans. In addition to helping on the farm, Amy is also the Location Manager in Nickerson for Central Prairie Co-op.

The Agri-Business of the Year Award went to PrairieLand Partners. PrairieLand Partners was originally made up in 2008 of three successful John Deere dealerships in central and southern Kansas. The John Deere implement dealer prides itself on staying connected to area communities from buying livestock at 4-H county fair auctions, to donating to United Way, to giving blood at Red Cross blood drives.

Also during the meeting, the Chamber recognized the FFA organizations in the county. Breakfast sponsor KFSA also announced it was donating $10 for each person that attended today’s breakfast to the United Way.

Informational meeting on bike boulevard Thursday

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HUTCHINSON, Kan. — For the past year, the City of Hutchinson has been planning a bicycle boulevard along North Washington Street between 17th and 27th avenues. To gather public input on the matter, an open house is being held Thursday from 4 p.m. until 6 p.m. at the Grace Episcopal Church at 2 Hyde Park Drive.

The City of Hutchinson Engineering Department will provide an overview of the project and will be available to answer questions and field comments.

A bicycle boulevard is defined as a street that allows low-speed local vehicle traffic, but has been prioritized for bicycles and other non-motorized traffic.

Funding for this project was provided by a grant from the Kansas Department of Transportation for 80 percent of the construction costs and will provide a safer, healthier way to travel in our community. Total cost of the project is in excess of $420,000.

Project Concern continues in Hutchinson

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HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Project Concern continues in the area as the 25th annual Thanksgiving fundraiser sponsored by KWBW Radio runs through Nov. 20.

According to the Salvation Army, the number of families signed up increased from last year. As of Tuesday afternoon, 615 people had signed up for assistance.

Project Concern uses the Salvation Army to distribute Dillons gift cards so those in need can have a Thanksgiving dinner. The program also funds Friendship Meals, the Emmanuel Lutheran Church Thanksgiving Dinner and the Christian Soup Ministry.

Please drop off your donations to the Eagle Media Center at 9th and Main or mail to P.O. Box 1036, Hutchinson, Kansas, 67504. Donations can be collected through Nov. 20.

County Commission to consider moratorium on wind farms Tuesday

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HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Reno County Commissioners will take on two matters regarding the proposed wind farm near Pretty Prairie during Tuesday’s agenda session. The first is a request by NextEra to construct a 199-foot-tall temporary tower that will be used to measure wind speed and conditions as a study for the proposed wind farm.

The other comes at the request of several patrons around the Haven area that would like to see the wind farm either stopped or delayed. The commission will consider a resolution for a temporary moratorium on commercial wind energy improvement within the unincorporated parts of the county until better regulations can be put in place.

Over the past several meetings, area residents have come before the commission asking for the delay saying that not enough study has been done regarding the economic or environmental impact on the area.

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

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