HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Questions were asked recently about Hutchinson’s deep disposal wells.
The wells are part of the reverse osmosis water treatment plant. The questions arose during the public forum on seismic activity in the county.
While the disposal wells have no effect on any earthquake activity, some things have caught the attention of Public Works Director Brian Clennan. He says the wells used for disposing wastewater from the reverse osmosis plant are in good shape:
Still, the city is watching the wells closely because of an issue that could shorten their lifespan. Clennan explains:
Clennan says the city is taking steps to make sure the wells can continue to serve the R.O. plant beyond 20 years:
The R.O. plant stopped the spread of groundwater pollution that existed on the city’s east side. That water is pumped into the R.O. plant and blended with city well water. The waste that is left over is pumped into the deep disposal wells.
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Hutchinson Regional Healthcare System, which includes Hutchinson Regional Medical Center, is the largest employer in Reno County.
The latest figures released to Eagle Communications and Hutch Post show HRHS is doing well financially.
HRHS showed a net income for July 2016 to June 2017 of $12.66 million on a total revenue of $148.1 million.
Three of the four sectors that make up HRHS showed a positive net income. Horizons Mental Health Center, however, showed a loss of just under $633,000. HRHS attributed the loss to a decrease in collections in accounts receivable. The center also had several open positions directly related to patient services that ate into billable revenue.
Hutchinson Regional Medical Center showed a net income balance of $12,882,998 on more than $127 million in revenue. Health Equip ended the fiscal year at $312,474 in revenue and Hospice and Homecare ended the year with a balance of $98,088.
President and CEO Ken Johnson commented on the financial health of HRHS:
Like with any company or healthcare system, Johnson says there will always be challenges:
HRHS recently released its 2017 annual report detailing many highlights and plans for the coming year.
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The area Entrepreneurship Task Force will host a special town hall meeting to discuss the future of small business in Hutchinson. It’s called “The Face of Entrepreneurship: A Town Hall for Past Present and Potential Entrepreneurs” and is scheduled for June 18 at the Stringer Fine Arts Center on the HutchCC campus.
Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber of Commerce President Debra Teufel says one important element of the meeting will deal with small business transition:
Teufel says the task force has been touring various cities in an effort to find what can and will work in Hutchinson and Reno County:
Teufel says that small businesses need services to help grow and maintain their business, especially in the transition phase:
Representatives from the Task Force and the Enterprise Center of Johnson County will share their thoughts and vision for small business. The representatives will also share stories about their entry into business and the challenges they faced.
GRAY COUNTY —Another round of spring weather brought high winds, rain, hail and tornadoes to Kansas.
A large tornado briefly touched down in a rural area near Ensign in Gray County, according to the National Weather Service. There are no reports of damage or injury from the tornado.
The National Weather Service says there is a slight risk for severe thunderstorms across southwest and portions of south central Kansas late Wednesday afternoon and evening.
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A World War II plane that had just completed Memorial Day flyovers crash-landed in Kansas.
The plane that crash landed Memorial Day -photo courtesy KWCH
The 1943 Fairchild PT-23 plane crashed Monday afternoon near Wichita’s Westport Airport.
The plane was part of the Commemorative Air Force-Jayhawk Wing that was doing flyovers across the state.
Wichita Police Sgt. Kelly O’Brien says the plane was southbound for the airport when its engine failed after noon. The plane’s right wing clipped the ground and at least one pole.
O’Brien says a male pilot and female passenger suffered minor injuries and were taken to a hospital for stiches. The Kansas Highway Patrol and Federal Aviation Administration are investigating.
The PT-23 was a trainer plane for the U.S. Army Air Force.
Democrat Laura Kelly all but set the field in the Kansas governor’s race Thursday by picking fellow state Sen. Lynn Rogers as her running mate.
State Sen. Laura Kelly of Topeka announced Thursday that fellow lawmaker Lynn Rogers would run on her ticket for governor. JIM MCLEAN / KANSAS NEWS SERVICE
Among the leading contenders, only former Republican state Sen. Jim Barnett has yet to complete his ticket. He’s expected to do that a day ahead of the June 1 filing deadline.
Kelly’s choice of Rogers, a longtime member of the Wichita school board before winning a Senate seat vacated by a Republican incumbent in 2016, signals an intention to make education a cornerstone of her campaign.
“His commitment to our schools, students and staff make him the right choice to help lead Kansas at this critical time,” Kelly said at an announcement ceremony staged with Topeka High School serving as a scenic and topical backdrop.
As a senator and school board member, Kelly said Rogers has “fought tirelessly to reverse the damage of the (state’s tax cut) experiment and give all our children the opportunities they deserve.”
As the top Democrat on the Senate’s budget writing committee, Kelly has long railed against the income and business tax cuts that former Republican Gov. Sam Brownback pushed through the Legislature in 2012.
Kelly and others charge that those cuts precipitated a state revenue crisis that forced repeated cuts in higher education, highways and social services and the issuance of $1 billion in bonds backed by the state pension fund.
“After years of crisis and turmoil, it’s time for us to elect a governor who will be a champion for our families and invest in the priorities we share — especially public schools,” Rogers said.
If Kelly wins the Democratic nomination, she would likely face either a Republican nominee who must defend Brownback’s policies — former lieutenant governor, now Gov. Jeff Colyer — or one who has promised a new round of tax cuts if elected — Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach.
The Kelly/Rogers ticket is long on experience. She’s a 68-year-old lawmaker in her fourth term and he’s a retired banker soon to turn 60 in the middle of his first term at the Statehouse.
“We are at a time of crisis,” she said. “We need someone who can go into that governor’s office and go to work on day one to fix this state.”
Their main primary opponents are taking a different tact.
Josh Svaty is running as a Democrat for governor with Katrina Lewison on his ticket. CREDIT JIM MCLEAN / KANSAS NEWS SERVICE
“This is less of a policy primary and more of a personality primary,” Svaty said Wednesday after paying the filing fee to get on the August ballot.
Both tickets check multiple boxes with voters, said Washburn University political scientist Bob Beatty. But, he said, while Rogers is “solid,” Lewison is “exciting.”
“Oh, she’s a huge asset,” he said. “What a find.”
On Tuesday, another contender for the Democratic nomination, former Wichita Mayor Carl Brewer, named another former mayor as his running mate. Brewer said that Chris Morrow, former mayor of Gardner, “has shown again and again that he listens to the community her serves.”
Morrow, a Navy veteran who lost a bid to unseat Republican state Sen. Julia Lynn in 2016, is the vice-chair of the Johnson County Democratic Party.
On the Republican side, Beatty said Kobach’s choice of former rival Wink Hartman seems a good fit. Hartman, a wealthy Wichita businessman, gives the ticket geographic and private-sector experience balance, Beatty said.
Colyer made his choice in February. Shortly after Brownback’s departure for an ambassador’s post in the Trump administration moved him into the governor’s office, Colyer installed Tracey Mann to replace him as lieutenant governor.
Mann, who lives in Salina but works for a Kansas City-based commercial real estate firm, ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. House in 2010. His campaign for the 1st District seat was sidetracked when he called on then-President Barack Obama to prove he was an American citizen.
Mann called his foray into birther politics a mistake.
“I had a football coach one time that said ‘when you make a mistake you don’t make excuses and you move on,’” he said when he Colyer appointed him lieutenant governor. “I’ve moved on from that.”
A recent poll showing Kobach and Colyer in a near tie with nearly half of GOP voters undecided indicates that Barnett and Insurance Commissioner Ken Selzer are still factors, Beatty said.
“This race will be decided by the undecideds,” he said.
The poll, conducted by Remington Research Group, a GOP polling firm based in Kansas City, put Colyer’s support at 29 percent, with Kobach at 27 percent.
Barnett, the only moderate in the Republican race, drew support from 9 percent of respondents while 5 percent said they favored Selzer.
On Monday, Selzer named Goodland businesswoman Jenifer Sanderson as his running mate. She’s the owner of a Sonic Drive-In franchise and a past chair of the board that oversees the Kansas Chamber’s leadership program.
Sanderson, Selzer said in a campaign news release, “brings a small business owner’s experience to fixing an overreaching government, a wealth of financial management education and a mother’s commitment to a better world for the next generation.”
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The Latest on a 5-year-old Kansas boy who was reported missing in February (all times local):
3 p.m.
WICHITA, Kan. — The Sedgwick County Coroner’s Office has identified the body of an unknown child discovered Thursday evening in Harvey County as 5-year-old Lucas Hernandez.
According to a media release, the boy’s identity was confirmed through an autopsy and dental records. A thorough exam of evidence continues, according to officer Charley Davidson.
Lucas’ stepmother, 27-year-old Emily Glass, has been arrested and booked into Sedgwick County jail for felony obstruction of justice. She is being held on a $250,000 bond, according to the jail booking report. Lucas has been missing since Feb. 17.
Lucas’ body was discovered under a bridge near Southeast 96th Street and Woodlawn in Harvey County. Glass had taken a private investigator to the location. The private investigator had been hired by Lucas’ family.
The private investigator called the WPD to report the discovery of what he believed was Lucas’ body. The WPD and Harvey County Sheriff Office officials arrived at the scene.
WPD officials have interviewed the private investigator, David Marshburn of North Carolina, who said he arrived earlier this week. Marshburn told WPD investigators that Glass led him to the boy’s body on Thursday.
WPD Chief Gordon Ramsay said the investigation into Lucas’ disappearance continues; anyone with information related to the case should call WPD Homicide Detectives at 268-4181.
The WPD has mobilized significant personnel and volunteers and searched thousands of acres to find Lucas. Ramsay thanked the numerous volunteers and groups who have contributed to the search.
2 p.m.
A small, decomposing body found under a bridge in rural central Kansas is likely that of 5-year-old Lucas Hernandez, a Wichita boy who has been missing since February, police said Friday.
An autopsy to be performed Friday will confirm the body’s identity but “it is likely Lucas,” Wichita police chief Gordon Ramsay said at a news conference.
Law enforcement officers were called to the scene in Harvey County Thursday night after Lucas’ 27-year-old stepmother, Emily Glass, led a private investigator to the remains under the bridge on a gravel road near the town of Sedgwick, about 20 miles north of Wichita.
Ramsay said there were other details that indicate the body is Lucas, but that police cannot share that information.
The investigator, David Marshburn, called police about the body, and officers met him and Glass at the scene. Ramsay said Marshburn was hired by Lucas’ family. Marshburn told local media that Lucas’ paternal grandmother first contacted him for assistance.
Marshburn told police he arrived in Wichita from Smithfield, North Carolina, this week.
Pressed as to how Marshburn was able to locate the body so quickly when police have been searching unsuccessfully for months, Ramsay would only say that police are bound by “very strict rules” that do not apply to private citizens.
Glass was jailed Thursday on suspicion of felony obstruction of justice, but no charges are expected to be filed this week. She is being held on a $250, 000 bond, according to the Sedgwick County Booking report.
Investigators are awaiting results of the autopsy later Friday before they can make a positive identification.
Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett said in an emailed statement Friday that his office will review early next week the results of the autopsy currently being conducted, as well as evidence gathered by law enforcement throughout this investigation.
When asked if other arrests are possible, Ramsay said only that the investigation is still “very active.”
Glass reported Lucas missing from their home on Feb. 17. Glass told police she last saw Lucas playing in his bedroom before she took a shower and fell asleep. He was gone when she woke up from her nap. She has not been charged in the boy’s disappearance, but Bennett had previously said she is a person of interest in the case.
The boy’s father, Jonathan Hernandez, was not at home when Lucas disappeared. Glass cared for her daughter and Lucas while he worked out of state for weeks at a time. Lucas’ biological mother didn’t live in the Wichita area when he disappeared.
Glass was found not guilty in May in an unrelated case accusing her of child endangerment involving her own 1-year-old daughter. Prosecutors alleged she smoked marijuana before driving the child to a restaurant.
Lucas was reported missing the day after that trip.
A court document related to that case said Lucas was frequently seen with bruises and cuts before he disappeared. The Sedgwick County juvenile court document indicated the state of Kansas was told at least twice that Lucas was being abused and was living in a dysfunctional and violent situation.
___
10:40 a.m.
Police say the stepmother of a 5-year-old boy missing since February led a private investigator to a body that detectives believe is the missing child.
Wichita Police Chief Gordon Ramsay said at a news conference Friday that Emily Glass showed David Mashburn where the remains were hidden, under a bridge on a gravel road in Sedgwick, about 20 miles north of Wichita.
Ramsay says Mashburn contacted police. Police retrieved the body and arrested Glass on Thursday.
Ramsay says police believe the body is that of Lucas Hernandez.
Glass is being held on suspicion of interfering with a law enforcement officer and obstruction.
The stepmother reported Lucas missing Feb. 17, saying she fell asleep after a shower and woke up to find him missing.
___
10:30 a.m.
Police say a decomposed body found under a bridge in rural central Kansas is probably a 5-year-old boy who has been missing since February.
Lucas Hernandez
Wichita Police Chief Gordon Ramsay said at a news conference Friday that investigators believe the body found a day earlier on a county road about 20 miles north of Wichita, is Lucas Hernandez.
Emily Glass, Lucas’ stepmother, was arrested Thursday night on suspicion of interfering with a law enforcement officer and obstruction.
Glass reported Lucas missing Feb. 17, saying she fell asleep after a shower and woke up to find him missing. She has not been charged in his disappearance.
Glass was acquitted in May of a child endangerment charge after authorities say she smoked marijuana before driving with her 1-year-old daughter in the car.
___
Glass-photo Sedgwick Co.
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The stepmother of a 5-year-old Wichita boy whom she reported missing in February was jailed Thursday evening, hours after a small, as-yet unidentified body was found under a bridge in a nearby county.
Emily Glass, the stepmother of Lucas Hernandez, was at a site in rural Harvey County hours before the body was found, Sedgwick County District Attorney Mark Bennett said. She was later booked into jail on suspicion of interfering with a law enforcement officer and obstruction.
Authorities have not identified the body, which was found under a bridge on a gravel road near the town of Sedgwick.
“When we arrived, there was a body underneath a bridge up there that appears to be a small human, but it’s unrecognizable,” Harvey County Sheriff Chad Gay said. No children have been reported missing in Harvey County, he said.
Glass reported Lucas missing from their home on Feb. 17. Glass told police she last saw Lucas playing in his bedroom before she took a shower and fell asleep. He was gone when she woke up from her nap. She has not been charged in the boy’s disappearance, but Bennett has said she is a person of interest in the case.
The boy’s father, Jonathan Hernandez, was not at home when Lucas disappeared. Glass cared for her daughter and Lucas while he worked out of state for weeks at a time. Lucas’ biological mother didn’t live in the Wichita area when he disappeared.
Glass was found not guilty in May in an unrelated case accusing her of child endangerment involving her own 1-year-old daughter. Prosecutors alleged she smoked marijuana before driving the child to a restaurant.
Lucas was reported missing the day after that trip.
A court document related to that case said Lucas was frequently seen with bruises and cuts before he disappeared. The Sedgwick County juvenile court document indicated the state of Kansas was told at least twice that Lucas was being abused and was living in a dysfunctional and violent situation.
———–
SEDGWICK COUNTY — The stepmother of 5-year-old Lucas Hernandez who has been missing since February is back in jail.
Just after 10:30 p.m. Thursday Emily Glass was booked into jail, according to the Sedgwick County booking report. The requested charges included interference with law enforcement officer and obstruction. There was no bond listed, according to the booking details.
Law enforcement authorities have not confirmed that a body found in Harvey County Thursday is the missing boy.
The body was found under a bridge on a gravel road. Sedgwick County District Attorney Mark Bennett says Glass had been in the area hours earlier. Authorities have not released any information on the remains.
Glass reported Lucas missing from their home on Feb. 17. She told police she discovered he was missing after she woke up from a nap.
The boy’s father, Jonathan Hernandez, was not at home when his son disappeared.
On May 16, Glass was released from jail after she was found not guilty of child endangerment in an unrelated case involving her own daughter.
Westar Energy and Great Plains Energy, the parent company of Kansas City Power & Light Co., won approval from state regulators Thursday to merge as equals.
That clears the way for a combined company worth $14 billion serving more than 1.6 million customers in Kansas and Missouri.
A merger proposal approved by Kansas regulators on Thursday requires Westar to keep 500 employees at its Topeka headquarters for the next half-decade. SCOTT CANON / KANSAS NEWS SERVICE
“We feel (it’s) good for our shareholders, good for our communities, good for our customers, and good for our employees,” Westar spokeswoman Gina Penzig said.
The Missouri Public Service Commission and the Kansas Corporation Commission both approved the long-pending merger proposal on Thursday. The companies had tried to combine last year, but saw their proposal rejected by Kansas regulators.
The merger is projected to save Kansas customers $183.5 million in its first five years.
Savings from the merger will allow Westar to cut the amount it is asking for in a rate case pending before the KCC. With the decrease, the average residential customer would see a hike in monthly bills of $2.80 per month, rather than the more than $5 previously asked for by Westar.
The new company will be called Evergy, a combination of ever and energy, and will be headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri. The merger terms approved by regulators also require the company to keep at least 500 employees at a Kansas headquarters in Topeka for at least 5 years.
“For the most part we’ve really been trying to emphasize letting employees stay where their families are and where they are today,” Penzig said.
In rejecting a merger last year, the KCC argued the proposal would have put too much financial stress on the new company and would not benefit customers.
This time around, executives at the two companies tailored their proposals to calm the regulators’ worries.
The result is a larger regional electric utility company that members of the commission said will ultimately benefit Kansas consumers.
Jim Zakoura, who represented several large industrial customers during the proceedings, said he’s disappointed with the decision. While he wasn’t against the merger, he wanted a bigger commitment from the new company to reduce electric prices.
“The commission needs to address it and bring the utilities in and help get a plan to bring us back to competitive levels,” he said.
For now, customers will continue to get their service, and bills, from their current provider, KCP&L or Westar. Rebranding won’t occur until 2019.
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The clinical staff at Hutchinson Regional Medical Center is participating in two days of Active Shooter Response Training.
Five law enforcement officers — two from the Hutchinson Police Department and three from the Reno County Sheriff’s Department — are in charge of training 500 staff members from the hospital.
Wes Hoyt, Chief Operating Officer for Hutchinson Regional Healthcare System, explained why the hospital felt a need for this type of training. In today’s environment, he says it’s necessary:
Hoyt says there’s a balance when it comes to security and making the hospital an inviting place for patients, families and other members of the community:
In the training, an officer fires a starter pistol while walking the halls of a closed-off hospital ward. Officials cleared the ward of patients and tested decibel levels to ensure the training was not disruptive to other patients in other wards.
The training is closed to the general public.
Ken Johnson, President and CEO of Hutchinson Regional Healthcare System, said the Active Shooter Response Training was not precipitated by threats or suspicious activity within the hospital campus, but is what he termed: “proactive training.”
The training runs from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day, with a break over the noon hour.
Hutch Regional is not the first to do this type of training. Police say other businesses — large and small, as well as some churches — have also gone through this type of training.
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Kansas State Fair will have plenty of new things to see as the Great Kansas Get Together is now a little more than three months away.
With the State Fair Sales tax bill now law, board members settled in to hear about the many new things coming to the fair this year during their regular meeting Tuesday.
One new twist to the fair this year is a special event each day. Foodie Fest and Dillons Dollar Day will return, along with a similar event each day. Making Day will feature things made in Kansas; Team Spirit Day encourages visitors to wear their favorite team jersey; and Go Big or Go Home will encourage patrons who have looked over all of the vendors items to purchase one and take it home with them.
The fair will also feature LED screens. The screens will provide better viewing at concerts and give a rundown of schedules and events near the White House and show barns.
The fair will also have special presentations from Encore, Inc., which will do a laser light show after the first weekend concerts.
Interim GM Bob Moeder says the fair is heading for a possible record year when it comes to sponsorship. Exhibitor and concert ticket sales are up 114 percent from this time last year.
