Another step in helping the Hiawatha Community Hospital with its financial crisis was taken Monday when a joint committee voted to recommend to local governments an approval for a half-cent county wide sales tax and pursue a bond issue for $2 million. The joint committee was formed in January and made up of representatives of Hiawatha, Horton and Brown County Commissions, along with a representative of the HCH Board of Trustees. The vote to take this step in helping the hospital with its financial issues came after discussion pertaining to recommendations made by the committee to the hospital board. The committee [...]

The joint-County and City advisory commission met prior to Monday night’s Hiawatha City Commission meeting, and City Administrator Mike Nichols, who is the chairman of the joint-commission, brought a final update to the City. Nichols stated that the group had made their recommendations to the hospital, and at this point, the commission’s job appears to be done. One of the sticking points from prior meetings seemed to be resolved, as the hospital said they would work toward an affiliation with a regional healthcare provider, and if that did not come to pass, they would seek out a healthcare management firm to [...]

A representative from the Kansas Forest Service was present at Monday evening’s Hiawatha City Commission meeting, and had some suggestions for sweeping change on the city’s tree population. Kim Bomberger inventoried and rated the trees along Hiawatha’s city streets, and found that 37percent of the city’s trees are sugar maples, and 16 percent are silver maples, while it is suggested that one species of tree make up no more than ten percent of any city’s tree population. Bomberger suggested planting no more maples outside of strategic and highly visible areas, to prevent the opportunity for disease or infestation from destroying a [...]