Franklin

Paul Newman donates to tornado relief

Actor Paul Newman donated funds to the southeast town of Franklin, which was ravaged by a tornado in May.

Newman personally signed the check for the Franklin Community Council Inc. and sent his best wishes for continued success.

“We decided that it would be best not to give the exact figure, but it was a lovely, generous amount,” resident Phyllis Bitner said.

A massive tornado ripped through Franklin, a town of about 500 residents, May 4.

Hesston

Plane crash injures 3 from Hesston College

A weekend plane crash in New Mexico injured an instructor and two students from Hesston College.

Pilot Brett Hartman and co-pilot Troy Yoder were flying the Cessna 172R when it crashed about noon Saturday outside Cloudcroft, N.M., New Mexico State Police said.

Hartman, a student, and Yoder, a flight instructor, were flown to Thomason General Hospital in El Paso, Texas. Hospital officials said Hartman was in critical condition. College spokesman Phil Richard said Yoder’s condition was stable.

Another aviation student, Jason Dietzel, was treated and released from Gerald Champion Regional Medical Center in Alamogordo, N.M.

Lyons

Police chief dies

Police Chief Dennis Luck, who spent half his life leading the Lyons Police Department, has died unexpectedly.

Luck died Saturday at his home. He was 60.

Luck was appointed police chief in 1973.

Mayor Clarence Moses said he would appoint Lt. Chris Detmer to be acting chief.