Latest news with #HutchinsonNews
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Yahoo
Kansas magistrate judge, former journalist retiring
MEDICINE LODGE, Kan. (KSNW) — He went from covering the courts from the gallery to sitting behind the bench. District Magistrate Judge Ron Sylvester has announced his retirement. Sylvester spent four decades covering news, including a 12-year stint with The Wichita Eagle. Following his time at The Wichita Eagle, Sylvester worked for papers in Las Vegas and Southern California before returning to Kansas as managing editor for the Hutchinson News. In 2019, after his position was eliminated at the paper, Sylvester filed to fill the Magistrate Judge position in the 30th Judicial District, which was being vacated by Magistrate Judge Roseanna Mathis, who retired. Though he did not have a law degree, Kansas law does not require magistrates to be attorneys, only that they pass an exam within 18 months of taking office. Sylvester was appointed and has served in that role ever since. Hutchinson man sentenced for child pornography case 'The judges I covered as a journalist in both state and federal district courts while in the newspaper business were inspirations, especially those who showed patience and a deliberate approach to justice,' says Sylvester, in a news release from Kansas Courts. 'Judges and journalists have a lot in common, really. We look at both sides of a situation and try to effectively seek answers to problems.' Sylvester has served on the Access to Justice Committee and the Pretrial Justice Task Force, and is a member of the education committee for the Magistrate Certification Program, which helps non-law-trained magistrate judges pass their legal certification. In addition, Sylvester has served on the board of the Kansas District Magistrate Judges Association, most recently as second vice president, overseeing the group's annual continuing legal education conferences for the past two years. Sylvester and his wife Gaye have five adult children and three grandchildren. The couple plans to travel following his retirement. His final day on the bench is April 30. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
27-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Snakes on the plains: Watch out for these venomous vipers in Kansas
The pain was excruciating when a venomous snake bit Grady Kornelson in 2018 in south-central Kansas. 'On a scale of one to 10, it was a nine,' he told the Hutchinson News. Kornelson received five doses of antivenom and spent a weekend in a hospital after being bitten on a forearm as he was getting out of the water just after dark on a Friday in a cove at Cheney Reservoir. Hospital staff told Kornelson he'd been bitten by a copperhead, though a Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks official suggested it may have instead been a massasauga rattlesnake. The copperhead and massasauga rattler are among four native venomous snakes present in Kansas, with the others being the prairie rattlesnake and timber rattlesnake, said the website of the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks. "Western diamond-backed rattlesnakes were introduced, but are not widespread and have been recorded in only a few central-Kansas locations," that site said. It said another type of venomous viper, the northern cottonmouth, is "rare" in the Sunflower State, as only two specimens having been recorded — both in the Spring River drainage area in the state's southeast corner. The KDWP website said all venomous snakes found in Kansas are pit vipers, meaning they have heat-sensitive pits in front of each eye to help locate prey. "Venomous snakes are generally shy and aren't looking for a fight, but they will bite in self-defense if you step too close, step on or provoke them," the KDWP website said. It said venomous snakes tend to be well-camouflaged, "So watch where you walk, and don't go barefoot or wear flip-flops or sandals, even on established trails or around campgrounds." Many people each year are bitten by harmless snakes "and experience nothing but small scratches that readily heal," said "A Pocket Guide to Kansas Snakes." The guide — written by Joseph T. Collins, Suzanne L. Collins and Travis W. Taggart — is on its sixth edition after initially being published in 2011. Deaths from snake bites in the Sunflower State are rare, the pocket guide said. "There is only one documented fatality in Kansas since 1950," it said. The KDWP website encourages anyone who thinks he or she has been bitten by a venomous snake to "keep the site of the bite quiet and below the level of your heart." The pocket guide encourages those in that situation to stay calm., treat for shock and go by vehicle to the nearest hospital or other medical facility. It said such victims must NOT do the following things: Use a tourniquet. If the tourniquet is tied too tight, that may cause the loss of a limb. Make cuts through or near the site of the bite. Try to suck venom from the site of the bite, as "You might have a tooth cavity or gum sore and this would place venom into that wound." Allow antivenom to be administered to them unless they first get tested to determine if they're allergic to it. Try to kill or capture the snake, as that would only give it another chance to bite. Killing or capturing the snake is also unnecessary, the KDWP site said, "because a single type of antivenom is used to treat all pit viper bites in the U.S." Kansas is home to 42 different native species of snakes, which are active during the warmer months between late March and November — the same time period when people are most active outdoors, the KDWP website said. "Most snakes are found in rural or semi-rural areas where there is suitable habitat and prey," it said. "They may be found in woodlands and shrubby areas; brush, log or rock piles; around water; in tall grass; around rocky outcrops or ledges; or even under ornamental shrubbery and gardens." Snakes are a vital part of the food chain, the pocket guide said. "They are small, shy animals that are frightened by people," it said. "Understanding their role in nature and their unassuming presence are vital to dispel the myths and fears people have of snakes." Snakes can't regulate their body temperature internally, so they'll be more active at night during times of hot weather, retreating to shady areas or under rocks and logs during the day, the KDWP website said. "When it's cooler, they tend to be more active during the day," it said. The venomous timber rattlesnake is found in the eastern fourth of the state, the KDWP website said. The timber rattler is the largest rattlesnake in Kansas, capable of growing up to 5 feet, 3 inches in length, the pocket guide said. That species feeds on small mammals and smaller snakes, it said. The prairie rattlesnake is found in the western half of the state, the KDWP website said. It is capable of growing up to 4 feet, 9 and a half inches long, the pocket guide said. It said the prairie rattler feeds on lizards, mice, rats and pocket gophers. The massasauga rattlesnake is found in the eastern two-thirds of the state, the KDWP website said. It is capable of growing up to 2 feet, 9 and a half inches long, the pocket guide said. It said the massasauga rattler feeds on frogs, lizards, rodents and other snakes. The copperhead is found in the eastern third of Kansas, the KDWP website said. It is capable of growing up to 3 feet, 4 inches long, the pocket guide said. It said copperheads are particularly fond of rodents but also feed on insects, frogs, toads, lizards, small birds and other snakes. Contact Tim Hrenchir at threnchir@ or 785-213-5934. This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: These 4 types of native venomous snakes can be found in Kansas
Yahoo
23-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Gas leak causes explosion, evacuation around downtown Hutchinson, chief says
Hutchinson officials evacuated several blocks near and around downtown after a gas leak caused an explosion Saturday at a longtime auto parts store, according to fire chief Steven Beer. Firefighters were called at 9:26 a.m. about a gas odor at Steffens Auto Parts, 428 S. Main. It's an odorized gas, Beer said. 'Upon arrival crews witnessed the building exploded,' Beer said in a news release just after 1 p.m. 'Everyone in the structure got out. This fire is a gas fed fire through a (10-inch) natural gas line. The main body of fire at (the auto parts store) has been controlled however the street and sidewalk remains on fire due to the gas leak. Crews went to a defensive operation using unmanned freestreams.' Video and photos online show several water lines all going to fight the fire. One person said on Facebook that her family member, owner Darin Clifford, 'evacuated just before it blew up.' The city of Hutchinson said at around 11:50 a.m. that, because of 'a large fire in the downtown area,' it was evacuating Avenue A to Avenue F and Plum to Adams. That area could be expanded, Beer said. 'All residents and businesses within these boundaries are urged to evacuate immediately for their safety,' the city said on Facebook. Tony Hernandez, who shot video of the fire, said he could smell gas and could see a gas line burning in front of the store. The Hutchinson man said it smelled like propane. Eldon 'Butch' Steffens opened Steffens Auto Parts in 1968. Darin Clifford, who started working at Steffens in 1980, purchased the business in 1997 when Butch retired, according to the Hutchinson News. This is a breaking news story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
