STAFFORD, Kan. — After an investigation, officials were unable to determine the exact cause of Wednesday morning’s fire at a home in Stafford, according to Fire Chief Jerry Sanders.

“It appears to be accidental,” he said.

A woman resident at home when the fire started was briefly hospitalized for smoke inhalation.

Damage to the home and contents are estimated at over $80,000 dollars. The residence is a total loss. Two small pets died in the fire, according to Sanders.

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STAFFORD, Kan. — Fire investigators are working to determine the cause of a fire at a home Wednesday morning in Stafford.

The volunteer fire department brought the fire in a house at 415 South Keystone under control quickly.

It is possible the home will be considered a total loss, according to a report from the Stafford County Emergency Management.

The State Fire Marshal’s office has been asked to participate in the investigation.

A woman was in the home at the time the fire started. No injuries were reported. The family lost two small pets in the fire, according to Fire Chief Jerry Sanders.

 

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — In a very busy building climate, the numbers for the first bid package for the Sports arena project were positive.

The bids, which covered ten different components of the project, totaled $16,004,081. When added to the construction estimate for the second round of bids the project is just 4/10ths of one percent over estimated costs. City Manager John Deardoff was happy with the results, and was confident that additional savings will be found.

Sr. Project Manager for JE Dunn, Scott Sherry also was pleased with the bids owing to the large amount of construction activity going on the midwest, and stressed that they are on track budget wise. Sherry says they’re also confident that they will see similar interest in the next round of bids which go out next week.The first bids made up around 65% of the project with the second round of bids making up the remaining 35%. Those bids will be opened March 3rd.

The City Council will take action on the first round of bids during their meeting Feb 16.

 

SOUTH HUTCHINSON, Kan. — After deciding to table any action on a new Superintendent, the the Nickerson USD 309 School Board announced that they have appointed Dr. Dawn Johnson to the position.

It came after an executive session during last night’s board meeting. Johnson, who is currently the Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment will replace William Hagerman who announced that he will step down at the end of June.

Johnson started her teaching career in 1993 in Ellsworth she came to the Nickerson School District as a teacher in 1999 before moving to the Little River School district in 2005. She started her current role in USD 309 in 2013. Johnson is a graduate of Dodge City Senior High. Upon graduation, joined the active Army for 3 years and is currently a Lt. Colonel in the Army Reserve where she has served for the past 28 years, and is the battalion commander of a combat support element.

Johnson was hired from within the district after several weeks of discussion by the board as to which direction they wanted to take in finding Hagerman’s Replacement.

 

HUTCHINSON – Downed power lines are believed to be responsible for a fire in Reno County on Monday afternoon.

Just before 1 p.m. Hutchinson Fire Department Red Crew, under direction of Battalion Chief W. Lang responded to the canal area of Willowbrook for a grass fire, according to a social media report.

Upon arrival, units found a 1-2 acre fire that quickly spread to a total of 5 acres, due to the windy and dry conditions.

The fire was controlled in 30 minutes, while units remained on scene for an hour overhauling and monitoring for hot spots. There was no damage to any structures.

No injuries were reported.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. – If you saw a lot of smoke north of the city Sunday afternoon, what you were seeing was smoke from a large grass fire in Rice County.

Even the Hutchinson Fire Department responded with three fire units and one staff unit as a mutual aid request from Rice County for the grass fire in the area of Ave V and 26th.

A few units remained on scene overnight to assist with overhaul procedures. No injuries reported.

Also, fire units responded to the 1200 block of North Severance for a minor balcony fire.

Arriving units found the second story apartment balcony still smoldering after some tenants attempted to extinguish prior to fire department arrival. Damage was estimated at $1000.00 with careless smoking as the cause. Units remained on scene briefly to perform minor overhaul operations.

That occurring around 7:40 p.m.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. – Brady McFadden and Alex Rodriguez were crowned Hutchinson High School Salthawk winter royalty Friday during the Hutchinson High School vs. Maize basketball games.

Other king candidates included Lucas Dunbar, Jack Howard, Trace Manns, Marques Tafolla and Dominic Wesley.

Other queen candidates included Connor Atkinson, Taja Casanova, Izzy Godinez, Julia Henry and Molly McKinney.

The final activity of homecoming week was a dance in the HHS Cafeteria after Friday’s games.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — With a lower interest rate on the bonds than expected and strong interest from potential contractors, the city of Hutchinson is looking for more good news when the first bids for the Sports Arena project are opened Thursday.

This will be the first of two bid packages and will include all of the concrete, steel, and a majority of the exterior work. The bid will make up about 65 percent of the total project. The remaining 35 percent will be bid out in a second package later this month. The arena project has been met with good news as of late with a large number of contractors turning out for a pre-bid meeting last week, then the news Tuesday that the bond sale turned in a 1.52 percent interest rate, which is far lower than expected. The lower rate will save the city about $1.8 million over the life of the bonds.

If all goes as planned, the City Council will take action on the first bid package during its Feb. 16 meeting.

PRATT, Kan. — In lieu of conducting the Kansas Winter Bird Feeder Survey this year, bird watchers around the state are asked to participate in the national Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) taking place Friday, Feb. 12 through Monday, Feb. 15.

The GBBC is an annual four-day event that engages bird watchers of all skill levels in counting birds from any location for as little as 15 minutes on one or more days of the event. Bird watchers can then report their sightings online at www.birdcount.org.

It’s free, fun and participants can feel good about playing an important role in the management and conservation of numerous bird species. Each submitted checklist provides valuable data to researchers at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, as well as experts in other conservation organizations, who interpret those results to learn more about how birds are doing and how we can better protect them and their habitats.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Reno County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the theft of 20 metal pipes.

They mentioned on their Facebook page that, within the past week, they have taken reports of the pipes stolen from the corners of fences. So far, all the reports are between Ave G and 30th, east of Buhler Road.

They say this is causing damage to fences and potentially allowing livestock to escape if not discovered quick enough.

They’re asking that if you have anything like this missing from your fence or have any information on who may be involved, please contact the Reno County Sheriff’s Office.

 

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — A series of special events during February are planned with Hutchinson Regional Healthcare System in observance of American Heart Month.

The annual observance is sponsored each year by the American Heart Association in conjunction with the nations’ healthcare facilities.

To kick off the local observance, the Heart and Vascular Center Cardiac/Pulmonary Rehab Unit at Hutchinson Regional Medical Center will host an open house 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 16. The event is free and open to the public and refreshments will be served.

Those planning to attend should enter at the main entrance to Hutchinson Regional Medical Center where greeters will direct attendees to the Cardiac/Pulmonary Rehab Unit.

Also, representatives of the center will be available to respond to questions from the public.

Gift cards for utilizing the Cardiac/Pulmonary Rehab unit will be available at a discounted rate during February. The cards can be used for 10 visits per month for the equipment/workout facility and are available to patients who have graduated from Phase II of the unit’s rehabilitation program.

Following the open house at 5:20 p.m. in the Pavilion on the Hutch Regional campus, Dr. Mike Hagley, MD FACC, Medical Director, Cardiovascular Lab at the Heart and Vascular Center at HRMC, will deliver a presentation entitled “Heart Attacks-Then and Now.” Topics covered in Dr. Hagley’s presentation will include the symptoms and causes of heart attacks and how treatments have changed over the years.

Dr. Hagley will be joined in his presentation by Todd Brown, a heart attack survivor, who will discuss his own experience and the successful treatments he received at HRMC.

Dr. Hagley’s presentation is free and open to the public. Doors open at 4:30 p.m. and a complimentary box dinner will be served starting at 5 p.m.

Julie Ward, RN, MSN, Vice President for Patient Care Services at Hutchinson Regional Healthcare System, said approximately 2,000 patients sought cardiovascular treatment at Hutchinson Regional Medical Center during 2015, which was a 20 percent increase from the previous year.

“Heart disease is on the rise throughout our service area, a statistic not uncommon for other geographic areas throughout the nation,” Ward said. “According to the Department of Health and Human Services, approximately one-fourth of all deaths during 2015 were connected to heart disease.”

“There was a time in our not-too-distant past when cardiovascular issues were perceived as an affliction reserved for those over the age of 50, but that too has changed as a growing number of younger Americans are dealing with conditions associated with the heart,” Ward continued. “As these trends continue, healthcare facilities, including Hutchinson Regional Healthcare System, are challenged to remain abreast of new technology and advancements being made to treat the disease.”

Those unable to attend these events are invited to log on to the Hutchinson Regional Healthcare System website at www.hutchregional.com along with the hospital’s social media channels, Facebook, twitter, Pinterest, YouTube and Linkedin to access information on heart-related articles and heart-healthy recipes.