HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Many who visit Hutchinson Regional medical Center see them and are in contact with them, but may not know just how much work they put in. It’s the hospital’s Volunteer Auxiliary. The program has 92 volunteers who work in various areas every day. The hours they put in are impressive.

The volunteers have donated 11,500 hours, equivalent to 479 days of time, assisting with the day-to-day operation of five areas of the hospital during Fiscal 2019, which ended on June 30. Bev Nash, the Volunteer Coordinator for the auxiliary, said the volunteers add a caring touch for the families of hospital patients.

One of them is Lois Veatch who put in more than 720 hours of volunteer work last year. Veatch became a part of the auxiliary after the loss of her husband. “My husband passed away 16 years ago and I was lost for a little while,” Veatch said. “I had a neighbor who had worked for the hospital and she and some of the former employees…invited me and through that, I met a lady who was a volunteer and she encouraged me to come and start volunteering”. Veatch who usually spends time in the surgery waiting room says doing the work helps others and helps herself as well. “It’s more valuable to me than probably to them. I just feel good doing a service for other people,” she added. Veatch who turns 82 soon, says as long as the good Lord lets her she’ll keep volunteering.

Another volunteer who has put in a lot of time at the hospital is Judy Hill who heads up the gift shop at the hospital. After 18 years Hill will step away from the volunteer auxiliary. “I really have loved all of it,” Hill said adding that the gift shop also provides a way to show the good side of the community. “Families that come in here are usually from out of state, out of town and come directly (to the hospital) under circumstances that are not good,’ Hill said. “They may come here, eat at one restaurant, fill their car up with gas and go to the airport. So all they see of Hutchinson is the hospital. So we try to make the gift shop a friendly place.” Hill will end her volunteer service at the end of the month and is being replaced by Carla Long. Since the gift shop opened in 1984 $1,261,000 has been generated for the hospital.

The auxiliary work has also started new friendships some of which continue today. “As an example,
approximately two years ago I received a call from a lady in California,” Nash said. “This lady was looking for the very kind person who was volunteering the day her mother-in-law passed away at Hutch Regional. She was so appreciative of her kindness and wanted to personally thank her and send her a gift. I was able to track down the volunteer that was working that day. With the volunteer’s permission, I provided her phone number which resulted in a phone call of appreciation and donation of several puzzles that families can use while waiting. Most importantly, the lady from California and volunteer formed a friendship which remains to this day.”

Ken Johnson, President and CEO of Hutchinson Regional Healthcare System (HRHS) said the hospital could not function as efficiently as it does without the assistance of volunteers. “This group of hard-working individuals are on the front lines every day working hand in hand with the Hutch Regional staff in several areas of the hospital including Same-Day Surgery, Intensive Care Unit (ICU) Waiting Room, Information Desk, and Gift Shop,” Johnson said. “The Hutch Regional volunteers are ambassadors for the healthcare system and provide extraordinary service to our patients and their families.”

Veatch was designated as the top volunteer for the year for donating 782 hours in the Same Day Surgery Center followed by Kay Dundas who donated 517 hours in the ICU and served as the accountant for the hospital’s gift shop. Evelyn Henricks spent 513 hours working the gift shop and Joyce Schriner spent 446 hours in Same-Day Surgery. Charlene Tucker rounded out the top five list of volunteers with 356 hours working at the Information Desk.

Johnson also lauded the five individuals who supervised the volunteers in each of the areas including Cynthia Stites, Same Day Surgery Unit; Karen Sims, ICU Waiting Room; Pam Fredrick, Information Desk; Pat Siemens, Mail and Delivery and Hill, in the Gift Shop

Other volunteers who donated more than 200 hours were: Don Adams, Duane Anstine, Joan Arnold, Barbara Brothers, Pam Fredrick, Elma Hunsinger, Ruth Jones, Donna Schroeder, Karen Sims, Cynthia Stites, Ann Thiessen, Dianne Wilt, and Barbara Yoder.

There are also a group of volunteers who retired from service this year. Retirees include Carol Allton, Loran Arnold, Gerry Gough, Nancy Habiger, Kim Hoyt, Samantha Jenkins, Donna Kelley, Irene Martindell, Evelyn McIver, Shalee Mog, Dayna Nichols, Lorana Stay, Bryana Kelley, and Jan Wisby.

New volunteers include Susan Allam, Karen DeCou, Peggy Hodson, Sheri Kendall, Jeanette Madden, Cheryl Marciano, Linda McVey, Cindy Mounce, Terrie Perkins, Merlin Preheim, Debbie Spence, Lauren Wood and May Van Horn.

Two long-time volunteers died during the past year, including Glenda Janner who worked in the Gift Shop and Jean Boesch who donated her time in Same-Day Surgery. The HRHS family thanks them for their service.

Those wishing to volunteer as part of the Hutchinson Regional Medical Center Auxiliary are urged to contact the Gift Shop at 620-665-2079.

 

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Many questions are being asked about the rash of earthquakes that have hit the Hutchinson area over a five-day period.

The answers are basically the same as they were during a town hall meeting held last year with the Kansas Geological Survey. Deep disposal wells from oil drilling in southern Kansas and northern Oklahoma are thought to be causing the shaking here in Hutchinson. Justin Rubinstein with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in San Francisco says they are seeing the same thing. “This pressure is migrating northward from the border area,” Rubinstein said. “The most plausible explanation is that these fluid pressures are rising and, for whatever reason, this particular area (southwest of Hutchinson) is more prone to have earthquakes.”

Although the disposal wells are roughly a mile deep, the pressure they are applying to the ground underneath may be causing the earth to shift. “What we expect is happening is there’s some fluid connection between this injection formation and the location where these earthquakes are occurring,” Rubinstein said. “And so that can be a system of fractures within the rock or, more likely, there is a fault and so the fluid pressure can go straight down to the location the earthquakes are occurring.”

The shaking with the quakes in the Hutchinson area is much quicker and violent than those occurring in southern Kansas and northern Oklahoma.

“When you’re really close to an earthquake, you feel the highest frequency. That’s why you have this very rapid shaking and ending very quickly,” Rubinstein added. “For these earthquakes you’re feeling from Harper and Sumner counties as well as further south in Oklahoma, those earthquakes are a lot further away and so those high frequencies start going away, but you still have the lower frequency, so it’s more of a rolling motion.”

During the town hall meeting last year, representatives from the Kansas Geological Survey couldn’t give an answer as to whether the quakes would continue and possibly get stronger. The area has now seen a half dozen quakes in the last week much stronger than in the past. Rubinstein says it’s really not known how the activity will play out in the future.

The USGS has deployed a network of 14 seismometers in the area to monitor seismicity. The USGS is actively collaborating with scientists and regulators at the Kansas Geological Survey, the Kansas Corporation Commission, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, and the Oklahoma Geological Survey to understand the earthquakes.

HAVEN, Kan. — The Haven school board has come to a consensus to approve a $3,014 increase in base pay for teachers, thus ending the final part of a new contract for the approaching school year pending final action by the board.

The board gave its nod to what was the latest offer put up by both sides following a negotiation session with a mediator last week. The action by the board and vote by the teachers means final approval of the new contract could come during the board’s Sept. 9 meeting.

The two sides had been in a stalemate over base pay. Teachers had originally asked for a $6,014 increase in base pay. The district countered with $2,014. Both sides got to within $1,500 of an agreement when the district declared an impasse after rejecting what the teachers said was their final offer of a $5,014 increase over two years.

If approved, the increase will raise the teacher base pay to $39,000 and will add about $196,000 to the budget.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — No doubt there has been a very busy trend in seismic activity in Reno County over the past several days.

Since Aug. 14, there have been 17 reported earthquakes in Reno County, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.  Two small tremors occurred Aug. 14 with the strongest measuring 2.4.

Aug. 16 was the most active day with 10 recorded events, the strongest was the 4.2 magnitude quake just before 8 a.m. Numerous aftershocks were recorded with two measuring a magnitude of 3.3.

Four more earthquakes occurred Saturday with the strongest measuring a 3.0. On Sunday, another moderate quake hit around 3:45 a.m. Originally, that quake was measured at 4.1, but has since been upgraded to a magnitude 4.2.

Most damage has been minor in nature including broken objects off shelves, a few broken water lines in homes and some cracks.

Hutchinson Public Works Director Brian Clennan says they have been out checking over the city’s infrastructure and have not found any damage to bridges or heard of any sewer or water line issues.

RENO COUNTY — Another earthquake shook residents in south-central Kansas early Sunday. The quake at 3:45 a.m. measured a magnitude 4.1 and was centered approximately 3 miles west of South Hutchinson, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

This follows six quakes in Reno County over a 24-hour period including a 4.2 magnitude quake just before 8 a.m. Friday that was felt over much of the state and that caused some minor damage.

The other five quakes were all 3.1 or smaller, according to the U.S.G.S.

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RENO COUNTY — Two additional small earthquakes shook Reno County following the four quakes Friday morning.

A quake just after 8 p.m. measured a magnitude 3.0 and was centered approximately one mile west of South Hutchinson, according to the USGS.

Just before 5 a.m. Saturday, a magnitude 2.8 quake was centered 2 miles west of South Hutch.

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HUTCHINSON, Kan. — An earthquake shook the Hutchinson area this morning. The quake, just before 8 a.m., measured a magnitude 4.2 and was centered approximately 2 miles west of South Hutchinson, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The USGS says two aftershocks were centered approximately 7 miles west of South Hutchinson and measured a magnitude 3.1 and 2.6. A third aftershock measured 2.7 and was centered closer to the original quake, approximately 2 miles west of South Hutchinson.

There were reports of some minor damage, including at the Reno County Courthouse. County Administrator Gary Meagher says it appears to be mainly cosmetic, but is checking to make sure there isn’t any structural damage.

Reno County Emergency Management Director Adam Weishaar talked about some of the damage.

“We haven’t had any reports of any major structural damage,” Weishaar said. “Dillons at 5th and Adams had closed because they had a lot of items knocked off their shelves.”

Hutchinson Regional Medical Center also had some minor damage and Egbert Liquor at 5th and Monroe also had bottles of liquor broken during the quake.

Although we’ve had earthquakes before, this one was unusual. “This was weird, at least since I’ve been here, this is the biggest one we’ve had,” Weishaar said. “The aftershocks that came with this were fairly big compared to normal.”

Many residents reported pictures coming off their wall and other issues with their homes. Businesses are also assessing damage.

The quake occurred while our radio stations were live on the air. Here’s how it sounded on KWBW when it happened and how on-air staff reacted. John Brennan was on the morning show with some guests from the Art Center:

 

Pat James, morning personality on Country 102.9, was getting ready to do the birthday show, a daily feature, when it happened. This is how he reacted on the air:

 

Residents all over the area were a little shaken, literally. Here are some additional pictures of damage.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Those who drive by Morgan Elementary School in Hutchinson may notice a map of the United States on the playground. It has a new coat of paint and sealing thanks to a teen who decided to repair and repaint the art for a Boy Scout project.

Steven Hayse says the idea to repair the piece started a few years back.

“There was an adult that was friends with one of my leaders who was on the PTO Board here at Morgan,” Hayse said. “She came up with the project saying how the map was in disrepair, it needed some painting done to it, there was a crack running through it.” He was approached about the project and just took it from there.

Hayse says he ran out of time to do the project last year because school started. He made sure the project got done this year.

Hayse says this work was his Eagle Scout project for the Boy Scouts. “The Eagle project is kind of the last step in scouting. The Eagle Scout is the highest rank you can achieve as an adult,” Hayse said. “I’m trying to get that last step to earn that Eagle rank.”

His dad, Darol Hayse, also helped. Darol was pretty proud of his son and also thankful to the USD 308 school district.

“This is a great project and we’re very thankful to the school district for allowing us to be a part of this,” Darol Hayse said. “He’s done a great job and he’s had a lot of help from his troop and from his friends and family.”

Morgan Elementary School is the benefactor of this project and work. Morgan Principal Bryan Cunningham talked about what this means to student learning.

“It’s an amazing thing, it’s been the topic of the new year,” Cunningham said. “Parents have driven in and said, ‘man, you can see that from the street.’ Walking around classrooms, kids were asking about it and we have new students from Colorado. We can use that as a teaching tool asking, ‘where is Colorado from Kansas, east or west?'” Cunningham says he posed that question for students at recess and encouraged them to learn from the map.

Cunningham says teachers have a game using the map where the first child is asked to find a state, such as California. If they do, then they get to call out another state and the next child has to find that state. It’s a way to have fun and learn some geography.

Alaska and Hawaii are included and are located adjacent to the 48 states so students learn where they actually are in the world. Cunningham says it’s used throughout the year.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Kansas State Fair has always been special to Sterling native Nicolle Galyon. But this year’s fair is going to be special for two reasons. Galyon will not only perform during the fair Friday night, but one of her songs is a current hit for country music star Billy Currington, who is in concert Saturday, Sept. 7.

Galyon says the fair is always special for her and her family, especially now that her mother works for the fair.

“I grew up going to the Kansas State Fair every year, and I played in the marching band when I was in high school,” she said. “My mom works for the fair, and it’s been really fun to kind of see behind the scenes all of the facets of the fair.”

Galyon says although she is performing Friday, she will be — as she calls it — “a total fan” during the concert Saturday. She talked about how special it is to be connected to the Currington concert.

“It’s always been a dream of mine to get a song on a Billy Currington record,” Galyon said. “Now to have that single on the radio, especially while he’s coming to play the fair, feels very full circle.”

Galyon says it is always neat to hear her songs on the radio, but especially when she’s back home in Sterling.

“I’ve been really blessed to hear a lot of my songs on the radio and watching it go up the charts, but nothing feels as full circle as when we spend summers back home in Kansas. I don’t think the highs of my career really paid off like they did when I’d be at the Sterling swimming pool and hear one of my songs come over the speakers or hear it at a local radio station in Kansas,” she said. “It really gives me a lot of meaning to the journey I’ve been on as a songwriter, so coming back to the fair and getting to see some of the songs I’ve written being performed at the fair where I grew up going to concerts brings a lot of meaning to the night for me.”

It’s also going to be a special first night of the fair for her mother, LaMonna, who works for the fair.

“It’ll be emotional Friday night watching her on stage,” she said. “Her kids will be there that night so that will be super special.”

LaMonna says the one thing that is special about Nicolle is her continued close connection to her roots.

“It’s part of her soul. Kansas is just near and dear,” Galyon said. “You have to be proactive, stay connected and that’s something she incorporates into her life always.”

Nicolle has also added another venture to her already-successful career.

“I just started a record label here in Nashville, so I’m a songwriter first, but I’m also a label head and president and have started the first female-focused record label.”

Incidentally, her first signing to the label is Madison Kozak, who will be performing at the fair Thursday, Sept. 12.

NICKERSON, Kan. — The Nickerson USD 309 School District has received a $25,000 grant from the America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education to help fund STEM education in the district.

The grant, which is sponsored by the Bayer Fund, partnered with local farmers to nominate rural schools and awarded more than $2.3 million in grants to enhance their science, technology, engineering, and math.

USD 309 is one of the many schools across the country that has benefited from the Grow Rural Education program. For each grant-winning school, teachers, students, and oftentimes, community members, develop plans to create more engaging and innovative STEM programs.

The district will use the Grow Rural Education funds to provide after-school and summer STEM activities for students that include expanding the coding and robotics programs with adding underwater robotics to its current resources.

To qualify for a Grow Rural Education grant, farmers nominated a school or school district to compete for a merit-based grant of either $10,000 or $25,000. School districts that were nominated then submitted a grant application describing their STEM-focused project.

Since Grow Rural Education began in 2011, it has awarded more than $18 million to more than 1,000 schools in rural communities across the United States.

HAVEN, Kan. — After meeting with a mediator for more than two hours on Monday, the Haven school district and its teachers may have a new offer on the table in their continued stalemate over base pay.

The two sides have been apart on a starting wage for teachers as the two sides try to come together on a new contract for this year. A mediator was brought in after the board declared an impasse in negotiations.

Superintendent Clark Wedel says the new number brought up during the session was $3,014. That’s an increase of $1,000 from the district’s original offer and $3,000 down from the teachers’ original offer. The offer was tabled at last night’s school board meeting because of the limited number of board members available. The matter will be taken up during a special meeting on Aug. 19. If the board gives its consensus to the offer, it will be up to the teachers to give their OK.

The latest offer would cost the district about $196,000 per year.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — A South Hutchinson liquor store owner says he has turned in a petition to the County Clerk’s Office with enough signatures to bring Sunday liquor sales in South Hutchinson up for a vote.

Greg Dovel had been collecting signatures of South Hutchinson residents trying to drum up support for the vote. Dovel tried unsuccessfully to get the City Council to pass a resolution allowing the sales just as he opened a new business selling alcohol and tobacco products.

According to Deputy Elections Officer Jenna Fager, Dovel gathered 112 signatures and 70 were validated by the clerk’s office, more than the 50 needed for the petition. The South Hutchinson City Council will now set a date for the vote, which will likely come during the November general election.

Dovel says he just wants the matter in the hands of the voters. “I’m fully prepared for whatever the people vote,” Dovel said. “This is for everybody to have a voice.”

Dovel says he wanted to thank the Reno County Clerk’s Office for answering his questions and making sure the petition was done in the proper way.