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From left: Commissioners John Whitesel, Ron Hirst, Daniel Friesen, Randy Parks and Don Bogner CREDIT SANDRA MILBURN/RENO COUNTY

The Reno County Health Department will be on the agenda for Wednesday’s meeting of the Reno County Board of Commissioners.

Due to a resignation, the commissioners will consider a replacement appointment to the health department’s advisory board. The health department also requests an exemption for sanitary inspection in schools because of vague Kansas statutes.

Business items include a resolution to partner with the City of Hutchinson regarding new housing developments. From 2010 to 2021, demolitions exceeded new construction, impacting Reno County’s housing supply. The resolution proposes extending grants for new housing development to all the county’s towns.

The commissioners will consider an agreement with the Hutchinson Regional Medical Center for a new EMS station in Arlington.

An addendum to the county’s agreement with iParametrics to assist with administering ARPA funds completes the business portion of the agenda.

Monthly department reports will finish the order of business.

The Reno County Board of Commissioners meets on the second, fourth and fifth Wednesdays of each month at 9 a.m. in the Veteran’s Room of the Reno County Courthouse, 206 W 1st Ave.

From left: Commissioners John Whitesel, Ron Hirst, Daniel Friesen, Randy Parks and Don Bogner CREDIT SANDRA MILBURN/RENO COUNTY The Reno County Health Department will be on the agenda for Wednesday's meeting of the Reno County Board of Commissioners. Due to a resignation, the commissioners will consider a

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CAPTION: From left: Board Members Gleysha Mendez-Rosario, Tad Dower, Cheryl Thompson, Vice President Darcie Canfield-Riggs, Valarie Gibson-Smith, Lance Patterson and President Laura Corey. CREDIT USD 308 By Michael Glenn The Hutchinson USD 308 Board of Education approved a professional agreement with the National Education Association - Hutchinson

CREDIT THE HUTCHINSON PUBLIC LIBRARY The Hutchinson Public Libary will commemorate the 85th anniversary of "The Wizard of Oz" on Wed., Aug. 14, at 5:30 p.m. The film will be screened in Meeting Room 1 (formerly the Auditorium) on the second floor. The event is […]

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CREDIT THE HUTCHINSON PUBLIC LIBRARY The Hutchinson Public Libary will commemorate the 85th anniversary of "The Wizard of Oz" on Wed., Aug. 14, at 5:30 p.m. The film will be screened in Meeting Room 1 (formerly the Auditorium) on the second floor. The event is free and open

 Monday Aug 12

  • Lunch in the Park, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. at DCI Park, at the corner of Main St. and 2nd Ave. Enjoy food truck, yard games and entertainment

Wednesday Aug 14

  • Reno County Farmer’s Market, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. at 103 W 2nd Ave.
  • “The Wizard of Oz,” 5:30 p.m. in Meeting Room 1 (formerly the Auditorium) in the Hutchinson Public Library. Part of the library’s Summer Movie Series. Popcorn and beverages provided (limited quantities). No admission charge

Thursday August 15

  • Arlington Farm & Art Market, 4 – 7 p.m. at 306 W Main St. in downtown Arlington
  • Third Thursday Downtown, 6 -9 p.m. in downtown Hutchinson
  • Buhler Community Farmer’s Market, 5 – 9 p.m. at Jack’s for all Trades, 101 E Avenue B in Buhler
  • “The Sound of Music,” part of the Fox Classic Film Series, 7 p.m. at the Fox Theatre, 18 E 1st Ave. Admission is $5. The Fox Film Series Passes are $45 and include 10 admissions and 5 small popcorns

Friday August 16

  • Yoder Farmers Market, 2 – 6 p.m. at the Main Street Community Pavilion
  • Downtown Hutch Uncorked for TECH, 6 – 9 p.m. at the TECH Art Gallery, 10 S Main St. Ste. B. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit the event website

Saturday August 17

  • Reno County Farmer’s Market, 7:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. at 103 W 2nd Ave.
  • “The Sound of Music,” part of the Fox Classic Film Series, 2 p.m. at the Fox Theatre, 18 E 1st Ave. Admission is $5. The Fox Film Series Passes are $45 and include 10 admissions and 5 small popcorns
  • Midway Movie Night Series on the Fairgrounds, beginning at 4 p.m. Ye Old Mill rides $4, 4 – 9 p.m. The movie “Goonies” begins at 7 on the big screen on the Nex-Tech Grandstand. Food trucks and Carrie’s Beer Garden available. The band “Epic” plays at Carrie’s Beer Garden at 8 p.m.

 Monday Aug 12 Lunch in the Park, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. at DCI Park, at the corner of Main St. and 2nd Ave. Enjoy food truck, yard games and entertainment Wednesday Aug 14 Reno County Farmer’s Market, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. at 103 W 2nd Ave. “The

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By Michael Glenn Republican Candidate for Kansas House District 102 Kyler Sweely responded to comments from his opponent, Rep. Jason Probst, over his residency in the district and in Hutchinson.  Probst, in a Facebook post after Sweely’s defeat of Republican Primary Candidate Tyson Thrall, referred to his

By Gina Long

On Tuesday evening, Michael and I grabbed a table and a couple of pizzas at Sandhills Brewery, connected our laptops to the Wi-Fi and watched the primary results roll in.

We discussed our predictions and the results, looked at the preliminary precinct and district information, and Michael planned his candidate interviews.

I was hoping for a voter turnout of around 25 percent. Sadly, the final tally for Reno County came in at less than 17 percent, meaning less than one in five registered voters voted in the primary.

Turnouts are higher in presidential election years—over 30 percent—with a precipitous dropoff during non-presidential cycles. During the last presidential election year, primary turnout was over 30 percent, attributed to a hotly contested ballot question that would have amended the state’s constitution to outlaw abortion. 2016 was a heated election year with a primary turnout of over 30 percent.

Municipal elections, in which voters elect city council and school board members, are nonpartisan, so unaffiliated voters and members of smaller political parties are not excluded. Unfortunately, turnout hovers around 17 percent. City council and school board elections have the greatest direct impact on our lives, but because they don’t dominate the airwaves and our social media feeds, many voters don’t cast a ballot.

Discussing low voter turnout with a high school student who won’t be eligible until next year is enlightening and, unfortunately, sad. Low youth engagement and turnout continue. And parents who don’t vote don’t teach their kids to vote. My son, now 28, accompanied me to every polling station, whether in a primary, general, or municipal election. We also showed up for several ballot measures. We were living in Nebraska then, and direct ballot questions are common. He registered to vote the day he turned 18 in 2014 and has not missed any election since. He has talked to his friends to encourage them to vote, and he canvasses for candidates.

Nebraskans approved Medicaid expansion via a ballot initiative in 2018, but it has not been implemented due to strong opposition from the current and former governors. Recreational marijuana legalization will be on the ballot in November. Those contentious ballot questions drive turnout, as we saw in Kansas in August 2022 for the Value Them Both State constitutional amendment.

Primary elections choose candidates on partisan tickets, disenfranchising some 38.7 percent of the Reno County electorate. Other states have implemented ranked-choice voting, but little evidence shows that it increases turnout. Open primaries allow partisan meddling. There are no easy solutions.

Rancor and vitriol by candidates at all levels have turned off many voters, who are weary of the noise, the elevation of style over substance, and the lack of policy positions.

But on Tuesday evening, just under 17 percent of Reno County voters made decisions for all of us.

By Gina Long On Tuesday evening, Michael and I grabbed a table and a couple of pizzas at Sandhills Brewery, connected our laptops to the Wi-Fi and watched the primary results roll in. We discussed our predictions and the results, looked at the preliminary precinct and district

CAPTION: Community members, volunteers and the Hutchinson Youth City Council met at George Pyle Park Saturday morning to clean up Cow Creek. CREDIT YCC By Michael Glenn The Hutchinson Youth City Council hosted a clean-up of Cow Creek beginning at George Pyle Park Saturday morning.  […]

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CAPTION: Community members, volunteers and the Hutchinson Youth City Council met at George Pyle Park Saturday morning to clean up Cow Creek. CREDIT YCC By Michael Glenn The Hutchinson Youth City Council hosted a clean-up of Cow Creek beginning at George Pyle Park Saturday morning.  The council, volunteers