HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Jason Ball, President & CEO of the Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber of Commerce, announced to the Chamber Board and Staff Friday morning that he submitted his resignation to accept another leadership position in the chamber industry.

Ball’s departure comes after four years of service to the Chamber.

He’s been named the new President & CEO of the Sioux Falls Area Chamber of Commerce.

“Jason’s tenure at The Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber of Commerce has led to levels of achievement and success that will be realized in Reno County for years to come. Even as we recognize his exceptional leadership and wish only the best for Jason and his family, we look to a bright future for the organization due in large part to the strong foundation created by Jason and the rest of the incredible team in the Chamber office as well as our board of directors,” Rick Staab, 2016 Chamber Board Chair and CEO of Disability Supports of the Great Plains, said.

“It has been an honor and a privilege to serve this organization and this community for the past four years,” Ball said. “The decision to leave was quite difficult. I love our members, our community and the Chamber team. It took an opportunity like the Chamber in Sioux Falls for me to even consider making a change.”

During his tenure the Chamber implemented several changes to membership, grew annual meetings into an event that brought recognizable speakers and record audiences, and financial stability to the organization.

In 2016 the Chamber completed a new, five-year strategic plan that will continue to be implemented in 2017. The Chamber was an out-front advocate for the redevelopment of the Hutchinson Sports Arena and worked to solidify commitments from the NJCAA for both the Men’s Basketball Championship and the Volleyball Championship. “I’m quite proud of the work our team has done over the past four years,” Ball said. “We’ve pushed forward every day to improve our program, our membership experience, and our impact on the economy.”

The Chamber Board of Directors will make it a priority to build on the momentum of the organization by bringing in new leadership soon. The process is expected to begin immediately. “The Chamber’s board leadership will work quickly to identify potential candidates for Jason’s successor,” Staab said.

Ball’s final day with the Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber will be Tuesday, Jan. 17. He will begin his duties with the Sioux Falls Chamber on Feb. 1, 2017.

NEWTON, Kan. – Still no arrest for the triple homicide in Harvey County.

Sheriff T. Walton saying on Facebook that they’ve served over 20 search warrants, followed up on numerous leads and have sent law enforcement officers to a number of states. He says they have not found the suspects in the case, but adds it’s only a matter of time before they do.

Warrants have been issued on 35-year-old Jereme Nelson and 31-year-old Myrta Rangel. The warrants are for charges of capital murder and first degree murder. The two are on the run and were last know to be somewhere in Oklahoma.

The bodies of 33-year-old Travis Street, 37-year-old Angela Graves and 52-year-old Richard Prouty were found at a residence on Springlake Road west of Hesston in Harvey County. They were shot to death according to earlier reports.

If you have any information on this case, you should be called to the KBI 1-800-572-7463 or to the Harvey County Sheriff’s Office at 316-284-6960.

LAWRENCE, Kan. — The University of Kansas has established a search committee that will help find the next Chancellor of the university.

And former Kroger President and CEO Dave Dillon will  Chair that committee. Dillon was named to lead the committee that will find a successor to Bernadette Grey-Little who announced that she will step down next year.

The Kansas Board of Regents announced that the selection process will be a closed process and will enlist the services of William Funk and Associates to help in  that search.

The full committee should be in place and the search process should begin in earnest next month.

TOPEKA, Kan. — The Kansas Highway Patrol Critical Highway Accident Response Team (CHART) has

completed its investigation of the incident of a car/ semi crash that killed two Sterling College Students last week.

The crash happened at the intersection of US-50 and Sego road which is currently a major detour for K-61 during a bridge project near Arlington.

KDOT is reviewing their findings and conducting a traffic study at the intersection. Detailed analysis will follow after investigating the crash reports for the recent incidents, but it will take time. Initial findings in the report show that excluding the two most recent crashes that prompted this study, there have been two crashes at the intersection since 2012. This puts the crash rate below the statewide average for rural intersections.  There is no pattern to those two crashes.  

There are currently no plans to change the route of the recommended state detour route. Discussion for adding temporary safety measures is only preliminary, and no action has been taken according to K-Dot.

The crash killed 21-year-old Esther Jenkerson; and 25-year-old Xavier Bradford, after Jenkerson pulled off of Sego Rd. and Into the path of an eastbound semi.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The 6th Annual Stuff the Trucks food drive with Midwest Ford and Toyota and Eagle Communications Saturday led to five trucks being filled with non-perishable food items during the food drive at Walmart. The drive gathered over 5,000 pounds of food. The goal was to fill eight pickup truck beds for the less fortunate in the area.

All of the food stays in Reno County and benefits the Food Bank of Reno County. They have already fed over 17,000 people this year and their cupboards are bare.

Midwest Ford and Toyota has teamed up with Eagle Communications to make help in this effort. This food drive would not be possible without help from Mike’s Rent-to-Own, A & A Appliance, Pools Plus, Hog Wild Pit BBQ, Fastlane Express Car Wash and Prairie Star Health Center.

Fastlane Express Car Wash also donated 50 percent of the proceeds from car washes on Saturday.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Two Hutchinson residents were the two killed  in a high speed chase that ended
with the car hitting a semi just after 9:00 a.m. at US-50 and Buhler/Haven Rd.

The Kansas Highway Patrol identified the two as 27-year-old Wendell Hicks III, the driver; (top left) and his passenger 48-year-old Lee Billinger, (top right).

According to Newton Police, the two along with a female were suspected of  shoplifting at the Newton Walmart around 8:55 a.m. The subjects loaded up two shopping carts and then tried to pay for the items with fraudulent credit cards. When confronted the three left one of the carts and left the parking lot in two cars.

Police then discovered one of the vehicles was stolen. When they tried to make contact with that car, it took off west on US-50 at a high rate of speed.

The chase continued into Reno County at speeds of over 100 miles per hour. As the car approached Buhler/Haven Road, the subjects tried to avoid stop sticks that had been deployed. The car went out of control and hit the eastbound semi broadside, killing Hicks and Billinger instantly. The driver of the semi, 55-year-old Russell Craven of Sterling was taken to Hutchinson Regional Medical Center as a precaution but was not injured.

The second car involved in the theft was located in Hutchinson and reports are a female was spotted walking away from that vehicle. No word on whether that person has been taken into custody or questioned.

US-50 was closed for most of the day between Buhler/Haven Road and Kent Road, along with a stretch of Buhler/Haven Road from G Avenue to Illinois.

SOUTH HUTCHINSON, Kan. — After tabling action on a proposal for a solar energy farm, the South Hutchinson City Council gave approval for construction of the energy facility that would be built just northwest of the US 50/ K 96 interchange.

Westar and an Illinois solar company want to build a 1 MW solar farm on 18 acres of land. The project has been met with resistance by adjacent landowners stating it would ruin the aesthetic look of the area.

The planning commission held a public hearing on the matter and voted to disallow the conditional use permit needed to build the facility. But Westar officials asked the Council to take more time to study the proposal, and come up with ways to make the facility more aesthetically pleasing. The plan now is to plant trees around the 18-acre piece of land.

The Council gave approval to the measure on a 4-1 vote.