Looking back at 2022, there were many ups and downs in the greater Hutchinson area. Many readers shared the sorrow of the Jones family and mourned the loss of Trey Jones, a beloved teacher and coach at Nickerson High School.

Readers watched businesses grow, houses burn from wildfires and cattle die from heat.

Other near misses of the top ten were Dunkin’ coming to Hutchinson, new owners of the Hoke building and Amazon flying into Wichita.

Below are The Hutchinson News’ top 10, most read stories for 2022.

1. Kansas’ largest pizza manufacturer is expanding, bringing hundreds of jobs and boosting state economy, Feb. 6

One of Salina’s largest industries is expanding. Along with bringing more jobs to central Kansas, this expansion will have a ripple effect throughout the Sunflower State.

Schwan’s Company buys flour from Kansas mills, sausage from Tyson in Hutchinson and packaging supplies from a vendor in the Kansas City, Kansas area.

By increasing the company’s footprint in Salina, they are increasing goods that they already buy from vendors in Kansas. The pizzas coming out of the Salina plant, Tony’s and Red Baron, are ranked second in the U.S. frozen-pizza market and first for school pizza.

2. Several stories about the Jones family and their struggles, losses and victories were widely read

Kansas basketball star Ava Jones ‘doing better,’ remains in critical condition with parents, July 6

Three members of the Jones family of Nickerson remain hospitalized in critical condition after they were struck Tuesday night by an impaired driver in downtown Louisville.

Louisville Metro Police said the driver left the road and hit four pedestrians.

Nickerson basketball star Ava Jones and her family were in Louisville for an AAU basketball tournament. Jones committed Sunday to play college basketball at Iowa.