HUTCHINSON, Kan. – A 28-year-old Hutchinson man was taken by an Eagle Med Helicopter after he was struck while riding his bicycle on the old K-61 highway near 69th.
Brett Brillhart was riding his bike when he was struck by 21-year-old Jacob Gehring of Hutchinson. Shortly after passing through the intersection of 69th, the passenger side mirror of Gehring’s truck struck Brillhart causing him to leave the roadway and crash in the east side ditch. Brillhart was life watched Wesley Hospital for his injuries. Gehring was not injured.
There was some damage to Gehring’s F-150 pickup including a missing passenger side mirror and a flat tire.
The accident occurring just before 12:30 p.m. Sunday afternoon.
*Note, the name of the victim has been corrected. The name given on Sunday came from a Sheriff Department Facebook post. We apologize for the mistake.
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — A Hutchinson woman entered a guilty plea to intentional second-degree murder in the strangulation death of 38-year-old Mary Ann Arnett in June of last year.
Jamie Hatfield entered the plea to the single count while all other charges were dismissed by the District Attorney’s Office. Hatfield is now guilty in the death of Arnett, whose body was found in a dry creek bed near Nickerson on June 22. An autopsy showed she had been strangled by a cell phone cord and extension cord.
Prosecutors say Hatfield and Jonathan Perser-Wilson were involved in Arnett’s death. Perser-Wilson was shot and killed by police during a confrontation the day after Arnett’s body was found. Arnett and Hatfield had previously dated, but when Arnett’s body was found, Hatfield was in a relationship with Wilson.
Sentencing in the case is set for July 22 in front of Judge Trish Rose.
The Governor visits with kindrgarten students at Pauline Central Primary School in Williamsport, Kansas in 2014- courtesy photo
BY SAM ZEFF
Now that the Kansas Supreme Court has ruled that the Legislature failed to fix inequity, school districts must seriously plan for a possible shut down on June 30.
Here’s some questions school officials and parents may be asking.
Are the schools really going to close on June 30?
We’re as close as we’ve come since May 11, 2004 when Shawnee County District Judge Terry Bullock ordered schools closed five years after a case called Montoy v. State of Kansas was filed. Bullock ruled in the case that the Legislature failed to “equitably distribute resources” and “provide adequate total resources.”
About a week later the state Supreme Court stayed the order, lawmakers found more money and schools never shut their doors.
Just like in 2004, the courts and Legislature are eyeball-to-eyeball. But this time it’s the high court that’s threatening to close the schools. Will lawmakers respond with a plan that fixes equity in time? Many lawmakers believe they will, but some conservatives want to call the Supreme Court’s bluff. But most believe the justices are serious about closing public schools.
So the Supreme Court has said schools simply couldn’t operate?
Not exactly. The Court has ruled the current funding scheme unconstitutional and that schools could not spend or raise money in the coming fiscal year (which starts July 1) under an unconstitutional system. Educators aren’t sure whether that means districts might be able to spend money they already have in the bank and, if they could, what they could spend it on. Could they continue to pay the person who writes checks to vendors? Could they pay utility bills? Cut the grass? School districts are hoping for that kind of direction from the justices should the Legislature fail to fix equity.
Is closing schools on June 30 carved in stone?
No. The Supreme Court could craft another remedy, or if the Legislature makes some progress towards a fix, the justices could extend the deadline.
The Court could also just let the remedy crafted by the three-judge Shawnee County panel take effect. (You can read details here about that ruling almost exactly a year ago.)
Here’s what’s certain, though: Most bills when passed are presumed to be constitutional until a court rules otherwise. That’s not the case here. The Legislature will have to prove its solution passes constitutional muster.
How’s the Legislature going to handle this?
Lawmakers now have 30 days to come up with a solution and currently there’s no new plan on the table. Presumably, there would have to be hearings in both the House and the Senate and any differences would have to ironed out in a conference committee. The solution will come from legislative leadership; a handful of lawmakers including the House Speaker, Senate President, House Appropriations chair and Senate Ways and Means chair. These are all conservatives with no love for the Supreme Court.
One other political note: In Kansas, candidates can not raise certain campaign money while the Legislature is meeting.
Money from individual contributors is kosher. But money from businesses and political action committees is not. If lawmakers are called into special session (and that’s the betting right now), not only will that cut into campaigning but also into fundraising.
Most lawmakers do not want to campaign for reelection having to justify why they couldn’t find a way to keep schools open.
How big a deal is closing schools in the summer?
It’s not summer school that is the biggest worry. Most districts around here end summer classes by June 30. But many districts continue to feed poorer kids during the summer and continue to offer special education services. Some driver education programs stretch into July.
Summer is also a time districts hire teachers and other staff. No human resources operation means no hiring.
Districts do lots of construction and renovation projects in the summer. Olathe is building a new high school but because that’s being paid for with bond money, officials there say the work would continue even if schools close. However, Kansas City, Kansas pays for these kinds of projects with reserve funds so that might become an issue.
How much do schools spend in Kansas?
If schools can’t spend money the state economy could take a pretty big hit. School districts spend $3 billion a year, according to the Kansas Association of School Boards. Public education represents 67,000 full time jobs, that’s five percent of the total non-farm payroll in the state. They buy everything from apples to asphalt.
And if people aren’t working, they’re not having taxes withheld from their paychecks, and they might be eligible for unemployment benefits. In addition, if schools are closed there’s some question whether employees would continue to receive their health care and whether they could even collect the salary lost during a shutdown.
Can’t Kansas just see how other states have dealt with a public education shutdown?
No. Best anyone can tell, this has never come up in another state. Some states, like Pennsylvania and Minnesota, allow teachers to strike so an individual district may be closed. But a statewide shutdown would be a unique situation.
McPHERSON COUNTY — A Kansas boy died in an accident just after 8 a.m. on Wednesday in McPherson County.
A 2002 Saturn passenger vehicle driven by Nancy Mueller, 34, Newton, was eastbound on Arrowhead Road at the intersection of Old Highway 81 just west of Moundridge, according to Captain Doug Anderson with the McPherson County Sheriff’s Department.
The vehicle did not stop and was hit by a northbound 2014 Chevy Cruze driven by James Potts, 40, Moundridge.
A passenger in the Saturn, Maddox Crabtree, 9, Newton, died, according to the Sheriff’s Department.
Mueller and Potts were transported to the hospital in Newton. The accident remains under investigation.
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Hutchinson’s Historic Fox Theatre Monday announced its Live Season lineup for the upcoming season. This year’s season is packed with world-class entertainment featuring stars of stage and screen, award winning and record-setting artists and musicians, legendary comedy performers, and one of the most respected dance companies in the United States. It all starts Oct. 8 with Frankie Avalon.
Avalon has a long string of Gold Record Million Seller singles and albums. In 1959 alone, Frankie had six solid hits that were in the top 40 and his music became one of the defining sounds of the “Pre-Beatles” Rock and Roll. He has starred in more than 30 motion pictures, including the “Beach Party” series, “The Dark,” “The Alamo,” “Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea,” “Guns of the Timberland,” and the classic musical motion picture “Grease.”
Karrin Allyson will perform Nov. 17. Allyson’s phenomenal career has included 14 albums, four Grammy nominations, appearances at the top jazz festivals and venues around the globe, and most recently, critical acclaim and a new Grammy nomination for her latest album, “Many A New Day.” Allyson is one of the most admired jazz vocalists and pianists performing today.
Next comes legendary country music performer Crystal Gayle’s Christmas, Dec. 8. Gayle became the first female artist in country music history to achieve platinum album sales. Driving the engine of the album was the song that was to become her enduring signature song: “Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue.”
The 2017 portion of the schedule includes Big Bad Voodoo Daddy Friday, Feb. 3. Big Bad Voodoo Daddy’s music has appeared in countless films and television shows, including The Wild, Despicable Me, Friends, Third Rock From The Sun, and So You Think You Can Dance.
Art Garfunkel In CloseUp is next on March 5. A living legend and member of the iconic duo Simon & Garfunkel, Art returns to the FOX for an intimate evening of voice and melody.
Rounding out the season lineup will be Momix: Opus Cactus Sunday, April 9. Momix is a blend of physical theatre, circus, athleticism, and comedy.
Tickets for each individual show will go on sale Monday, Aug. 15, at 9 a.m. Both first time and renewing season subscribers can purchase season tickets beginning Monday, June 6, 9 a.m. by phone at (877) FOXSHOW or in person at the Fox Theatre Box Office, 18 E. First Ave. Box Office hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
HUTCHINSON, Kan. – Fire crews responded Monday afternoon to a structure fire at 2214 East 4th, which is the Applewood mobile home park.
When they arrived, they found heavy smoke and visible fire on the outside of the mobile home. Crews were able to quickly extinguish the majority of the fire from the outside. Crews entered the structure and were met with moderate smoke. A quick search of the home showed that it was only occupied by one dog which was removed safely. The fire was controlled in 10 minutes and no injuries were reported.
The call coming in around 3:48 p.m. Crews were on scene for one hour. Fire officials now say the fire was started by improperly disposed BBQ coals. Damage to the home is now estimated at $9,000.
HUTCHINSON — Around 4:11 a.m. Friday, Hutchinson Fire Department crews responded to 4310 N. Monroe to the Crossroads Church for a structure fire.
Initial reports were light smoke in the building with no flames visible. When units arrived, they found light smoke in the sanctuary, then were able to locate a hot spot in the ceiling near the altar with a thermal imaging camera. Crews made access to the attic, but were hindered by tight spaces and firewalls in locating the seat of the fire. The ceiling height in the sanctuary was 20 feet. After some time, crews were able to get a hose line on the fire and extinguish it. It took approximately 35 minutes to bring the fire under control.
Crews pulled ceilings in the sanctuary and cut a hole in the roof to finish extinguishing the fire. Crews were on the scene for four hours.
Damage is estimated at $250,000 with extensive damage to the roof structure in the sanctuary. The fire has been ruled electrical in nature.
No one was injured in the fire with the building not occupied at the time.
A church member had come to the church due to high water, found the smoke, and called the fire department.
Hutchinson Fire Department responded six units on the initial alarm, with four additional units responding on additional alarms.
Callback crews were called in to staff reserve units to cover the city.
The attic structure had firewalls built, which held the fire in check, and did not allow it to spread throughout the structure.
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HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Fire crews responded to a fire at Crossroads Christian Church early Friday.
The intersection of 43rd and Monroe was closed due to the fire apparatus and fire personnel working the blaze, according to police.
Please avoid this area and plan accordingly for your morning commute.
Check Hutch Post for additional details as they become available.
(Photos courtesy of the Hutchinson Fire Department)
Damage from Wednesday tornado in Saline and Dickinson Co. photos Jerry Hinrikus
DICKINSON COUNTY (AP) — The Latest on severe weather affecting Kansas.
Cleanup is expected to begin after a tornado that officials say stayed on the ground for about 90 minutes damaged or destroyed about 20 homes in rural northern Kansas.
Dickinson County fire district one chief Paul Froelich told The Associated Press early Thursday that crews have completed secondary searches of the damaged properties. He says no injuries or fatalities have been reported from the tornado that swept through a 23-mile stretch of rural Dickinson County late Wednesday.
He says residents had plenty of warning ahead of the storm, which likely attributed to the lack of injuries.
He says debris management and disposal will begin later Thursday morning. In addition to cleaning up the damaged homes, crews will also have to remove scores of trees blocking rural roadways.
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The Kansas Highway Patrol says about 20 homes have been damaged but there are no immediate reports of injuries after a tornado touched down outside the small town of Chapman.
Trooper Ben Gardner, a spokesman for the patrol, says troopers were checking a rural area in Dickinson County where it is believed as many as 20 homes were damaged Wednesday night, some significantly.
Gardner says troopers traveled from home to home to make sure everyone is OK but there were no immediate reports of injuries or fatalities.
The National Weather Service had warned people to take cover as what it called a “catastrophic” tornado approached Chapman, about 75 miles west of Topeka.
The American Red Cross has established a shelter in the Abilene Community Center, 1020 NW 8th Street, to assist persons displaced by the severe storms and tornado that touched down in northern Dickinson County earlier this evening.
The Kansas Division of Emergency Management has deployed a regional coordinator to Dickinson County as a liaison between the county and State Emergency Operations Center in Topeka. Task Force 8 (North Central Region) from Salina is on-scene assisting the county with search and rescue operations.
Kansas Highway Patrol troopers are assisting the county with door-to-door welfare checks in the affected areas.
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The National Weather Service says a large tornado in Central Kansas that was on the ground for nearly an hour and a half missed one town about a mile.
Meteorologist Chad Omitt says the tornado formed just after 7 p.m. near the Ottawa County community of Niles. He says it stayed on the ground continuously as it moved into Dickinson County.
Omitt says it looks like “the heart” of the tornado was just about a mile south of the town of Chapman at one point. He says estimates are that the twister was a quarter- to a half-mile wide at times.
Radar suggests the tornado dissipated around 8:35 p.m.
Authorities are assessing damage, but there were no immediate reports of injuries.
Weather service crews will survey the area on Thursday.
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OTTAWA COUNTY -Law enforcement and emergency management officials are working to determine the extent of damage from the Wednesday evening tornado that rolled across north central Kansas.
Some damage is reported to rural areas along Solomon Road, according to Marie Ballou with Ottawa County Emergency Management.
“We don’t know the extent of the damage or whether there are injuries but there is damage reported near the Dickinson County line. A home sustained considerable damage, she said.
Troopers with the Kansas Highway Patrol were checking homes that may have been damaged in portions of Dickinson County.
Weather officials declared a tornado emergency for the city of Chapman. Some damage was reported west of the community, according to the KHP.
Check Hutch Post for additional details as they become available
FORD COUNTY — Areas in Southwest, Northwest, and South Central Kansas have sustained various levels of damages including downed trees, downed power poles and lines, and various levels of damages to outbuildings and rural homes. Storm damages occurred as a result of large hail, wind, and tornadoes.
County emergency management officials in Ford County reported two persons were critically injured and taken to Western Plains Medical Center in Dodge City, according to the state emergency operations center.
Other damages reported by the Kansas Highway Patrol includes emergency vehicles damaged due to baseball sized hail, a semi-trailer blown over at US 50 bypass with no injuries, and roadway damage on a bridge over U -56 where tornado ripped up asphalt.
Storm Damage on Road 110 north of Dodge City- photo KHP
Rural buildings, and homes also suffered damage along U.S. 283 in Ness County. Power lines are down in many areas.
Additional information will be collected as ongoing damage assessments occur in affected areas on Wednesday.
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FORD COUNTY – A spring storm brought several tornadoes, large hail and heavy rain to areas of Ford County on Tuesday evening.
After the community was under a tornado warning for over an hour, the National Weather Service issued a tornado emergency for Dodge City and surrounding communities just after 6:30 p.m.
The primary part of the storm moved just west of Dodge City.
There were reports of some damage to rural buildings, homes and power was out in many areas, according to the sheriff’s department.
There were reports of possible injuries.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a truck on the U.S. 50 bypass was blown over during the storm.
Check the Post for additional details as they become available
WICHITA, Kan. — After a 6-month study, Agribusiness giant Cargill announced today it is going to keep its Wichita headquarters.
At a news conference from the Wichita Metro Chamber of Commerce and attended by Gov. Sam Brownback, Cargill Vice President Brian Sikes said the company considered locations in Colorado and Texas but believe they will thrive in Wichita, according to a social media report.
— WichitaMetroChamber (@VentureBoldly) May 24, 2016
The company has 4,000 employees in Kansas.
Wichita is home to the company’s beef business; its turkey and cooked meat business, which includes deli meats; its value-added protein services, including its North American egg business; and its food distribution.
Most of the 900 employees that work in those Wichita-based operations are housed in a 10-story building on North Main Street.
