Bad Weather

The 2010 Open House & Air Show is in full swing at McConnell Air Force Base following Saturday's rainy weather. Becuase of Saturday's inclement weather, parking locations have changed from Cessna to Boeing.  If coming from the north or south, use Oliver Street to get to the Boeing parking lot between 47th Street and Pawnee.  If coming from the West or K-15, use MacAruthur Road to get to the Boeing parking lot. Gates open at 10 a.m. and a ceremony honoring Gold Star Mothers will kick off the day’s events.

By Roger Cornish (LAWRENCE, Kan) The director of the University of Kansas Monarch Watch program says bad weather has decimated the monarch butterfly population. Chip Taylor says storms in the area of Mexico where the butterflies spend the winter have dropped the monarch population by at least 50 percent. Taylor, a professor of ecology and evolutionary biology, has led monarch-tagging efforts in the city and elsewhere for years. Taylor says it will take several consecutive years with favorable conditions for the butterfly population to recover.

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) - The director of the University of Kansas Monarch Watch program says bad weather has decimated the monarch butterfly population. Chip Taylor says storms in the area of Mexico where the butterflies spend the winter have dropped the monarch population by at least 50 percent. Taylor, a professor of ecology and evolutionary biology, has led monarch-tagging efforts in the city and elsewhere for years. Taylor says it will take several consecutive years with favorable conditions for the butterfly population to recover.

By Dave Roberts (WICHITA, Kan.) Wichita's summer kick-off festival in downtown is ending. Riverfest was plagued by bad weather this year. Organizers were forced to cancel and reschedule many events. Although exact figures are not available yet, organizers say attendance is down this year because of the weather. Talks are underway among the board of directors about moving next year's Riverfest to a later date when the weather should be nicer. Attendees think that's a good idea.

Local flower shops say they'll be working late tonight. The owner of Tillie's flowers says he's prepared for the 1,200 deliveries his store will make tomorrow, although it could be more. Ken Denton says the economy is still holding things down but that his sales are up over last year. He says that's probably because Valentine's Day fell on a Monday. Denton says the hardest thing about Valentine's Day is keeping up so he brings extra help. “We've added about 40 extra drivers and about 10 extra people in sales and other areas,” says Denton.

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A snow storm that dumped nearly 10 inches of snow on Chicago Tuesday is meaning good business for the Hutchinson Salt Mine. General Manager Harold Mayo says mining was slow last year, and the beginning of this year, until some major snow storms moved across the midwest. Chicago is one of the mine's biggest customers. Mayo says the mine has been shipping thousands of tons of salt to the area by rail. With the production increase, the mine has gone from two 8-hour shifts to two 10-hour shifts.

Winds gusting over 40 miles per hour are making Memorial Day plans more difficult today. Boaters on Lake Cheney are reconsidering hitting the waves on a day when the heightened wind makes boating conditions more dangerous. "Yesterday and today the winds have really taken the air out of visitation," says park manager Jody Schawartz.  Park officials said their first concern with the wind was the possible danger faced by campers grilling out. Rangers went from site to site making sure all fires were contained to the grill area....their focus then shifted to the water.

On the ground and ready to represent their state at the Republican National Convention, the Kansas delegates arrived this weekend ahead of the bad weather. "We had a smooth flight flying in," Kansas State Republican Vice-Chair Kelly Arnold told us Sunday afternoon.  "So far, everybody has had good travels. " Delegates have been checking out the Florida scenery and doing some shopping before the weather turns bad. "A lot of them are definitely nervous (about the weather)

The Big 12 Men's Golf Championship in Hutchinson has been reduced to a 54-hole tournament after ice accumulated on the greens Tuesday. The bitter cold temperatures have also forced some disctricts to cancel baseball, softball, tennis and track meets. Some schools are now faced with trying to make up lost games late in the season. Click here to see Storm Shots Baseball isn't a sport you play in a gym.  That is, unless it's literally freezing outside.  Kapaun Mount Carmel High School baseball player Tyler Jennings says bad weather has taken a toll on the season.

The Big 12 Men's Golf Championship in Hutchinson has been reduced to a 54-hole tournament after ice accumulated on the greens Tuesday. The bitter cold temperatures have also forced some disctricts to cancel baseball, softball, tennis and track meets. Some schools are now faced with trying to make up lost games late in the season. Click here to see Storm Shots Baseball isn't a sport you play in a gym.  That is, unless it's literally freezing outside.  Kapaun Mount Carmel High School baseball player Tyler Jennings says bad weather has taken a toll on the season.

A snow storm that dumped nearly 10 inches of snow on Chicago Tuesday is meaning good business for the Hutchinson Salt Mine. General Manager Harold Mayo says mining was slow last year, and the beginning of this year, until some major snow storms moved across the midwest. Chicago is one of the mine's biggest customers. Mayo says the mine has been shipping thousands of tons of salt to the area by rail. With the production increase, the mine has gone from two 8-hour shifts to two 10-hour shifts.

On the ground and ready to represent their state at the Republican National Convention, the Kansas delegates arrived this weekend ahead of the bad weather. "We had a smooth flight flying in," Kansas State Republican Vice-Chair Kelly Arnold told us Sunday afternoon.  "So far, everybody has had good travels. " Delegates have been checking out the Florida scenery and doing some shopping before the weather turns bad. "A lot of them are definitely nervous (about the weather)

Local flower shops say they'll be working late tonight. The owner of Tillie's flowers says he's prepared for the 1,200 deliveries his store will make tomorrow, although it could be more. Ken Denton says the economy is still holding things down but that his sales are up over last year. He says that's probably because Valentine's Day fell on a Monday. Denton says the hardest thing about Valentine's Day is keeping up so he brings extra help. “We've added about 40 extra drivers and about 10 extra people in sales and other areas,” says Denton.

The offer to build a grain auger was something our crew couldn't pass up.  It's one of many reasons Atwood was chosen for day three of our 'One of a Kind' road trip.   Close to 100 people got onto our Facebook wall and raved about their town.  "Visit Atwood Kansas and you will find a young generation that have decided to live in our small town where lots of good things are happening. What a small town needs most are young families, come and see why so many want to call Atwood home," Pattie Wolters posted.

Winds gusting over 40 miles per hour are making Memorial Day plans more difficult today. Boaters on Lake Cheney are reconsidering hitting the waves on a day when the heightened wind makes boating conditions more dangerous. "Yesterday and today the winds have really taken the air out of visitation," says park manager Jody Schawartz.  Park officials said their first concern with the wind was the possible danger faced by campers grilling out. Rangers went from site to site making sure all fires were contained to the grill area....their focus then shifted to the water.

The dark skies kept some baseball players extra busy Thursday. They had fewer breaks between high school regional games to try and avoid potential storms.  But one game between Derby and Hutchinson had an unexpected break after an umpire took a bat to the face. The umpire called a time out, took off his mask and then walked behind Hutch player as he took a practice swing.  The entire crowd heard a loud crack and then the umpire fell to his knees.   "I saw it and knew it was going to happen but it was too late, the bat had already hit him," said witness Gene Phillips.  He says he thought the umpire was hit in the mouth and had lost teeth, but luckily the hit went to the chin.   "It was a bad situation.

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The 2010 Open House & Air Show is in full swing at McConnell Air Force Base following Saturday's rainy weather. Becuase of Saturday's inclement weather, parking locations have changed from Cessna to Boeing.  If coming from the north or south, use Oliver Street to get to the Boeing parking lot between 47th Street and Pawnee.  If coming from the West or K-15, use MacAruthur Road to get to the Boeing parking lot. Gates open at 10 a.m. and a ceremony honoring Gold Star Mothers will kick off the day’s events.

By Dave Roberts (WICHITA, Kan.) Wichita's summer kick-off festival in downtown is ending. Riverfest was plagued by bad weather this year. Organizers were forced to cancel and reschedule many events. Although exact figures are not available yet, organizers say attendance is down this year because of the weather. Talks are underway among the board of directors about moving next year's Riverfest to a later date when the weather should be nicer. Attendees think that's a good idea.