By NICK GOSNELL <a href="https://hutchpost.com">Hutch Post</a>


HUTCHINSON — Dr. Scott Pauly with the Hutchinson Clinic had hoped earlier in 
the pandemic to catch asymptomatic patients through widespread community
 testing, but at this point, there is much more of a danger of 
presymptomatic spread within the community.

"The presymptomatic 
patients, meaning those who have already been exposed, but do not yet 
know they are infected, meaning they don't have symptoms as of yet, are 
likely the primary drivers of the transmission in the community at this 
time," Pauly said. 

The danger is, with as widespread as the disease is now, you're likely to have been exposed and not know it.

"Because
 they're presymptomatic, they're going about their daily business, maybe
 celebrating the holidays," Pauly said. "Unbeknownst to them, they're 
spreading that virus to their friends, family and colleagues. Once they 
do develop symptoms, you look backwards and say, where was I, who did I 
expose myself to, prior to me realizing I was infected."

That's 
one of the reasons why you would wear a mask in public, so that if you 
are an unknown spreader, you can minimize that effect.

"When 
somebody's presymptomatic, they're not necessarily cognizant of where 
they are going or who they are around," Pauly said. "Those things are 
easy to forget in the moment. It also highlights why it's so important, 
though, for contact tracing for this virus. When we do have somebody who
 becomes diagnosed, we look backwards 48 hours prior to their diagnosis 
and or prior to their symptoms, because we know that the people they 
were around during that time are just as at risk as the people they were
 around at the time of symptom onset or shortly thereafter."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1601667424562.jpeg" alt="Dr. Scott Pauly" />
 <figcaption>Dr. Scott Pauly</figcaption>
 </figure>By NICK GOSNELL <a href="https://hutchpost.com">Hutch Post</a>
HUTCHINSON — Dr. Scott Pauly with the Hutchinson Clinic had hoped earlier in 
the pandemic to catch asymptomatic patients through widespread community
 testing, but at this point, there is much more of a danger of 
presymptomatic spread within the community."The presymptomatic 
patients, meaning those who have already been exposed, but do not yet 
know they are infected, meaning they don't have symptoms as of yet, are 
likely the primary drivers of the transmission in the community at this 
time," Pauly said. The danger is, with as widespread as the disease is now, you're likely to have been exposed and not know it."Because
 they're presymptomatic, they're going about their daily business, maybe
 celebrating the holidays," Pauly said. "Unbeknownst to them, they're 
spreading that virus to their friends, family and colleagues. Once they 
do develop symptoms, you look backwards and say, where was I, who did I 
expose myself to, prior to me realizing I was infected."That's 
one of the reasons why you would wear a mask in public, so that if you 
are an unknown spreader, you can minimize that effect."When 
somebody's presymptomatic, they're not necessarily cognizant of where 
they are going or who they are around," Pauly said. "Those things are 
easy to forget in the moment. It also highlights why it's so important, 
though, for contact tracing for this virus. When we do have somebody who
 becomes diagnosed, we look backwards 48 hours prior to their diagnosis 
and or prior to their symptoms, because we know that the people they 
were around during that time are just as at risk as the people they were
 around at the time of symptom onset or shortly thereafter."

Hutch doctor sees potential for presymptomatic COVID-19 spread

BY NICK GOSNELL <a href="https://hutchpost.com">Hutch Post</a>


HUTCHINSON —&nbsp;Reno County Interim Health Officer Karen Hammersmith reiterated 
the message calling for no large gatherings for the Thanksgiving 
holiday.

"Thanksgiving this year really should look different," 
Hammersmith said. "When we talk about keeping in small cohorts, it is 
because we always know that in times like this, holidays, people travel.
 They want to be with their family. You know, you have the sniffles or 
something. You don't feel too bad. This year, that could be COVID."

After the holidays is usually a problem even with less contagious illnesses like the flu.

Most
 viruses, whether it be cold or flu season, it's the weeks after 
Thanksgiving and Christmas that really spike things up and turn things 
around," Hammersmith said. "Not in a good way."

"Anytime
 that you have family gatherings, it's a very close situation, very 
personal," Hammersmith said. "People are generally speaking, hugging, 
sitting in the same room for many hours. You feel very comfortable and 
safe in family and close friends enviroments. It doesn't mean that the 
family and friends are not safe people. It's just that right now, 
anybody could be carrying the virus."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/11/1606243325401.jpeg" alt="Reno County Interim Health Officer Karen Hammersmith " />
 <figcaption>Reno County Interim Health Officer Karen Hammersmith </figcaption>
 </figure>BY NICK GOSNELL <a href="https://hutchpost.com">Hutch Post</a>
HUTCHINSON —&nbsp;Reno County Interim Health Officer Karen Hammersmith reiterated 
the message calling for no large gatherings for the Thanksgiving 
holiday."Thanksgiving this year really should look different," 
Hammersmith said. "When we talk about keeping in small cohorts, it is 
because we always know that in times like this, holidays, people travel.
 They want to be with their family. You know, you have the sniffles or 
something. You don't feel too bad. This year, that could be COVID."After the holidays is usually a problem even with less contagious illnesses like the flu.Most
 viruses, whether it be cold or flu season, it's the weeks after 
Thanksgiving and Christmas that really spike things up and turn things 
around," Hammersmith said. "Not in a good way."If you are sick, stay at home."Anytime
 that you have family gatherings, it's a very close situation, very 
personal," Hammersmith said. "People are generally speaking, hugging, 
sitting in the same room for many hours. You feel very comfortable and 
safe in family and close friends enviroments. It doesn't mean that the 
family and friends are not safe people. It's just that right now, 
anybody could be carrying the virus."

Health official: If Thanksgiving doesn't look different, weeks after could be worse

HUTCHINSON, Kan. —&nbsp;Gas prices may be something to be thankful for, if you are on a budget this year.

"Right now, we're seeing the average gas price in Kansas of $1.88, ninth cheapest in the U.S.," said Shawn Steward with AAA Kansas. "If you are going to be taking a trip this holiday, you'll be saving some money in your wallet compared to last year or previous years."

Even if you're staying local, gas should be about average.

"Reno County is at $1.89," Steward said. "Hutchinson is at $1.90, right around the state average."

Be sure your car is in good repair, if you do decide at the last minute to hit the road.

"Check out your tires and your battery, especially," Steward said. "It's always a good idea, especially now that it gets dark so early, to make sure that all of the lights and turn signals, tail lights, brake lights, headlights are all in working order, so not only can you see, but you can be seen during those dark hours on the roads."

For Americans who make the personal decision to travel for the holiday, it is important to know the risks involved and ways to keep yourself and others safe.

By NICK GOSNELLHutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. —&nbsp;Gas prices may be something to be thankful for, if you are on a budget this year."Right now, we're seeing the average gas price in Kansas of $1.88, ninth cheapest in the U.S.," said Shawn Steward with AAA Kansas. "If you are going to be taking a trip this holiday, you'll be saving some money in your wallet compared to last year or previous years."Even if you're staying local, gas should be about average."Reno County is at $1.89," Steward said. "Hutchinson is at $1.90, right around the state average."Be sure your car is in good repair, if you do decide at the last minute to hit the road."Check out your tires and your battery, especially," Steward said. "It's always a good idea, especially now that it gets dark so early, to make sure that all of the lights and turn signals, tail lights, brake lights, headlights are all in working order, so not only can you see, but you can be seen during those dark hours on the roads."For Americans who make the personal decision to travel for the holiday, it is important to know the risks involved and ways to keep yourself and others safe.

Be thankful for low gas prices for Thanksgiving holiday

HUTCHINSON— Hutchinson Regional Medical Center, 1701 East 23rd Avenue, put up a tent outside the emergency department over the weekend.

"This is a triage tent or a mass casualty tent that we keep, and many hospitals have them, for extra square footage in case they need more capability," said Chuck Welch with the hospital. "If there's any sort of a natural disaster, or in this case, we just need extra square footage to hold, maybe, extra visitors. If we go to extended restrictions at the hospital, to where we're not allowing visitors in the hospital any more, family members may bring in somebody to the ED and this may be a warm spot for them to sit and wait outside the hospital, rather than having to sit in their car."

The hospital is actively considering further restrictions on visitors due to the COVID caseload.

"We're talking about that every day," Welch said. "As the caseload, as the COVID caseload continues to go up and we have to pull nursing resources and respiratory care and staffing resources from other areas to take care of our COVID patients, that becomes more and more of a consideration."

The numbers are just getting to be too much for the staff they have.

"At one point over the weekend, we had 41 positive COVID cases in the hospital," Welch said. "To say that we are stretched at this point would be an understatement. We are scrambling to try to find staff. Today, we are at 33 positive COVID patients."

The number of intubated and ventilated patients fluctuate anywhere from six to ten and change multiple times a day as people come on and off of that treatment.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/11/1604931880070.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By NICK GOSNELLHutch PostHUTCHINSON— Hutchinson Regional Medical Center, 1701 East 23rd Avenue, put up a tent outside the emergency department over the weekend."This is a triage tent or a mass casualty tent that we keep, and many hospitals have them, for extra square footage in case they need more capability," said Chuck Welch with the hospital. "If there's any sort of a natural disaster, or in this case, we just need extra square footage to hold, maybe, extra visitors. If we go to extended restrictions at the hospital, to where we're not allowing visitors in the hospital any more, family members may bring in somebody to the ED and this may be a warm spot for them to sit and wait outside the hospital, rather than having to sit in their car."The hospital is actively considering further restrictions on visitors due to the COVID caseload."We're talking about that every day," Welch said. "As the caseload, as the COVID caseload continues to go up and we have to pull nursing resources and respiratory care and staffing resources from other areas to take care of our COVID patients, that becomes more and more of a consideration."The numbers are just getting to be too much for the staff they have."At one point over the weekend, we had 41 positive COVID cases in the hospital," Welch said. "To say that we are stretched at this point would be an understatement. We are scrambling to try to find staff. Today, we are at 33 positive COVID patients."The number of intubated and ventilated patients fluctuate anywhere from six to ten and change multiple times a day as people come on and off of that treatment.

Virus battle: Triage tent up at Hutchinson Medical Center


HUTCHINSON,
Kan. —&nbsp;Emporia State University political scientist Michael Smith noted the significant wins by Republicans statewide based on Tuesday night's early returns, but it was one race that wasn't close on the other side that caught his attention.

"The big story with Kansas is the bluing of Johnson County," Smith said. "This is a county that Trump won by two in 2016. Last I saw, Biden is winning it by eight and Sharice Davids was reelected to Congress easily. We did not see a similar pattern in Sedgwick County, which voted pretty heavily Republican."

Davids won her race over Amanda Adkins by nine points, and won Johnson County by six points. Smith notes that it would be a challenge to redraw district maps in a way to make the seat more competitive, though Republicans look to have enough control in the state legislature, if they want to try.

"With regards to Sharice Davids, they're going to have a dilemma," Smith said. "It looks like the only way they can gerrymander her out is to crack Johnson County and that's going to meet massive resistance from the county that has the most voters, the most people and the most wealth in the state."

Republicans could take the strategy of packing the district, in other words, acknowledging that Davids will likely be safe and redrawing the second congressional district to make it more safe for Jake LaTurner, who just won his first term over Topeka mayor Michelle De La Isla, despite losing to her by a large margin in Douglas County, which is right next to Johnson County. 

In 2012, the Kansas redistricting map coming from the 2010 census ended up in the district court, because the two legislative chambers could not agree on a map.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1591302118267.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>
By
NICK GOSNELL
Hutch
Post
HUTCHINSON,
Kan. —&nbsp;Emporia State University political scientist Michael Smith noted the significant wins by Republicans statewide based on Tuesday night's early returns, but it was one race that wasn't close on the other side that caught his attention."The big story with Kansas is the bluing of Johnson County," Smith said. "This is a county that Trump won by two in 2016. Last I saw, Biden is winning it by eight and Sharice Davids was reelected to Congress easily. We did not see a similar pattern in Sedgwick County, which voted pretty heavily Republican."Davids won her race over Amanda Adkins by nine points, and won Johnson County by six points. Smith notes that it would be a challenge to redraw district maps in a way to make the seat more competitive, though Republicans look to have enough control in the state legislature, if they want to try."With regards to Sharice Davids, they're going to have a dilemma," Smith said. "It looks like the only way they can gerrymander her out is to crack Johnson County and that's going to meet massive resistance from the county that has the most voters, the most people and the most wealth in the state."Republicans could take the strategy of packing the district, in other words, acknowledging that Davids will likely be safe and redrawing the second congressional district to make it more safe for Jake LaTurner, who just won his first term over Topeka mayor Michelle De La Isla, despite losing to her by a large margin in Douglas County, which is right next to Johnson County. In 2012, the Kansas redistricting map coming from the 2010 census ended up in the district court, because the two legislative chambers could not agree on a map.

Smith: Bluing of Johnson County could impact redistricting

HUTCHINSON, Kan. —&nbsp;The Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services (CMS) on Wednesday announced its plan to ensure all seniors have access to the COVID-19 vaccine once the vaccines are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

"I spoke with the Vice President this past weekend," said Congressman Roger Marshall. "He remains optimistic that we're going to have a vaccine available for the vulnerable, maybe by Thanksgiving time."

This announcement builds on previous frameworks to provide the vaccine to those in nursing homes and assisted living facilities, ensuring that millions of older Americans are protected.

"Medicare or Medicaid is going to cover the cost of the COVID vaccine 100%," said Marshall. "No out of pocket expenses."

Beyond Medicare, the interim rule also addresses vaccination coverage for Medicaid and CHIP beneficiaries. CMS has also taken action to ensure that most private health plans cover the vaccine with no cost share for both in and out-of-network providers.

"Looking at one of them right now, we hear that maybe its about three weeks from being finalized if everything goes perfect," Marshall said. "It will be a little bit of a miracle, a little bit of a moonshot, but that's what Americans do. It's going to be safe and effective as well. We are not skipping any steps at all, we're making sure that this vaccine is safe. We're just doing several steps at the same time that are typically done over years."

CMS will also be providing hospitals additional Medicare payments to support and encourage the use of innovative new COVID-19 treatments and therapies in both inpatient and outpatient settings.

By NICK GOSNELLHutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. —&nbsp;The Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services (CMS) on Wednesday announced its plan to ensure all seniors have access to the COVID-19 vaccine once the vaccines are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)."I spoke with the Vice President this past weekend," said Congressman Roger Marshall. "He remains optimistic that we're going to have a vaccine available for the vulnerable, maybe by Thanksgiving time."This announcement builds on previous frameworks to provide the vaccine to those in nursing homes and assisted living facilities, ensuring that millions of older Americans are protected."Medicare or Medicaid is going to cover the cost of the COVID vaccine 100%," said Marshall. "No out of pocket expenses."Beyond Medicare, the interim rule also addresses vaccination coverage for Medicaid and CHIP beneficiaries. CMS has also taken action to ensure that most private health plans cover the vaccine with no cost share for both in and out-of-network providers."Looking at one of them right now, we hear that maybe its about three weeks from being finalized if everything goes perfect," Marshall said. "It will be a little bit of a miracle, a little bit of a moonshot, but that's what Americans do. It's going to be safe and effective as well. We are not skipping any steps at all, we're making sure that this vaccine is safe. We're just doing several steps at the same time that are typically done over years."CMS will also be providing hospitals additional Medicare payments to support and encourage the use of innovative new COVID-19 treatments and therapies in both inpatient and outpatient settings.

Rep. Marshall: CMS prepping for vaccine rollout

By
NICK GOSNELL <a href="https://hutchpost.com">Hutch Post</a>


HUTCHINSON —&nbsp;A political scientist with Emporia State University still 
believes there is a value in a Presidential debate, even as the Oct. 
15 debate has gone by the boards and we're down to just one more 
scheduled before the November election.

"There's no evidence that 
these debates influence the outcome of elections," said Michael Smith. 
"There's nothing. Even really memorable ones like Kennedy-Nixon in 1960.
 We just don't have the evidence that it swayed the election."

There is a question if civility can come back if the two candidates meet again.

"You
 know, a lot of people reported watching the first debate with their 
kids and the kids were horrified," Smith said. "The parents really 
struggled. How do I explain this to my kids? It would be neat for the 
next generations and for civic culture if we could role model a civil 
debate. It won't affect the outcome of our election, but it would be 
good for our civic culture."

The final debate is still on for now on October 22 in Nashville, Tennessee.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/1/1579108824567.jpeg" alt="Michael Smith is a professor at Emporia State University" />
 <figcaption>Michael Smith is a professor at Emporia State University</figcaption>
 </figure>
By
NICK GOSNELL <a href="https://hutchpost.com">Hutch Post</a>
HUTCHINSON —&nbsp;A political scientist with Emporia State University still 
believes there is a value in a Presidential debate, even as the Oct. 
15 debate has gone by the boards and we're down to just one more 
scheduled before the November election."There's no evidence that 
these debates influence the outcome of elections," said Michael Smith. 
"There's nothing. Even really memorable ones like Kennedy-Nixon in 1960.
 We just don't have the evidence that it swayed the election."There is a question if civility can come back if the two candidates meet again."You
 know, a lot of people reported watching the first debate with their 
kids and the kids were horrified," Smith said. "The parents really 
struggled. How do I explain this to my kids? It would be neat for the 
next generations and for civic culture if we could role model a civil 
debate. It won't affect the outcome of our election, but it would be 
good for our civic culture."The final debate is still on for now on October 22 in Nashville, Tennessee.

SMITH: Another debate won't sway election, but would be nice

By NICK GOSNELL Hutch Post

HUTCHINSON —&nbsp;A political science professor at the University of Kansas says it appears right now that the U.S. Senate race in Kansas is too close to call.

"We have four polls," Patrick Miller said. "The way you interpret polls is, you take the estimates, you stick that margin of error in and in all four polls, there is no clear leader in the poll in the sense that either candidate could actually be ahead, if we factor in the margin of error. At least in three of the four polls, one of the candidates, in one case, Bollier and in two cases Marshall is ahead by a little bit more. Polls are always going to vary."

Just because polls are different doesn't mean they aren't good.

"Good polls of the same race are not going to tell you the same exact thing, even if they are taken on the same day," Miller said. "I would just urge people to look at the body of polling and what that's telling you. That is that, among voters who are decided in the race, you seem to have no clear leader, but there is a chunk who are undecided."

The path to victory may seem theoretically easier for Roger Marshall, due to the Presidential race at the top of the ticket, but there is a path for Barbara Bollier, as well.

"Those individuals who are undecided in the Senate race, there is a chunk of them who are also undecided in the Presidential race," Miller said. "Whether those people are going to vote at all, who knows, whether they are just going to decide at the last minute, who knows, but there are a chunk who are undecided there, up for grabs. Among the undecided voters in the Senate race who know who they are voting for, for President, they do lean about two to one towards Trump."

The key to the race may be how many Trump voters Bollier can pick up or not.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1601910652054.png" alt="Rep. Roger Marshall and Kan. Senator Barbara Bollier during a virtual candidate debate Sept. 19" />
 <figcaption>Rep. Roger Marshall and Kan. Senator Barbara Bollier during a virtual candidate debate Sept. 19</figcaption>
 </figure>By NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON —&nbsp;A political science professor at the University of Kansas says it appears right now that the U.S. Senate race in Kansas is too close to call."We have four polls," Patrick Miller said. "The way you interpret polls is, you take the estimates, you stick that margin of error in and in all four polls, there is no clear leader in the poll in the sense that either candidate could actually be ahead, if we factor in the margin of error. At least in three of the four polls, one of the candidates, in one case, Bollier and in two cases Marshall is ahead by a little bit more. Polls are always going to vary."Just because polls are different doesn't mean they aren't good."Good polls of the same race are not going to tell you the same exact thing, even if they are taken on the same day," Miller said. "I would just urge people to look at the body of polling and what that's telling you. That is that, among voters who are decided in the race, you seem to have no clear leader, but there is a chunk who are undecided."The path to victory may seem theoretically easier for Roger Marshall, due to the Presidential race at the top of the ticket, but there is a path for Barbara Bollier, as well."Those individuals who are undecided in the Senate race, there is a chunk of them who are also undecided in the Presidential race," Miller said. "Whether those people are going to vote at all, who knows, whether they are just going to decide at the last minute, who knows, but there are a chunk who are undecided there, up for grabs. Among the undecided voters in the Senate race who know who they are voting for, for President, they do lean about two to one towards Trump."The key to the race may be how many Trump voters Bollier can pick up or not.

Pollster: Kansas Senate race within margin of error

By
NICK GOSNELL Hutch
Post


HUTCHINSON,
Kan. —&nbsp;An Emporia State political science professor says civil discourse took a step back Tuesday in Cleveland.

"For years, people that do debate properly in high school and colleges have been saying, those presidential debates aren't really debates," said Michael Smith. "I've never seen such an egregious example of that as last night."

The tough part is, even as dueling stump speeches, neither candidate was allowed to speak freely.

"Trump, his best characteristic is that he's not scripted," Smith said. "He says what he really thinks. His worst characteristic is he's not scripted, he says what he really thinks. Then, Biden was left to respond to that."

Smith notes that some people got what they were looking for.

"Lots of us complained in the old days about how politicians seemed to be reading from scripts and they sounded so stilted," Smith said. "You never heard anything new. I don't think that when we were complaining about that, we thought that it would lead to this."

The next debate between the two campaigns will involve their vice presidential nominees. It is Oct. 7.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1591302118267.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>
By
NICK GOSNELL Hutch
Post
HUTCHINSON,
Kan. —&nbsp;An Emporia State political science professor says civil discourse took a step back Tuesday in Cleveland."For years, people that do debate properly in high school and colleges have been saying, those presidential debates aren't really debates," said Michael Smith. "I've never seen such an egregious example of that as last night."The tough part is, even as dueling stump speeches, neither candidate was allowed to speak freely."Trump, his best characteristic is that he's not scripted," Smith said. "He says what he really thinks. His worst characteristic is he's not scripted, he says what he really thinks. Then, Biden was left to respond to that."Smith notes that some people got what they were looking for."Lots of us complained in the old days about how politicians seemed to be reading from scripts and they sounded so stilted," Smith said. "You never heard anything new. I don't think that when we were complaining about that, we thought that it would lead to this."The next debate between the two campaigns will involve their vice presidential nominees. It is Oct. 7.

Kansas professor: Not really a debate Tuesday

HUTCHINSON —&nbsp;Libertarian U.S. Senate candidate Jason Buckley believes government 
should be smaller, to what some people might call an extreme level.

"I
 definitely want to lower your taxes," Buckley said. "I would like to 
see the federal income tax completely abolished. That will leave more 
money in everyone's pocket.

Buckley didn't have an answer for how 
government would pay for itself in that case. He believes both the 
Republicans and Democrats want too much government.

"The two main 
parties, they only want big government," Buckley said. "They want to 
spend your money in different ways. They both want big government. I 
want to shrink down the size of government. It's getting out of control 
with the level of debt they have, the deficit they have."

Buckley 
is optimistic that if he were to win, even if the other 99 Senators were
 from the two main parties, that he would find ways to help.

"Hopefully,
 my message will spread," Buckley said. "Then, eventually, there will be
 other like minded individuals in Congress. But, there are plenty of 
things that, Republicans and Democrats, that I can speak to both and 
potentially get enough to start the conversation."

For more information on Buckley's campaign, go to his campaign <a href="https://www.jasonbuckley2020.com/">website</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1600343534483.jpeg" alt="Jason Buckley" />
 <figcaption>Jason Buckley</figcaption>
 </figure>By NICK GOSNELL <a href="https://hutchpost.com">Hutch Post</a>HUTCHINSON —&nbsp;Libertarian U.S. Senate candidate Jason Buckley believes government 
should be smaller, to what some people might call an extreme level."I
 definitely want to lower your taxes," Buckley said. "I would like to 
see the federal income tax completely abolished. That will leave more 
money in everyone's pocket.Buckley didn't have an answer for how 
government would pay for itself in that case. He believes both the 
Republicans and Democrats want too much government."The two main 
parties, they only want big government," Buckley said. "They want to 
spend your money in different ways. They both want big government. I 
want to shrink down the size of government. It's getting out of control 
with the level of debt they have, the deficit they have."Buckley 
is optimistic that if he were to win, even if the other 99 Senators were
 from the two main parties, that he would find ways to help."Hopefully,
 my message will spread," Buckley said. "Then, eventually, there will be
 other like minded individuals in Congress. But, there are plenty of 
things that, Republicans and Democrats, that I can speak to both and 
potentially get enough to start the conversation."For more information on Buckley's campaign, go to his campaign <a href="https://www.jasonbuckley2020.com/">website</a>.

Libertarian U.S. Senate candidate calls for abolishment of federal income tax

HUTCHINSON, Kan. —&nbsp;If you're making a last trip for the summer this weekend, filling up at the pump should not get in your way.

"We're looking at the cheapest gas prices at Labor Day weekend since 2016," said Shawn Steward with AAA Kansas. "In terms of the impact from Hurricane Laura, some of the refineries and oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico that had shut down have started operations again. The exceptions are refineries in the Lake Charles, Louisiana area. Overall, though, there's been no major threat to supply or gasoline stocks."

Steward noted that there was plenty of fuel in the system ahead of the storm.

"We've seen some lower demand leading up to the holiday weekend," Steward said. "It's really kept prices stable. We could see a little bit of an uptick for the holiday weekend as people head to the lake or other road trips for the three-day weekend, but we don't see any major jumps in prices at the pump."

In Reno County and Hutchinson, prices are lower than last year, but higher than some points this summer.

"Reno County and Hutchinson are right at about $1.99 a gallon," Steward said Friday. "Overall, if you're traveling in this region, just in our general vicinity, in addition to Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas and Arkansas are all cheaper than we are here in the Sunflower State."

The national average as of Friday night was just under $2.23 a gallon.

By NICK GOSNELLHutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. —&nbsp;If you're making a last trip for the summer this weekend, filling up at the pump should not get in your way."We're looking at the cheapest gas prices at Labor Day weekend since 2016," said Shawn Steward with AAA Kansas. "In terms of the impact from Hurricane Laura, some of the refineries and oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico that had shut down have started operations again. The exceptions are refineries in the Lake Charles, Louisiana area. Overall, though, there's been no major threat to supply or gasoline stocks."Steward noted that there was plenty of fuel in the system ahead of the storm."We've seen some lower demand leading up to the holiday weekend," Steward said. "It's really kept prices stable. We could see a little bit of an uptick for the holiday weekend as people head to the lake or other road trips for the three-day weekend, but we don't see any major jumps in prices at the pump."In Reno County and Hutchinson, prices are lower than last year, but higher than some points this summer."Reno County and Hutchinson are right at about $1.99 a gallon," Steward said Friday. "Overall, if you're traveling in this region, just in our general vicinity, in addition to Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas and Arkansas are all cheaper than we are here in the Sunflower State."The national average as of Friday night was just under $2.23 a gallon.

AAA: Cheapest gas at Labor Day since 2016


HUTCHINSON,
Kan. —&nbsp;U.S. Senator Jerry Moran really isn't sure what the next stimulus bill will look like, or even if one will get passed in light of the upcoming election, though he believes one is necessary.

"We don't know a lot," Moran said. "Republican Senators have been meeting by conference call five days a week for the last about month, meeting with Secretary Mnuchin, the Treasury secretary and with Mark Meadows the President's Chief of Staff, all with the goal of trying to develop a plan that Republicans could get 51 votes for in the Senate. I think, where we are, the negotiations generally were in the hands of the White House and the Democrats in the House and those have gone nowhere."

Moran notes that even full Republican buy in won't be enough on the Senate side.

"That doesn't pass a bill," Moran said. "It takes 60 votes to pass anything. Again, Democrats and Republicans would have to reach an agreement. Then, there's this question, who wants a deal before an election and who doesn't want a deal before an election?"

Just for clarity, it takes 60 votes to invoke cloture, which is what stops debate on a measure and allows it to be voted on. That is what Moran is referring to. It takes just 51 senators to actually pass legislation once it gets to that final vote.

"We should pass something," Moran said. "My view is, it should be significantly smaller than what we did in the past. Already, incidentally, Kansas has received $13.4 billion in COVID relief. That's about two-thirds of the annual state budget in federal taxpayer or federal borrowed money coming to Kansas. I don't have the appetite to spend the trillions of dollars that we've spent in the past."

Moran said government does not have the ability to just keep funding and just keep developing new programs indefinitely.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599242728082.png" alt="Senator Moran during a tour August 28 at Thermo Fisher in Lenexa&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Senator Moran during a tour August 28 at Thermo Fisher in Lenexa&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>
By
NICK GOSNELL
Hutch
Post
HUTCHINSON,
Kan. —&nbsp;U.S. Senator Jerry Moran really isn't sure what the next stimulus bill will look like, or even if one will get passed in light of the upcoming election, though he believes one is necessary."We don't know a lot," Moran said. "Republican Senators have been meeting by conference call five days a week for the last about month, meeting with Secretary Mnuchin, the Treasury secretary and with Mark Meadows the President's Chief of Staff, all with the goal of trying to develop a plan that Republicans could get 51 votes for in the Senate. I think, where we are, the negotiations generally were in the hands of the White House and the Democrats in the House and those have gone nowhere."Moran notes that even full Republican buy in won't be enough on the Senate side."That doesn't pass a bill," Moran said. "It takes 60 votes to pass anything. Again, Democrats and Republicans would have to reach an agreement. Then, there's this question, who wants a deal before an election and who doesn't want a deal before an election?"Just for clarity, it takes 60 votes to invoke cloture, which is what stops debate on a measure and allows it to be voted on. That is what Moran is referring to. It takes just 51 senators to actually pass legislation once it gets to that final vote."We should pass something," Moran said. "My view is, it should be significantly smaller than what we did in the past. Already, incidentally, Kansas has received $13.4 billion in COVID relief. That's about two-thirds of the annual state budget in federal taxpayer or federal borrowed money coming to Kansas. I don't have the appetite to spend the trillions of dollars that we've spent in the past."Moran said government does not have the ability to just keep funding and just keep developing new programs indefinitely.

Moran: A lot we don't know about virus relief negotiations

HUTCHINSON, Kan. —&nbsp;There could be some federal help coming for the Kansas State Fair, according to Kansas First District Congressman Dr. Roger Marshall.

"COVID has impacted the State Fair like most every business," Marshall said. "What we're suggesting is we use the agriculture marketing service, that's part of USDA. Typically, those funds are used for say, down in Mexico or perhaps in Japan or South Korea, trying to sell more beef, more wheat, more pork to those folks. When I think of the State Fair, of course, there's so many fun things. I think of all things fried food and the concerts, but really, its the best agriculture education piece that we do in the state of Kansas."

The Agricultural Fairs Rescue Act will provide $500 million in grant funding for agricultural fairs across the U.S. to ensure the continuation of agriculture-related events and competitions.

"They do a great job marketing and educating consumers," Marshall said. "Consumers want to know where their food comes from. We can share our conservation stories and so many great things."

Local, county and state fairs would all be eligible for funding assistance.

"We'll see where it goes," Marshall said. "We'll do our best. We'll keep fighting for it, but I think it's a great match. This is very bipartisan. We're out now trying to get more legislators to sponsor the bill. We need Democrats and Republicans across the country to do this. I'm fairly optimistic that we can get something like this done."

The Kansas State Fair is holding small events and livestock competitions, but the full-scale fair is off until 2021.

By NICK GOSNELLHutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. —&nbsp;There could be some federal help coming for the Kansas State Fair, according to Kansas First District Congressman Dr. Roger Marshall."COVID has impacted the State Fair like most every business," Marshall said. "What we're suggesting is we use the agriculture marketing service, that's part of USDA. Typically, those funds are used for say, down in Mexico or perhaps in Japan or South Korea, trying to sell more beef, more wheat, more pork to those folks. When I think of the State Fair, of course, there's so many fun things. I think of all things fried food and the concerts, but really, its the best agriculture education piece that we do in the state of Kansas."The Agricultural Fairs Rescue Act will provide $500 million in grant funding for agricultural fairs across the U.S. to ensure the continuation of agriculture-related events and competitions."They do a great job marketing and educating consumers," Marshall said. "Consumers want to know where their food comes from. We can share our conservation stories and so many great things."Local, county and state fairs would all be eligible for funding assistance."We'll see where it goes," Marshall said. "We'll do our best. We'll keep fighting for it, but I think it's a great match. This is very bipartisan. We're out now trying to get more legislators to sponsor the bill. We need Democrats and Republicans across the country to do this. I'm fairly optimistic that we can get something like this done."The Kansas State Fair is holding small events and livestock competitions, but the full-scale fair is off until 2021.

Rep. Marshall: Kansas State Fair could get USDA money


HUTCHINSON —&nbsp;You may be able to hold on to a few more coins at the pump in the coming days, according to AAA Kansas.

"Recent
 trends have us thinking that gas prices may have peaked this year," 
said Shawn Steward with AAA Kansas. "The national average has pushed 
only as high as $2.20 a gallon, the Kansas average top end was $1.98. 
That happened about a month ago. In the last four weeks, motorists have 
been seeing the gas price average slowly decrease."

It looks like there is still more gas in the system than people are using.

"Our
 extremely healthy supply amid lower seasonal demand right now is paving
 the way for one of the lowest annual gas price averages this decade," 
Steward said. "There's a good chance that we've likely seen gas prices 
peak for 2020, barring any major hurricanes or any other disruptions in 
the supply."

In Kansas, prices are below $2 a gallon in most places.

"At
 $1.95 a gallon, Kansas ranks as the 10th cheapest in the U.S.," Steward
 said.

As we get closer to fall, prices typically drop 
once refineries switch from summer to winter blends of gasoline as the 
winter blend is less expensive to refine.

By
NICK GOSNELL <a href="https://hutchpost.com">Hutch Post</a>
HUTCHINSON —&nbsp;You may be able to hold on to a few more coins at the pump in the coming days, according to AAA Kansas."Recent
 trends have us thinking that gas prices may have peaked this year," 
said Shawn Steward with AAA Kansas. "The national average has pushed 
only as high as $2.20 a gallon, the Kansas average top end was $1.98. 
That happened about a month ago. In the last four weeks, motorists have 
been seeing the gas price average slowly decrease."It looks like there is still more gas in the system than people are using."Our
 extremely healthy supply amid lower seasonal demand right now is paving
 the way for one of the lowest annual gas price averages this decade," 
Steward said. "There's a good chance that we've likely seen gas prices 
peak for 2020, barring any major hurricanes or any other disruptions in 
the supply."In Kansas, prices are below $2 a gallon in most places."At
 $1.95 a gallon, Kansas ranks as the 10th cheapest in the U.S.," Steward
 said.As we get closer to fall, prices typically drop 
once refineries switch from summer to winter blends of gasoline as the 
winter blend is less expensive to refine.

AAA Kansas: Gas prices may have peaked, if no supply interruptions


HUTCHINSON —&nbsp;Washburn University political scientist Bob Beatty sees a 
potential opportunity for the Kansas Democratic Party if Republican 
State Treasurer Jake LaTurner wins the Second District seat in Congress 
in November and his office is left vacant.

"The State Treasurer 
job, I looked it up, has been a feeder for people that want to go on to 
higher office," Beatty said. "Going back to Joan Finney from back in the
 day, who went on to become Kansas governor. The treasurer after her, 
Sally Thompson ran for Senate, Tim Shallenburger ran for governor, Lynn 
Jenkins ran for the U.S. House, Ron Estes ran for the U.S. House and now
 Jake LaTurner. It's almost expected that if you're a State Treasurer, 
that really the job is a placeholder and you should be moving on to 
somewhere else."

Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly would get the 
opportunity to appoint someone to the seat and Beatty argues that it's 
an important appointment for the future of the Party.

"Find a Jake
 LaTurner," Beatty said. "Find a Democrat who is ambitious, talented, 
can obviously do the job as State Treasurer, but also is savvy in 
campaigning and in fundraising and can possibly win an election."

A
 couple of young Democrats who might fit that bill are LaTurner's 
opponent in the Second District race, Topeka mayor Michelle De La Isla 
and Wichita mayor Brandon Whipple.

"They really need to be looking
 for somebody who can win an election and not just be a placeholder in 
the seat," Beatty said. "It's tough for Democrats. I would argue, they 
don't need to use this to reward somebody for long years of service. 
That person's not going to win in the next election."

This could 
all be an academic exercise though, as the race between LaTurner and De 
La Isla is too close to call according to the latest polling immediately
 following his primary win.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1597324661682.jpeg" alt="Bob Beatty" />
 <figcaption>Bob Beatty</figcaption>
 </figure>
By
NICK GOSNELL <a href="https://hutchpost.com">Hutch Post</a>
HUTCHINSON —&nbsp;Washburn University political scientist Bob Beatty sees a 
potential opportunity for the Kansas Democratic Party if Republican 
State Treasurer Jake LaTurner wins the Second District seat in Congress 
in November and his office is left vacant."The State Treasurer 
job, I looked it up, has been a feeder for people that want to go on to 
higher office," Beatty said. "Going back to Joan Finney from back in the
 day, who went on to become Kansas governor. The treasurer after her, 
Sally Thompson ran for Senate, Tim Shallenburger ran for governor, Lynn 
Jenkins ran for the U.S. House, Ron Estes ran for the U.S. House and now
 Jake LaTurner. It's almost expected that if you're a State Treasurer, 
that really the job is a placeholder and you should be moving on to 
somewhere else."Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly would get the 
opportunity to appoint someone to the seat and Beatty argues that it's 
an important appointment for the future of the Party."Find a Jake
 LaTurner," Beatty said. "Find a Democrat who is ambitious, talented, 
can obviously do the job as State Treasurer, but also is savvy in 
campaigning and in fundraising and can possibly win an election."A
 couple of young Democrats who might fit that bill are LaTurner's 
opponent in the Second District race, Topeka mayor Michelle De La Isla 
and Wichita mayor Brandon Whipple."They really need to be looking
 for somebody who can win an election and not just be a placeholder in 
the seat," Beatty said. "It's tough for Democrats. I would argue, they 
don't need to use this to reward somebody for long years of service. 
That person's not going to win in the next election."This could 
all be an academic exercise though, as the race between LaTurner and De 
La Isla is too close to call according to the latest polling immediately
 following his primary win.

Beatty: State Treasurer vacancy an opportunity for Democrats

TOPEKA, Kansas – Kansas Department of Corrections (KDOC) Secretary Jeff Zmuda announced Wednesday that a lockdown has been implemented at the Hutchinson Correctional Facility (HCF) Central Unit after testing revealed additional staff and residents as positive for COVID-19.

In total, 84 residents and 10 staff tested positive this week. A total of 99 residents and 17 staff have tested positive since the COVID-19 pandemic began with five residents and seven staff having recovered. All of the positive cases are asymptomatic.

As with all positive cases, the KDOC has been in consultation with officials from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) on next steps to address the active cases at HCF. Additional steps taken today include:

“KDHE has been on site to evaluate the situation and work with us to determine the best course of action,” Zmuda said. “The measures taken today will help mitigate the risk of continued exposure at the facility, helping ensure the health and safety of our staff and residents.”

The Hutchinson Correctional Facility is Kansas’ second-oldest prison and houses 1,884 men. Formerly known as the Kansas State Industrial Reformatory, the facility has three buildings including the Central (all custody levels), East (low-medium custody) and South (minimum custody) units.


HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — There has been a spike in the case count of COVID-19 in Reno County. As of 9 a.m. Wednesday, there are now 105 cases active in the county. The latest numbers are due to a cluster at Hutchinson Correctional Facility.

"They have been doing a lot of testing," said Karen Hammersmith with the Health Department. "The numbers come from a number that came back from their testing. I don't know a whole lot, because we're still in the process of investigating that. The cases that came in overnight, 53 of the 57 cases that changed on the dashboard were related to Hutchinson Correctional Facility. I don't know if those are inmates or employees. We are still doing testing."

Two other clusters also have been identified at Tyson in South Hutchinson and a nursing home in Pretty Prairie. Hammersmith said they may later be able to break the numbers out so people can know which cases are public and which are not, but they aren't that far yet.

"That is something that we may be able to look at on the reporting dashboard, to keep that separate," Hammersmith said. "I think that is probably a good idea if that's something that can be done. I think it would probably be a manual adjustment, but we could do that."

Kansas Department of Health and Environment Secretary Dr. Lee Norman showed concern for what a spike at HCF could mean as one of his justifications for advising for the cancellation of the Kansas State Fair earlier this year.

"Once it gets into prison settings and nursing homes, sometimes those numbers can escalate, especially in a prison where you have so many people living in those close quarters. That's why you always want to watch any virus or disease process that gets there and try to make sure it doesn't have wide spread, but it's very hard not to."

This is the first day since the beginning of the pandemic with over 100 active cases at the same time.

TOPEKA, Kansas – Kansas Department of Corrections (KDOC) Secretary Jeff Zmuda announced Wednesday that a lockdown has been implemented at the Hutchinson Correctional Facility (HCF) Central Unit after testing revealed additional staff and residents as positive for COVID-19.In total, 84 residents and 10 staff tested positive this week. A total of 99 residents and 17 staff have tested positive since the COVID-19 pandemic began with five residents and seven staff having recovered. All of the positive cases are asymptomatic.As with all positive cases, the KDOC has been in consultation with officials from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) on next steps to address the active cases at HCF. Additional steps taken today include:<ul>
 <li>All residents in the Central Unit will remain locked in their cells</li><li>Necessary movement will be done in cohort groups</li><li>Essential resident workers in laundry and food service will continue to operate on a limited schedule</li><li>Some residents may be relocated to Lansing Correctional Facility’s COVID-19 Medical Unit</li>
 </ul>“KDHE has been on site to evaluate the situation and work with us to determine the best course of action,” Zmuda said. “The measures taken today will help mitigate the risk of continued exposure at the facility, helping ensure the health and safety of our staff and residents.”The Hutchinson Correctional Facility is Kansas’ second-oldest prison and houses 1,884 men. Formerly known as the Kansas State Industrial Reformatory, the facility has three buildings including the Central (all custody levels), East (low-medium custody) and South (minimum custody) units.---------
By
NICK GOSNELL
Hutch
Post
HUTCHINSON,
Kan. — There has been a spike in the case count of COVID-19 in Reno County. As of 9 a.m. Wednesday, there are now 105 cases active in the county. The latest numbers are due to a cluster at Hutchinson Correctional Facility."They have been doing a lot of testing," said Karen Hammersmith with the Health Department. "The numbers come from a number that came back from their testing. I don't know a whole lot, because we're still in the process of investigating that. The cases that came in overnight, 53 of the 57 cases that changed on the dashboard were related to Hutchinson Correctional Facility. I don't know if those are inmates or employees. We are still doing testing."Two other clusters also have been identified at Tyson in South Hutchinson and a nursing home in Pretty Prairie. Hammersmith said they may later be able to break the numbers out so people can know which cases are public and which are not, but they aren't that far yet."That is something that we may be able to look at on the reporting dashboard, to keep that separate," Hammersmith said. "I think that is probably a good idea if that's something that can be done. I think it would probably be a manual adjustment, but we could do that."Kansas Department of Health and Environment Secretary Dr. Lee Norman showed concern for what a spike at HCF could mean as one of his justifications for advising for the cancellation of the Kansas State Fair earlier this year."Once it gets into prison settings and nursing homes, sometimes those numbers can escalate, especially in a prison where you have so many people living in those close quarters. That's why you always want to watch any virus or disease process that gets there and try to make sure it doesn't have wide spread, but it's very hard not to."This is the first day since the beginning of the pandemic with over 100 active cases at the same time.

Update: Kan. prison on lockdown due to COVID-19 cases

<a href="https://hutchpost.com">Hutch Post</a>


HUTCHINSON — 
Hutchinson Police issued thanks on Tuesday to a Caney police officer
 who saved one of their trainees from choking at the Kansas Law 
Enforcement Training Center.

In a Facebook post, Caney police said
 the Hutchinson officer turned purple due to lack of air and not being 
able to get the food out of his throat during a meal at the training 
academy.

Caney Officer Joe Elliott, recognized that the fellow 
officer was in serious trouble and performed a Heimlich maneuver on the 
Officer. 

As a result of Officer Elliott's quick actions the 
officers airway was cleared and he was able to breath again.  The 
Officer was transported to an area hospital to be checked out.

The
 Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center near Yoder is the main police 
academy for officers outside the state's largest cities.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1597227277220.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://hutchpost.com">Hutch Post</a>
HUTCHINSON — 
Hutchinson Police issued thanks on Tuesday to a Caney police officer
 who saved one of their trainees from choking at the Kansas Law 
Enforcement Training Center.In a Facebook post, Caney police said
 the Hutchinson officer turned purple due to lack of air and not being 
able to get the food out of his throat during a meal at the training 
academy.Caney Officer Joe Elliott, recognized that the fellow 
officer was in serious trouble and performed a Heimlich maneuver on the 
Officer. As a result of Officer Elliott's quick actions the 
officers airway was cleared and he was able to breath again. The 
Officer was transported to an area hospital to be checked out.The
 Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center near Yoder is the main police 
academy for officers outside the state's largest cities.

Caney officer saves classmate's life at Kan. police academy


HUTCHINSON —&nbsp;Tracey Mann is going to be the Republican nominee for the Kansas 
First District seat in Congress on the November ballot. He understands 
that the legacy of previous First District officeholders will be a 
challenge to obtain.

"That legacy is one of agriculture," Mann 
said. "One of sitting on the House Ag Committee, of representing the 
largest industry in this state, the largest industry in the Big First, 
by far. I'm a farm kid, grew up on a farm, spent hundreds of hours on a 
tractor, combine, worked thousands of head of cattle and excited for the
 opportunity to go and be a voice for Kansas agriculture."

The purse strings are the way Congress is able to hold the executive branch accountable, regardless of who is President.

"Congress
 is who oversees the funding for the EPA and other regulatory agencies,"
 Mann said. "We've got to make sure they're doing what they're supposed 
to but are not overstepping their bounds. Agriculture continues to be 
plagued by a lot of burdensome regulations from the EPA and others. I 
think it's better than it's been, but we still have work to do there."

Mann sees part of his role, should he be elected, to educate urban members on how rural life works.

"We
 have members of the House Ag Committee who have never been on a modern 
family farm, that don't understand what agriculture is like in the year 
2020," Mann said. "They don't understand what it's like to not have a 
good internet connection, what our rural communities go through. It's 
people being willing to advocate for our way of life and for 
agriculture."

Mann will face Democrat Kali Barnett in November.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1595943509943.png" alt="Tracey Mann will face&nbsp;Kali Barnett in the general election" />
 <figcaption>Tracey Mann will face&nbsp;Kali Barnett in the general election</figcaption>
 </figure>
By
NICK GOSNELL <a href="https://hutchpost.com">Hutch Post</a>
HUTCHINSON —&nbsp;Tracey Mann is going to be the Republican nominee for the Kansas 
First District seat in Congress on the November ballot. He understands 
that the legacy of previous First District officeholders will be a 
challenge to obtain."That legacy is one of agriculture," Mann 
said. "One of sitting on the House Ag Committee, of representing the 
largest industry in this state, the largest industry in the Big First, 
by far. I'm a farm kid, grew up on a farm, spent hundreds of hours on a 
tractor, combine, worked thousands of head of cattle and excited for the
 opportunity to go and be a voice for Kansas agriculture."The purse strings are the way Congress is able to hold the executive branch accountable, regardless of who is President."Congress
 is who oversees the funding for the EPA and other regulatory agencies,"
 Mann said. "We've got to make sure they're doing what they're supposed 
to but are not overstepping their bounds. Agriculture continues to be 
plagued by a lot of burdensome regulations from the EPA and others. I 
think it's better than it's been, but we still have work to do there."Mann sees part of his role, should he be elected, to educate urban members on how rural life works."We
 have members of the House Ag Committee who have never been on a modern 
family farm, that don't understand what agriculture is like in the year 
2020," Mann said. "They don't understand what it's like to not have a 
good internet connection, what our rural communities go through. It's 
people being willing to advocate for our way of life and for 
agriculture."Mann will face Democrat Kali Barnett in November.

Mann hopes to keep GOP legacy on ag alive in Big First


HUTCHINSON —&nbsp;Former Kansas Gov. Dr. Jeff Colyer sees the COVID-19 response 
from the state as being more localized than one size fits all.

"We
 don't need to do this as one big sledgehammer," Colyer said. "This is a
 surgical operation. Working by individual county for schools, for 
businesses, is the best way of doing this. That way, you don't close 
down things that don't need to be closed and wear people out."

Colyer
 acknowledges the seriousness of the COVID-19 issue, but it's also 
important to use the new knowledge we're getting about the virus over 
the last several months to guide that response.

"We understand 
about distancing," Colyer said. "You and I are distancing now. You can 
have an interaction. We can work. We've learned so much about 
telehealth. We know how restaurants can work better with having some 
simple barriers and some spacing. There are a lot of things that we can 
do that have a big impact without making everybody sit at home. That's 
the problem. We need to isolate the few to protect the many."

Colyer
 also is confident we will get to therapies that work, but that it's 
likely there will be no single silver bullet for COVID-19.

"I'm 
currently on the scientific board for a company that has a vaccine," 
Colyer said. "We actually begin our human trials here in the next week 
or two. It's going to be important that we get several vaccines. You're 
probably going to need three or four different kind of vaccines to make 
sure they're absolutely safe. Certain vaccines may work better, say, in 
an older population, or another one in kids. Spending a lot of effort on
 that is very important."

Colyer was announced earlier this month 
as a member of the Arcturus Therapeutics Vaccine Platform Scientific 
Advisory Board. The key to the vaccine Arcturus is proposing is that it 
would be a single dose, while other candidates would require booster 
shots to work.

<a href="https://usave.it/1154172/bw-news-special-reports/">Colyer
 had a lot to say, including campaigning for his former Lt. Gov. Tracey 
Mann, who is running for the First District seat in Congress. Click here
 to hear the bonus podcast with Colyer</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1596202109798.jpeg" alt="Colyer" />
 <figcaption>Colyer</figcaption>
 </figure>
By
NICK GOSNELL <a href="https://hutchpost.com">Hutch Post</a>
HUTCHINSON —&nbsp;Former Kansas Gov. Dr. Jeff Colyer sees the COVID-19 response 
from the state as being more localized than one size fits all."We
 don't need to do this as one big sledgehammer," Colyer said. "This is a
 surgical operation. Working by individual county for schools, for 
businesses, is the best way of doing this. That way, you don't close 
down things that don't need to be closed and wear people out."Colyer
 acknowledges the seriousness of the COVID-19 issue, but it's also 
important to use the new knowledge we're getting about the virus over 
the last several months to guide that response."We understand 
about distancing," Colyer said. "You and I are distancing now. You can 
have an interaction. We can work. We've learned so much about 
telehealth. We know how restaurants can work better with having some 
simple barriers and some spacing. There are a lot of things that we can 
do that have a big impact without making everybody sit at home. That's 
the problem. We need to isolate the few to protect the many."Colyer
 also is confident we will get to therapies that work, but that it's 
likely there will be no single silver bullet for COVID-19."I'm 
currently on the scientific board for a company that has a vaccine," 
Colyer said. "We actually begin our human trials here in the next week 
or two. It's going to be important that we get several vaccines. You're 
probably going to need three or four different kind of vaccines to make 
sure they're absolutely safe. Certain vaccines may work better, say, in 
an older population, or another one in kids. Spending a lot of effort on
 that is very important."Colyer was announced earlier this month 
as a member of the Arcturus Therapeutics Vaccine Platform Scientific 
Advisory Board. The key to the vaccine Arcturus is proposing is that it 
would be a single dose, while other candidates would require booster 
shots to work.<a href="https://usave.it/1154172/bw-news-special-reports/">Colyer
 had a lot to say, including campaigning for his former Lt. Gov. Tracey 
Mann, who is running for the First District seat in Congress. Click here
 to hear the bonus podcast with Colyer</a>.

Former Kansas Gov. Colyer talks about COVID-19 response

HUTCHINSON, Kan. —&nbsp;The Kansas State Fair generally pays its bills from the year to year proceeds of the event, but with no 2020 Fair, they're going to need some help.

"We're actually starting a Kansas Cares About the Fair campaign through the Kansas Fairgrounds Foundation," said Interim General Manager David Tobias. "We need support from our Fair friends and businesses to secure the future of the fair, for the generations to come."

The Kansas Legislature has not kept up its end of the bargain on maintenance of fair buildings in previous years, but it's not clear if they will give any support to the fair in the coming session.

"Most people love the fair, you know," Tobias said. "They want to give and they want to support it. It's in our community. It has a great economic impact. In a 60 mile radius of Hutchinson, it's a $40 million impact."

If the fair doesn't get either substantial gifts or state help, letting staff go either temporarily or permanently is on the table.

"We're definitely going to need additional funding to sustain our staff, to keep our staff," Tobias said. "That's something we all don't want. We don't want to let anybody go or have to furlough, but these are unprecedented times in the world and in Kansas. You know, we have to do what we have to do to keep a business alive."

The 2021 Kansas State Fair is scheduled for September 10-19.

By NICK GOSNELLHutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. —&nbsp;The Kansas State Fair generally pays its bills from the year to year proceeds of the event, but with no 2020 Fair, they're going to need some help."We're actually starting a Kansas Cares About the Fair campaign through the Kansas Fairgrounds Foundation," said Interim General Manager David Tobias. "We need support from our Fair friends and businesses to secure the future of the fair, for the generations to come."The Kansas Legislature has not kept up its end of the bargain on maintenance of fair buildings in previous years, but it's not clear if they will give any support to the fair in the coming session."Most people love the fair, you know," Tobias said. "They want to give and they want to support it. It's in our community. It has a great economic impact. In a 60 mile radius of Hutchinson, it's a $40 million impact."If the fair doesn't get either substantial gifts or state help, letting staff go either temporarily or permanently is on the table."We're definitely going to need additional funding to sustain our staff, to keep our staff," Tobias said. "That's something we all don't want. We don't want to let anybody go or have to furlough, but these are unprecedented times in the world and in Kansas. You know, we have to do what we have to do to keep a business alive."The 2021 Kansas State Fair is scheduled for September 10-19.

Kansas State Fair is going to need help to secure its future


HUTCHINSON —&nbsp;The Kansas State Board of Education voted on Wednesday morning 
deadlocked 5-5 not to allow Governor Laura Kelly to delay the opening of
 schools until after Labor Day. Board member Ben Jones of Sterling notes
 that are still several hurdles for districts to start school, but he 
didn't want to see a one-size-fits-all solution.

"The timeline to 
achieve this is much different for different districts," Jones said. 
"Smaller districts can do this in a quicker way as they have smaller 
staff and a smaller area to cover in terms of personnel." 

Jones 
also is concerned that this would set a precedent for centralized 
control over the school year that he believes the board had been trying 
to avoid.

"We will address the closures, not statewide, but by 
area, where they are spiking," Jones said. "It will be different times 
in different places. COVID-19 is real. It is not fake. I have discussed 
this with survivors of COVID-19. But, I urge my colleagues, and 
listening to the many, many varied opinions from my district, I believe 
that the right thing to do is to turn down the executive order and to 
give local districts the time to operate within their own timelines."

It now falls to the local school boards to decide whether or not they will change their opening dates.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1595441182608.jpeg" alt="Ben Jones" />
 <figcaption>Ben Jones</figcaption>
 </figure>
By
NICK GOSNELL <a href="https://hutchpost.com">Hutch Post</a>
HUTCHINSON —&nbsp;The Kansas State Board of Education voted on Wednesday morning 
deadlocked 5-5 not to allow Governor Laura Kelly to delay the opening of
 schools until after Labor Day. Board member Ben Jones of Sterling notes
 that are still several hurdles for districts to start school, but he 
didn't want to see a one-size-fits-all solution."The timeline to 
achieve this is much different for different districts," Jones said. 
"Smaller districts can do this in a quicker way as they have smaller 
staff and a smaller area to cover in terms of personnel." Jones 
also is concerned that this would set a precedent for centralized 
control over the school year that he believes the board had been trying 
to avoid."We will address the closures, not statewide, but by 
area, where they are spiking," Jones said. "It will be different times 
in different places. COVID-19 is real. It is not fake. I have discussed 
this with survivors of COVID-19. But, I urge my colleagues, and 
listening to the many, many varied opinions from my district, I believe 
that the right thing to do is to turn down the executive order and to 
give local districts the time to operate within their own timelines."It now falls to the local school boards to decide whether or not they will change their opening dates.

State board member: No one-size-fits-all solution for Kan. schools


HUTCHINSON — 
David Tobias, director of operations for the Kansas State Fair, has been named the agency’s interim general manager.

The
 Kansas State Fair Board unanimously approved Tobias’ promotion at a 
special board meeting Tuesday. The decision comes following the July 14 
resignation of Robin Jennison. Jennison had held the job since September
 2018.

Tobias joined the Fair in 2011 and has held several 
positions during his tenure. As the operations director, he oversaw 
operations and human resources, plus spent time working with the 
maintenance team on long-term strategic initiatives.

The Fair 
Board chose Tobias to help guide the staff through a transitional time, 
which includes the cancelation of the September fair and the lack of 
anticipated revenue. 

“As this pandemic has been rough on all 
Kansans and fellow fairs, we are continuing with plans for a special 
livestock event in September as the youth of Kansas look forward to 
showcasing what they have been working hard on all year,” Tobias said. 
“The Kansas State Fair will continue to seek out revenue-generating 
options during the non-fair period to bring back the Kansas State Fair 
in 2021.”

Tobias grew up on a farm near Lyons. He has a bachelor 
of crop sciences degree from Fort Hays State University. He and his wife
 have two children.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1595358852132.jpeg" alt="Tobias" />
 <figcaption>Tobias</figcaption>
 </figure>Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON — 
David Tobias, director of operations for the Kansas State Fair, has been named the agency’s interim general manager.The
 Kansas State Fair Board unanimously approved Tobias’ promotion at a 
special board meeting Tuesday. The decision comes following the July 14 
resignation of Robin Jennison. Jennison had held the job since September
 2018.Tobias joined the Fair in 2011 and has held several 
positions during his tenure. As the operations director, he oversaw 
operations and human resources, plus spent time working with the 
maintenance team on long-term strategic initiatives.The Fair 
Board chose Tobias to help guide the staff through a transitional time, 
which includes the cancelation of the September fair and the lack of 
anticipated revenue. “As this pandemic has been rough on all 
Kansans and fellow fairs, we are continuing with plans for a special 
livestock event in September as the youth of Kansas look forward to 
showcasing what they have been working hard on all year,” Tobias said. 
“The Kansas State Fair will continue to seek out revenue-generating 
options during the non-fair period to bring back the Kansas State Fair 
in 2021.”Tobias grew up on a farm near Lyons. He has a bachelor 
of crop sciences degree from Fort Hays State University. He and his wife
 have two children.

FHSU grad named interim director of Kansas State Fair

By
NICK GOSNELL <a href="https://hutchpost.com">Hutch Post</a>


HUTCHINSON —&nbsp;The July Rural Mainstreet Index from Creighton University was 
released and July’s reading represented the fourth straight month with a
 reading indicating recessionary economic conditions.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1595014550898.jpeg" alt="Goss" />
 <figcaption>Goss</figcaption>
 </figure>By
NICK GOSNELL <a href="https://hutchpost.com">Hutch Post</a>
HUTCHINSON —&nbsp;The July Rural Mainstreet Index from Creighton University was 
released and July’s reading represented the fourth straight month with a
 reading indicating recessionary economic conditions."This, of 
course, is a survey of bank CEOs in rural areas of 10 states, including
 Kansas," said economist Ernie Goss. "I'd say we're crawling out of the 
economic downturn. We're still well below pre-COVID-19 levels. For 
example, in the overall region, we're down about 8 to 8 and a half 
percent in terms of jobs. Kansas number is about around 6% below COVID 
level. We're crawling out of it, but we've still got a long way to go."From an economic perspective, Goss sees the actions of some officials as having a negative effect."Across
 the nation, we have decision makers, political decision makers locking 
down again," Goss said. "In my judgment, data suggests that's not the 
way to go. In other words, it definitely increases unemployment rates 
and yet, I've found it doesn't have that much of an impact on, believe 
it or not, COVID-19 death rates or infection rates."Business is slowing down, even in the areas where there aren't as many people."Thirty-eight percent&nbsp; said they had declines in customers coming in to the bank," Goss said. 
"That's quite significant. Also, one-third said that farmers had cut 
back on their loan outs. That's a pretty big number. All in all, it's 
having a much bigger impact in urban areas, but still, in rural areas 
it's having some fairly significant impacts, as well."The overall
 index for July climbed to 44.1, well below growth neutral, but up from 
June’s 37.9 and April’s record low 12.1. The index ranges between 0 and 
100 with a reading of 50.0 representing growth neutral.