Hutchinson

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.

The control tower at the Hutchinson Municipal Airport will close. The federal government plans to close air-traffic control towers at more than 180 airports across the country.  That also includes Garden City and five other towers in Kansas.  The closures will leave Kansas with just two airports staffed with air traffic controllers--Wichita's Mid-Continent and Salina. "It's kind of like getting a punch in the gut," Hutchinson Airport manager Pieter Miller says. Wells Aircraft manager Don Rogers says, "I think it stinks!"

After 32 years Anthony Stokley is used to the looks he gets in public.   “It's hard to see your kid go through it,” his mom Rebecca Buhler said. Anthony was born with neurofibromatosis. There are two types and he has them both, which is extremely rare. Click here for info on neurofibromatosis The disease causes tumors, hundreds of them, to grow all over Anthony's body. His face is most affected.   “Two days ago he was at the E.R.  The tumor gets so heavy it splits his face open,” Rebecca said.

When President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act into law, nobody could predict the full impact.  Many of the rules are still being written.  But taxpayers in Hutchinson are starting to get a better idea. "The people voted him in," taxpayer Doug Henderson says.  "He came up with this plan. They went along with it. " Hutchinson School District Superintendent Shelly Kiblinger says Obamacare will require the the district to provide health insurance for 328 more of its employees.  That means it'll have to come up with another $1.5 million--most likely by raising property taxes.

Hutchinson's last bowling alley closed over a year ago.  Now it's a church. The Janzen family used to bowl several times a week. "A lot of this town has just quit bowling," Levi Janzen says.  "But I can't do that.  It's in my blood. " Now they have to drive more than half an hour--to either Wichita or Newton--to throw some balls. With a population of 42,000, Reno County Commissioner Brad Dillon agrees Hutchinson is probably one of the biggest cities in the nation without a bowling alley.  He and a partner bought some land and got it rezoned with the hopes of building a new one. "People want one," Dillon says.  "They continually talk about the fact they have to go out of town for entertainment.  We want to keep them here.

Two people are in custody and police are looking for several more in connection with an overnight stabbing that left a man hospitalized. Hutchinson police say several people forced their way into a home in the 600 block of E. 4th Street just before midnight. Once inside, they attacked and stabbed a man inside. The victim was taken by car to the hospital in Hutchinson. He was later flown to a Wichita hospital for treatment. A 22-year-old man was arrested and faces Attempted First Degree Murder, Aggravated Batter, Aggravated Burglary and Aggravated Assault charges.

The emergency department at Hutchinson Regional Medical Center will soon get a face-lift. Hospital administrators announced plans for a $5 million renovation and expansion Thursday. Upgrades to the facility would include 10 new beds, two trauma rooms, private treatment rooms, expanded visitor and guest lounge, as well as other amenities. Kevin Miller, President and CEO of Hutchinson Regional Healthcare System, said the current facility is outdated. "The department is undersized for the patient volumes currently being seen considering today's healthcare design standards," Miller said.

Hutc hinson Regional Mecial Center says it's gearing up for the future. The center Thursday announced plans for a five million dollar renovation and expansion of the emergency department. It will expand from ten beds to 20..and will include two major trauma rooms, and 14 private treatment rooms. Those who work in the center say the expansion will be especially helpful during the busiest times in the evenings. Nursing director Joyoce Radke tells us  "Most of the time we have patients in the waiting room, which we would love to not have them have to wait in the waiting room it's very hard on people.

A Hutchinson woman is in a Wichita hospital after another driver failed to stop at a stop sign, hitting her car. Hutchinson Police responded to the scene at the intersection of Poplar and 3rd St. around 5:45 p.m. Wednesday. They found Claire Rhoades, 68, suffering from critical internal injuries. She was taken to a nearby hospital, then transported to Wichita for treatment. Police say a car driven by Michael Fleming, 19, of Haven, struck Rhoades' vehicle. Fleming was not hurt.

After nearly two decades of wear and tear on the football field Hutchinson's High School Band is getting new uniforms.  It's an expensive purchase in these tight budget times. "These were purchased back in 1996," explained band director Daryl Koestel.  "A lot of these kids that are in band were not even born then, or they were just babies. " And the uniforms show their age in yellowed linings, torn hems, and frayed edges. "They were just falling apart," said Koestel.  "And there's not a whole lot that you can do when you have several hundred that are falling apart.