2013 06 14

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HE’S THE MAN … But superhero’s more serious than campy in film rehash PREVIEW A7

COVERING THE BETTER PART OF KANSAS

THE HUTCHINSON NEWS XXXDAY,JUNE FRIDAY, XXXXXBER 14, 2013 XX, 2009

40¢ delivered 75¢ newsstand

City: Turn up heat on unsafe housing ■ Council voices view on

tougher efforts in session with Housing Commission. BY KEN STEPHENS The Hutchinson News kstephens@hutchnews.com

The Hutchinson City Council signaled its support for a more aggressive pro-

mously voiced their support for both tactics. The Housing Commission had asked the council to eliminate the unwritten requirement that the International Property Maintenance Code be enforced only upon receipt of a complaint from a citizen or neighbor. The Housing Commission had concluded that

gram of demolishing unsafe houses and allowing city staff to enforce code violations against the 500 “worst of the worst” houses, many of which are vacant or abandoned. No vote was taken during the joint study session with the Hutchinson Housing Commission, but the five council members unani-

the IPMC wasn’t working to improve the city’s housing stock because it had generated few actual complaints (30 in 2012). The commission had wanted the council to authorize the inspection department to initiate its own complaints. However, Mayor Bob Bush and City Council member Cindy Proett, who were on

business tried something for two years and it didn’t work, they’d take steps to correct it. “We need to look at other strategies to get this off ground zero,” she said. But Bush said that based on the results of an housing survey that drew 142

the council when the code was adopted in 2011 with the complaint-based proviso, weren’t willing to go that far. Proett was especially uneasy about reversing course on a promise the council made to the public just two years ago. Nancy Soldner, one of three new members of the council who took office in April, countered that if a

See HOUSING / A11

Drought still a presence as harvest starts

Barber – Grant

■ Lower test weights noted as farmers

begin cutting wheat in southern Kansas. BY AMY BICKEL The Hutchinson News abickel@hutchnews.com

The Kansas wheat harvest has Hutchinson begun, albeit slowDodge Barber City County ly, and without the fanfare of a Barber bumper crop. 281 County A few farmers began cutting in 160 Medicine southern Kansas Lodge Wednesday near the border town of 2 Kiowa in Barber County, which has KIOWA been hit hard by little rainfall this winter and spring. INSIDE This week’s soaring temA farmwife’s peratures, which surpassed perspective, 100 degrees in some places, help speed up maturity. A4 K A N S A“It S surprised me yesterBarton day,” said Steve Inslee, general County manager ofSalina OK Co-op Grain, about seeing Hutchinson the first trucks come across the scales in Kiowa. “But oh my goodness, it was ready.” The moisture content of the first load, he Barton County KANSAS

See WHEAT / A4

4 281

Finney County

183 160

Hutchinson

Coldwater

Dodge City

Comanche County

Finney County 23

Garden City

KANSAS Hutchinson

Dodge City

83

Comanche County

Photos by Aaron Marineau/The Hutchinson News

Eloisa Tatum, whose brother Joe served in Vietnam, stands at the center of the traveling version of the Vietnam War Memorial wall, which will be stationed at Hutchinson’s VFW headquarters through Saturday. “It just makes you feel so good, so patriotic, to be here,” said Tatum.

Testament of honor KANSAS

KANSAS

Edwards County

Garden City

Hutchinson

Dodge City

Dodge City

50

56

Kinsley

BY ANNA GRONEWOLD The Hutchinson News agronewold@hutchnews.com

Backer goes for the middle with new Kan. party 54 54

Clark County

34

Ashland

160

They greet each other with a kiss on the cheek one moment and a good-natured insult the next. Even when American Legion Post No. 68 KANSAS has a job to accomplish, the Ellsworth Salina County flavor in the air resembles that ofHutchinson a family reunion more than any sort of task force. 70 Thursday morning, Legion members156joined the effort to

400 assemble the American Veterans Traveling Tribute Memo283 54 rial Wall at Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1361. As she steadied a wall panel on the field outside the VFW, Edie Griffin, the Post 68 auxiliary secretary – known as “Mom” at the Legion – said military service generates a special type of camaraderie. “You’ve got people from all walks of life,” said Griffin. “You don’t have all your clickity-cliques. Maybe you 25 wouldn’t interact otherwise, but Grant we’re all there for the same County

Hutchinson’s American Legion Commander Bruce Branson and Sgt. Gideon Cooper work to raise the American flag before the singing of the national anthem Thursday.

Ulysses

See WALL160/ A6

Ellsworth

Ellsworth County

KANSAS

56

140

283

BY MARY CLARKIN

50

Ford County

56

183

56

Hutchinson

Ford County

is hub of County tribute locally to those in military service.

Great Bend

156

50

■ Vietnam vets wall replica Edwards

156

KANSAS

14

141

“It’s a wall of misery. The community needs to see it.” K A N STom A SDearing Grant County

The Hutchinson News mclarkin@hutchnews.com Hutchinson Dodge

Hutchinson Garden City

City

Clark County Aaron Estabrook envisions a new political party in Kansas that rolls down the middle of the road. Early this year, Estabrook INSIDE filed political action committee finance papers for the ModWant to erate Party of Kansas. The start your fledging PAC opened with zero own party? money spent or raised. A11 The party’s social media presence is expanding, though, with nearly 700 people clicking “like” on its Facebook page. The website www.moderatekansas.com reveals the party has executive officers and a target: the 2014 elections. Estabrook told The News he hopes the

See PARTY / A11

2 dead, at least 360 homes destroyed in Colo. wildfire An AmeriCorps volunteer firefighter helps contain a spot fire in an evacuated area of forest, ranches and residences Thursday north of Colorado Springs, Colo. Brennan Linsley/AP

BY NICHOLAS RICCARDI Associated Press

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – A voracious wildfire driven in all directions by shifting winds has killed two people and destroyed at least 360 homes – a number that was likely to climb as the most destructive blaze in Colorado history burned for a third day through miles of tinder-dry woods, a sheriff said

Thursday. The destruction northeast of Colorado Springs has surpassed last June’s Waldo Canyon fire, which burned 347 homes, killed two people and caused $353 million in insurance claims just 15 miles to the southwest. The heavy losses were blamed in part on explosive population growth in areas

See FIRE / A5

INDEX: TV LISTINGS A9 BUSINESS B10 CLASSIFIEDS B7 COMICS B11 LOTTERIES A2 OBITUARIES A11 OPINION A10 CROSSWORD B8 SPORTS B1 WEATHER A6

INTERCEPTED LETTER Farmers seeing lower test weights as wheat harvest starts

Dear friends,

ALL-AREA BASEBALL, SOFTBALL TEAMS COMING THIS WEEKEND

We know your stores of hope will stay intact, rain or shine.

YEAR 141 NO. 346

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PLANNING YOUR DAY?

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