At 4p.m. Saturday Hutchinson Fire Chief Steve Beer provided an update.

Shortly before 9:30 Saturday, fire crews were called to Steffens
Auto Parts, near Avenue E and Main Street,  on the report of a natural gas odor. Officials say that the initial units
to the scene witnessed the building exploding. 

Crews say that the occupants in the structure were out of
the building. 

The fire was being fed by a 10-inch natural gas line. Officials
say that the body of the fire is under control, but the street caught fire due to the gas leak.&nbsp; 

Hutchinson Fire Department crews were forced to take a
defensive stance and used unmanned water streams to fight the fire.&nbsp; 

Mayor Stacy Goss said that all the City of Hutchinson fire
crews are deployed along with crews from Reno County Fire District Number 3,
Buhler and South Hutchinson fire departments. 

The area between Avenue A and Frank Hart Crossing and Popular
Street and Adams Street are currently under an evacuation.&nbsp; 

There has been an evacuation and warming center set up at
the Salvation which is located at 700 North Walnut. 

Kansas Gas and Evergy have crews on the scene monitoring the
evacuated buildings. Kansas Gas released a statement to Hutch Post:

“Our crews have responded to 428 S. Main in Hutchinson,
Kansas and are working with the Hutchison Fire Department and local emergency
responders. More information will be released once officials have completed
their investigation.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The primary concern of Kansas Gas Service is safety. As a
precautionary measure, the area around the location is being isolated and
secured.&nbsp;

Officials told member of the community, if you smell natural gas, leave the area immediately then
call 911 and our Emergency Line 888-482-4950. Do not use any electrical
equipment such as phones, garage doors, or light switches until you are a safe
distance away from the odor.”

Check the Post for additional information as it becomes available. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740255614106.jpeg" alt="Photo Courtesy Hutchinson Fire Department " />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Hutchinson Fire Department </figcaption>
 </figure>At 4p.m. Saturday Hutchinson Fire Chief Steve Beer provided an update.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FHutchinsonFireDept%2Fposts%2Fpfbid0V9fN3uxRBABUbmwp4EuBNz4m369n4epbxmGBdcdyK3Lz85oheuEMzTfuRseBejMZl&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="997" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>Shortly before 9:30 Saturday, fire crews were called to Steffens
Auto Parts, near Avenue E and Main Street, on the report of a natural gas odor. Officials say that the initial units
to the scene witnessed the building exploding. <figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740258355524.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Crews say that the occupants in the structure were out of
the building. The fire was being fed by a 10-inch natural gas line. Officials
say that the body of the fire is under control, but the street caught fire due to the gas leak.&nbsp; Hutchinson Fire Department crews were forced to take a
defensive stance and used unmanned water streams to fight the fire.&nbsp; Mayor Stacy Goss said that all the City of Hutchinson fire
crews are deployed along with crews from Reno County Fire District Number 3,
Buhler and South Hutchinson fire departments. <div><iframe title="Mayor Fire Presser" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=s9ejx-1811a48-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=60a0c8&font-color=&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=ff6d00" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>The area between Avenue A and Frank Hart Crossing and Popular
Street and Adams Street are currently under an evacuation.&nbsp; There has been an evacuation and warming center set up at
the Salvation which is located at 700 North Walnut. Kansas Gas and Evergy have crews on the scene monitoring the
evacuated buildings. Kansas Gas released a statement to Hutch Post:“Our crews have responded to 428 S. Main in Hutchinson,
Kansas and are working with the Hutchison Fire Department and local emergency
responders. More information will be released once officials have completed
their investigation.&nbsp;&nbsp;The primary concern of Kansas Gas Service is safety. As a
precautionary measure, the area around the location is being isolated and
secured.&nbsp;Officials told member of the community, if you smell natural gas, leave the area immediately then
call 911 and our Emergency Line 888-482-4950. Do not use any electrical
equipment such as phones, garage doors, or light switches until you are a safe
distance away from the odor.”Check the Post for additional information as it becomes available.

Fire evacuation order in Hutchinson after gas leak, building explosion

Wendell Payton, the man accused in fatal fire that killed 32-year-old Kelsey Payton, and a juvenile made his first appearance in Reno County District Court Thursday and was formally charged with two counts of first-degree murder, one count of aggravated arson and one count of aggravated endangering a child, and two counts of interference with a law enforcement officer.&nbsp;

Court records show that Payton is alleged to have concealed, destroyed or altered evidence. &nbsp;Records also show that he gave false information when questioned by police. &nbsp;

&nbsp;Just before 3:30a.m.&nbsp; Saturday, crews were dispatched to a fire at a home in the 1000 block of East 3rd Street in Hutchinson with possible people trapped, according to a media release.

First responders&nbsp; located four individuals at the residence. Two of the individuals 32-year-old Kalsey M. Payton and one juvenile female were found deceased. The other two individuals 37-year-old Wendell Payton and one juvenile female, were transported to Hutchinson Regional Medical Center, and later to Saint Francis in Wichita. The girl&nbsp; was later released from the hospital. Police arrested Payton.

He has a bond modification hearing scheduled for Friday and a waiver status hearing on March 5.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1738764384897.png" alt="Payton -photo Reno Co." />
 <figcaption>Payton -photo Reno Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>MARC JACOBS Hutch PostWendell Payton, the man accused in fatal fire that killed 32-year-old Kelsey Payton, and a juvenile made his first appearance in Reno County District Court Thursday and was formally charged with two counts of first-degree murder, one count of aggravated arson and one count of aggravated endangering a child, and two counts of interference with a law enforcement officer.&nbsp;Court records show that Payton is alleged to have concealed, destroyed or altered evidence. &nbsp;Records also show that he gave false information when questioned by police. &nbsp;&nbsp;Just before 3:30a.m.&nbsp; Saturday, crews were dispatched to a fire at a home in the 1000 block of East 3rd Street in Hutchinson with possible people trapped, according to a media release.First responders&nbsp; located four individuals at the residence. Two of the individuals 32-year-old Kalsey M. Payton and one juvenile female were found deceased. The other two individuals 37-year-old Wendell Payton and one juvenile female, were transported to Hutchinson Regional Medical Center, and later to Saint Francis in Wichita. The girl&nbsp; was later released from the hospital. Police arrested Payton.He has a bond modification hearing scheduled for Friday and a waiver status hearing on March 5.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Kan. man accused in fire that killed woman, child makes court appearance

By MARC JACOBS Hutch Post

On Wednesday evening Dr. David Gleason, the president of Hutchinson Clinic on a Facebook post accused Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas of blocking information from the clinic.

You can find the video on their Facebook Page. Below is the transcript of the video.&nbsp;

"Hi. I'm David Gleason, president of the Hutchinson clinic. We would first like to express our sincere gratitude to all the businesses, organizations and individual patients who have made the commitment to ensure the Hutchinson clinic remains your in network provider for our Blue Cross Blue Shield patients, we want to reassure you that we are fully dedicated to the high quality care that you've come to expect from the Hutchinson clinic."

"However, we do need to inform you of a recent development Blue Cross Blue Shield has currently blocking information from the Hutchinson clinic, making it difficult for us to provide the necessary medical authorizations as well as the accurate financial estimates we have promised to provide to you for your next appointment."

"We find it deeply concerning that an insurance company would prevent you as a patient from knowing how much your care will cost from the provider or physician of your choice, we remain committed to working with you through this process as we ask for your patience as we navigate these challenges. In the meantime, please continue to reach out to our patient advocacy center. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact or if you need assistance, thank you for your understanding and continued support."

Hutch Post reached out to Blue Cross Blue Shield for their comment.&nbsp; Kristi Zears, manager of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas sent us the below statement.&nbsp;

"Hutchinson Clinic chose to terminate their contract with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas, effective Jan. 1, 2025. They are now considered out-of-network providers."

"Being out-of-network means there are certain things they no longer have access to, such as our members’ private health information. &nbsp;This is, and has been our policy, which safeguards and preserves the confidentiality of our members."

"This policy has been communicated to the Hutchinson Clinic administration over the last&nbsp;two years, beginning in September 2023. &nbsp;It has also been shared in our FAQs and related documents available on bcbsks.com/hutch-clinic. We have shared this information with members and the public through direct communication and marketing channels over the last several months."

"We encourage our members to contact us directly with any questions. Our Kansas-based customer service team stands ready to provide assistance."

By MARC JACOBS Hutch Post On Wednesday evening Dr. David Gleason, the president of Hutchinson Clinic on a Facebook post accused Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas of blocking information from the clinic.You can find the video on their Facebook Page. Below is the transcript of the video.&nbsp;"Hi. I'm David Gleason, president of the Hutchinson clinic. We would first like to express our sincere gratitude to all the businesses, organizations and individual patients who have made the commitment to ensure the Hutchinson clinic remains your in network provider for our Blue Cross Blue Shield patients, we want to reassure you that we are fully dedicated to the high quality care that you've come to expect from the Hutchinson clinic.""However, we do need to inform you of a recent development Blue Cross Blue Shield has currently blocking information from the Hutchinson clinic, making it difficult for us to provide the necessary medical authorizations as well as the accurate financial estimates we have promised to provide to you for your next appointment.""We find it deeply concerning that an insurance company would prevent you as a patient from knowing how much your care will cost from the provider or physician of your choice, we remain committed to working with you through this process as we ask for your patience as we navigate these challenges. In the meantime, please continue to reach out to our patient advocacy center. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact or if you need assistance, thank you for your understanding and continued support."Hutch Post reached out to Blue Cross Blue Shield for their comment.&nbsp; Kristi Zears, manager of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas sent us the below statement.&nbsp;"Hutchinson Clinic chose to terminate their contract with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas, effective Jan. 1, 2025. They are now considered out-of-network providers.""Being out-of-network means there are certain things they no longer have access to, such as our members’ private health information. &nbsp;This is, and has been our policy, which safeguards and preserves the confidentiality of our members.""This policy has been communicated to the Hutchinson Clinic administration over the last&nbsp;two years, beginning in September 2023. &nbsp;It has also been shared in our FAQs and related documents available on bcbsks.com/hutch-clinic. We have shared this information with members and the public through direct communication and marketing channels over the last several months.""We encourage our members to contact us directly with any questions. Our Kansas-based customer service team stands ready to provide assistance."

Hutch Clinic says BCBS Kansas is withholding information

The year in review: Influential people who died in 2024

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Hutchinson Fire Station 1 at 2222 North Main officially dedicated the first Safe Haven Baby Box in Kansas on Thursday morning.

"Chris Cooper from the hospital lined up a meeting right away to get us kicked off and what we can do and look at some fundraising opportunities," said Hutchinson Fire Chief Steven Beer. "Within the first few days, we had a donation for $25,000, I think it was, just with one organization, which was huge to get this project going. With that, numerous other meetings have happened, then finally we get to the point where we order the baby box, the Safe Haven Baby Box, it gets delivered here, and we have to install it into our brand new fire station. It would have been nice if we would have known this when we built this thing here a few years ago, but that was obviously not the case."

This is where another local business stepped in to help.

"Wiens Construction donated all their time and labor to install the baby box that you see now in the building," Beer said. "That was a huge cost savings of probably $7,000, $8,000 to do that. We want to thank them for stepping up and helping us, and really too, for the community, our citizens, the emails, the phone calls, the texts, the donations that we received from our community has been priceless too."

Monica Kelsey with Safe Haven Baby Boxes was complimentary of the way the box has been made ready to go.

"Getting to know these guys and working with them, they have crossed every T and that nothing has went outside of them making sure that it was done and done correctly," Kelsey said. "We did just test the box. It went off flawlessly. They've got it down to three minutes. Our protocol is five minutes or less, so they're well within that range and if a baby is surrendered here, this baby is going to be in great hands with these guys."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1733419622838.jpeg" alt="Safe Haven Baby Box-Photo by Nick Gosnell" />
 <figcaption>Safe Haven Baby Box-Photo by Nick Gosnell</figcaption>
 </figure>NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — Hutchinson Fire Station 1 at 2222 North Main officially dedicated the first Safe Haven Baby Box in Kansas on Thursday morning.<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0DeUjHZLue8?si=LJe5oHBIUk6GsdDA&amp;start=16" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>"Chris Cooper from the hospital lined up a meeting right away to get us kicked off and what we can do and look at some fundraising opportunities," said Hutchinson Fire Chief Steven Beer. "Within the first few days, we had a donation for $25,000, I think it was, just with one organization, which was huge to get this project going. With that, numerous other meetings have happened, then finally we get to the point where we order the baby box, the Safe Haven Baby Box, it gets delivered here, and we have to install it into our brand new fire station. It would have been nice if we would have known this when we built this thing here a few years ago, but that was obviously not the case."This is where another local business stepped in to help."Wiens Construction donated all their time and labor to install the baby box that you see now in the building," Beer said. "That was a huge cost savings of probably $7,000, $8,000 to do that. We want to thank them for stepping up and helping us, and really too, for the community, our citizens, the emails, the phone calls, the texts, the donations that we received from our community has been priceless too."Monica Kelsey with Safe Haven Baby Boxes was complimentary of the way the box has been made ready to go."Getting to know these guys and working with them, they have crossed every T and that nothing has went outside of them making sure that it was done and done correctly," Kelsey said. "We did just test the box. It went off flawlessly. They've got it down to three minutes. Our protocol is five minutes or less, so they're well within that range and if a baby is surrendered here, this baby is going to be in great hands with these guys."

🎥 Another Safe Haven baby box available at fire station in Kansas

HUTCHINSON, Kan. —&nbsp;Shawn Steward with AAA Kansas notes that the seasonal tumble of prices at the pump is happening again in 2024.

"We've been in a trend here the last several weeks of gas prices falling back as well, Steward said. "We've seen a decline in the past week here in Kansas of three cents. We're now at $2.78 a gallon for the average price, and if you're filling up in Reno County, you've got the lowest price in Kansas at $2.59 a gallon. So 20 states right now across the country are sub-$3 on their average gas price."

"During the summer, there are government regulations that require a summer blend of gasoline that is less susceptible to creating air pollution," Steward said. "That's more expensive to produce, and that's required to be in the gas pumps during the summer months. But when we get into the fall, we go back to the so-called winter blend, and that usually knocks prices down a little bit, because it is less expensive to refine."

The parts of the U.S. with offshore oil have generally been spared the worst of hurricane damage this season, as well.

"The major refineries in the Gulf have generally stayed free of any damage or outages," Steward said. "When there is a hurricane that comes through, it can knock out power in that area. Gas pumps obviously can't work if there's no power. So we've seen some of that in the southeast U.S. But fortunately, no refining production operations have been impacted in any serious way."

For the latest information on gas prices, go to&nbsp;<a href="https://gasprices.aaa.com/?state=KS">gasprices.aaa.com</a>.

NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. —&nbsp;Shawn Steward with AAA Kansas notes that the seasonal tumble of prices at the pump is happening again in 2024."We've been in a trend here the last several weeks of gas prices falling back as well, Steward said. "We've seen a decline in the past week here in Kansas of three cents. We're now at $2.78 a gallon for the average price, and if you're filling up in Reno County, you've got the lowest price in Kansas at $2.59 a gallon. So 20 states right now across the country are sub-$3 on their average gas price.""During the summer, there are government regulations that require a summer blend of gasoline that is less susceptible to creating air pollution," Steward said. "That's more expensive to produce, and that's required to be in the gas pumps during the summer months. But when we get into the fall, we go back to the so-called winter blend, and that usually knocks prices down a little bit, because it is less expensive to refine."The parts of the U.S. with offshore oil have generally been spared the worst of hurricane damage this season, as well."The major refineries in the Gulf have generally stayed free of any damage or outages," Steward said. "When there is a hurricane that comes through, it can knock out power in that area. Gas pumps obviously can't work if there's no power. So we've seen some of that in the southeast U.S. But fortunately, no refining production operations have been impacted in any serious way."For the latest information on gas prices, go to&nbsp;<a href="https://gasprices.aaa.com/?state=KS">gasprices.aaa.com</a>.

Gas prices fall back ahead of switch to standard time

MCPHERSON— Tucky Allen with KansasWorkforceONE confirmed to Hutch Post Thursday morning that there have been layoffs at Pfizer in McPherson and that it was a reduction of 80 workers between Wednesday and Thursday.&nbsp;

Allen said he would be meeting with those who were laid off&nbsp; and provided dislocated worker services and will be hosting a Q &amp; A next week for the affected employees.

This action does not affect production. These were professional/salaried positions.&nbsp;The McPherson, Kansas site specializes in manufacturing sterile injectable medicines used daily in hospitals around the world, according to the company web site.

This job action follows layoffs for the drugmaker in Ireland this fall, amid larger cost cutting measures.

MCPHERSON— Tucky Allen with KansasWorkforceONE confirmed to Hutch Post Thursday morning that there have been layoffs at Pfizer in McPherson and that it was a reduction of 80 workers between Wednesday and Thursday.&nbsp;Allen said he would be meeting with those who were laid off&nbsp; and provided dislocated worker services and will be hosting a Q &amp; A next week for the affected employees.This action does not affect production. These were professional/salaried positions.&nbsp;The McPherson, Kansas site specializes in manufacturing sterile injectable medicines used daily in hospitals around the world, according to the company web site.This job action follows layoffs for the drugmaker in Ireland this fall, amid larger cost cutting measures.

Layoffs at manufacturing plant in McPherson

<a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/fball/2024-25/boxscores/20240928_dk69.xml">BOX SCORE</a>

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The No. 1-ranked Hutchinson Community College football team put the scoreboard to work in a 99-0 romp over Ellsworth Community College on Saturday at Gowans Stadium.

The 99 points are the most-ever scored in a Blue Dragon single-game and tie for the most-ever points scored in a NJCAA Division I football game.

Hutchinson (4-0) scored on its first play from scrimmage, a 58-yard scamper by quarterback Samari Collier. The Collier touchdown was the first of eight rushing touchdowns in the win.&nbsp;

Waymond Jordan Jr. finished the game with nine carries for 171 yards and four scores, Julius Bolden eight carries for 80 yards and a score, and Titus Petteway four carries for 67 yards and two touchdowns.

Ben Prosper hauled in two passes for 54 yards and two touchdowns, while Dwayne Moorehead had two catches for 15 yards, Tre Brown with one catch for 15 yards and a score, and Kordell Gouldsby one catch for 19 yards.

The Blue Dragons scored 24 points in the first quarter, 35 in the second, 14 in the third and 26 in the final period.&nbsp;

The Blue Dragons ran 57 plays for 591 yards, 40 of the 57 plays were rushing attempts, which the Blue Dragons gashed the Panthers defense for 469 yards.

The Hutchinson defense also joined in on the scoring, recording two interception returns for a touchdown, one by David Jester and the other from MJ Graham. HutchCC held Ellsworth to 100 yards on 83 plays.

The Blue Dragons defense matched its season-total of seven quarterback sacks, while recording 17 tackles for loss in the win.&nbsp;

HutchCC will host Dodge City (3-2) on Saturday at Gowans Stadium with kickoff scheduled for noon.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1727558743422.jpeg" alt="Hutch Post Photo/Sean Boston" />
 <figcaption>Hutch Post Photo/Sean Boston</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://bluedragonsports.com/sports/fball/2024-25/boxscores/20240928_dk69.xml">BOX SCORE</a>HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The No. 1-ranked Hutchinson Community College football team put the scoreboard to work in a 99-0 romp over Ellsworth Community College on Saturday at Gowans Stadium.The 99 points are the most-ever scored in a Blue Dragon single-game and tie for the most-ever points scored in a NJCAA Division I football game.Hutchinson (4-0) scored on its first play from scrimmage, a 58-yard scamper by quarterback Samari Collier. The Collier touchdown was the first of eight rushing touchdowns in the win.&nbsp;Waymond Jordan Jr. finished the game with nine carries for 171 yards and four scores, Julius Bolden eight carries for 80 yards and a score, and Titus Petteway four carries for 67 yards and two touchdowns.Ben Prosper hauled in two passes for 54 yards and two touchdowns, while Dwayne Moorehead had two catches for 15 yards, Tre Brown with one catch for 15 yards and a score, and Kordell Gouldsby one catch for 19 yards.The Blue Dragons scored 24 points in the first quarter, 35 in the second, 14 in the third and 26 in the final period.&nbsp;The Blue Dragons ran 57 plays for 591 yards, 40 of the 57 plays were rushing attempts, which the Blue Dragons gashed the Panthers defense for 469 yards.The Hutchinson defense also joined in on the scoring, recording two interception returns for a touchdown, one by David Jester and the other from MJ Graham. HutchCC held Ellsworth to 100 yards on 83 plays.The Blue Dragons defense matched its season-total of seven quarterback sacks, while recording 17 tackles for loss in the win.&nbsp;HutchCC will host Dodge City (3-2) on Saturday at Gowans Stadium with kickoff scheduled for noon.

🏈 No. 1 Hutchinson scores school-record 99 points in thumping of Ellsworth

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — As part of his town hall meeting in Dillon Hall in the Encampment Building at the Kansas State Fair Saturday night, Kansas U.S. Senator Dr. Roger Marshall said he's been trying to get a bill voted on to require proof of citizenship at the federal level, and he gave an update on that.

"Chuck Schumer is not going to let us even vote for it on the Senate," Marshall said. "The House has already passed it, and they've attached it to the year end funding. Again, I'm trying not to bore you with all the politics of this. But the government's going to run out of money at the end of September. So they were trying to use that as leverage, saying, OK, we've got to pass funding to the government. Let's attach this bill to it that requires proof of citizenship when you register to vote. Chuck Schumer has had a fit and says he's going to blame the Republicans if we shut the government down, so I'm afraid it's stuck."

Ultimately, they have to pass a funding bill, but it's probably going to be a continuing resolution until the new Congress is seated.

"We're trying to keep the government open," Marshall said. "The fiscal year ends on September 30th. It's always disappointing to me that we get up to these strike midnight moments and we haven't done anything yet with it. Again, that's preplanned, though. This is exactly what Chuck Schumer wants. This is what the White House wants. They want to write the funding for the next year. I think where Republicans are at this point is to do what we would call a continuing resolution and fund it from now until the end of December and see what happens with the elections."

Marshall is hopeful that Republicans can win the White House and retain control in the House while getting control of the Senate.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726367189127.png" alt="Senator Roger Marshall&nbsp;at State Fair Town Hall-Photo by Nick Gosnell" />
 <figcaption>Senator Roger Marshall&nbsp;at State Fair Town Hall-Photo by Nick Gosnell</figcaption>
 </figure>NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — As part of his town hall meeting in Dillon Hall in the Encampment Building at the Kansas State Fair Saturday night, Kansas U.S. Senator Dr. Roger Marshall said he's been trying to get a bill voted on to require proof of citizenship at the federal level, and he gave an update on that."Chuck Schumer is not going to let us even vote for it on the Senate," Marshall said. "The House has already passed it, and they've attached it to the year end funding. Again, I'm trying not to bore you with all the politics of this. But the government's going to run out of money at the end of September. So they were trying to use that as leverage, saying, OK, we've got to pass funding to the government. Let's attach this bill to it that requires proof of citizenship when you register to vote. Chuck Schumer has had a fit and says he's going to blame the Republicans if we shut the government down, so I'm afraid it's stuck."Ultimately, they have to pass a funding bill, but it's probably going to be a continuing resolution until the new Congress is seated."We're trying to keep the government open," Marshall said. "The fiscal year ends on September 30th. It's always disappointing to me that we get up to these strike midnight moments and we haven't done anything yet with it. Again, that's preplanned, though. This is exactly what Chuck Schumer wants. This is what the White House wants. They want to write the funding for the next year. I think where Republicans are at this point is to do what we would call a continuing resolution and fund it from now until the end of December and see what happens with the elections."Marshall is hopeful that Republicans can win the White House and retain control in the House while getting control of the Senate.

Senator Marshall holds Town Hall at the Kansas State Fair 

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Heading into the final weekend of the Kansas State Fair, the numbers have been solid thus far.

At Friday morning's Kansas State Fair Board meeting, General Manager Bryan Schulz said attendance through Thursday was over 220,000, with big days expected for Chiefs Red Friday and the Riley Green concert Saturday night.

The carnival is also ahead of last year's pace on money collections, with a strong Monday due to area kids being out of school really helping this year.

Speaking of the Riley Green concert, Schulz expects that to be the largest attendance in a few years, with over 7,000 expected on Saturday night.

The hope is that they can get strong walk-up numbers for Pop Evil Friday night and that the weather is not too warm and they can get strong numbers for the Sunday afternoon Oak Ridge Boys concert to close out the fair.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1725972052496.jpeg" alt="Kansas State Fair Midway-Photo by Pat James" />
 <figcaption>Kansas State Fair Midway-Photo by Pat James</figcaption>
 </figure>NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — Heading into the final weekend of the Kansas State Fair, the numbers have been solid thus far.At Friday morning's Kansas State Fair Board meeting, General Manager Bryan Schulz said attendance through Thursday was over 220,000, with big days expected for Chiefs Red Friday and the Riley Green concert Saturday night.The carnival is also ahead of last year's pace on money collections, with a strong Monday due to area kids being out of school really helping this year.Speaking of the Riley Green concert, Schulz expects that to be the largest attendance in a few years, with over 7,000 expected on Saturday night.The hope is that they can get strong walk-up numbers for Pop Evil Friday night and that the weather is not too warm and they can get strong numbers for the Sunday afternoon Oak Ridge Boys concert to close out the fair.

Attendance numbers good headed into final weekend of the State Fair 

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Kansas Tourism unveiled its Mobile Visitor Center (MVC) on Thursday at the Kansas State Fair with a ribbon cutting inside the Pride of Kansas building.

The MVC will attend major sporting events, fairs, trade shows and festivals in and out of the state to help attract guests to visit Kansas.

Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland and&nbsp;Kansas Department of Transportation Secretary Calvin Reed joined Kansas Tourism Director Bridgette Jobe at the event on Thursday.

“Kansas is home to endless views, unique geography, one of a kind sights, vibrant communities and amazing people," Reed said. "Whether its a road trip that takes you to the Gypsum Hills, a treasure hunt on US-36, a camping trip to one of our many beautiful lakes, or hiking and biking on over 800 miles of biking and pedestrian trails in our state, Kansas is a destination for all road trips. Today, I am proud to be a part of the unveiling of the Kansas Mobile Visitors Center, which will provide us with the opportunity to showcase our amazing state."

Toland talked about how the idea and vision came about for the MVC.

"About a year and a half ago we had a series of conversations with the Kansas Tourism team," Toland said. "They were about the World Cup and specifically the east side of the state and the need for a visitors information center somewhere along I-70. So we had some conversations and decided to talk to KDOT to see what we could do."

Toland says Reed and his staff listened to the idea and had an even better vision.

"KDOT came with a concept of a mobile visitor center," Toland said. "They did some research about what cities around the country had been doing. There is a model where you don't wait for them to come to you, you go to them. You go to the people you want to bring to your place."

Toland and his staff were skeptical of this vision in the beginning, but now has a different opinion.

"They (KDOT) were right," Toland said. "They were absolutely right that we need to think differently about how we bring people to Kansas. It's not just about expecting them to pull off the highway and stop at our place. We need to go to Dallas, to Denver, to Ames, Iowa, to Lincoln, Nebraska, to Chicago and make the case for why they should come here."&nbsp;

Toland was very appreciative and supportive for all of the hard work done to bring visitors to the Sunflower State by Kansas Tourism and its Director Bridgette Jobe.

"I also want to think the Kansas Tourism team, because they are always open to those new ideas," Toland said. "Kansas has now achieved visitation numbers that are dramatically above where we were pre-COVID. We've got more people to come to Kansas than ever before, and that's because this team is getting out there and hustling. They're doing it in-person, they're going to the trade shows and our numbers are way up."

The van will hit the road shortly after the Kansas State Fair to make its debut outside of the state.

"I think two days after the fair is over he (Kevin Crockett) is heading to Nebraska City for a major event," Jobe said. "We have it scheduled to be on the road every week between now and the end of the year."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726172844931.jpeg" alt="Kansas Lieutenant Governor David Toland speaks at the ribbon cutting ceremony for the Kansas Tourism Mobile Visitors Center at the Kansas State Fair on Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024. (Hutch Post Photo/Sean Boston)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas Lieutenant Governor David Toland speaks at the ribbon cutting ceremony for the Kansas Tourism Mobile Visitors Center at the Kansas State Fair on Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024. (Hutch Post Photo/Sean Boston)</figcaption>
 </figure>SEAN BOSTON Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — Kansas Tourism unveiled its Mobile Visitor Center (MVC) on Thursday at the Kansas State Fair with a ribbon cutting inside the Pride of Kansas building.The MVC will attend major sporting events, fairs, trade shows and festivals in and out of the state to help attract guests to visit Kansas.Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland and&nbsp;Kansas Department of Transportation Secretary Calvin Reed joined Kansas Tourism Director Bridgette Jobe at the event on Thursday.“Kansas is home to endless views, unique geography, one of a kind sights, vibrant communities and amazing people," Reed said. "Whether its a road trip that takes you to the Gypsum Hills, a treasure hunt on US-36, a camping trip to one of our many beautiful lakes, or hiking and biking on over 800 miles of biking and pedestrian trails in our state, Kansas is a destination for all road trips. Today, I am proud to be a part of the unveiling of the Kansas Mobile Visitors Center, which will provide us with the opportunity to showcase our amazing state."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726172904770.jpeg" alt="Kansas Department of Transportation Secretary Calvin Reed speaks at the ribbon cutting ceremony for the Kansas Tourism Mobile Visitors Center at the Kansas State Fair on Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024. (Hutch Post Photo/Sean Boston)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas Department of Transportation Secretary Calvin Reed speaks at the ribbon cutting ceremony for the Kansas Tourism Mobile Visitors Center at the Kansas State Fair on Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024. (Hutch Post Photo/Sean Boston)</figcaption>
 </figure>Toland talked about how the idea and vision came about for the MVC."About a year and a half ago we had a series of conversations with the Kansas Tourism team," Toland said. "They were about the World Cup and specifically the east side of the state and the need for a visitors information center somewhere along I-70. So we had some conversations and decided to talk to KDOT to see what we could do."Toland says Reed and his staff listened to the idea and had an even better vision."KDOT came with a concept of a mobile visitor center," Toland said. "They did some research about what cities around the country had been doing. There is a model where you don't wait for them to come to you, you go to them. You go to the people you want to bring to your place."Toland and his staff were skeptical of this vision in the beginning, but now has a different opinion.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726172963986.jpeg" alt="Kansas Lieutenant Governor David Toland cuts the ribbon at the ceremony for the Kansas Tourism Mobile Visitors Center at the Kansas State Fair on Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024. (Hutch Post Photo/Sean Boston)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas Lieutenant Governor David Toland cuts the ribbon at the ceremony for the Kansas Tourism Mobile Visitors Center at the Kansas State Fair on Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024. (Hutch Post Photo/Sean Boston)</figcaption>
 </figure>"They (KDOT) were right," Toland said. "They were absolutely right that we need to think differently about how we bring people to Kansas. It's not just about expecting them to pull off the highway and stop at our place. We need to go to Dallas, to Denver, to Ames, Iowa, to Lincoln, Nebraska, to Chicago and make the case for why they should come here."&nbsp;Toland was very appreciative and supportive for all of the hard work done to bring visitors to the Sunflower State by Kansas Tourism and its Director Bridgette Jobe."I also want to think the Kansas Tourism team, because they are always open to those new ideas," Toland said. "Kansas has now achieved visitation numbers that are dramatically above where we were pre-COVID. We've got more people to come to Kansas than ever before, and that's because this team is getting out there and hustling. They're doing it in-person, they're going to the trade shows and our numbers are way up."The van will hit the road shortly after the Kansas State Fair to make its debut outside of the state."I think two days after the fair is over he (Kevin Crockett) is heading to Nebraska City for a major event," Jobe said. "We have it scheduled to be on the road every week between now and the end of the year."

Kansas Tourism unveils new mobile visitors center 

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Prices at the pump are continuing a general downward trend for fuel buyers, according to Shawn Steward with AAA Kansas.

"The average gas price in Kansas is $2.96 a gallon," Steward said. "We're under that $3 a gallon threshold. Currently, 13 states across the country have a sub-$3 average. We're definitely trending down in many areas of the country."

"Right now, demand is pretty light in the United States," Steward said. "It has been for a while. Crude oil prices have been fairly stable to falling. We do have a situation with Hurricane Francine, which has bumped up prices one to one and a half percent."

Assuming that damage from Francine doesn't tighten gasoline stocks, prices still could go lower.

"They assess after the storm passes," Steward said. "Apparently, about 38 or 39% of Gulf production was temporarily off line as the hurricane passed through. Now, the assessment stage happens, where they look for damage. Certainly, there's power outages that impact refineries, as well. It may be a short-lived impact of that hurricane."

With demand traditionally dropping in the fall months and the less expensive winter blend of gas entering the system, there's a good opportunity for even more savings in the coming weeks.

NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — Prices at the pump are continuing a general downward trend for fuel buyers, according to Shawn Steward with AAA Kansas."The average gas price in Kansas is $2.96 a gallon," Steward said. "We're under that $3 a gallon threshold. Currently, 13 states across the country have a sub-$3 average. We're definitely trending down in many areas of the country.""Right now, demand is pretty light in the United States," Steward said. "It has been for a while. Crude oil prices have been fairly stable to falling. We do have a situation with Hurricane Francine, which has bumped up prices one to one and a half percent."Assuming that damage from Francine doesn't tighten gasoline stocks, prices still could go lower."They assess after the storm passes," Steward said. "Apparently, about 38 or 39% of Gulf production was temporarily off line as the hurricane passed through. Now, the assessment stage happens, where they look for damage. Certainly, there's power outages that impact refineries, as well. It may be a short-lived impact of that hurricane."With demand traditionally dropping in the fall months and the less expensive winter blend of gas entering the system, there's a good opportunity for even more savings in the coming weeks.

Gas prices in Kansas continue downward trend

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Kansas First District Congressman Tracey Mann was in Hutchinson on Saturday at the Kansas State Fair, and he talked to Hutch Post about the work that still needs to be done before the end of the federal fiscal year on Sept. 30.

"We go back for votes in D.C. this week," Mann said. "The House is in session the next three weeks here in September. It looks like there is momentum to do some kind of an extension. We'll know a lot more once we get to Washington D.C. this week and talk about what the plan is and what we do to fund the government moving forward."

Also up at the end of the fiscal year is the extension to the five-year farm bill that has now gone through a sixth, will it see a seventh? Quite possibly, according to Mann.

"I've been frustrated at how slow this farm bill process has been," Mann said. "I've been to the floor 33 times imploring members of Congress to get serious about getting a five-year farm bill done. It looks like, potentially, there'll be an extension. The House passed a really good version out of the House Ag Committee, that still needs to go to the floor and we need to conference with the Senate. Unfortunately, there's still a long way to go on the farm bill."

The political question is will the House Ag Committee continue under Republican control of the gavel? In other words, will Republicans still be in the House majority come January 2025?

"We're going to find out in November," Mann said. "Elections have consequences. It sure seems like Republicans are going to continue to have the majority in the House. I'm optimistic they will in the Senate as well, and win the White House, but we'll have to see what happens in November."

The most likely scenario at this point for all of this pending work is that it gets extended until at least the next Congress is seated, so that those who have tough elections on both sides of the aisle can come home and campaign.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1725719231298.jpeg" alt="The sun rises on the Kansas State Fairgrounds on Saturday, September 7, 2024. Photo by Nick Gosnell." />
 <figcaption>The sun rises on the Kansas State Fairgrounds on Saturday, September 7, 2024. Photo by Nick Gosnell.</figcaption>
 </figure>NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — Kansas First District Congressman Tracey Mann was in Hutchinson on Saturday at the Kansas State Fair, and he talked to Hutch Post about the work that still needs to be done before the end of the federal fiscal year on Sept. 30."We go back for votes in D.C. this week," Mann said. "The House is in session the next three weeks here in September. It looks like there is momentum to do some kind of an extension. We'll know a lot more once we get to Washington D.C. this week and talk about what the plan is and what we do to fund the government moving forward."Also up at the end of the fiscal year is the extension to the five-year farm bill that has now gone through a sixth, will it see a seventh? Quite possibly, according to Mann."I've been frustrated at how slow this farm bill process has been," Mann said. "I've been to the floor 33 times imploring members of Congress to get serious about getting a five-year farm bill done. It looks like, potentially, there'll be an extension. The House passed a really good version out of the House Ag Committee, that still needs to go to the floor and we need to conference with the Senate. Unfortunately, there's still a long way to go on the farm bill."The political question is will the House Ag Committee continue under Republican control of the gavel? In other words, will Republicans still be in the House majority come January 2025?"We're going to find out in November," Mann said. "Elections have consequences. It sure seems like Republicans are going to continue to have the majority in the House. I'm optimistic they will in the Senate as well, and win the White House, but we'll have to see what happens in November."The most likely scenario at this point for all of this pending work is that it gets extended until at least the next Congress is seated, so that those who have tough elections on both sides of the aisle can come home and campaign.

Rep. Mann discusses farm bill issues at the Kansas State Fair

This story has been updated with a statement from the Hutchinson Clinic.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Hutchinson Clinic and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas are still at an impasse when it comes to 2025 rates for customers that have BCBS coverage through an employer.&nbsp;

<a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/f9db6853-fae1-46d6-95c8-d7c3a92fb811">In a letter sent to local companies obtained by Hutch Post earlier this summer</a>, the Hutchinson Clinic announced then it will not be doing business with Blue Cross Blue Shield in-network next year. This decision, if it stands, will effect a little over 26,000 Hutch Clinic patients.

Spokesperson Kristi Zears for Blue Cross Blue Shield emailed Hutch Post Thursday with an update. That statement is below.

"As a long-standing partner with Hutchinson Clinic, we are disappointed with their decision to terminate the contract. This decision, which was shared prior to the release of the 2025 reimbursement rates, limits provider choice for members in the Hutchinson area. We have had continued conversations with Hutchinson Clinic and have provided them an opportunity to reconsider their decision until September 3. We hope they will do what is in the best interest of the community.

"As always, with nearly 100 percent of providers and hospitals in our network, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas is committed to serving our members and helping them through their health journeys."

Hutch Clinic was also contacted and sent this response on Friday.

"The Hutchinson Clinic has been working diligently to analyze the complex Fee Schedule received from BCBSKS on July 31. The Clinic has requested a meeting with BCBSKS for the week of Aug. 26 to clarify some outstanding questions. Regardless of the outcome of this meeting, the Hutchinson Clinic will always prioritize patient care. Should we ultimately end up out of network with BCBSKS, the Hutchinson Clinic will provide affordable out-of-network options so our patients can continue seeking treatment with their physicians at our Clinic."

BCBS is still in network for employer-provided coverage through the remainder of 2024. This decision is not connected with Medicare Advantage coverage, as that is under a separate arrangement.

Hutch Clinic was also contacted and had not responded as of the publication of this piece on Friday morning.

This story has been updated with a statement from the Hutchinson Clinic.NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Hutchinson Clinic and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas are still at an impasse when it comes to 2025 rates for customers that have BCBS coverage through an employer.&nbsp;<a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/f9db6853-fae1-46d6-95c8-d7c3a92fb811">In a letter sent to local companies obtained by Hutch Post earlier this summer</a>, the Hutchinson Clinic announced then it will not be doing business with Blue Cross Blue Shield in-network next year. This decision, if it stands, will effect a little over 26,000 Hutch Clinic patients.Spokesperson Kristi Zears for Blue Cross Blue Shield emailed Hutch Post Thursday with an update. That statement is below."As a long-standing partner with Hutchinson Clinic, we are disappointed with their decision to terminate the contract. This decision, which was shared prior to the release of the 2025 reimbursement rates, limits provider choice for members in the Hutchinson area. We have had continued conversations with Hutchinson Clinic and have provided them an opportunity to reconsider their decision until September 3. We hope they will do what is in the best interest of the community."As always, with nearly 100 percent of providers and hospitals in our network, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas is committed to serving our members and helping them through their health journeys."Hutch Clinic was also contacted and sent this response on Friday."The Hutchinson Clinic has been working diligently to analyze the complex Fee Schedule received from BCBSKS on July 31. The Clinic has requested a meeting with BCBSKS for the week of Aug. 26 to clarify some outstanding questions. Regardless of the outcome of this meeting, the Hutchinson Clinic will always prioritize patient care. Should we ultimately end up out of network with BCBSKS, the Hutchinson Clinic will provide affordable out-of-network options so our patients can continue seeking treatment with their physicians at our Clinic."BCBS is still in network for employer-provided coverage through the remainder of 2024. This decision is not connected with Medicare Advantage coverage, as that is under a separate arrangement.-----HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Hutchinson Clinic and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas are still at an impasse when it comes to 2025 rates for customers that have BCBS coverage through an employer.&nbsp;<a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/f9db6853-fae1-46d6-95c8-d7c3a92fb811">In a letter sent to local companies obtained by Hutch Post earlier this summer</a>, the Hutchinson Clinic announced then it will not be doing business with Blue Cross Blue Shield in-network next year. This decision, if it stands, will effect a little over 26,000 Hutch Clinic patients.Spokesperson Kristi Zears for Blue Cross Blue Shield emailed Hutch Post Thursday with an update. That statement is below."As a long-standing partner with Hutchinson Clinic, we are disappointed with their decision to terminate the contract. This decision, which was shared prior to the release of the 2025 reimbursement rates, limits provider choice for members in the Hutchinson area. We have had continued conversations with Hutchinson Clinic and have provided them an opportunity to reconsider their decision until September 3. We hope they will do what is in the best interest of the community."As always, with nearly 100 percent of providers and hospitals in our network, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas is committed to serving our members and helping them through their health journeys."Hutch Clinic was also contacted and had not responded as of the publication of this piece on Friday morning.BCBS is still in network for employer-provided coverage through the remainder of 2024. This decision is not connected with Medicare Advantage coverage, as that is under a separate arrangement.

BCBS Kansas and Hutchinson Clinic still at an impasse 

RENO COUNTy— Hutchinson Fire Marshal Mike Cain said Wednesday in an email to Hutch Post that the investigation into the cause of the August 6,&nbsp; fire at 2404 East 4th in Hutchinson continues.

"The cause of the fire remains undetermined, which is to say information is still being gathered and looked at," Cain said.

A man identified on Facebook as Floyd Scott is offering a reward for information connected with the cause, which he believes to be intentional.&nbsp;

"I know I take phone calls from Floyd, the owner, multiple times a day," Cain said. "One of the phone calls was about a reward. He has been convinced it is 'arson' from the moment he got the call. I told him he can certainly offer anything he would like in order to get information, and maybe in his friends circle it will be effective."

Cain said they have not released information to the owner on any potential cause.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722955243029.jpeg" alt="Photo by Sean Boston" />
 <figcaption>Photo by Sean Boston</figcaption>
 </figure>RENO COUNTy— Hutchinson Fire Marshal Mike Cain said Wednesday in an email to Hutch Post that the investigation into the cause of the August 6,&nbsp; fire at 2404 East 4th in Hutchinson continues."The cause of the fire remains undetermined, which is to say information is still being gathered and looked at," Cain said.A man identified on Facebook as Floyd Scott is offering a reward for information connected with the cause, which he believes to be intentional.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722979229038.jpeg" alt="Photo by Sean Boston." />
 <figcaption>Photo by Sean Boston.</figcaption>
 </figure>"I know I take phone calls from Floyd, the owner, multiple times a day," Cain said. "One of the phone calls was about a reward. He has been convinced it is 'arson' from the moment he got the call. I told him he can certainly offer anything he would like in order to get information, and maybe in his friends circle it will be effective."Cain said they have not released information to the owner on any potential cause.

Reward offered: Cause of massive fire in Hutchinson still unknown

Fort Hays State University announces spring 2024 Deans' Honor Roll

HUTCHINSON, Kan —A man who tried to kill a woman and shot at a car with her and their children in it&nbsp;was sentenced to 240 months in prison with a 36 months post release on Thursday morning.

Reno County Senior Assistant District Attorney Kimberly Rodebaugh told Hutch Post on May 3, that the defendant, Kamden Campos, pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated kidnapping, no contest to four separate attempts to kill the woman, guilty to knowingly causing great bodily harm to the 22 month old in the car, as a bullet had entered the license plate, traveled through the car seat and entered the back of the toddler.

Campos also plead no contest to attempted murder in the first degree of a baby who was also in the back seat when the car was shot at and plead guilty to two counts of criminal threat.

The pleas of guilty were admission of guilt. The no contest pleas were admissions that the State of Kansas had sufficient evidence to prove his guilt and that evidence was not contested.&nbsp;

The prosecution informed the Court of the factual basis to support the counts and he was then found guilty.&nbsp;

The prosecution for the case was conducted by Assistant Senior District Attorney Kimberly Rodebaugh and Assistant District Attorney Sierra Logan.&nbsp;Kampos was represented by Criminal Defense Attorney Kurt P. Kerns.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1669822978225.jpeg" alt="Kamden Campos-photo Reno Co." />
 <figcaption>Kamden Campos-photo Reno Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>EMMIE BOESE&nbsp;&nbsp;Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan —A man who tried to kill a woman and shot at a car with her and their children in it&nbsp;was sentenced to 240 months in prison with a 36 months post release on Thursday morning.Reno County Senior Assistant District Attorney Kimberly Rodebaugh told Hutch Post on May 3, that the defendant, Kamden Campos, pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated kidnapping, no contest to four separate attempts to kill the woman, guilty to knowingly causing great bodily harm to the 22 month old in the car, as a bullet had entered the license plate, traveled through the car seat and entered the back of the toddler.Campos also plead no contest to attempted murder in the first degree of a baby who was also in the back seat when the car was shot at and plead guilty to two counts of criminal threat.The pleas of guilty were admission of guilt. The no contest pleas were admissions that the State of Kansas had sufficient evidence to prove his guilt and that evidence was not contested.&nbsp;The prosecution informed the Court of the factual basis to support the counts and he was then found guilty.&nbsp;The prosecution for the case was conducted by Assistant Senior District Attorney Kimberly Rodebaugh and Assistant District Attorney Sierra Logan.&nbsp;Kampos was represented by Criminal Defense Attorney Kurt P. Kerns.

 Kansas man going to prison for abduction, shooting toddler

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Senate Republicans released their&nbsp;<a href="https://www.agriculture.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Senate%20Republican%20Framework%20Short%20Summary.pdf">Farm Bill framework</a>&nbsp;Tuesday, and Kansas U.S. Senator Dr. Roger Marshall held a press availability on Zoom to talk about it.&nbsp;

"This Farm Bill touches, I would think, every Kansan, in some way, somehow," Marshall said. "What are the next steps? I would explain it like this. A farmer goes in to buy a combine and he agrees with the dealer, all the ins and outs he wants, what type of header he wants on that combine. What we haven't agreed on yet is the price."

It sounds like the difference really isn't that large, all things considered.

"The Democrats and Republicans, we both want strong crop insurance, we both want strong nutrition programs," Marshall said. "We want rural economic development. I think it's just a matter of where we're going to move some dollars from one place to the other and still keep this on budget, because our Farm Bill is completely paid for. We're not asking for any more monies. The Democrats Farm Bill has a request for, I think $20 or $30 billion more each year."

Practically speaking, there's not a lot of legislative time between now and the end of the federal fiscal year on September 30.

"We'll see how far apart we are," Marshall said. "There will be a lot of talks between the two staffs, the two ag committee staffs, as well and see where we can close the gap. There really aren't very many legislative days left up here this summer. We have an election in November. I understand. We'll see if we can mark up something here in the next month or so. It will probably be this summer."

If the deal doesn't get done by the deadline, there is still the idea of a short term continuation of the current bill, which has already been extended for a sixth year, at least to past the election. Ag state legislators really don't want that, as they'd like more certainty, if possible.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1718131641346.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>NICK GOSNELL&nbsp;Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Senate Republicans released their&nbsp;<a href="https://www.agriculture.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Senate%20Republican%20Framework%20Short%20Summary.pdf">Farm Bill framework</a>&nbsp;Tuesday, and Kansas U.S. Senator Dr. Roger Marshall held a press availability on Zoom to talk about it.&nbsp;"This Farm Bill touches, I would think, every Kansan, in some way, somehow," Marshall said. "What are the next steps? I would explain it like this. A farmer goes in to buy a combine and he agrees with the dealer, all the ins and outs he wants, what type of header he wants on that combine. What we haven't agreed on yet is the price."It sounds like the difference really isn't that large, all things considered."The Democrats and Republicans, we both want strong crop insurance, we both want strong nutrition programs," Marshall said. "We want rural economic development. I think it's just a matter of where we're going to move some dollars from one place to the other and still keep this on budget, because our Farm Bill is completely paid for. We're not asking for any more monies. The Democrats Farm Bill has a request for, I think $20 or $30 billion more each year."Practically speaking, there's not a lot of legislative time between now and the end of the federal fiscal year on September 30."We'll see how far apart we are," Marshall said. "There will be a lot of talks between the two staffs, the two ag committee staffs, as well and see where we can close the gap. There really aren't very many legislative days left up here this summer. We have an election in November. I understand. We'll see if we can mark up something here in the next month or so. It will probably be this summer."If the deal doesn't get done by the deadline, there is still the idea of a short term continuation of the current bill, which has already been extended for a sixth year, at least to past the election. Ag state legislators really don't want that, as they'd like more certainty, if possible.

Senate Republicans release their Farm Bill framework

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — For newly crowned Miss Kansas America, Alexis Smith, she really enjoyed bringing her friends on to the stage with her at the pageant.

"I've been performing ventriloquism for 19 years," Smith said. "You know, when you're not in pageants, you don't have that aspect of being on stage and getting to perform for others, and so coming back to the Miss Kansas organization and being able to bring my friends back out and be able to perform for Pratt community and my family, friends, and everybody that is there to support us was incredibly special."

Smith's platform is domestic violence awareness and prevention.

"Respect Reclaimed: Advocating for Healthy Relationships, it stems from my own personal experience with domestic violence," Smith said. "It started at the age of 14 for me, but it's something that was in my family before that and I just fell into that cycle of abuse, but I recognize that healthy relationships are important in all facets of life and those characteristics of a healthy relationship can be applied in all facets of life, so I chose that platform to be able to help reduce domestic violence in our communities while also focusing on the importance of healthy relationships."

Smith also will have to talk to her job about being more flexible with her schedule now that she's won the Miss Kansas crown.

"I work as a cardiothoracic ICU nurse here in my hometown," Smith said. "The biggest part of my job is being empathetic and being able to be there, not only for the patient, but for the families, and there are unfortunately times where, you know, in one of my rooms, there is a patient that is going through their process of the end of their life, and in another room, there's a patient that's having a speedy recovery with families that are laughing and are very joyful to see their family member recover. So the biggest thing in that part of my job is to remember that I get to be that rock for those families and for that patient. And I think just my ability to really empathize and be a caring individual is what makes that job easier for them."

Smith wants to go on and become a&nbsp;Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist, which is a doctoral program

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1718101435215.png" alt="Miss Kansas 2024 Alexis Smith-courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Miss Kansas 2024 Alexis Smith-courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>NICK GOSNELL&nbsp;Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — For newly crowned Miss Kansas America, Alexis Smith, she really enjoyed bringing her friends on to the stage with her at the pageant."I've been performing ventriloquism for 19 years," Smith said. "You know, when you're not in pageants, you don't have that aspect of being on stage and getting to perform for others, and so coming back to the Miss Kansas organization and being able to bring my friends back out and be able to perform for Pratt community and my family, friends, and everybody that is there to support us was incredibly special."Smith's platform is domestic violence awareness and prevention."Respect Reclaimed: Advocating for Healthy Relationships, it stems from my own personal experience with domestic violence," Smith said. "It started at the age of 14 for me, but it's something that was in my family before that and I just fell into that cycle of abuse, but I recognize that healthy relationships are important in all facets of life and those characteristics of a healthy relationship can be applied in all facets of life, so I chose that platform to be able to help reduce domestic violence in our communities while also focusing on the importance of healthy relationships."Smith also will have to talk to her job about being more flexible with her schedule now that she's won the Miss Kansas crown."I work as a cardiothoracic ICU nurse here in my hometown," Smith said. "The biggest part of my job is being empathetic and being able to be there, not only for the patient, but for the families, and there are unfortunately times where, you know, in one of my rooms, there is a patient that is going through their process of the end of their life, and in another room, there's a patient that's having a speedy recovery with families that are laughing and are very joyful to see their family member recover. So the biggest thing in that part of my job is to remember that I get to be that rock for those families and for that patient. And I think just my ability to really empathize and be a caring individual is what makes that job easier for them."Smith wants to go on and become a&nbsp;Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist, which is a doctoral program

New Miss Kansas throwing her voice across the state

Hays High junior Riley Dreher has committed to play softball at Hutchinson Community College. Dreher making the announcement through social media Thursday morning.

Dreher&nbsp; hit .452 for the Indians this spring which was second best on the team. She led HHS in hits (38), doubles (9), triples (8), home runs (33) and RBIs (3). She also walked 10 times while striking out only twice.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715863320179.jpeg" alt="Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>Hays PostHays High junior Riley Dreher has committed to play softball at Hutchinson Community College. Dreher making the announcement through social media Thursday morning.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">So excited to have the opportunity to continue my education and play collegiate softball! I have committed to <a href="https://twitter.com/HutchSoftball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HutchSoftball</a> . Thank you so much to every one who has gotten me to where I am today. Looking forward to joining the Hutch family!! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/rolldrags?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#rolldrags</a>🥎❤️🐲✝️✝️✝️ <a href="https://t.co/lA7kyzwPXQ">pic.twitter.com/lA7kyzwPXQ</a>&mdash; Riley Dreher (@Riley_20_25) <a href="https://twitter.com/Riley_20_25/status/1791060729245696443?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 16, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Dreher&nbsp; hit .452 for the Indians this spring which was second best on the team. She led HHS in hits (38), doubles (9), triples (8), home runs (33) and RBIs (3). She also walked 10 times while striking out only twice.

🥎 HHS' Dreher commits to Hutchinson CC

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — For Hutchinson Clinic plastic surgeon Nataliya Biskup, it is vital that she use her gifts to help people in her native Ukraine in the face of conflict that makes it hard to get the care that is her specialty.

"I was born in Lviv, Ukraine, which is very western Ukraine," Biskup said. "It's about 40 miles away from the Polish border. I emigrated to the United States with my parents when I was eight years old. I specialize in reconstruction of head and neck, of all sorts of wounds in the body, as well as cosmetic and aesthetic surgery. When this war kicked off, for me, it was a very painful experience, because I still have family in Ukraine. It really affected me, very personally. I saw an opportunity to be able to contribute in some way, to help ease the suffering."

Her first trip was spent in October with a Canadian group called Face the Future fixing the faces of people scarred by the war. This last trip in February focused on younger patients.

"This particular trip was actually to my hometown of Lviv, working with children that have cleft and craniofacial anomalies and helping those children, helping in the reconstruction of more complex cases that doctors there are not routinely used to dealing with," Biskup said. "They are also, at this point, with so much effort dedicated to the war and the treatment of war-related injuries, a lot of the children in Ukraine are having difficulty with accessing care."

Biskup said being relatively far from the front lines allowed her to do much of her work as she normally would.

"There are missiles and drones and things that have been fired into that area," Biskup said. "Certainly, during operations, there have been air raid sirens that go off during the operation, but when a patient is there on the table and you're helping them, that's the main focus, so you just continue on."

Typically, in the United States, a child with a cleft lip and palate would get their lip repaired at about three months and their palate repaired at nine months, but she was dealing with kids that are three and four years old to do those treatments on the February trip.

"It definitely gets a little bit more complicated as the child does get older," Biskup said. "One additional issue is just the level of complexity of cases that the Ukrainian surgeons can do is a little bit less. They are really trying to learn on these trips. A big part of these trips is operating, but also educating the local surgeons."

The hope for Biskup is that the next time she goes back to Ukraine, she will be able to go in peace and begin to see in the lives of people the type of reconstruction that is her specialty with faces and bodies. In addition to her work in Hutchinson, Biskup also works at Wesley in Wichita.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1713021595367.jpeg" alt="Dr. Nataliya Biskup" />
 <figcaption>Dr. Nataliya Biskup</figcaption>
 </figure>NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — For Hutchinson Clinic plastic surgeon Nataliya Biskup, it is vital that she use her gifts to help people in her native Ukraine in the face of conflict that makes it hard to get the care that is her specialty."I was born in Lviv, Ukraine, which is very western Ukraine," Biskup said. "It's about 40 miles away from the Polish border. I emigrated to the United States with my parents when I was eight years old. I specialize in reconstruction of head and neck, of all sorts of wounds in the body, as well as cosmetic and aesthetic surgery. When this war kicked off, for me, it was a very painful experience, because I still have family in Ukraine. It really affected me, very personally. I saw an opportunity to be able to contribute in some way, to help ease the suffering."Her first trip was spent in October with a Canadian group called Face the Future fixing the faces of people scarred by the war. This last trip in February focused on younger patients."This particular trip was actually to my hometown of Lviv, working with children that have cleft and craniofacial anomalies and helping those children, helping in the reconstruction of more complex cases that doctors there are not routinely used to dealing with," Biskup said. "They are also, at this point, with so much effort dedicated to the war and the treatment of war-related injuries, a lot of the children in Ukraine are having difficulty with accessing care."Biskup said being relatively far from the front lines allowed her to do much of her work as she normally would."There are missiles and drones and things that have been fired into that area," Biskup said. "Certainly, during operations, there have been air raid sirens that go off during the operation, but when a patient is there on the table and you're helping them, that's the main focus, so you just continue on."Typically, in the United States, a child with a cleft lip and palate would get their lip repaired at about three months and their palate repaired at nine months, but she was dealing with kids that are three and four years old to do those treatments on the February trip."It definitely gets a little bit more complicated as the child does get older," Biskup said. "One additional issue is just the level of complexity of cases that the Ukrainian surgeons can do is a little bit less. They are really trying to learn on these trips. A big part of these trips is operating, but also educating the local surgeons."The hope for Biskup is that the next time she goes back to Ukraine, she will be able to go in peace and begin to see in the lives of people the type of reconstruction that is her specialty with faces and bodies. In addition to her work in Hutchinson, Biskup also works at Wesley in Wichita.

Reconstruction: Hutch Clinic surgeon returns to native Ukraine

HUTCHINSON — There hasn't been much change in the past week in gas prices, according to Shawn Steward with AAA Kansas.

"We have settled in a little bit, it seems like, in the past couple of weeks," Steward said. "Haven't seen any big increases, but, from a month ago, we're up here in Kansas, a little more than 20 cents a gallon. We're at $3.17 a gallon on average across the state. The good news is, it's 39 cents lower than the national average and seventh cheapest in the nation."

The fundamentals suggest that we may be looking at increases going forward, however.

"We're moving into, seasonally, typically a higher demand time of the year where more people are out driving," Steward said. "We're headed toward summer driving season and the demand is likely going to be increasing as we head into summer. We've seen some issues on the crude oil market, OPEC production limits, geopolitical issues with Russia, tensions in the Middle East."

Brent Crude was over $89 a barrel as of Thursday morning.

"It's quite a bit higher than we were earlier this year," Steward said. "We've seen that jump here in the past few weeks."

According to <a href="https://www.marketwatch.com/story/u-s-refiners-still-have-gas-in-the-tank-commodities-roundup-a1fe3332?mod=mw_quote_news">Marketwatch.com</a>, shares of Marathon Petroleum are up 45% year to date, while Valero and Phillips 66 are up 39% and 30%, respectively.

NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON — There hasn't been much change in the past week in gas prices, according to Shawn Steward with AAA Kansas."We have settled in a little bit, it seems like, in the past couple of weeks," Steward said. "Haven't seen any big increases, but, from a month ago, we're up here in Kansas, a little more than 20 cents a gallon. We're at $3.17 a gallon on average across the state. The good news is, it's 39 cents lower than the national average and seventh cheapest in the nation."The fundamentals suggest that we may be looking at increases going forward, however."We're moving into, seasonally, typically a higher demand time of the year where more people are out driving," Steward said. "We're headed toward summer driving season and the demand is likely going to be increasing as we head into summer. We've seen some issues on the crude oil market, OPEC production limits, geopolitical issues with Russia, tensions in the Middle East."Brent Crude was over $89 a barrel as of Thursday morning."It's quite a bit higher than we were earlier this year," Steward said. "We've seen that jump here in the past few weeks."According to <a href="https://www.marketwatch.com/story/u-s-refiners-still-have-gas-in-the-tank-commodities-roundup-a1fe3332?mod=mw_quote_news">Marketwatch.com</a>, shares of Marathon Petroleum are up 45% year to date, while Valero and Phillips 66 are up 39% and 30%, respectively.

AAA: Gas prices flat in short term, but likely headed up

ALDEN, Kan. — Kansas U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. was in Alden in Rice County Saturday morning to give the Rice County Farm Bureau an update on what's going on in Washington.

"As we see a 25% drop in farm income this year, the largest drop that I can ever remember, I think that these people are living that," Marshall said. "When I sit there and make priorities for what I should do or should not be doing, these folks remind me exactly what my priorities should be. Regardless the toughness of the economy, they are more concerned about the southern border, so I need to stay focused on securing the border, then whatever we can do to help rural America, the importance of a farm bill. To me, it's about setting priorities."

Marshall told those in attendance that as the farm bill sits right now, it's not a bill they would want. He'd actually like to see control of the Senate change before they set a new one in stone. Even though neither Kansas U.S. Senator is up for election in the fall, he sees a change as realistic.

"I think that there's a very good chance that we'll flip the Senate," Marshall said. "I think that we have opportunities in Montana and Ohio. West Virginia, for all practical purpose, has flipped. These are states that President Trump won by wide margins that have Democrat Senators. I think we can flip those, but it doesn't do us any good to have control of the Senate, if we don't have control of the White House, as well. Joe Biden would veto the type of farm bill that would help rural America. His focus is always going to be these environmental issues."

It's not that farmers aren't concerned about the environment, to the contrary, Marshall notes that farmers were the original conservationists.

"It's what we're going to hand off to our children and grandchildren," Marshall said. "I'm a fifth generation farm kid land from both sides of my family are still here. The land is better today than it was when my grandfathers farmed it, because we care about the land. We need to just empower American agriculture to do what they always do and get the government out of the micromanagement business."

Marshall noted that about five percent of the farm bill goes to American farmers. About 85% goes to food programs.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710612286732.jpeg" alt="Kansas U.S. Senator Dr. Roger Marshall talks to Rice County Sheriff Bryant Evans at a legislative coffee in Alden, Kansas on March 16, 2024. Photo by Nick Gosnell" />
 <figcaption>Kansas U.S. Senator Dr. Roger Marshall talks to Rice County Sheriff Bryant Evans at a legislative coffee in Alden, Kansas on March 16, 2024. Photo by Nick Gosnell</figcaption>
 </figure>NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostALDEN, Kan. — Kansas U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. was in Alden in Rice County Saturday morning to give the Rice County Farm Bureau an update on what's going on in Washington."As we see a 25% drop in farm income this year, the largest drop that I can ever remember, I think that these people are living that," Marshall said. "When I sit there and make priorities for what I should do or should not be doing, these folks remind me exactly what my priorities should be. Regardless the toughness of the economy, they are more concerned about the southern border, so I need to stay focused on securing the border, then whatever we can do to help rural America, the importance of a farm bill. To me, it's about setting priorities."Marshall told those in attendance that as the farm bill sits right now, it's not a bill they would want. He'd actually like to see control of the Senate change before they set a new one in stone. Even though neither Kansas U.S. Senator is up for election in the fall, he sees a change as realistic."I think that there's a very good chance that we'll flip the Senate," Marshall said. "I think that we have opportunities in Montana and Ohio. West Virginia, for all practical purpose, has flipped. These are states that President Trump won by wide margins that have Democrat Senators. I think we can flip those, but it doesn't do us any good to have control of the Senate, if we don't have control of the White House, as well. Joe Biden would veto the type of farm bill that would help rural America. His focus is always going to be these environmental issues."It's not that farmers aren't concerned about the environment, to the contrary, Marshall notes that farmers were the original conservationists."It's what we're going to hand off to our children and grandchildren," Marshall said. "I'm a fifth generation farm kid land from both sides of my family are still here. The land is better today than it was when my grandfathers farmed it, because we care about the land. We need to just empower American agriculture to do what they always do and get the government out of the micromanagement business."Marshall noted that about five percent of the farm bill goes to American farmers. About 85% goes to food programs.&nbsp;

Marshall gives a farm bill update to farmers in Rice County

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Paul Lee Stotts, a 35 year old Hutchinson man, was sentenced to 172 months in prison on an aggravated battery charge and 36 months of post release supervision on a violate protection order on Friday, March 8, 2023. He will also be required to register as a lifetime violent offender.&nbsp;

On Jan. 11, 2024, Stotts pleaded guilty to aggravated battery and violate protection order charges connected with causing great bodily harm or disfigurement to another person, his father, Larry Stotts.

"Paul Stotts is a dangerous, dangerous individual, Reno County District Attorney Thomas Stanton said at the sentencing trial. "He has shown this over and over again."&nbsp;

Stotts was arrested on June 2, 2023, and was booked into Reno County Jail at the time on an attempted murder charge in the 1st degree; Intentional and Premeditated, Aggravated Battery; Knowingly Cause Great Bodily Harm or Disfigurement, Aggravated Kidnapping, Aggravated Burglary; Swelling for Felony, Theft, Sex and Violate Protection Order; Condition of Pre-Trial Orders.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710181488366.jpeg" alt="Stotts has previous convictions for battery, robbery, aggravated battery and for drugs, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections." />
 <figcaption>Stotts has previous convictions for battery, robbery, aggravated battery and for drugs, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections.</figcaption>
 </figure>EMMIE BOESE&nbsp;Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — Paul Lee Stotts, a 35 year old Hutchinson man, was sentenced to 172 months in prison on an aggravated battery charge and 36 months of post release supervision on a violate protection order on Friday, March 8, 2023. He will also be required to register as a lifetime violent offender.&nbsp;On Jan. 11, 2024, Stotts pleaded guilty to aggravated battery and violate protection order charges connected with causing great bodily harm or disfigurement to another person, his father, Larry Stotts."Paul Stotts is a dangerous, dangerous individual, Reno County District Attorney Thomas Stanton said at the sentencing trial. "He has shown this over and over again."&nbsp;Stotts was arrested on June 2, 2023, and was booked into Reno County Jail at the time on an attempted murder charge in the 1st degree; Intentional and Premeditated, Aggravated Battery; Knowingly Cause Great Bodily Harm or Disfigurement, Aggravated Kidnapping, Aggravated Burglary; Swelling for Felony, Theft, Sex and Violate Protection Order; Condition of Pre-Trial Orders.&nbsp;At about 1:49 a.m. on June 2, 2023, the Reno County Sheriff's Office were sent to conduct a welfare check on Paul Stotts mother, Jane Stotts at 3503&nbsp;E. 95th Ave. The call was initiated by his father Larry Stotts who arrived at a Loves Gas Station in McPherson with stab wounds, including one in his chest. According to Stanton at the March 8 sentencing, Larry Stotts was stabbed just an 1/8 inch from his aorta.&nbsp;"I'm going to live in a lifetime of guilt," Stotts said. "I would do anything to get it right with my dad."&nbsp;The violate protection order was set by the court on Jan. 9, 2023.&nbsp; Stotts violated that order in addition to kidnapping and stabbing his father in the chest in June. The order was put into effect after an incident on Jan. 2, 2023, when deputies from the Reno County Sheriff's Office were dispatched to 30503 E. 95th Ave. in reference to a disturbance at the residence. It was reported that Stotts was yelling at his father Larry Stotts outside the house and threatening him. According to dispatch, Paul Stotts put Larry Stotts in a vehicle and left the area. Deputies found Larry Stotts on foot in the area of 95th Ave. and Tobacco Road. Larry Stotts said Paul let him out of the vehicle.&nbsp;Paul Stotts stabbed his father in the chest just days before his preliminary hearing on June 5, 2023, for violating the protection order.&nbsp;Paul Stotts defense attorney Charles C. Lindberg argued for probation under community supervision for Paul Stotts. Some statements from the defendants motion include,&nbsp; Stotts was suffering a major mental health episode at the time of the incident, defendant is willing to continue with treatment programs in the community by recommoned evaluators or supervising officers, the defendant has started mental health counseling and has a significant time period to get stabilized on medications and he has stable housing opportunities at an Oxford House in McPherson, Kansas.&nbsp;DA Stanton strongly urged District Court Judge Daniel D. Gilligan to deny probation for Paul Stotts. Stanton said there was not sufficient mental health evidence brought before the court.&nbsp;"Probation is not the place," Stanton said. "We can't take the next chance he won't miss by an 1/8 of an inch."Larry Stotts spoke at his son's sentencing and also advocated on his behalf that Paul will be more successful on probation.&nbsp;"There is a thin line between being an enabler and actual reliable help," Larry Stotts said.&nbsp;