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CAPTION: The scene of a fire Friday morning at the 200 Block of West 15th Ave. CREDIT HFD

The Hutchinson Fire Department received a call for a possible structure fire in the 200 Block of West 15th Avenue in Hutchinson at 3:48 a.m. Friday.

While en route, dispatch advised HFD of possible victims inside the structure. Upon arrival, the crew found a 1 ½ story residential structure that was fully involved with multiple exposures that consisted of residential homes. Crews completed Vent Enter Search operations in the survivable space that was left. Crews then quickly initiated a defensive attack on the structure involved and started exposure protection on the two residential structures.

The two residential exposures sustained moderate damage and were saved. The fire was considered controlled 1.5 hours after arrival. One victim was located inside the structure. HFD Structural Collapse personnel brought in special equipment to shore up a load-bearing wall and secure a chimney before personnel were allowed into the structure to remove the victim and complete the extinguishment. Hutchinson Public Works Department brought in a loader to assist in the removal of debris to assist in the process of victim removal.

The initial structure is a complete loss. The 2 residential exposures were damaged but remain habitable. The initial structure was occupied by 1 adult and 1 dog, both deceased. The 2 exposures were also occupied at the time of the fire. No firefighter injuries were reported.

The HFD fire investigator and the State Fire Marshal are currently investigating to determine the cause and origin. A medical examiner from Wichita has also been brought in to assist. Crews will remain on scene for multiple hours.

HFD asks residents to avoid the area. The cause of the fire is currently undetermined.

CAPTION: The scene of a fire Friday morning at the 200 Block of West 15th Ave. CREDIT HFD The Hutchinson Fire Department received a call for a possible structure fire in the 200 Block of West 15th Avenue in Hutchinson at 3:48 a.m. Friday. While en

“Lucky Duck at the mall. in the 80s. with a dog.” is a novel written by Salina resident and retired teacher Mike Garretson. Garretson’s launch for the novel will take place at Red Fern Booksellers in Salina on Wednesday, March 26, at 5:30 p.m. 

By Emmie Boese

“Lucky Duck: At the mall, in the 80s, with a dog” is a crime-fiction novel by Mike Garretson. Garretson, a Salina resident and retired middle school Language Arts and Social Studies teacher, put the idea of a classic 80s and 90s mall in the novel.

Specifically, he included the Central Mall in Salina and the Hutchinson Mall. Garretson said the novel never states “the Hutchinson Mall,” but it does mention some former stores. The novel’s setting takes place in Salina, Hutchinson, and Kingman.

“In the 80s and the 90s, the mall was the thing, you know,” Garretson said. “This is a walk back through the malls, and the book takes place in the Salina Mall and the Hutchinson Mall because the main character works at the Salina Mall at the shoe store. Then he has friends in the Hutch Mall, and he also gets an assignment in the Hutch Mall for a while. So he goes back and forth between Salina and Hutchinson, and that’s how those two places come into play.”

Garretson said the mall is essentially like one of the characters in the novel.

“You know, all the employees,” Garretson said. “You know, kind of the friendships that they had, and you know, just seeing each other daily. You know, now people go to cool coffee shops, or they just do everything online. Back then, the mall was the town meeting place. That’s where you go and see your friends and catch up on the gossip, buy some records or some cassette tapes, depending on the year, and then get some snacks and do some shopping. Everybody hung out there because they weren’t connecting on social media. They were connecting at the mall because that’s where you’d see people.”

Garretson said the novel’s main event is about a man named Joel Howard who decides to rob the mall on Black Friday in 1987. He said the lucky duck theme from the title comes into play with the main event. The theme of “lucky duck” also comes from Howard’s conversation with his father in the novel.

“He’s going to need a lot of luck because he’s made a decision now that’s very, very uncharacteristic of anything you would expect of this young guy to do because he was just a joe-average guy,” Garretson said. “And he was a guy who pretty much just sat on the bench for his college basketball team up here in Salina at Kansas Wesleyan. He just kind of sat on the bench and got to play a little bit, and then he graduated, and he got a job at the mall, and kind of some things happened to him in his life, and then you just follow him and find out where it goes.”

Garretson said “Lucky Duck” is his first novel published by a publishing company. Before writing Lucky Duck, he self-published a few children’s novellas while teaching. He said he has always loved telling stories, which is why he enjoyed teaching Language Arts and Social Studies.

“It was a great mix for me,” Garretson said. “I was always very happy to teach those topics with the kids and just explore stories together. I grew up in a big family, and with six kids, there was a lot of storytelling. We would sit around the dinner table every night, and we were always connected through storytelling, and that’s just sort of what I enjoyed.”

Garretson said his passion for writing started in high school and college when he covered high school games for the Salina Journal. He said the love for older forms of communication and media also come to fruition in his novel.

“When he gets off work every day, he runs home, and he gets his message machine because that’s what we did in the 80s,” Garretson said. “He checks his message machine because he really wants to get a message from his girlfriend. For kids nowadays, that’s not a thing. It’s instantaneous.”

Garretson said that, overall, he hopes others find his novel interesting.

“I hope for people who experienced the 80s and 90s, they’ll read it, and it’ll be a light, quirky, fun adventure,” Garretson said. “If you didn’t experience that, I think it’ll be fun to read and think about your parents and grandparents and think, oh yeah, I’ve heard them tell these stories about, you know, you had to call the operator to make a collect call. Whatever the heck a collect call is.”

“Lucky Duck: At the mall, in the 80s, with a dog” can be purchased on Amazon, at Barnes & Noble and at Red Fern Booksellers.

Red Fern Booksellers will host a launch party for Garretson’s novel on Wednesday, March 26, at 5:30 p.m. at its store located at 106 South Santa Fe Avenue in Salina.

"Lucky Duck at the mall. in the 80s. with a dog." is a novel written by Salina resident and retired teacher Mike Garretson. Garretson's launch for the novel will take place at Red Fern Booksellers in Salina on Wednesday, March 26, at 5:30 p.m.  By Emmie

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By John Mesh Sterling High's Tyus Wilson named Big 10 Indoor Field Athlete of the Year The Hutchinson Community College baseball team split a Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference doubleheader from Seward County Thursday afternoon and evening at Brent Gould Field in Liberal. The Blue Dragons won the

A sign in front of the Hutchinson Sports Arena advertises the National Junior College Basketball Tournament, which gets underway Saturday CREDIT RICHARD SHANK

By Richard Shank

Seventy-six years ago this week, in March 1949, the sporting eyes of the nation were on Hutchinson as the city hosted its first National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Basketball Tournament in Memorial Hall. The noon tipoff this Saturday will mark the 75th time the event has been held in Hutchinson. The 2020 tournament was canceled because of COVID-19.

With a seating capacity of 2,400 in 1949, Memorial Hall (then Convention Hall) was packed to the rafters with temporary seating set up on the stage to accommodate the overflow crowds. This past week, we attended a musical performance at Memorial Hall, and gazing out across the sprawling facility, it was easy to imagine how much excitement must have been generated in the old downtown palace. Memorial Hall is approaching its 114th birthday at a time when city leaders debate its preservation or demolition.

From what has been reported, the first NJCAA tournament was held in 1948 in Springfield, Missouri, with less than satisfactory results. Hutchinson Junior College Coach Charles Sesher, a legend in the coaching profession and a first-class promoter for the college he represented, suggested the tournament be moved to Hutchinson. Soon, Sesher signed up the American Legion to provide the manpower to make it happen and the venue to hold the games. And, as they say, the rest is history.

It has been reported that Hutchinson trailblazers Bob Gilliland, Bud Obee, and Guy Holt worked with Sesher to close the deal.

The tournament has produced its share of stories worth repeating. As the first tournament approached, the NJCAA faced a dilemma that needed to be solved with no time to spare. New York’s representative could not make the trip to Hutchinson because of a blizzard that had struck the East Coast.

Tournament officials drove across town and asked Sesher to suit up the Blue Dragons to fill the void, even though Hutchinson’s record was a paltry 10-9. The Hutchinson five made quick work of their first three opponents, each game earning the right to face Tyler, Texas, for the national championship, a game they lost 66-64 in what the local media dubbed a real “nail biter.”

When a team was unable to travel to Hutchinson in 1957, the locals were asked a second time to fill the void, and they won fifth place.

Kansas played a key role in developing the concept of large arenas and fieldhouses as venues for basketball games, and Salt City was at the forefront of that movement.

Thanks to Kansas State University President Dr. Milton Eisenhower (Ike’s brother), who worked with the school’s charismatic basketball coach, Jack Gardner, the school built Ahearn Field House, which was dedicated in 1951. At the time, it was the largest on-campus fieldhouse in the nation.

Hutchinson thought it would be wise to find a better spot to play the NJCAA tournament and passed a bond election for an approximately 6,500-seat arena on the Hutchinson Community
College campus. The Sports Arena was dedicated in 1952. Down the road in Wichita, Coach Ralph Miller moved across town from East High School to Wichita State, and plans were soon drawn for the fieldhouse, which now bears the name Charles Koch Arena.

Then, Kansas University in Lawrence joined the crowd-building Allen Fieldhouse, which was dedicated in 1955, and the new arena at Wichita State. Allen Fieldhouse was completed just in time to welcome superstar Wilt Chamberlain to the team. Sports writers from that era dubbed KU’s new fieldhouse “the house Wilt built.”

The management of the NJCAA tournament is, perhaps, much the same as when it started. Approximately 200 volunteers donate their time in a few dozen jobs, including parking, serving as a team host for the 24 teams playing in the tournament, singers for the national anthem, coordinators for half-time entertainment, workers in the concession stand, staff in the gift store, and others selling programs. As one volunteer was heard to say, “The NJCAA Tournament is, perhaps, Hutchinson’s finest example of teamwork, and no one who volunteers seeks recognition or pay.”

Ron Chadwick serves as Chairman of the tournament, having learned from his late father, Chad Chadwick, who was a volunteer for about a half-century. For Ron, the tournament chairman’s position almost becomes a full-time job three months before tip-off.

There is a one-day pause in games on Thursday, March 27, but most are up early to attend the American Legion Pancake Feed, an event that raises thousands of dollars for HCC student scholarships.

On the last day of the tournament, the event’s leadership committee traditionally meets for breakfast, not to savor the success of the eight-day-long event, but to start the planning for
next year. In particular, the group wants feedback on needed improvements and what went right.

I would be remiss if I did not mention the American Legion, which has provided volunteers, some of whom work tirelessly to make the tournament run flawlessly like a well-oiled machine.

The American Legion’s motto is “Veterans Strengthening America.” In Hutchinson, the Lysle Rishel Post 68 has practiced what it preaches for three-quarters of a century. Legionnaires, you have done Hutchinson proud, and our community is grateful for all you have done and continue to do.

A sign in front of the Hutchinson Sports Arena advertises the National Junior College Basketball Tournament, which gets underway Saturday CREDIT RICHARD SHANK By Richard Shank Seventy-six years ago this week, in March 1949, the sporting eyes of the nation were on Hutchinson as the city hosted

Hutchinson Police Department

On 2025-03-20 @ 15:50:00Hrs

Warrant Service at 126 W AVE A

MICHAEL L BEASON, WM/50, 120 S POPLAR ST, was arrested for 1.) HPD FTA Warrant


On 2025-03-20 @ 12:09:00Hrs

Violation of Court Order at Undisclosed

QUINTON J. BOWER, WM/41, HUTCHINSON, was arrested for 1) VIOLATION OF PROTECTION ORDER; RESTRAINING ORDER.


On 2025-03-20 @ 09:12:00Hrs

Warrant Service at 17 E 2ND AVE

WYATT L GRAY, WM/29, 17 E 2ND AVE, was arrested for 1.) HPD FTA warrant


On 2025-03-18 @ 17:32:00Hrs

Warrant Service at 400 E 4th Ave

TYLER J. TROSTLE, WM/32, 1500 W 11TH – was arrested for 1) HPD warrant; Possession of Marijuana


On 2025-03-18 @ 17:32:00Hrs

Warrant Service at 400 E 4th Ave

TYLER J. TROSTLE, WM/32, 1500 W 11TH – Was arrested for 1) HPD warrant; Theft


On 2025-03-18 @ 17:30:00Hrs

Warrant Service at 400 E 4th Ave

TYLER J. TROSTLE, WM/32, 1500 W 11TH – Was arrested for 1) HPD warrant; Original charge DL in possession


On 2025-03-18 @ 17:30:00Hrs

Traffic – Other at 1400 N Baker

BRADLEY D. EASTER, WM/61, 609 E 9TH AVE was arrested for 1) Driving While Suspended and 2) Knowingly Drive Uninsured Vehicle.


On 2025-03-18 @ 15:51:00Hrs

Warrant Service at 502 E 1ST AVE APT 6

PARKER SCHMIDT, WM/18, 502 E 1ST AVE APT 6, was arrested for 1) HPD FTA warrant


On 2025-03-18 @ 12:34:00Hrs

Warrant Service at 817 E 7th Ave

JESSICA A. HELLER, WF/44, 817 E 7TH AVE was arrested for 1) HPD FTA; Original Charge of DWS 2) HPD FTA; Original Charge of DWS and 3) HPD FTA; Original Charge of Code Violation.


On 2025-03-18 @ 12:34:00Hrs

Obstruct Legal Process at 817 E 7th Ave

ASHLEY N. ADKINS, WF/39, 817 E 7TH AVE was arrested for 1) Interference with Law Enforcement; Obstruct, Resist, Oppose, Execution of Misd. Warrant and 2) HPD FTA; Original Charge of DWS


On 2025-03-17 @ 17:42:00Hrs

Warrant Service at 210 W 1st Ave

TYLIA N BRUTON, BF/25, 118 E E AVE was arrested for 1.) HPD FTA


On 2025-03-17 @ 17:15:00Hrs

Drug Offense at CITY OF HUTCHINSON

JEROME LYONS, BM/71, HUTCHINSON – was arrested for 1) DV-Distribution of a controlled substance causing great bodily harm 2) Possession of Methamphetamine 3) Possession of marijuana 4) Possession of Drug paraphernalia


On 2025-03-17 @ 14:21:00Hrs

Warrant Service at 100 BBLK E 7th Ave

DAMON N NEWTON, BM/21, NEWTON was arrested for 1.) HPD FTA and a RNSO FTA


On 2025-03-16 @ 16:39:00Hrs

Theft – All Other at 3200 Plaza East Dr

WILLIAM STIFFLER, WM/20, 1606 E 34TH AVE, was arrested for 1)Theft; Common Scheme and advised of Criminal Trespass.


On 2025-03-16 @ 14:34:00Hrs

Violation of Court Order at CITY OF HUTCHINSON

JOSHUA M STUBBY, WM/41, 19 W 15TH AVE, was arrested for 1.) Violation of protection order


On 2025-03-16 @ 13:05:00Hrs

Warrant Service at 1200 W. 4TH AVE

THAD C. MCCRORY, WM/44, 6027 N. MONROE ST. was arrested for 1.) HPD FTA; Driving While Suspended and 2.) Newton PD warrant.


On 2025-03-16 @ 10:40:00Hrs

Traffic – DUI at 1200 Blk. S K61 Hwy

JOHN R. TOLAND, WM/54, 903 E 6TH AVE was arrested for 1.) DUI; 2ND CONVICTION, 2.) INTERFERENCE WITH LEO.


On 2025-03-15 @ 11:39:00Hrs

Obstruct Legal Process at 1100 W. 24TH AVE.

BRIANNA L. BODINE, WF/37, 2602 WESTMINISTER DR, was arrested for 1.) Misd. Interference with LEO.


On 2025-03-15 @ 11:23:00Hrs

Warrant Service at 1100 BLK W 24TH AVE

ANEESA B DURANT, WF/20, 2602 WESTMINSTER DR, was arrested for 1.) HPD FTA Warrant


On 2025-03-14 @ 15:40:00Hrs

Warrant Service at 1800 S Severance St

LUCAS BOLEN WM/21, SALINA, was arrested for warrant 1) FTA- Theft


On 2025-03-14 @ 12:37:00Hrs

Warrant Service at E 4th Ave and N. Cochran St.

MATTHEW L. COLE, WM/38, 3501 W. 7TH AVE was arrested for 1.) FAILURE TO APPEAR; INITIAL ARRAIGNMENT: DRIVING WHILE SUSPENDED


On 2025-03-14 @ 02:07:00Hrs

Drug Offense at 1st/Poplar

MICHEAL J. WILLIAMS, WM/47, 200 E AVE E – Was arrested for 1) Possession of Methamphetamine w/1 prior conviction 2) Possession of Marijuana w/2 prior Convictions 3) Possession of Drug paraphernalia


Reno County Sheriff’s Department

On 2025-03-16 @ 13:27:00Hrs

Drug Offense at 11TH/AIRPORT RD

Jack Rowland, 23 YO, W/M or Clearwater was arrested for  2 counts of poss of meth, poss of marijuana and poss of drug para.


On 2025-03-15 @ 10:35:00Hrs

Traffic – Other at K96/ARLINGTON

AMY JO MARSHALL 43 YO, W/F OF South Hutchinson was arrested for DWS, no insurance and an HPD warrant


NOTE: ALL SUBJECTS ARE INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY IN A COURT OF LAW

Want to see more in the blotter? Contact Publisher Michael Glenn at mglenn@hutchtribune.com or Managing Editor Gina Long at glong@hutchtribune.com.

Hutchinson Police Department On 2025-03-20 @ 15:50:00Hrs Warrant Service at 126 W AVE A MICHAEL L BEASON, WM/50, 120 S POPLAR ST, was arrested for 1.) HPD FTA Warrant On 2025-03-20 @ 12:09:00Hrs Violation of Court Order at Undisclosed QUINTON J. BOWER, WM/41, HUTCHINSON, was arrested for 1) VIOLATION OF PROTECTION

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By John Mesh The Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference on Wednesday announced the 2024-2025 KJCCC Division I Women’s and Men’s Basketball All-KJCCC teams and winners of the major postseason honors. The awards, which were voted on by each of the league head coaches, include 10 individuals. Major award

CAPTION: The approximate location of the gas leak from the downtown natural gas explosion lies on Ave E. The explosion took place on Saturday, Feb. 22. CREDIT NTSB

By Emmie Boese

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released a preliminary report regarding the natural gas explosion at Ave E and Main on Feb. 22.

According to the report, ONE Gas Inc. provided natural gas to the service area through a distribution system that included a 10-inch steel natural gas main along Ave E. 

After the explosion, ONE Gas excavated, exposing about 120 feet of pipe. The excavation helped to expose the area for leak locations on the pipe along the gas main. During the excavation, a leak was found at a girth weld. ONE Gas then created and executed a plan to isolate the leaking segment of the pipeline. The segment was isolated at 8:50 p.m. 

While on scene, NTSB conducted an examination of the accident pipeline and collected physical evidence. NTSB also conducted interviews at the scene and sent the evidence to their materials laboratory in Washington D.C. for evaluation and testing. 

The investigation is still ongoing. The explosion destroyed Steffen Auto Parts. Damage from the explosion is estimated at $875,000. No injuries or deaths were reported. 

Parties that contributed to the investigation include the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, the Office of the Kansas State Fire Marshal, the City of Hutchinson, the Hutchinson Fire Department, the Hutchinson Police Department, Hutchinson/Reno County Emergency Communications and ONE Gas Inc.

CAPTION: The approximate location of the gas leak from the downtown natural gas explosion lies on Ave E. The explosion took place on Saturday, Feb. 22. CREDIT NTSB By Emmie Boese The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released a preliminary report regarding the natural gas explosion at Ave

CAPTION: Kellie Christ, a student at Hutchinson Community College, was named a 2025 New Century Workforce Scholar. CREDIT HUTCHCC

Kelli Christ, a student at Hutchinson Community College, has been named a 2025 New Century Workforce Scholar and will receive a $1,500 scholarship.

From Goessel, Kansas, and the daughter of Andrew Christ and Nanci Heath, Kelli is in the Associate Degree of Nursing program at Hutchinson Community College. In addition to her studies, she is co-president of the Kappa Gamma Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, Secretary of the Honors Student Council and a member of HANS – Hutchinson Association of Nursing Students. She also serves as a tutor for Anatomy and Physiology, General Microbiology, and Chemistry I. Furthermore, she recently presented her honors project research at the Great Plains Honors Council Regional Conference in Denton, Texas. Ms. Christ is on track to graduate with High Honors upon graduation.

“With strong critical thinking skills, great time management abilities, and a fantastic work ethic, Ms. Christ is a phenomenal leader both in and outside the classroom,” Dr. Ryan Diehl, advisor of the Kappa Gamma Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa and the Honors Student Council, said. “Her innovative ideas have helped build our membership in both organizations while also building a community.”

The New Century Workforce Scholarship is the first of its kind to support students at associate degree-granting institutions on a national scale as they plan to enter the workforce upon completing a degree or certificate. The program is sponsored by The Coca-Cola Foundation and Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society.

New Century Workforce Scholars are selected based on their academic accomplishments, leadership, activities, and how they extend their intellectual talents beyond the classroom. Nearly 2,100 students from more than 1,300 college campuses nationwide were nominated. Only one New Century Workforce Scholar was selected from each state.

“We congratulate Kelli for receiving this prestigious scholarship, and we are honored to partner with The Coca-Cola Foundation to recognize these outstanding achievements,” said Phi Theta Kappa’s President and CEO, Dr. Lynn Tincher-Ladner. “Scholarship programs like this are integral for creating opportunities for students to succeed as they prepare to enter the workforce and for putting college completion within reach.”

The New Century Workforce Scholars will be recognized in the fall.

CAPTION: Kellie Christ, a student at Hutchinson Community College, was named a 2025 New Century Workforce Scholar. CREDIT HUTCHCC Kelli Christ, a student at Hutchinson Community College, has been named a 2025 New Century Workforce Scholar and will receive a $1,500 scholarship. From Goessel, Kansas, and the

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CAPTION: Hutchinson City Hall, located at 125 East Ave. B. CREDIT MICHAEL GLENN/THE HUTCHINSON TRIBUNE By Emmie Boese The Hutchinson City Council heard an update about the Hutchinson Residential Revitalization Program Operations Agreement with Interfaith Housing and Community Services Inc. on Tuesday. No action was taken regarding