Austin Morton
Regional Reporter
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Austin Morton is an Oklahoma native, so the trip to Kansas wasn’t a far one. He is now the Regional Reporter for KWCH, stationed out of Hays.
Austin is a recent college graduate, and during his time at Northwestern Oklahoma State University, he worked for his school's broadcast department, NWTV7. Here he helped revamp the program and its social media accounts, as well as anchoring for the weekly newscast.
On his days off, Austin enjoys playing video games with his fiance, taking his cat Trippy on walks, or watching the Chiefs on Sundays.
Going to school for Mass Communication, Austin enjoys engaging with communities and letting their stories be told.
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Some in Hays are voicing concerns about the new high school’s bathrooms, set to be private, non-gendered stalls.
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An investigation continues in the southwest Kansas town of Ulysses, where, last Friday, police detained a staff member at the school and recovered a firearm the teacher possessed.
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The small Barton County community of Pawnee Rock is working to preserve history with the sale of its century-and a-half-old opera house that’s in desperate need of repair.
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A new initiative partnering Kansas State University and Fort Hays State University aims to help grow small businesses across the state.
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The shore along Wilson Lake has become overgrown with an invasive plant species.
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An oil leak just west of a federally-protected area has government officials working quickly to stop the contamination from moving down stream.
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The addition of a seven-foot mustang statue puts school spirit on display at Salina Central High School.
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In honor of hers son, a Kansas woman is making a solo trip on horseback across three states to raise awareness for suicide prevention.
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Park guides at Fort Larned are bringing a new spotlight to the national historic site. They’ve launched a podcast in hopes of teaching more people about a piece of Kansas history.
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Attracting visitors to small towns can be difficult, but with the grant, Kansas Tourism is aiming to make that easier.
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The June fire left the district with few options to make sure students had a place to learn.
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For many rural communities, getting mental health services can be difficult.
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Some residents in Decatur County will vote on a bond issue next week not expected to exceed $29 million.
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Students at Park Elementary School in Great Bend will return to class next week despite significant storm damage to their school building.
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With many western Kansas communities struggling to get adequate internet service, the library in Plainville has support in its effort to keep its visitors connected.
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With dangerous heat continuing throughout Kansas, it’s making life difficult for cattle and challenging ranchers responsible for keeping them healthy.
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Some small Kansas towns are receiving some much-needed help bringing life back to local parks.
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Fraudulent checks are making the rounds in parts of southwest Kansas.
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Great Bend is addressing one of the town’s biggest issues with the construction of a new child care center.
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-The 50th Kansas Shrine Bowl kicks off Saturday in Hays.
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Student absenteeism is a serious problem for the Russell school district reported 26% of its students are chronically absent, meaning they’ve missed 16 or more days in a year.
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With keeping students safe in schools a top priority, the Hays Police Department participated in active-shooter training at Hays Middle School.
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Recent storms also dumped destructive hail that for some, erased the hope the rain brought.
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A group in Victoria is working to help its small town thrive by renovating a shuttered assisted living facility and community center that was a key part of the small Ellis County town for decades.
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A man who gave his life for his country nearly 80 years ago finally received a proper burial in a ceremony in Garden City.
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This Friday and Saturday, Taylor Swift will be at GEHA Field in Kansas City to perform both nights.
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Proceeds from the stands popped up throughout the community will benefit a local park expansion, allowing the play space to become more inclusive.
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Community members in the small Ellsworth County town of Wilson are a little more than a month out from taking a vote in an effort to save their school.
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Cheyenne Bottoms is seeing the return of wildlife and water
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After more than four decades in law enforcement the Larned Police Chief, Charles Orth, is calling it a career.
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Fort Hays State University welcomed Governor Laura Kelly to town Wednesday morning for a ceremonial signing of the strategic affiliation bill.
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The Rawlins County School District released photos on Friday showing damage caused by a fire inside the Junior Senior High School on Monday.
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This week marked the beginning of a summer meal program for Great Bend schools, allowing students in all grades to have free lunches throughout the week when they’re not in school.
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The 2023 high school track season didn’t end the way the Quinter Bulldogs wanted.
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Over the past few weeks, pats of northwest Kansas, including the Oakley area, have seen some much-needed rain, giving lawns and crops a chance to grow.
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AndBe Home, a nursing home in Norton, is expanding its services to include assisted living.
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For the third year, the northwest Kansas town of Lucas is being nominated in USA Today’s “Best Small Town Art Scene in America.”
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As the drought continues, the impact on cattle grows, especially in Western Kansas.
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The City of Lyons is using a state grant to launch a unique construction project toward its goal of drawing more visitors to its community.
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With help from surrounding communities, people of the small northwest Kansas town of Weskan spent Friday cleaning up after a destructive tornado tore through the area, leaving extensive damage in its wake, including to Weskan’s K-12 school.
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The replica that travels across the country every year, before this week, hadn’t been in Kansas since 2017.
A group from Wilson isn’t giving up in the fight to keep the town’s high school open.
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Larned, a small town in western Kansas, is planning some big renovations to its downtown after receiving a state grant worth $750,000.
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The town of Wilson is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the movie “Paper Moon.”
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In a few weeks, La Crosse High School senior Anniston Anderson will be getting her high school diploma and the equivalent of an associate’s degree. The opportunity comes from attending a special program, the Kansas Academy of Mathematics and Science (KAMS) Program, at Fort Hays State University.
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Parents in a Central Kansas school district are working to keep their children’s school open.
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It was a welcome, overdue sight in southwest Kansas: measurable rainfall.
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A bridge, over 100 years old, collapsed into a local creek in the city of Ellis on Sunday.
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The Northwest Kansas Down Syndrome Society hosted the annual “Tee It Up for Down Syndrome” fundraiser.
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The honor is a career achievement for Gloria Blackwell, but even after 48 years, she doesn’t plan to retire yet.
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