GOVERNMENT

HUTCHINSON, Kan. (KAKE)- The Kansas State Fair is always looking to expand its offerings and this year’s fair is no different. There’s plenty of new foods, events, security measures, and buildings- truly something for everyone. More than 330,000 people attended last year's Kansas State Fair, but this year...

The ongoing drought is continuing to affect homeowners.

PRETTY PRAIRIE, Kan. (KAKE) - Two neglected horses have been surrendered to a rescue in Reno County, the rescue said Wednesday. Storm Creek Horse Co. Farm & Rescue said they and deputies removed the two horses from a property north of Hutchinson after the owner surrendered them. A gray stallion...

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Reno County showed off the renovations to the Courthouse with public tours on Wednesday, Aug. 28. Staff members hosted four tours throughout the day. The tours highlighted the Veterans Room, administration, jury rooms, and the Reno County District Attorney offices. All five floors of the Courthouse...

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — James Fisher with the Kansas Fairgrounds Foundation is sure the venue is going to be ready to go for Friday's start of the Kansas State Fair. "On any building project, there's always those last few details," Fisher said. "Especially when you're not only building a building, but starting a business, it's all of those last minute details that can't be done until the last minute that we're doing right now."

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Board of County Commissioners spent more than five and a half hours from the beginning of their meeting to the end on Wednesday, with the lion's share of that time hammering through where to cut more in the 2025 budget. "The budget, when you began...

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber of Commerce CEO Debra Teufel wants to be clear. Hutchinson needs more housing, no matter who is putting it up. "Housing has been a topic for several years. It was, you know, it was brought up during our ARPA discussions around what can we do to bolster housing in Hutchinson," Teufel said. "The city and the county invested mightily from ARPA dollars in housing rehabilitation, but there has still been, you know, that elephant in the room of what is it going to take to get new housing development sparked in Hutchinson, even though we all recognize that it's a need. I was really glad to see us finally get to the point with Jim Strawn and Strawn Contracting and their proposal for the development on 43rd because I think that new housing product is much needed here. We hear it from businesses when they're trying to recruit people to town that they need workforce housing. It's one of the things holding us back, you know, we're creating, literally, I looked back over the last five years, we're creating hundreds of jobs with existing industry. At the same time, if we're not getting those people that they're hiring to live here because we don't have the housing product that the market demands, then we needed a developer to step into that space. I applaud Jim Strawn for, you know, a year ago or two he applied for the MIH housing grant from the state. He's worked really hard to put his development concept together. But one of the reasons it was hard for him to get to the place that he could actually then put, you know, dig dirt is that there's a big cost to some of the infrastructure. And generally, that infrastructure gets placed on lots as special assessments. But there are some added costs for his project with a lift station and some drainage way reserve that has to be carved out that just are expensive on the front end. They don't really generate a return until this the whole development is complete. That development timeline might take five to ten years. And so, it's a lot of risk for a developer like him. I think it's a risk for any developer, and that is the crux of the issue of why it's been hard to get a private developer to the table to say yes."

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The 2025 City of Hutchinson budget proposal will spend down much of the city's ending balance. According to budget documents, the 2025 Budget proposal shows a beginning general fund balance of approximately $5.3 million with a projected 2025 year-end fund balance of under $1 million. Normally,...

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — A revision to the agreement between Interfaith Housing and Reno County regarding ARPA funds was passed by the Board of County Commissioners on a 3-2 vote on Wednesday, with Commissioners Parks, Bogner and Friesen voting for the changes and Commissioners Hirst and Whitesel voting against. Interfaith...

Hutch Post, in partnership with Steve Harmon and the Conard-Harmon Collection, is proud to present Throwback Thursday. Enjoy a weekly release from Steve Harmon as he presents the "Hutch - Then & Now Collection." Hutch Post Contributor. Today's "Throwback Thursday Collection" takes us to the southwest corner of Avenue B...

The NAACP and Hutch In Harmony will hold a “Get to Know Your Candidates” forum on Friday, August 30, at the Shears Technology Center on the Hutchinson Community College campus. The event will begin at 6 p.m. and is open to the public. Candidates for statewide and local...

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Kansas State Fair begins next week and general manager Bryan Schulz continues to outline some of the precautionary safety measures the fair will use this year. "This year we're also placing vehicle mitigation systems at gates 1 and 3," Kansas State Fair general manager Bryan...