Hutchinson ? Although she was awarded nearly $1 million in damages because her business was destroyed by a gas explosion, Alice Hayes says she has lost something more valuable — her sense of security in Hutchinson.

The natural gas explosion on Jan. 17, 2001, destroyed the Woody’s Furniture store she built with her husband, J.D., and her sister-in-law, Dixie Hayes.

“You know, Hutchinson’s always been this quiet, safe place where you could raise your children,” Alice Hayes said. “But really, Jan. 17 was sort of the 9-11 for this community, I think. There’s always going to be this niggling doubt in the back of your mind: Is there still gas down there? Do we know that it’s all out? Could it all happen again?”

Hayes, along with Carol and Arn Froese, of Dicor Party Supplies, won a $1.71 million judgment last week in Sedgwick County District Court against ONEOK and Mid-Continent Market Center, owners and operators of the Yaggy natural gas storage field.

The explosion and fire were fed by 143 million cubic feet of natural gas leaking from Yaggy’s S-1 storage cavern.

On Jan. 18, 2001, an explosion at the Big Chief Mobile Home Park killed John and Mary Ann Hahn.

The $1.71 million award — almost $1 million to the Hayes family and more than $750,000 to the Froeses — remains tied up in a legal struggle. Arn Froese and Alice Hayes said the amount of their awards could shrink to as little as $200,000.

Sedgwick County Judge James Fleetwood will rule later this winter whether the judgment should be used to compensate the insurers of the two businesses. He’ll also rule on several other financial issues, such as whether ONEOK should pay the attorney fees for the Froeses and Alice Hayes.

And Mid-Continent Market Center still faces the possibility of having to pay punitive damages.

Both families are satisfied with new downtown store locations, obtained in large part through those post-explosion insurance settlements.

But an early-trial statement by ONEOK attorney Lynn Hursh that Dicor “is better off” as a result of the explosion still angers Arn Froese.

“It’s a better location,” he admitted. “We’re pleased with the location, no doubt, and we told Lynn Hursh that in depositions. The problem is how we got there. We did not freely and voluntarily choose to move, and our expenses are higher. Money’s tighter.”

There were other losses — J.D. Hayes died from a brain aneurysm and Arn Froese became ill after the explosion.

Two trials are pending in Reno County District Court including a class action lawsuit against ONEOK by Reno County property owners.