Hutchinson

• Hutchinson Community College is preparing to celebrate its 100th anniversary and embark on its second century of service. The institution is marking this historic milestone by reflecting on its legacy and planning for future growth. →
• The Sons of the Plains SAR and Uvedale DAR chapters will hold a joint session on April 18 to present an EMT Certification Award and discuss local plans for the nation's 250th anniversary. →
• Hutchinson City Council is debating a contentious proposal to absorb Hutch Rec into municipal government to streamline spending and eliminate potential double-taxation. The plan has triggered accusations of backroom coordination and warnings of significant political fallout as critics and advocates clash over the consolidation's impact. →
• Hutchinson police arrested Nathan Lara on Tuesday for multiple child sex crimes, including three counts of rape involving a victim under age 14. The charges stem from alleged incidents in Saline County that occurred between 2020 and 2022. →
• The Reno County District Attorney's Office and local advocacy groups will host a public candle lighting ceremony on April 23 to honor survivors and reaffirm community support for crime victims. →
• County Administrator Randy Partington announced upcoming sessions for departments and partner agencies to present their 2025 funding requests. →
• Supply chain issues have delayed new equipment for two years, forcing the county to pay higher maintenance costs for aging vehicles. →
• The city has been selected as the host site for the statewide annual conference of county commissioners. →
• It’s going to be a beautiful, mostly sunny day in Hutchinson with a high near 89, though you’ll want to hold onto your hat as those southwest winds kick up with gusts as high as 35 mph.

🌾 Kansas

• The Kansas Legislature overrode Gov. Laura Kelly's vetoes on 17 of 24 bills before adjourning Friday, including measures on immigration enforcement, abortion provider liability, and legislative oversight of agency rulemaking. →

• A Kansas property tax relief bill died Friday after Republican House leaders declined to attempt an override of Gov. Laura Kelly's veto, letting the deadline expire without a vote. →

• An effort to expand Kansas' private-school scholarship program is dead for the year after Republican legislative leaders opted not to challenge Gov. Laura Kelly's veto of House Bill 2468. →

• Unauthorized immigrants in Kansas will not face a sweeping ban on state and local public benefits after Republican lawmakers walked away from Senate Bill 254, allowing the Senate to adjourn April 10 without attempting to override Gov. Laura Kelly's veto. →

• The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has issued its first Class VI underground injection permit in Kansas, authorizing PureField Carbon Capture to store carbon dioxide deep underground near Russell. →

🇺🇸 US

• President Trump announced a U.S. naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz after overnight negotiations with Iran collapsed, threatening a two-week ceasefire and sending oil prices above $100 a barrel. →

• Trump's Hormuz blockade targets China's oil supply as Beijing imports 1.38 million barrels per day from Iran and depends on the strait for 45% of its oil imports ahead of May summit talks. →

• The expiration of federal pandemic relief funding is forcing municipalities nationwide toward sharp service cuts or steep tax increases as healthcare costs surge and state aid declines. →

• NASA's Artemis II crew splashed down off California after completing a historic lunar flyby that carried humans farther from Earth than any previous spaceflight. →

• The AI boom is exhausting global computing capacity, triggering service outages, product cancellations and GPU rental price increases of 48% in two months. →

Weather

APRIL 13 1970: APOLLO 13 OXYGEN TANK EXPLODES

An oxygen tank on the Apollo 13 spacecraft exploded about 200,000 miles from Earth, crippling the mission and forcing NASA to abort its planned lunar landing. Astronauts James Lovell, John Swigert, and Fred Haise instead focused on survival as mission control devised emergency procedures that helped them safely return to Earth four days later.

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