Hutchinson Community College Theatre will stage Continuity, a compelling production exploring storytelling, science, and the human drive to persist, on Friday, October 10 and Saturday, October 11 at 7:00 p.m., and Sunday, October 12 at 2:00 p.m. The performances will take place in the Stringer Fine Arts Center on the HutchCC campus.

Continuity (by Bess Wohl) is a dark comedy about a film crew trying to shoot a climate change disaster movie while the world outside feels like it’s falling apart. As the shoot unravels, the play cleverly blends humor with urgency, asking how we keep telling stories—and finding hope—when everything seems uncertain. It juxtaposes urgency and humor, underlining the question: “How do we keep going when hope can seem as fictional as a Hollywood ending?”

“What I love about Continuity is how it mixes humor with some really big questions about our world and our future,” said Deidre Mattox, Director of Theatre at HutchCC. “It’s a story that feels timely, but also really fun to experience with an audience. I think people will leave the theatre laughing, thinking, and talking about it.”

Tickets are available at the door prior to each performance.

For more information on the Fine Arts Department at Hutchinson Community College, visit the college website at www.hutchcc.edu/finearts.

Hutchinson Community College (HutchCC) proudly announces that two of its allied health programs — the Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) and the Associate of Applied Science in Surgical Technology — have both received continuing accreditation from their respective national accrediting bodies.

The Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) has granted continuing accreditation to HutchCC’s Associate Degree in Nursing program, with the next evaluation visit scheduled for Spring 2033.

The Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP), upon the recommendation of the Accreditation Review Council on Education in Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (ARC/STSA), has conferred continuing accreditation on the Surgical Technology program, with the next evaluation scheduled for 2035.

“These accreditations are a strong affirmation of the quality of our faculty, curriculum, and student outcomes,” said Tricia Paramore, Ph.D., President of Hutchinson Community College. “They demonstrate our continued commitment to preparing highly skilled professionals who are ready to meet the growing healthcare needs of our communities.”

Accreditation by ACEN and CAAHEP ensures that HutchCC programs meet rigorous national standards for curriculum, faculty qualifications, and student success. For students, accreditation provides confidence that their education is of the highest quality and often serves as a requirement for licensure and certification exams. For employers, it assures that HutchCC graduates are fully prepared to deliver safe, effective, and compassionate care.

Alison Casebolt, MSN, RN, Director of Nursing and Co-Chair of Allied Health, added: “This recognition underscores the dedication of our faculty and staff to student learning and professional excellence. Our graduates are well-prepared to provide outstanding care and leadership in healthcare settings across Kansas and beyond.”

Hutchinson Community College remains committed to expanding access to high-quality healthcare education and to fostering the next generation of nurses, surgical technologists, and allied health professionals.

For more information about Hutchinson Community College and its Allied Health programs, visit www.hutchcc.edu.

The September meeting of the Board of Trustees of Hutchinson Community College began with a pair of hearings, one pertaining to the College’s Revenue Neutral Rate and the other regarding the 2025-26 budget.

Following the hearings, the board approved the budget after a presentation by Julie Blanton, Vice President of Finance and Operations. The budget includes a mill levy set at 21.538, a decrease from the year prior and its lowest level in at least ten years. Tuition is slated to increase by $3.00 per credit hour with fees remaining at the prior year’s level. The $10.00 per credit hour reduction for Reno County residents remains in place.

The Board welcomed and met the 2025-26 Crops and Weed ID Team. The team is comprised of six members who have the opportunity to test their agronomic knowledge in a competitive setting while gaining valuable skills applicable to a career in agriculture. The team is also involved in assisting in the management of the agriculture department in the Pride of Kansas Building and related activities during the annual State Fair.

In other business, the Board approved several items of routine business and received an update on its strategic planning initiatives.

The next meeting of the board will be on Thursday, October 9.  The meeting will be at 6:00 p.m. in the Shears Technology Center Justice Theater.  The public is invited to attend. Board meeting agendas and meeting information can be found at www.hutchcc.edu/boardmeetings.

For more information on Hutchinson Community College, visit the college website at www.hutchcc.edu.

James Olson, former Chief of Counterintelligence for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) will present the third Dillon Lecture of the 2025 Series on Tuesday, September 16 at 10:30 am at the Hutchinson Sports Arena.

Olson served for over thirty years in the Directorate of Operations of the CIA, mostly overseas in clandestine operations. In addition to several foreign assignments, he was Chief of Counterintelligence at CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia.

He has been awarded the Intelligence Medal of Merit, the Distinguished Career Intelligence Medal, the Donovan Award, and several Distinguished Service Citations. He is also the recipient of awards from the Bush School and the Association of Former Students for excellence in teaching at Texas A & M University.

Olson is the author of Fair Play: The Moral Dilemmas of Spying and To Catch a Spy: The Art of Counterintelligence. Prior to his career in the CIA, he served in the US Navy, where he attained the rank of lieutenant commander.

Tickets to the lecture are available now at www.hutchcc.edu/dls and will also be available beginning at 9:45 am on the day of the lecture at the Hutchinson Sports Arena.

Olson will appear at a press conference for members of the media prior to the lecture.  The press conference is scheduled for 9:45 a.m. in the Media Interview Room of the Hutchinson Sports Arena.

2025 is the 44th season for the Dillon Lecture Series on the HutchCC Campus.  For more information on the Dillon Lecture Series or to become a patron, visit www.hutchcc.edu/dls or call Becky Rogers at 620-665-3505.