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1. On March 27, emergency crews were called to a North Newton home on a call of a child not breathing.
Nineteen-month-old Vincent Hill was pronounced dead a short time later at Newton Medical Center. Chad Carr, the boy’s mother’s boyfriend, was home alone with Hill that day and is charged with murder in the case.
The coroner testified at Carr’s preliminary hearing the child had been severely beaten and likely died as a result of blunt force trauma and suffocation.
Hill’s mother, Katheryn Nycole Dale, was sentenced on Sept. 30 to 34 months in prison on charges of child abuse and aggravated endangerment of a child in connection with her son’s death.
If Chad Carr’s case goes to trial, Dale is expected to testify in the case. Carr’s case is expected to go to trial on Jan. 24.
In an unrelated case, Chad Carr has been charged with three counts sexual exploitation of a child for allegedly possessing child pornography.
Carr has waived his right to a preliminary hearing in that case, but a trial date has not been set.
Carr’ brother Chris Carr, who lived with Chad and his mother for a time, also has been charged in the child pornography case.
— Cristina Janney
2. Construction is under way on a new fire station in south Newton.
The $3.9 million fire station is being funded in part by a federal stimulus grant. The local match will be $950,000, and the grant will pay for the rest.
The project is currently on budget and on schedule.
The new fire station will include:
• Four-vehicle, two-aisle drive-through apparatus bay
• One-vehicle expansion bay
• Apparatus support spaces (gear storage, equipment decontamination room, hose storage, EMS storage, laundry, workroom)
• Staff quarters (four two-man bunk rooms with full bathrooms, dayroom, kitchen, dining, exercise room, outdoor patio/dining, general station office, chief’s office, conference room)
• Training room (serves as fire training room, community room and emergency management crisis center and includes multi-media facilities)
• Newton Police Department branch office
• Public lobby and restrooms
The station is being built to accommodate up to eight, however they anticipate the station will open with four to five personnel.
The main objective of building this facility is to improve response times to the south side of Newton. Currently, that area is not within the national standard response time. This facility was strategically placed to reduce response times to the south side of Newton, and it also will serve the new Kansas Logistics Park.
The station, which is located on south Kansas south of the Quail Creek addition, is scheduled to be completed in spring 2011.
— Cristina Janney
1. On March 27, emergency crews were called to a North Newton home on a call of a child not breathing.
Nineteen-month-old Vincent Hill was pronounced dead a short time later at Newton Medical Center. Chad Carr, the boy’s mother’s boyfriend, was home alone with Hill that day and is charged with murder in the case.
The coroner testified at Carr’s preliminary hearing the child had been severely beaten and likely died as a result of blunt force trauma and suffocation.
Hill’s mother, Katheryn Nycole Dale, was sentenced on Sept. 30 to 34 months in prison on charges of child abuse and aggravated endangerment of a child in connection with her son’s death.
If Chad Carr’s case goes to trial, Dale is expected to testify in the case. Carr’s case is expected to go to trial on Jan. 24.
In an unrelated case, Chad Carr has been charged with three counts sexual exploitation of a child for allegedly possessing child pornography.
Carr has waived his right to a preliminary hearing in that case, but a trial date has not been set.
Carr’ brother Chris Carr, who lived with Chad and his mother for a time, also has been charged in the child pornography case.
— Cristina Janney
2. Construction is under way on a new fire station in south Newton.
The $3.9 million fire station is being funded in part by a federal stimulus grant. The local match will be $950,000, and the grant will pay for the rest.
The project is currently on budget and on schedule.
The new fire station will include:
• Four-vehicle, two-aisle drive-through apparatus bay
• One-vehicle expansion bay
• Apparatus support spaces (gear storage, equipment decontamination room, hose storage, EMS storage, laundry, workroom)
• Staff quarters (four two-man bunk rooms with full bathrooms, dayroom, kitchen, dining, exercise room, outdoor patio/dining, general station office, chief’s office, conference room)
• Training room (serves as fire training room, community room and emergency management crisis center and includes multi-media facilities)
• Newton Police Department branch office
• Public lobby and restrooms
The station is being built to accommodate up to eight, however they anticipate the station will open with four to five personnel.
The main objective of building this facility is to improve response times to the south side of Newton. Currently, that area is not within the national standard response time. This facility was strategically placed to reduce response times to the south side of Newton, and it also will serve the new Kansas Logistics Park.
The station, which is located on south Kansas south of the Quail Creek addition, is scheduled to be completed in spring 2011.
— Cristina Janney
3. Although it’s known as the Harvey County Fairgrounds replacement project, county administrator John Waltner thinks the project will be much more than just a replacement.
The new fairgrounds will offer resources for the fair and community events throughout the year.
The estimated $11 million project will include:
• A large indoor arena for rodeo and equestrian events, seating up to 1,000 people.
• A livestock building with stalls for animals during fair time.
• A multi-purpose community building with an area for meetings and conferences seating up to 500 people.
Although the county anticipated starting the construction phase of the project in 2011, due to a tough economy it is postponing the plans, likely until 2012.
“We know it’s an extensive project, an expensive, major project,” Waltner said.
However, Waltner thinks the project will be worth the wait.
“We certainly think that it will bring people to these events from a very, very wide area,” he said. “It also provides some services to the community we don’t currently have.”
— Ashley Bergner
4. On Nov. 9, the Newton school district completed its $29.9 million bond project with a dedication of the expansion of Cooper Early Education Center.
The $3.5 million 15,600-square-foot Cooper addition was opened to students this fall. The project added six new classrooms to the building, which was constructed in 1938 to serve as a grade school.
The district’s Kidstart program, which accepts children who are considered at risk and blends them with children who need special education, is housed at the school, as well as Headstart, an income-based early childhood education program.
The Headstart program was able to add 12 new slots to the program because of the increased space it was allotted after the expansion.
The bond also has included expansion and renovation at Newton High School, the district’s Education Technology Center, Chisholm Middle School, Santa Fe 5th/6th Center and Northridge Elementary School.
Work at Newton High School included the construction of a new 50,000-square-foot vocational/agricultural building that was opened in fall 2009 and a new media center that was opened this fall.
Classrooms also were added to the Brook Trade Center building.
The expansion at the main NHS building included 27,500 square feet and, in addition to the media center, the project added eight new classrooms, a new lecture hall and new office and teacher workrooms. Space formerly occupied by the media center was converted to new science labs.
Meeting rooms, restrooms, a workroom and storage area were added to the Education Technology Center, as well as a roof air-conditioning unit and a new entry. The addition of 6,000 square feet almost doubled the size of the center.
Chisholm received a new gym, seven new classrooms and a weight/wrestling room for a total addition of 31,000 square feet. The band room was remodeled, and a new vocal music room was added.
Six storm-safe classrooms encompassing 8,000 square feet were built at Santa Fe.
Air-conditioning also was added to Lindley Hall, and the school’s media center was expanded.
Northridge was the first project in the bond to be completed in January 2009 and included an 8,000-square-foot addition, which included six classrooms, bathrooms and storage space.
— Cristina Janney
Kansas Sports Museum opens
5. The Kansas Sports Museum opened Jan. 4 at the Chisholm Trail Outlet and Retail Shops, featuring both permanent and traveling exhibits that highlight the rich history of sports in the state.
Operated by the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame, the museum has already featured exhibits on the history of eight-man football in the state and a traveling exhibit from the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, on the military service of National Football League players.
The museum was opened with an appearance by University of Kansas football coach Turner Gill.
The 21,000 square-foot facility includes a conference room and a gift shop.
The Kansas Sports Hall of Fame operated in Topeka, Lawrence, Abilene and Wichita, before Newton was selected to host the museum. The Hall of Fame maintains a site at the Wichita Boathouse as well.
— Mark Schnabel
6. Newton High School celebrated its 125th anniversary this year with a bang.
This fall, the community celebrated with a weekend full of events, including a golf tournament at Sand Creek Station golf course, a tailgate party sponsored by the NHS Booster Club and a car show in Athletic Park.
The Harvey County Historical Society highlighted Newton High School memorabilia, and the Carriage Factory Gallery hosted a NHS Alumni Art Show and auction. The celebration closed out with an alumni/student music concert at the school.
Although there were plenty of events and entertainment, the weekend also provided a chance for current and past students to celebrate what it means to be a Railer and to reflect on how the community and the school have changed during the past 125 years.
“Railer 125 is a golden opportunity for all classes to reconnect in the spirit of shared memories and friendships,” wrote Barb Burns, coordinator of community advancement, in a Kansan column prior to the celebration.
— Ashley Bergner/Newton Kansan
7. Harvey County residents who were concerned about a higher than average suicide rate in the county banded together to form the Harvey County Suicide Coalition this year.
A look at the statistics by coroner Ron Morford indicated Harvey County had 26 suicides between 2006 and 2009.
The national average for suicide is 11.3 suicides per 100,000 people per year.
With a population of roughly 33,000, Harvey County had almost twice the suicide rate of the national average.
Although local statistics are not kept on suicide attempts, the National Institute of Mental Health estimates 11 people attempt suicide for every one person who succeeds. That would be about 286 attempts in the last four years for Harvey County or more than one suicide attempt per week.
The coalition instituted a yellow ribbon campaign in September. Coalition members handed out cards with instructions on how to help a person who may be suicidal. The cards also had suicide prevention hotline numbers on them. The coalition also helped to sponsor a forum on suicide prevention and a softball tournament and balloon release to remember those who died as a result of suicide.
— Cristina Janney
8. Newton school teachers went back to school without a contract this fall after voting down a contract by a five-to-one margin in August.
The new contract was approved on Nov. 17 on a vote of 212-103. Included in the contract is $95 more per month toward the cost of health care.
The contract the teachers rejected in August would have given everyone a $250 flat raise plus a $50 per month increase toward health insurance.
Under the approved contract, teachers will see an increase in benefits of 2.17 percent compared to an increase of 2.02 percent in the contract that was rejected in August.
The change from the August contract will cost the district about $21,000 more this school year.
Health-care premiums for the district went up about 26 percent compared to last year based on higher claims. The pay increase will help defray some of that cost but not all.
The contract decreased the number of professional days by one. The August contract also proposed a 192-day school year, down from 193 days last year, but the previous contract had proposed removing a conference day instead of a professional day.
Elementary teachers also will spend more time in collaboration as opposed to a pilot program that allowed teachers to partially determine their own professional development. The program has become permanent at the middle- and high-school levels.
The new contract also stipulates planning time for teachers must be within the student day instead of the teacher’s duty day. This retains a provision that was in the 2009-10 contract.
A compromise was a reduction in the number of protected planning time hours from 180 to 150.
— Cristina Janney
9. A variety of people, from young to older, had the opportunity to paint on the community mural this past summer. Anyone from the public was invited to lend their painting labor to the project.
The mural was dedicated on Sept. 19, during 90-degree temperatures to a crowd of about 100 people.
Before that dedication, there had been a lot of work. Dave Loewenstein, a nationally recognized mural artist, was in charge of the project and was assisted by Matthew Furley, Wichita native, and Erika Nelson of Lucas.
The project team listened to input from the community as part of the planning process.
The mural, which incorporates cross-sections of people in Newton, faces north in the Salvation Army parking lot on the side of Combs Organ Co. on Main Street.
Serving as co-chairwomen for the 2010 Kansas Mural Project were Barb Burns, the city’s community advancement coordinator, and Rachel Epp Buller from Bethel College.
The project was fully funded by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Mid-America Arts Alliance.
— Wendy Nugent
10. After one went up, another came down.
In 2010, Newton saw the demolition of one water tower after a new water was put up on East 12th Street. Citizens lined the street, watching in anticipation.
The new water tower with a 5,000-gallon, cloud-covered tank became operational after the first of the year.
The old water tower had run its course and was leaking, said Suzanne Loomis, Newton director of public works.
The project, which took years of planning and a year of construction, was paid for by water bill funds.
— Wendy Nugent/
Newton Kansan
