HUTCHINSON, Kan. — As Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt prepares to hand over the office to fellow Republican Kris Kobach, he notes that the amount of suing of the federal executive branch that happens now is more than he anticipated when he took the job 12 years ago.

"We've really been part of the pioneering generation of state attorneys general, both Republicans and Democrats, who have pushed back against federal actions that we think are not just bad policy, that's not our role, but are illegal. That is our role, to police the boundaries of the federal system. It's become increasingly necessary, because Congress has become increasingly dysfunctional, so their oversight function, that tended to work reasonably well in the 1980s and 1990s, maybe even the early 2000s, it just rarely functions at all now, and because of that, federal agencies have been allowed to operate, really, in an unchecked manner."

One of the issues Kobach will face as he comes in next month is whether or not there is any legal recourse for the federal designation of the lesser prairie chicken as threatened.

"The last time the federal government tried this, we brought suit and prevailed when the Obama Administration tried the same thing, and we blocked the effort then to list. We had started to engage on this one when there was emerging, what looked like one of these sue and settle lawsuits, where activist groups bring a suit against a sympathetic federal&nbsp;bureaucracy and then both of them agree to settle the suit before anybody else can get in it. We were prepared to jump in that."

Sue and settle is a strategy sometimes used by the government and interest groups that agree with it to speed along actions it already wants to do, because doing things at a court's behest does not require the notice and comment that is supposed to happen under the Administrative Procedure Act of 1946. 

The Act includes requirements for publishing notices of proposed and final rulemaking in the Federal Register, and provides opportunities for the public to comment on notices of proposed rulemaking. 

The Title 42 controversy that is currently playing out at the U.S. Supreme Court is not necessarily as much about the border for that court as it is about not allowing sue and settle strategy to continue to promulgate across the federal government. 

If a precedent can be set that tamps down sue and settle as a strategy, it could limit the power of future AG's to challenge in the way they do now, but it also could provide the public the opportunity to properly lobby its lawmakers and work the process through Congress rather than rulemaking in the first place.

NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — As Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt prepares to hand over the office to fellow Republican Kris Kobach, he notes that the amount of suing of the federal executive branch that happens now is more than he anticipated when he took the job 12 years ago."We've really been part of the pioneering generation of state attorneys general, both Republicans and Democrats, who have pushed back against federal actions that we think are not just bad policy, that's not our role, but are illegal. That is our role, to police the boundaries of the federal system. It's become increasingly necessary, because Congress has become increasingly dysfunctional, so their oversight function, that tended to work reasonably well in the 1980s and 1990s, maybe even the early 2000s, it just rarely functions at all now, and because of that, federal agencies have been allowed to operate, really, in an unchecked manner."One of the issues Kobach will face as he comes in next month is whether or not there is any legal recourse for the federal designation of the lesser prairie chicken as threatened."The last time the federal government tried this, we brought suit and prevailed when the Obama Administration tried the same thing, and we blocked the effort then to list. We had started to engage on this one when there was emerging, what looked like one of these sue and settle lawsuits, where activist groups bring a suit against a sympathetic federal&nbsp;bureaucracy and then both of them agree to settle the suit before anybody else can get in it. We were prepared to jump in that."Sue and settle is a strategy sometimes used by the government and interest groups that agree with it to speed along actions it already wants to do, because doing things at a court's behest does not require the notice and comment that is supposed to happen under the Administrative Procedure Act of 1946. The Act includes requirements for publishing notices of proposed and final rulemaking in the Federal Register, and provides opportunities for the public to comment on notices of proposed rulemaking. The Title 42 controversy that is currently playing out at the U.S. Supreme Court is not necessarily as much about the border for that court as it is about not allowing sue and settle strategy to continue to promulgate across the federal government. If a precedent can be set that tamps down sue and settle as a strategy, it could limit the power of future AG's to challenge in the way they do now, but it also could provide the public the opportunity to properly lobby its lawmakers and work the process through Congress rather than rulemaking in the first place.

Schmidt: Role of AG's in limiting federal government bigger now

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Shawn Steward with AAA Kansas knows that for the over 1 million Kansans estimated to do their year end holiday travel by car in 2022, they'll pay less at the pump than they did last year at this time.

To find out gas prices along your route, go to&nbsp;<a href="https://gasprices.aaa.com/">gasprices.aaa.com</a>.

"The average today in Kansas is $2.76 a gallon," Steward said Thursday. "That's down 50 cents just in the last month. If we look back to where we were a year ago, it was at $2.98, so we're 20, 22 cents less than that. It's certainly a good trend that we've been seeing for drivers, in terms of saving money."

The national average as of Thursday was $3.10 a gallon. Area counties are, as usual on both sides of the state average.

"We've got some competing factors going on right now," Steward said. "Projections of a lot of people traveling for the holidays, but people may be delaying those trips a day or two because of this weather."

Making sure your car is ready for your holiday trip is important.

"If you can, make sure that you get your car in and you get it checked out before you hit the road," Steward said. "Pay special attention to the battery, your tires, make sure your tires are properly inflated and have good tread, so you have traction if there is bad weather. Check systems like antifreeze, make sure that's in good shape, hoses and belts.&nbsp; Make sure your vehicle is in overall good shape."

NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — Shawn Steward with AAA Kansas knows that for the over 1 million Kansans estimated to do their year end holiday travel by car in 2022, they'll pay less at the pump than they did last year at this time.To find out gas prices along your route, go to&nbsp;<a href="https://gasprices.aaa.com/">gasprices.aaa.com</a>."The average today in Kansas is $2.76 a gallon," Steward said Thursday. "That's down 50 cents just in the last month. If we look back to where we were a year ago, it was at $2.98, so we're 20, 22 cents less than that. It's certainly a good trend that we've been seeing for drivers, in terms of saving money."The national average as of Thursday was $3.10 a gallon. Area counties are, as usual on both sides of the state average."We've got some competing factors going on right now," Steward said. "Projections of a lot of people traveling for the holidays, but people may be delaying those trips a day or two because of this weather."Making sure your car is ready for your holiday trip is important."If you can, make sure that you get your car in and you get it checked out before you hit the road," Steward said. "Pay special attention to the battery, your tires, make sure your tires are properly inflated and have good tread, so you have traction if there is bad weather. Check systems like antifreeze, make sure that's in good shape, hoses and belts.&nbsp; Make sure your vehicle is in overall good shape."

AAA: Gas prices in Kansas down from last Christmas

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt admits that the Title 42 pandemic mechanism to control immigration isn't the preferred way to handle the issue.

"The concept isn't hard," Schmidt said. "You want to have robust immigration into the country, we're a nation of immigrants. We need labor, especially in many parts of Kansas. We need people. But, you want to control who is coming in and make policy choices on how many people can come, when they can come, what purposes they can come, who can come, as opposed to flinging open the door and saying whoever gets across the border is allowed in."

The public health reasons for keeping the border secure are what conservative state attorneys general argue is working for now and reducing what would otherwise be a flood of immigrants.

"We lost in the lower courts," Schmidt said. "We have temporarily won in the U.S. Supreme Court earlier this week when Chief Justice Roberts entered an administrative stay and said, whoa, everybody just pause. Keep Title 42 in place, keep using the baling wire to hold the door closed while we sort out the legalities here. That's the current state of play."

The program was supposed to end Dec. 21, but now it's unclear what will happen. According to&nbsp;<a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/3782776-biden-administration-asks-chief-justice-to-allow-title-42-to-end/">The Hill</a>, the government has asked that the policy remain in place until Dec. 27 if Roberts rules before Friday, or give the administration two business days to prepare if the ruling comes after that time.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1612447541601.png" alt="Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt" />
 <figcaption>Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt</figcaption>
 </figure>NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt admits that the Title 42 pandemic mechanism to control immigration isn't the preferred way to handle the issue."The concept isn't hard," Schmidt said. "You want to have robust immigration into the country, we're a nation of immigrants. We need labor, especially in many parts of Kansas. We need people. But, you want to control who is coming in and make policy choices on how many people can come, when they can come, what purposes they can come, who can come, as opposed to flinging open the door and saying whoever gets across the border is allowed in."The public health reasons for keeping the border secure are what conservative state attorneys general argue is working for now and reducing what would otherwise be a flood of immigrants."We lost in the lower courts," Schmidt said. "We have temporarily won in the U.S. Supreme Court earlier this week when Chief Justice Roberts entered an administrative stay and said, whoa, everybody just pause. Keep Title 42 in place, keep using the baling wire to hold the door closed while we sort out the legalities here. That's the current state of play."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1632317716965.png" alt="Photo Rep. Tony Gonzales" />
 <figcaption>Photo Rep. Tony Gonzales</figcaption>
 </figure>The program was supposed to end Dec. 21, but now it's unclear what will happen. According to&nbsp;<a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/3782776-biden-administration-asks-chief-justice-to-allow-title-42-to-end/">The Hill</a>, the government has asked that the policy remain in place until Dec. 27 if Roberts rules before Friday, or give the administration two business days to prepare if the ruling comes after that time.

Kan. AG on Title 42 immigration policy as it remains in effect

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Reno County Health Department Educator Seth Dewey wants the public to be aware that helping someone who is experiencing a fentanyl overdose is both needed and safe.

"The thing that we have to remember is that fentanyl is a powerful opioid," Dewey said. "It's just like morphine, just 100 times stronger. Signs of a fentanyl occurrence, they show slow or shallow breathing, pale skin, slow pulse and loss of consciousness."

<a href="https://www.tn.gov/behavioral-health/news/2022/8/24/state-departments-issue-guidance-around-fentanyl-exposure-.html"> The Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services said back in August</a>, "When in powder form, fentanyl and its analogs (including carfentanil and fluorofentanyl) cannot be absorbed through the skin."

An article in the journal&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/prehospital-and-disaster-medicine">Prehospital and Disaster Medicine</a>&nbsp;in June notes the experience of someone who worked in a plant where fentanyl is made.

"This individual had a large volume of liquid fentanyl that actually spilled on him," Dewey quoted. "The individual went of course right into decontamination and everything like that, went through a medical and there were no clinical effects of opioid exposure observed."

If you believe you have been exposed to fentanyl,&nbsp;

According to the <a href="https://reno.maps.arcgis.com/apps/dashboards/6e5f01c85f524c08b9aea458926f8fdb">Reno County Overdose Dashboard</a>, there were 31 drug overdoses of all types in Reno County in November. Out of those 31 overdoses, in 12 of the cases, they know the type of overdose and it was reported to the dashboard. Five were from alcohol, three were from prescription drugs, two were from methamphetamine, one was cocaine and one was an over the counter medication.

There were two opioid overdose ER visits and one alcohol poisoning ER visit. Naloxone was used three times in the county and one person died.&nbsp;

Dewey really only sees three ways to reduce overdoses in the long run.

"There's supply reduction, which our law enforcement partners are working hard on every day," Dewey said. "There's harm reduction, which is what we're talking about, with overdose recognition and naloxone, but then there's demand reduction. That's where our treatment providers and other individuals have the tough task of looking at how do we stop the demand?"

A societal issue of self-medication for psychological trauma and the ability to get the money to afford those substances is why many use substances in a harmful way, and Dewey says until we solve that problem, we will have to have these other strategies available to help keep people alive.

NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — Reno County Health Department Educator Seth Dewey wants the public to be aware that helping someone who is experiencing a fentanyl overdose is both needed and safe."The thing that we have to remember is that fentanyl is a powerful opioid," Dewey said. "It's just like morphine, just 100 times stronger. Signs of a fentanyl occurrence, they show slow or shallow breathing, pale skin, slow pulse and loss of consciousness."<a href="https://www.tn.gov/behavioral-health/news/2022/8/24/state-departments-issue-guidance-around-fentanyl-exposure-.html"> The Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services said back in August</a>, "When in powder form, fentanyl and its analogs (including carfentanil and fluorofentanyl) cannot be absorbed through the skin."An article in the journal&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/prehospital-and-disaster-medicine">Prehospital and Disaster Medicine</a>&nbsp;in June notes the experience of someone who worked in a plant where fentanyl is made."This individual had a large volume of liquid fentanyl that actually spilled on him," Dewey quoted. "The individual went of course right into decontamination and everything like that, went through a medical and there were no clinical effects of opioid exposure observed."If you believe you have been exposed to fentanyl,&nbsp;<ul>
 <li>Do not touch your eyes, nose, or mouth.</li><li>Wash your hands with soap and water to remove any substance from your hands.</li><li>If you begin to experience any adverse medical symptoms, seek medical attention.</li>
 </ul>According to the <a href="https://reno.maps.arcgis.com/apps/dashboards/6e5f01c85f524c08b9aea458926f8fdb">Reno County Overdose Dashboard</a>, there were 31 drug overdoses of all types in Reno County in November. Out of those 31 overdoses, in 12 of the cases, they know the type of overdose and it was reported to the dashboard. Five were from alcohol, three were from prescription drugs, two were from methamphetamine, one was cocaine and one was an over the counter medication.There were two opioid overdose ER visits and one alcohol poisoning ER visit. Naloxone was used three times in the county and one person died.&nbsp;Dewey really only sees three ways to reduce overdoses in the long run."There's supply reduction, which our law enforcement partners are working hard on every day," Dewey said. "There's harm reduction, which is what we're talking about, with overdose recognition and naloxone, but then there's demand reduction. That's where our treatment providers and other individuals have the tough task of looking at how do we stop the demand?"A societal issue of self-medication for psychological trauma and the ability to get the money to afford those substances is why many use substances in a harmful way, and Dewey says until we solve that problem, we will have to have these other strategies available to help keep people alive.

Health educator dispelling myths about fentanyl contact dangers

By JUDD WEIL&nbsp; Hutch Post

RENO COUNTY –&nbsp;Former Hutchinson police officer Todd Allen’s case has been pushed to next year.&nbsp; The formal charges filed against Allen include 17 felonies and seven misdemeanors.&nbsp;

Allen was arrested August 17&nbsp;and is charged with two counts of rape or alternative counts of aggravated sexual battery. &nbsp;

Hutchinson Police Chief Jeff Hooper said that when Allen was arrested on sex crime charges in August, that was hard on him and on his department.

The charges include three counts of attempted rape or alternative counts of aggravated sexual battery, two more counts of aggravated sexual battery, aggravated indecent liberties with a child, two counts of kidnapping and two counts of attempted aggravated sexual battery. &nbsp;

The two counts of rape are level one person felonies.&nbsp;

Allen also faces five counts of breach of privacy and two misdemeanor counts of sexual battery. &nbsp;

He is currently free on a $250,000 bond. &nbsp;A status conference for Todd Allen will take place Jan. 11 at 3 p.m. at Reno County District Court. &nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1671205140580.png" alt="Allen-photo Reno Co." />
 <figcaption>Allen-photo Reno Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>By JUDD WEIL&nbsp; Hutch PostRENO COUNTY –&nbsp;Former Hutchinson police officer Todd Allen’s case has been pushed to next year.&nbsp; The formal charges filed against Allen include 17 felonies and seven misdemeanors.&nbsp;Allen was arrested August 17&nbsp;and is charged with two counts of rape or alternative counts of aggravated sexual battery. &nbsp;Hutchinson Police Chief Jeff Hooper said that when Allen was arrested on sex crime charges in August, that was hard on him and on his department.The charges include three counts of attempted rape or alternative counts of aggravated sexual battery, two more counts of aggravated sexual battery, aggravated indecent liberties with a child, two counts of kidnapping and two counts of attempted aggravated sexual battery. &nbsp;The two counts of rape are level one person felonies.&nbsp;Allen also faces five counts of breach of privacy and two misdemeanor counts of sexual battery. &nbsp;He is currently free on a $250,000 bond. &nbsp;A status conference for Todd Allen will take place Jan. 11 at 3 p.m. at Reno County District Court. &nbsp;

Trial of former Kan. officer accused of serial sex assault continued

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The U.S. House of Representatives passed the sixth short-term continuing resolution on the national budget this week, but Tracey Mann voted against it, to make a point.

"The government funding expires here today," Mann said. "On Wednesday night, there was legislation that would just kick the can down the field for a week. I voted against it out of principle. It's way past time for Congress to do its job, formalize a budget, do appropriations through regular order. That's why I opposed this week long Continuing Resolution. It's just no way to run the government."

The power of the purse is an important check on the federal bureaucracy.

"It's a key function of the legislative branch in our Constitution," Mann said. "What's going to happen is, with them extending government funding by a week. Now it expires Dec. 23, right before Christmas, which means next week, we'll fly back to D.C. and they will try to ram through a big multi-trillion dollar spending package. They have these deadlines and then they force pressure. Right now, Democrats in the House are working with Democrats in the Senate and the Biden Administration to try to jam something through. It's just going to cause more debt."

The one-week process doesn't allow for any of that oversight function to actually happen. Mann said not all CRs are created equal.

"If the process is underway and if it just isn't done yet, or if the spending levels are an appropriate amount to just extending, that's one thing. I'm not going to say that I'll never vote for a Continuing Resolution, but in this instance, to just extend by a week only to provide more pressure as we come into the holidays to jam through a larger spending package, is just not something that I could support."

Mann has voted against all six short-term budget resolutions brought to the House Floor in the 117th Congress.

NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — The U.S. House of Representatives passed the sixth short-term continuing resolution on the national budget this week, but Tracey Mann voted against it, to make a point."The government funding expires here today," Mann said. "On Wednesday night, there was legislation that would just kick the can down the field for a week. I voted against it out of principle. It's way past time for Congress to do its job, formalize a budget, do appropriations through regular order. That's why I opposed this week long Continuing Resolution. It's just no way to run the government."The power of the purse is an important check on the federal bureaucracy."It's a key function of the legislative branch in our Constitution," Mann said. "What's going to happen is, with them extending government funding by a week. Now it expires Dec. 23, right before Christmas, which means next week, we'll fly back to D.C. and they will try to ram through a big multi-trillion dollar spending package. They have these deadlines and then they force pressure. Right now, Democrats in the House are working with Democrats in the Senate and the Biden Administration to try to jam something through. It's just going to cause more debt."The one-week process doesn't allow for any of that oversight function to actually happen. Mann said not all CRs are created equal."If the process is underway and if it just isn't done yet, or if the spending levels are an appropriate amount to just extending, that's one thing. I'm not going to say that I'll never vote for a Continuing Resolution, but in this instance, to just extend by a week only to provide more pressure as we come into the holidays to jam through a larger spending package, is just not something that I could support."Mann has voted against all six short-term budget resolutions brought to the House Floor in the 117th Congress.

Kan. congressman's vote on CR consistent in 117th Congress

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Andrew D. Patterson, 24, Hutchinson, is set to appear in Reno County District Court for a preliminary hearing on Feb. 13 at 1:30 p.m.&nbsp;

Patterson was charged with attempted terrorism in June, following threats he made against his workplace and a school.&nbsp; 

If convicted, he could get up to 50 years in prison without parole.

A previous complaint filed in the case, alleged a threat against Hutchinson Middle School-8 (HMS-8), and a separate threat against the Dillon's distribution center.

Additionally, Patterson allegedly made a further threat against a specific individual. 

The terrorism charge is founded in the HMS-8 threat. Patterson was detained during a May 31, traffic stop after law enforcement received information that Patterson had made the threatening comments.

During the stop, police found detailed plans in Patterson’s vehicle to carry out an act of mass violence.

A search warrant was executed at his residence where additional evidence related to the plan was collected.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1669857427972.jpeg" alt="Patterson -photo Reno Co." />
 <figcaption>Patterson -photo Reno Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>By JUDD WEIL&nbsp; Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — Andrew D. Patterson, 24, Hutchinson, is set to appear in Reno County District Court for a preliminary hearing on Feb. 13 at 1:30 p.m.&nbsp;Patterson was charged with attempted terrorism in June, following threats he made against his workplace and a school.&nbsp; If convicted, he could get up to 50 years in prison without parole.A previous complaint filed in the case, alleged a threat against Hutchinson Middle School-8 (HMS-8), and a separate threat against the Dillon's distribution center.Additionally, Patterson allegedly made a further threat against a specific individual. The terrorism charge is founded in the HMS-8 threat. Patterson was detained during a May 31, traffic stop after law enforcement received information that Patterson had made the threatening comments.During the stop, police found detailed plans in Patterson’s vehicle to carry out an act of mass violence.A search warrant was executed at his residence where additional evidence related to the plan was collected.

Preliminary hearing set for Kan. man accused of threat of mass violence 

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The announcement Tuesday of the intent by Kansas Attorney General-elect Kris Kobach to appoint a man who lost to him in the primary to the top post at the Kansas Bureau of Investigation was a long time in the making.

"I reached out to Kris the night of the election and congratulated him, of course," Mattivi said. "We went to lunch not long after. The more we talked, one of the things that we found is, when it comes to criminal justice issues, there's really just not any daylight between Kris and me. He's a conservative. He's also a law and order guy. The same is true for me. He's excited about doing what we can do to bring the crime rate down. He's anxious to tackle violent crime and the fentanyl crisis. He wants to make sure that law enforcement has the support that they need. We're just completely in alignment on those issues. Over time, this just sort of fell into place."

The KBI is brought to the forefront in investigations where an outside agency is needed for additional resources, particularly in the state's smaller counties, but that's not all that they do.

"They do criminal justice record keeping," Mattivi said. "Whether it's criminal histories or sex offender registries or fingerprint databases, it's the KBI's task to maintain all of that information for the state, that's one. Secondly, they have a laboratory, that's forensic examination and analysis. Whether it's a DUI or a drug case, fingerprints, DNA, firearm and tool mark analysis. There's a unit of the KBI that does that kind of work. Oftentimes, when you're investigating complex criminal organizations, some of the most valuable information that you gather, isn't gathered by an agent. It's gathered by an analyst. The KBI has a division devoted to criminal intelligence analysis. Then, finally, they have the investigations division."

Mattivi will be looking at the KBI from the perspective of a prosecutor, and he believes that has value.

A prosecutor is sort of the end user of all of those products created by the KBI," Mattivi said. "The criminal history information. That's something a prosecutor uses in making a charging decision. The forensic lab, over the course of my career, I can't even count the number of times I put a KBI chemist or analyst on the stand to talk about DNA evidence or fingerprint evidence. The criminal intelligence analysis? Again, that's some of the most important information that's gathered for a prosecutor. Then, finally, the agents. I had KBI agents testify in so many of my cases over the years."

Mattivi is subject to Kansas Senate confirmation, which will be scheduled after the session gets started in January.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658251336825.png" alt="Kan. Attorney General-elect Kris Kobach, right, and Mattivi, left during a primary election debate -photo Noah Taborda/Kansas Reflector" />
 <figcaption>Kan. Attorney General-elect Kris Kobach, right, and Mattivi, left during a primary election debate -photo Noah Taborda/Kansas Reflector</figcaption>
 </figure>NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — The announcement Tuesday of the intent by Kansas Attorney General-elect Kris Kobach to appoint a man who lost to him in the primary to the top post at the Kansas Bureau of Investigation was a long time in the making."I reached out to Kris the night of the election and congratulated him, of course," Mattivi said. "We went to lunch not long after. The more we talked, one of the things that we found is, when it comes to criminal justice issues, there's really just not any daylight between Kris and me. He's a conservative. He's also a law and order guy. The same is true for me. He's excited about doing what we can do to bring the crime rate down. He's anxious to tackle violent crime and the fentanyl crisis. He wants to make sure that law enforcement has the support that they need. We're just completely in alignment on those issues. Over time, this just sort of fell into place."The KBI is brought to the forefront in investigations where an outside agency is needed for additional resources, particularly in the state's smaller counties, but that's not all that they do."They do criminal justice record keeping," Mattivi said. "Whether it's criminal histories or sex offender registries or fingerprint databases, it's the KBI's task to maintain all of that information for the state, that's one. Secondly, they have a laboratory, that's forensic examination and analysis. Whether it's a DUI or a drug case, fingerprints, DNA, firearm and tool mark analysis. There's a unit of the KBI that does that kind of work. Oftentimes, when you're investigating complex criminal organizations, some of the most valuable information that you gather, isn't gathered by an agent. It's gathered by an analyst. The KBI has a division devoted to criminal intelligence analysis. Then, finally, they have the investigations division."Mattivi will be looking at the KBI from the perspective of a prosecutor, and he believes that has value.A prosecutor is sort of the end user of all of those products created by the KBI," Mattivi said. "The criminal history information. That's something a prosecutor uses in making a charging decision. The forensic lab, over the course of my career, I can't even count the number of times I put a KBI chemist or analyst on the stand to talk about DNA evidence or fingerprint evidence. The criminal intelligence analysis? Again, that's some of the most important information that's gathered for a prosecutor. Then, finally, the agents. I had KBI agents testify in so many of my cases over the years."Mattivi is subject to Kansas Senate confirmation, which will be scheduled after the session gets started in January.

Mattivi sees from unique perspective as KBI director nominee

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The impact of the pipeline outage resulting from the leak in Kansas on Wednesday isn't known yet, according to Shawn Steward with AAA Kansas.

"The closure in the Keystone pipeline that we've seen the last few days due to the leak in northern Kansas has certainly got the industry watching," Steward said. "We're not sure exactly what the impact of that will be yet. It will certainly depend on how long that pipeline is shut down."

Before the leak, fundamentals were looking really good to keep gas prices dropping across the country.

"Demand has been low for a while," Steward said. "We're at about 7% lower than where we were a year ago in terms of gasoline demand. Total domestic gasoline stocks rose significantly in the most recent reporting period. You couple those things together and you're seeing a pretty strong decline in gas prices over the last month or two. We're at $2.94 a gallon on average in Kansas today, that's down five cents just from Monday."

The drop in demand is what was typical pre-pandemic.

"That's what we're seeing this year," Steward said. "We tend to have fewer people out driving, especially when we start seeing winter weather. We haven't seen much of that yet in Kansas."

<a href="https://gasprices.aaa.com/">Click here to find</a> gas prices where you live.

NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — The impact of the pipeline outage resulting from the leak in Kansas on Wednesday isn't known yet, according to Shawn Steward with AAA Kansas."The closure in the Keystone pipeline that we've seen the last few days due to the leak in northern Kansas has certainly got the industry watching," Steward said. "We're not sure exactly what the impact of that will be yet. It will certainly depend on how long that pipeline is shut down."Before the leak, fundamentals were looking really good to keep gas prices dropping across the country."Demand has been low for a while," Steward said. "We're at about 7% lower than where we were a year ago in terms of gasoline demand. Total domestic gasoline stocks rose significantly in the most recent reporting period. You couple those things together and you're seeing a pretty strong decline in gas prices over the last month or two. We're at $2.94 a gallon on average in Kansas today, that's down five cents just from Monday."The drop in demand is what was typical pre-pandemic."That's what we're seeing this year," Steward said. "We tend to have fewer people out driving, especially when we start seeing winter weather. We haven't seen much of that yet in Kansas."<a href="https://gasprices.aaa.com/">Click here to find</a> gas prices where you live.

AAA: Pipeline leak in Kansas hasn't reached pumps yet

MANHATTAN, Kan. — Nick Gosnell, news director at Hutch Post and Eagle Radio of Hutchinson, was the first-place winner in the Audio/Video News Story category in the second annual Agricultural Reporting Award competition with the&nbsp;Kansas Farm Bureau.&nbsp;The award was presented Sunday in Manhattan at the Kansas Farm Bureau annual meeting. To be eligible, journalists must cover agriculture in Kansas and their story must have been published or aired in a professional capacity with byline or credit between June 1, 2021, and May 31, 2022. The&nbsp;<a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/54b1f4fb-28d6-43b1-8dcb-301dfb6b94eb">story</a>&nbsp;contained Gosnell's reporting on what Rep. Tracey Mann called the "farm-killer tax" proposed in the 2023 federal budget.

This is Gosnell's first award from the Kansas Farm Bureau.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1670240688076.jpeg" alt="Nick Gosnell" />
 <figcaption>Nick Gosnell</figcaption>
 </figure>MANHATTAN, Kan. — Nick Gosnell, news director at Hutch Post and Eagle Radio of Hutchinson, was the first-place winner in the Audio/Video News Story category in the second annual Agricultural Reporting Award competition with the&nbsp;Kansas Farm Bureau.&nbsp;The award was presented Sunday in Manhattan at the Kansas Farm Bureau annual meeting. To be eligible, journalists must cover agriculture in Kansas and their story must have been published or aired in a professional capacity with byline or credit between June 1, 2021, and May 31, 2022. The&nbsp;<a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/54b1f4fb-28d6-43b1-8dcb-301dfb6b94eb">story</a>&nbsp;contained Gosnell's reporting on what Rep. Tracey Mann called the "farm-killer tax" proposed in the 2023 federal budget.This is Gosnell's first award from the Kansas Farm Bureau.

Eagle's Hutch news director honored by Kansas Farm Bureau

By NICK GOSNELL Hutch Post

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — A hotel proposal to address the city's needs for additional rooms to retain large events like the NJCAA Men's Basketball Tournament is on the agenda for the Hutchinson City Council on Tuesday.

From the legal description of the land involved, it would be on parcels behind the Olive Garden and Mattress Firm where Waldron curves around between Aldi and 23rd.

According to agenda documents, the city of Hutchinson has been in need of additional hotel accommodations for the activities and events which occur within its city limits. Further, the city of Hutchinson is in need of a functioning conference center for meeting space for community groups and guests of hotel properties. Multiple studies and attempts to develop a hotel and conference center within the city have been made over the past several years without success.

The Resolution and Development Agreement before the council Tuesday proposes the construction of a hotel, conference center and restaurant by Amber Hotel, LLC. The developer will make an initial investment of at least $18 millions to construct an upper mid-scale hotel with 165 sleeping rooms, a conference room of a minimum 15,000 square feet including pre-function space and a franchise sit-down restaurant.

The city of Hutchinson will commit to the following:

1. One Million Dollars ($1,000,000.00) will be paid to the developer upon the completed construction of the hotel, conference center and franchise restaurant.

2. The City will approve a Community Improvement District for the hotel project of two percent (2%).

3. The City will issue a Letter of Intent to issue Eighteen Million Dollars ($18,000,000.00) in Industrial Revenue Bonds.

4. The City shall pay to the developer Fifty Thousand Dollars ($50,000.00) per year for the first three (3) years of operation of the hotel after the Certificate of Occupancy has been issued.

5. The City of Hutchinson will pay three percent (3%) of the seven percent (7%) transient guest taxes to the developer as long as the facility is operated as an upper mid-scale hotel pursuant to the Smith Travel Research Standards.

The Hutchinson City Council meets at 9 a.m. Tuesday at City Hall.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1670085786844.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — A hotel proposal to address the city's needs for additional rooms to retain large events like the NJCAA Men's Basketball Tournament is on the agenda for the Hutchinson City Council on Tuesday.From the legal description of the land involved, it would be on parcels behind the Olive Garden and Mattress Firm where Waldron curves around between Aldi and 23rd.According to agenda documents, the city of Hutchinson has been in need of additional hotel accommodations for the activities and events which occur within its city limits. Further, the city of Hutchinson is in need of a functioning conference center for meeting space for community groups and guests of hotel properties. Multiple studies and attempts to develop a hotel and conference center within the city have been made over the past several years without success.The Resolution and Development Agreement before the council Tuesday proposes the construction of a hotel, conference center and restaurant by Amber Hotel, LLC. The developer will make an initial investment of at least $18 millions to construct an upper mid-scale hotel with 165 sleeping rooms, a conference room of a minimum 15,000 square feet including pre-function space and a franchise sit-down restaurant.The city of Hutchinson will commit to the following:1. One Million Dollars ($1,000,000.00) will be paid to the developer upon the completed construction of the hotel, conference center and franchise restaurant.2. The City will approve a Community Improvement District for the hotel project of two percent (2%).3. The City will issue a Letter of Intent to issue Eighteen Million Dollars ($18,000,000.00) in Industrial Revenue Bonds.4. The City shall pay to the developer Fifty Thousand Dollars ($50,000.00) per year for the first three (3) years of operation of the hotel after the Certificate of Occupancy has been issued.5. The City of Hutchinson will pay three percent (3%) of the seven percent (7%) transient guest taxes to the developer as long as the facility is operated as an upper mid-scale hotel pursuant to the Smith Travel Research Standards.The Hutchinson City Council meets at 9 a.m. Tuesday at City Hall.

Hutch council will consider proposal for $18M hotel, event center

JUDD WEIL and NICK GOSNELL Hutch Post

SOUTH HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Windy conditions and potential crew fatigue caused multiple departments to come to assist South Hutchinson firefighters on a fire in the roof of Tyson Foods Friday night.

Chief Shae Barajas-Brooks said they got the initial call a little before 7 p.m.

"The fire was actually running through the roof," the chief said. "The roof has got several layers on it, between tin and styrofoam and the composites, the different layers. The fire had gotten down into the roof and was running along it, so you had a good section, probably about 10 feet by 30 feet that we were trying to get to."

Units from Yoder, Hutchinson and Nickerson assisted due to the 50 to 55 mile per hour gusts at the time. Employees were temporarily evacuated, but no one was hurt.

The fire is out and the investigation continues, initial physical damage appears to be minimal, other than a little water and the damaged roof section, but investigators still need to assess any potential mechanical damage.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1670040865020.jpeg" alt="Photo by Judd Weil" />
 <figcaption>Photo by Judd Weil</figcaption>
 </figure>JUDD WEIL and NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostSOUTH HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Windy conditions and potential crew fatigue caused multiple departments to come to assist South Hutchinson firefighters on a fire in the roof of Tyson Foods Friday night.Chief Shae Barajas-Brooks said they got the initial call a little before 7 p.m."The fire was actually running through the roof," the chief said. "The roof has got several layers on it, between tin and styrofoam and the composites, the different layers. The fire had gotten down into the roof and was running along it, so you had a good section, probably about 10 feet by 30 feet that we were trying to get to."Units from Yoder, Hutchinson and Nickerson assisted due to the 50 to 55 mile per hour gusts at the time. Employees were temporarily evacuated, but no one was hurt.The fire is out and the investigation continues, initial physical damage appears to be minimal, other than a little water and the damaged roof section, but investigators still need to assess any potential mechanical damage.

Employees evacuated after fire at South Hutchinson Plant

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Michelle McCartney with Cosmosphere notes that there will be a lot of witnesses to history at the First and Last Steps event Friday night on the Kansas State Fairgrounds.

"We've got two moon walkers here tonight," McCartney said. "We've got Harrison Schmitt and we have Charlie Duke. We're very excited to have those dignitaries here along with a lot of Mission Control crew and other astronauts, as well."&nbsp;

The full list of invited dignitaries included Jeff Ashby, Jerry Bostick, Charlie Duke, Gerry Griffin, Fred Haise, Steven Hawley, Gene Kranz (unable to attend), Jack Lousma&nbsp;(unable to attend), Harrison Schmitt and Milt Windler. There will be a public opportunity to take a look at the sky outside the event tonight, as well.

"Tonight, from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., we have a public telescope viewing," McCartney said. "You will meet at the east side of the Meadowlark Building at the Fairgrounds. Hopefully, with a clear sky, you'll have a great view of planets and bright stars in the southern sky. "

The viewing is put on by the Cosmosphere Astronomy Club. Also, there is a special event involving one of the most famous astronauts not to walk on the moon, Fred Haise. That event is taking place on Saturday.

"Haise will be here doing his book signing for his new autobiography, Never Panic Early," McCartney said. "That's Dec. 3 from 9 a.m. to noon at the Cosmosphere. The book signing will be located in the Hall of Space Museum by the Apollo 13 command module, Odyssey."

For a full schedule of the weekend's events, go to&nbsp;<a href="https://cosmo.org/">cosmo.org</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1583247028814.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — Michelle McCartney with Cosmosphere notes that there will be a lot of witnesses to history at the First and Last Steps event Friday night on the Kansas State Fairgrounds."We've got two moon walkers here tonight," McCartney said. "We've got Harrison Schmitt and we have Charlie Duke. We're very excited to have those dignitaries here along with a lot of Mission Control crew and other astronauts, as well."&nbsp;The full list of invited dignitaries included Jeff Ashby, Jerry Bostick, Charlie Duke, Gerry Griffin, Fred Haise, Steven Hawley, Gene Kranz (unable to attend), Jack Lousma&nbsp;(unable to attend), Harrison Schmitt and Milt Windler. There will be a public opportunity to take a look at the sky outside the event tonight, as well."Tonight, from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., we have a public telescope viewing," McCartney said. "You will meet at the east side of the Meadowlark Building at the Fairgrounds. Hopefully, with a clear sky, you'll have a great view of planets and bright stars in the southern sky. "The viewing is put on by the Cosmosphere Astronomy Club. Also, there is a special event involving one of the most famous astronauts not to walk on the moon, Fred Haise. That event is taking place on Saturday."Haise will be here doing his book signing for his new autobiography, Never Panic Early," McCartney said. "That's Dec. 3 from 9 a.m. to noon at the Cosmosphere. The book signing will be located in the Hall of Space Museum by the Apollo 13 command module, Odyssey."For a full schedule of the weekend's events, go to&nbsp;<a href="https://cosmo.org/">cosmo.org</a>.

Events with many dignitaries for Kan. Cosmosphere this weekend

HUTCHINSON — Great Bend City Administrator Kendal Francis will 
be hired as the Hutchinson city administrator, pending the approval of 
his contract by the Hutchinson City Council in their meeting Tuesday.

According
 to the contract as printed in the meeting agenda documents, Francis 
will start in Hutchinson on Jan. 1 and receive&nbsp;a bi-weekly base
 salary of $6,730.77 and a one-time payment of $10,000&nbsp;for relocation, 
housing, down payment assistance and related incidentals.

The city
 also is going to contribute 3 percent of Francis'&nbsp;base salary 
on his behalf to a deferred compensation program of his choice.

He
 will also receive a $500 monthly vehicle allowance to use his own 
vehicle for city business and a $100 monthly cellphone allowance.

Francis
 has worked in municipal positions since at least 1994. According to his
 LinkedIn profile, he was a wastewater treatment plant operator in 
Beloit from 1994 to 2007 and foreman of the water plant from 2007 to 
2009, before being named director of water/wastewater operations in 
March 2009, holding that job until January of 2014.&nbsp;

He then
 became city administrator in Lakin for a year and a half, then 
Coffeyville for not quite three years, before coming to Great Bend in 
July 2018.

Interim City Manager Gary Meagher has been serving Hutchinson since Jeff Cantrell's contract was not renewed in mid-May.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1669938123656.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Hutch PostHUTCHINSON — Great Bend City Administrator Kendal Francis will 
be hired as the Hutchinson city administrator, pending the approval of 
his contract by the Hutchinson City Council in their meeting Tuesday.According
 to the contract as printed in the meeting agenda documents, Francis 
will start in Hutchinson on Jan. 1 and receive&nbsp;a bi-weekly base
 salary of $6,730.77 and a one-time payment of $10,000&nbsp;for relocation, 
housing, down payment assistance and related incidentals.The city
 also is going to contribute 3 percent of Francis'&nbsp;base salary 
on his behalf to a deferred compensation program of his choice.He
 will also receive a $500 monthly vehicle allowance to use his own 
vehicle for city business and a $100 monthly cellphone allowance.Francis
 has worked in municipal positions since at least 1994. According to his
 LinkedIn profile, he was a wastewater treatment plant operator in 
Beloit from 1994 to 2007 and foreman of the water plant from 2007 to 
2009, before being named director of water/wastewater operations in 
March 2009, holding that job until January of 2014.&nbsp;He then
 became city administrator in Lakin for a year and a half, then 
Coffeyville for not quite three years, before coming to Great Bend in 
July 2018.Interim City Manager Gary Meagher has been serving Hutchinson since Jeff Cantrell's contract was not renewed in mid-May.

Great Bend admin takes reins of Hutchinson city government

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Shawn 
Steward with AAA Kansas notes that gas prices are a little higher on 
average statewide this year than last at $3.20 a gallon as of Friday.

"A
 year ago, we were at $3.07 a gallon," Steward said. "Slightly up, but 
when you think about it, it's not a huge increase and shouldn't have a 
major impact on most people's plans to drive."

Central Kansas 
counties are below average and a lot closer to the 2021 number with Reno
 County at $3.10 and Harvey County at $3.07. McPherson County is at 
$3.13 and Sedgwick is at $3.04. The highest county average is Morton 
County at $3.72 with the lowest in Crawford County at $3.00.

&nbsp;"We're
 usually one of the lowest in the country, which is nice to have," 
Steward said. "The lower plains, basically from here to Texas and then 
the southeast U.S. across to South Carolina, those regions have the 
cheapest prices in gas across the country right now."

Gas prices traditionally drop as winter approaches, with the exception of holiday periods, due to reduced demand.

By NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — Shawn 
Steward with AAA Kansas notes that gas prices are a little higher on 
average statewide this year than last at $3.20 a gallon as of Friday."A
 year ago, we were at $3.07 a gallon," Steward said. "Slightly up, but 
when you think about it, it's not a huge increase and shouldn't have a 
major impact on most people's plans to drive."Central Kansas 
counties are below average and a lot closer to the 2021 number with Reno
 County at $3.10 and Harvey County at $3.07. McPherson County is at 
$3.13 and Sedgwick is at $3.04. The highest county average is Morton 
County at $3.72 with the lowest in Crawford County at $3.00.&nbsp;"We're
 usually one of the lowest in the country, which is nice to have," 
Steward said. "The lower plains, basically from here to Texas and then 
the southeast U.S. across to South Carolina, those regions have the 
cheapest prices in gas across the country right now."Gas prices traditionally drop as winter approaches, with the exception of holiday periods, due to reduced demand.

AAA: Gas prices remain volatile into holiday season

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Kansas 
First District Congressman Tracey Mann sees the designation of the 
Northern Distinct Population Segment of the lesser prairie-chicken as a 
threatened species under the Endangered Species Act as about more than 
just that bird.

"The&nbsp;lesser prairie-chicken lives in areas from 
really western Kansas, eastern Colorado, down through the Oklahoma and 
Texas panhandle into New Mexico," Mann said. "At the end of the day 
though, this is a proxy war against our oil and gas producers and 
against agriculture as we know it. We've been fighting this thing tooth 
and nail and we will continue to. It was very disappointing to hear that
 news from the Biden administration."

The point is that drilling 
projects like the one currently ongoing in Pratt County would be much 
more difficult to execute with the additional regulation that comes with
 the lesser&nbsp;prairie-chicken designation.

"It's a little farther 
west from there, but let's just say that same company was doing that in 
Scott County, or you know, in Finney County, or one of our Kansas 
Independent Oil and Gas producers, if they want to drill a well, once 
this goes into effect, it's more paperwork," Mann said. "More fees to 
pay, more hoops to jump through, more people that can say no. We ought 
to be making it easier for our domestic oil and gas producers to do what
 they do best. With record high gas prices and with this war on fossil 
fuels that we're in, which makes absolutely no sense to me, let's make 
it easier for our ag producers and let's make it easier for our oil and 
gas producers."&nbsp; &nbsp;

Mann is also a co-sponsor of&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001VWEg0Kw2bG5hQYHKAJspPMH2uHtU-kKxtHOALRNc-oTuRacEYLudgFhQqewuaa24tdnXHaDJlldasQrMo2dvo7KWUxQdc9FwbMZdV7ImmiDYbN2sIhXs8HDmdJzLAFVBJ-qpnPos7-S1KftmL1kNlaBJXNuY6KZzG9APeKZBoAZ-YSTHCmgGEIY6ecxTzI3nTUQQmaVkIghXRvIMFlPDCyJww_jbR49krO4B-Ye4FmrBg0MUxl_G6EXnhSXqzQs0wrNZrZvPmoYLKR_Ms1JMUqJfIo1XoMNMGdQyCjwKOan3Jr8DWm5chFeEGmHHCcNqlpOQ60c8lzAL1DdnjiTBUEaFpjtFQMRiyCozlYy2D8_aR4VV1ScyxVecvEw0fgGhBozsryNCcC1XICU5KILl_fHWJIWR0OJEdeS8xOgRyrQMEuocZsViqzrAl80MgQ_tx-7cWx18UAiY2QPoMOhZidVojUE69Z2V&amp;c=CJXWYRFfN9TIlUfwvA0GxRRFCr-F3-ARWdE_M34-FgfgTaR7DAOl_g==&amp;ch=qS20CUInLDrNviAxg5hqD82vDqvNW06wmFOc1C0FKu-RVuh5d84IsA==" target="_blank">H.R. 4370, the Listing Reform Act</a>&nbsp;which
 would prohibit the Department of Interior from using any federal 
funding to list the Lesser Prairie-Chicken on the endangered species 
list.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1668724822944.png" alt="U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service photo" />
 <figcaption>U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — Kansas 
First District Congressman Tracey Mann sees the designation of the 
Northern Distinct Population Segment of the lesser prairie-chicken as a 
threatened species under the Endangered Species Act as about more than 
just that bird."The&nbsp;lesser prairie-chicken lives in areas from 
really western Kansas, eastern Colorado, down through the Oklahoma and 
Texas panhandle into New Mexico," Mann said. "At the end of the day 
though, this is a proxy war against our oil and gas producers and 
against agriculture as we know it. We've been fighting this thing tooth 
and nail and we will continue to. It was very disappointing to hear that
 news from the Biden administration."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/11/1637681449641.png" alt="Mann" />
 <figcaption>Mann</figcaption>
 </figure>The point is that drilling 
projects like the one currently ongoing in Pratt County would be much 
more difficult to execute with the additional regulation that comes with
 the lesser&nbsp;prairie-chicken designation."It's a little farther 
west from there, but let's just say that same company was doing that in 
Scott County, or you know, in Finney County, or one of our Kansas 
Independent Oil and Gas producers, if they want to drill a well, once 
this goes into effect, it's more paperwork," Mann said. "More fees to 
pay, more hoops to jump through, more people that can say no. We ought 
to be making it easier for our domestic oil and gas producers to do what
 they do best. With record high gas prices and with this war on fossil 
fuels that we're in, which makes absolutely no sense to me, let's make 
it easier for our ag producers and let's make it easier for our oil and 
gas producers."&nbsp; &nbsp;Mann is also a co-sponsor of&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001VWEg0Kw2bG5hQYHKAJspPMH2uHtU-kKxtHOALRNc-oTuRacEYLudgFhQqewuaa24tdnXHaDJlldasQrMo2dvo7KWUxQdc9FwbMZdV7ImmiDYbN2sIhXs8HDmdJzLAFVBJ-qpnPos7-S1KftmL1kNlaBJXNuY6KZzG9APeKZBoAZ-YSTHCmgGEIY6ecxTzI3nTUQQmaVkIghXRvIMFlPDCyJww_jbR49krO4B-Ye4FmrBg0MUxl_G6EXnhSXqzQs0wrNZrZvPmoYLKR_Ms1JMUqJfIo1XoMNMGdQyCjwKOan3Jr8DWm5chFeEGmHHCcNqlpOQ60c8lzAL1DdnjiTBUEaFpjtFQMRiyCozlYy2D8_aR4VV1ScyxVecvEw0fgGhBozsryNCcC1XICU5KILl_fHWJIWR0OJEdeS8xOgRyrQMEuocZsViqzrAl80MgQ_tx-7cWx18UAiY2QPoMOhZidVojUE69Z2V&amp;c=CJXWYRFfN9TIlUfwvA0GxRRFCr-F3-ARWdE_M34-FgfgTaR7DAOl_g==&amp;ch=qS20CUInLDrNviAxg5hqD82vDqvNW06wmFOc1C0FKu-RVuh5d84IsA==" target="_blank">H.R. 4370, the Listing Reform Act</a>&nbsp;which
 would prohibit the Department of Interior from using any federal 
funding to list the Lesser Prairie-Chicken on the endangered species 
list.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Mann sees lesser prairie-chicken designation as 'proxy war'

NEWTON, Kan. — At Tuesday’s meeting, the Newton City Commission approved final plans for the new Newton Public Library and moved ahead toward construction.

According to city manager Kelly McElroy, the new library will be 25,000 square feet on the east end of Military Park, with a new parking lot on the northwest side of the new building. After construction of the new building, the library contents will be moved into the new building and the old building will be demolished. A large green space will be created west of the building in the park. The 1880 train engine will remain in its current location.

The new library will have a drive-up book drop-off, glass-walled study rooms, large meeting rooms, young adult space with gaming area, separate space for children’s book collections and programs, technology areas, family restrooms, outdoor seating space and more.

The project cost estimate including design and construction is $10.7 million. The City has committed to fund $4.5 million toward the project, and the Library Board has pledged provide $1.2 million in cash if needed to cover budget shortfalls once final bids are received. This is in addition to the board’s original commitment of $1.3 million spread out over the life of the 20-year bonds.

A volunteer fundraising committee so far has raised $3,267,454.40 in private funds for the project. Over $1.4 million came from foundations, businesses or organizations, and $100,000 was donated by the City of North Newton. About $1.8 million was from individual donors. There are still additional donation requests on the table, and the committee continues to raise more funds. The committee is led by co-chairs Angela Becker and Ann Adrian and Library Director Cari Cusick in partnership with fundraising consultant Swanson House.

The Commission set a bid date of 11 a.m. Dec. 21. Construction is expected to begin in the first quarter of next year.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1669379732525.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Hutch PostNEWTON, Kan. — At Tuesday’s meeting, the Newton City Commission approved final plans for the new Newton Public Library and moved ahead toward construction.According to city manager Kelly McElroy, the new library will be 25,000 square feet on the east end of Military Park, with a new parking lot on the northwest side of the new building. After construction of the new building, the library contents will be moved into the new building and the old building will be demolished. A large green space will be created west of the building in the park. The 1880 train engine will remain in its current location.The new library will have a drive-up book drop-off, glass-walled study rooms, large meeting rooms, young adult space with gaming area, separate space for children’s book collections and programs, technology areas, family restrooms, outdoor seating space and more.The project cost estimate including design and construction is $10.7 million. The City has committed to fund $4.5 million toward the project, and the Library Board has pledged provide $1.2 million in cash if needed to cover budget shortfalls once final bids are received. This is in addition to the board’s original commitment of $1.3 million spread out over the life of the 20-year bonds.A volunteer fundraising committee so far has raised $3,267,454.40 in private funds for the project. Over $1.4 million came from foundations, businesses or organizations, and $100,000 was donated by the City of North Newton. About $1.8 million was from individual donors. There are still additional donation requests on the table, and the committee continues to raise more funds. The committee is led by co-chairs Angela Becker and Ann Adrian and Library Director Cari Cusick in partnership with fundraising consultant Swanson House.The Commission set a bid date of 11 a.m. Dec. 21. Construction is expected to begin in the first quarter of next year.

Plans approved for new Newton Public Library

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — 
Thanksgiving travel volume will be almost back to levels before the 
pandemic, if estimates from AAA come true.

"About 90% of people 
traveling for the Thanksgiving holiday will be taking to the highway," 
said Shawn Steward with AAA Kansas. "It's a very driving heavy holiday. A
 lot of people just go in regionally or within state to visit to visit 
their friends and families."

AAA predicts 54.6 million people 
nationwide will travel 50 miles or more from home this Thanksgiving. 
That’s a 1.5% increase over 2021 and 98% of pre-pandemic volumes.

"In
 Kansas, about 525,000 of the 581,000 total travelers will be driving to
 their destinations," Steward said. "Pack your patience, slow down and 
just be extra cautious on the roads this week."

It's also 
important to remember that it gets dark earlier this time of year, so 
more of that driving will likely take place outside of daylight hours, 
or during the potentially&nbsp; blinding pre-sunset hour, if driving west in 
the afternoon.

"Slow down, drive for the conditions," Steward 
said. "Don't overdrive your headlights. We've certainly got deer to look
 out for as well on the highways. Be scanning the sides of the road 
constantly as you are driving, especially at night."

Some of the 
busiest driving times of the weekend will be on Wednesday after work and
 especially on Sunday as families travel back home after the long 
weekend.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1669213110675.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — 
Thanksgiving travel volume will be almost back to levels before the 
pandemic, if estimates from AAA come true."About 90% of people 
traveling for the Thanksgiving holiday will be taking to the highway," 
said Shawn Steward with AAA Kansas. "It's a very driving heavy holiday. A
 lot of people just go in regionally or within state to visit to visit 
their friends and families."AAA predicts 54.6 million people 
nationwide will travel 50 miles or more from home this Thanksgiving. 
That’s a 1.5% increase over 2021 and 98% of pre-pandemic volumes."In
 Kansas, about 525,000 of the 581,000 total travelers will be driving to
 their destinations," Steward said. "Pack your patience, slow down and 
just be extra cautious on the roads this week."It's also 
important to remember that it gets dark earlier this time of year, so 
more of that driving will likely take place outside of daylight hours, 
or during the potentially&nbsp; blinding pre-sunset hour, if driving west in 
the afternoon."Slow down, drive for the conditions," Steward 
said. "Don't overdrive your headlights. We've certainly got deer to look
 out for as well on the highways. Be scanning the sides of the road 
constantly as you are driving, especially at night."Some of the 
busiest driving times of the weekend will be on Wednesday after work and
 especially on Sunday as families travel back home after the long 
weekend.

AAA: Expect roads to be busy for holiday travel

RENO COUNTY — The Reno County Sheriff's Office on Monday posted an 
update that they are still looking for 67-year-old Leonard Anthony 
Williams. He was first reported missing on Oct. 9. They added 
that he was last seen in the area of Fun Valley.

There is still an active investigation taking place in attempt to locate Williams.

Williams
 was last seen wearing an orange sweater with blue jeans.  If anyone has
 seen him, please notify the Reno County Sheriff’s Office.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1669124324968.jpeg" alt="Williams" />
 <figcaption>Williams</figcaption>
 </figure>Hutch PostRENO COUNTY — The Reno County Sheriff's Office on Monday posted an 
update that they are still looking for 67-year-old Leonard Anthony 
Williams. He was first reported missing on Oct. 9. They added 
that he was last seen in the area of Fun Valley.There is still an active investigation taking place in attempt to locate Williams.Williams
 was last seen wearing an orange sweater with blue jeans. If anyone has
 seen him, please notify the Reno County Sheriff’s Office.

Police still searching for Hutch man reported missing Oct. 9

HUTCHINSON, Kan. —&nbsp;Hutchinson Regional Healthcare System announced on Nov. 18, President and Chief Executive Officer of Hutchinson Regional Healthcare System (HRHS), Ken Johnson has resigned after seven years in the role.

Prior to serving as the CEO, Johnson served as the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer of Hutchinson Regional Medical Center.

According to HRHS in a press release, Nick Baldetti, Chief Quality Officer, will be acting as the CEO on an interim basis, as a nationwide search for a new leader begins effective immediately.

The Board of Directors has expressed its appreciation for all that Johnson has done to support and lead the organization.

The press release stated, they wish him nothing but the best in his future endeavors.&nbsp;

Hutchinson Regional Medical System has no further comment at this time.&nbsp;

This is a working story, more information will follow as it becomes available.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1596450831912.jpeg" alt="Ken Johnson-courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Ken Johnson-courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By JUDD WEIL&nbsp; Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. —&nbsp;Hutchinson Regional Healthcare System announced on Nov. 18, President and Chief Executive Officer of Hutchinson Regional Healthcare System (HRHS), Ken Johnson has resigned after seven years in the role.Prior to serving as the CEO, Johnson served as the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer of Hutchinson Regional Medical Center.According to HRHS in a press release, Nick Baldetti, Chief Quality Officer, will be acting as the CEO on an interim basis, as a nationwide search for a new leader begins effective immediately.The Board of Directors has expressed its appreciation for all that Johnson has done to support and lead the organization.The press release stated, they wish him nothing but the best in his future endeavors.&nbsp;Hutchinson Regional Medical System has no further comment at this time.&nbsp;This is a working story, more information will follow as it becomes available.

Hutchinson Regional Healthcare System CEO resigns

By JUDD WEIL&nbsp; Hutch Post

NICKERSON, Kan. — Ava Jones of Nickerson is forging ahead with her 
future, after signing her National Letter of Intent (NIL) to play 
basketball at the University of Iowa on Nov. 9. &nbsp; After a&nbsp;<a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/4372734a-0749-4449-9c40-eac73419a478" target="_blank">life-changing crash in Louisville, Ky.</a>&nbsp;left Ava and her mother, Amy, in critical condition and killed her father, Trey, <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/cc44097f-ed08-4907-8a55-7cac2e09863f" target="_blank">the University of Iowa previously stated Ava would keep her scholarship</a> whether or not she would be able to play basketball. &nbsp;

Ava
 Jones was not alone by any means as she signed her&nbsp;NIL, surrounded and 
supported by family, friends, and coaches who saw her basketball career 
nearly, and wrongfully, stolen from her. &nbsp;

“To my family, my dad, 
my mom, and my brothers, and then all my grandparents,” said Ava. “I 
love them all so much. Thank you for everything you have done for me.” &nbsp;

The emotional signing culminated in Ava thanking the people of Nickerson for their support. &nbsp;

“To
 the community of Nickerson, it has not been easy,” expressed Ava. “I 
mean for my family, but it’s just unexplainable how grateful I am of&nbsp;you
 and the things that they have done, Nickerson, for my family and I, 
is&nbsp;incredible.” &nbsp;

 After the signing, Ava said she had not doubt she would be able to sign. &nbsp;

“It
 feels real now,” said Ava. “I mean it did before, but now it feels 
really real, like I am going to go to Iowa and be a Hawkeye.” &nbsp;

Ava will be part of the University of Iowa Hawkeyes basketball team in a managerial capacity as she continues to recover. &nbsp;

According to Ava, she could be practicing with the team in one to two years. &nbsp;

“A person wouldn’t be able to do this on two torn ACLs and I don’t know if I’ll be able to yet,” said Ava. &nbsp;

Despite
 this, Ava said she is not worried because she knows who her surgeon is.
 The thing she is&nbsp;most excited about is being able to walk again after 
her surgeries. &nbsp;

Ava’s future surgeries include both of her knees 
in separate operations, as well as her shoulder. Operation on her right 
knee is planned for Nov. 21. &nbsp;

“I am so happy that she is seeing her dream to fruition,” said Amy Jones.&nbsp;

Amy,
 like most parents when their kids move away, admits she'll worry about 
her daughter. Especially after what their family has gone through.

After she has recovered from the surgeries that she still needs, Amy said she will visit Ava in Iowa as soon as she can.&nbsp;

“She
 keeps me motivated to keep pushing and keep working hard,” said Amy. “I
 just hope she enjoys college, whether she plays basketball or not, like
 she makes friends and gets acclimated.” &nbsp;

During her time at the University of Iowa, Ava is going to major in communications. &nbsp;

Ava said she is going to take a lot of hope with her to Iowa from the community of Nickerson. &nbsp;

“This
 town is just full of hope, and this community is just so full of 
excitement,” said Ava. “I’m going to be excited to go to Iowa.” &nbsp;

For
 her future in recovery, Ava said she is going to do whatever the 
coaches tell her to do so she can get on the basketball court. &nbsp;

Ava wants people who hear her story to remember to keep pushing. &nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1668040995679.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By JUDD WEIL&nbsp; Hutch PostNICKERSON, Kan. — Ava Jones of Nickerson is forging ahead with her 
future, after signing her National Letter of Intent (NIL) to play 
basketball at the University of Iowa on Nov. 9. &nbsp; After a&nbsp;<a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/4372734a-0749-4449-9c40-eac73419a478" target="_blank">life-changing crash in Louisville, Ky.</a>&nbsp;left Ava and her mother, Amy, in critical condition and killed her father, Trey, <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/cc44097f-ed08-4907-8a55-7cac2e09863f" target="_blank">the University of Iowa previously stated Ava would keep her scholarship</a> whether or not she would be able to play basketball. &nbsp;Ava
 Jones was not alone by any means as she signed her&nbsp;NIL, surrounded and 
supported by family, friends, and coaches who saw her basketball career 
nearly, and wrongfully, stolen from her. &nbsp;“To my family, my dad, 
my mom, and my brothers, and then all my grandparents,” said Ava. “I 
love them all so much. Thank you for everything you have done for me.” &nbsp;The emotional signing culminated in Ava thanking the people of Nickerson for their support. &nbsp;“To
 the community of Nickerson, it has not been easy,” expressed Ava. “I 
mean for my family, but it’s just unexplainable how grateful I am of&nbsp;you
 and the things that they have done, Nickerson, for my family and I, 
is&nbsp;incredible.” &nbsp; After the signing, Ava said she had not doubt she would be able to sign. &nbsp;“It
 feels real now,” said Ava. “I mean it did before, but now it feels 
really real, like I am going to go to Iowa and be a Hawkeye.” &nbsp;Ava will be part of the University of Iowa Hawkeyes basketball team in a managerial capacity as she continues to recover. &nbsp;According to Ava, she could be practicing with the team in one to two years. &nbsp;“A person wouldn’t be able to do this on two torn ACLs and I don’t know if I’ll be able to yet,” said Ava. &nbsp;Despite
 this, Ava said she is not worried because she knows who her surgeon is.
 The thing she is&nbsp;most excited about is being able to walk again after 
her surgeries. &nbsp;Ava’s future surgeries include both of her knees 
in separate operations, as well as her shoulder. Operation on her right 
knee is planned for Nov. 21. &nbsp;“I am so happy that she is seeing her dream to fruition,” said Amy Jones.&nbsp;Amy,
 like most parents when their kids move away, admits she'll worry about 
her daughter. Especially after what their family has gone through.After she has recovered from the surgeries that she still needs, Amy said she will visit Ava in Iowa as soon as she can.&nbsp;“She
 keeps me motivated to keep pushing and keep working hard,” said Amy. “I
 just hope she enjoys college, whether she plays basketball or not, like
 she makes friends and gets acclimated.” &nbsp;During her time at the University of Iowa, Ava is going to major in communications. &nbsp;Ava said she is going to take a lot of hope with her to Iowa from the community of Nickerson. &nbsp;“This
 town is just full of hope, and this community is just so full of 
excitement,” said Ava. “I’m going to be excited to go to Iowa.” &nbsp;For
 her future in recovery, Ava said she is going to do whatever the 
coaches tell her to do so she can get on the basketball court. &nbsp;Ava wants people who hear her story to remember to keep pushing. &nbsp;

Nickerson's Ava Jones signs with University of Iowa

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — After his election as Kansas next Attorney General on Tuesday, Kris Kobach is getting ready to hit the ground running.

"I'm going to be working hard getting some of our legislative bills ready," Kobach said. "There will be several things I will be proposing and pushing for in the legislature. Among those things will be a human trafficking bill, a bill increasing the penalty for those who traffic in drugs, specifically fentanyl, when it causes someone's death. We'll be working on that in the run-up."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1668007762497.png" alt=" AG candidate Kris Kobach declared victory at midnight on Election Day. His opponent said there’s still room for doubt. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> AG candidate Kris Kobach declared victory at midnight on Election Day. His opponent said there’s still room for doubt. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — After his election as Kansas next Attorney General on Tuesday, Kris Kobach is getting ready to hit the ground running."I'm going to be working hard getting some of our legislative bills ready," Kobach said. "There will be several things I will be proposing and pushing for in the legislature. Among those things will be a human trafficking bill, a bill increasing the penalty for those who traffic in drugs, specifically fentanyl, when it causes someone's death. We'll be working on that in the run-up."Once he is sworn in come January, Kobach is certain there will be federal administrative actions his office will need to pay attention to."We'll be scrutinizing what the Biden administration is doing, very much being on guard," Kobach said. "I anticipate that the Biden administration will resort to even more executive orders that are on thin legal ice that may need to be challenged by the attorneys general of the states. Kansas will be leading that charge."Though the balance of Congress is still in doubt, it is clear that the path to legislative change will likely be more difficult for the President, though maybe not as hard as was thought prior to Tuesday."We can remember what Barack Obama did when he lost Congress in 2010," Kobach said. "That's when he started just going crazy with executive orders and doing everything with his famous phrase of his phone and his pen. If Biden follows that course, it's going to be so important for attorneys general to be pushing back, because chances are what he does will be illegal."Kobach cited the example of the student loan forgiveness program released this fall, which attorneys general from Republican states have argued violates the separation of powers as spending federal money is supposed to be the purview of Congress.