The final day on the job for Pat Small at Geary Community Hospital was Thursday. It was the end of approximately 40 years of employment for Small at GCH in the Radiology and Imaging Department, most recently as Director of the department.

Small told JCPost.com. “It’s a bittersweet moment. I’m excited to see what’s going to be in store for the next chapter of my life, and yet I’m kind of sad. It’s been 40 years with a lot of people that I’ve really gotten to enjoy and love.  I don’t know, I’m going to miss them.”

Small said when she began there were only two rooms in the department and two techs. ” From then to now I have 17-18 employees and of course we have so many different modalities. We’ve got CT, ultrasound, vascular ultrasound, just many more things to do.”

A retirement reception was held for Small at the hospital Thursday afternoon.

She will be succeeded in the department director’s job by Kyle Ibarra. “Pat’s been a great mentor, given great advice, always kind of told me just to keep a level head and think everything through.” He has been employed in the Radiology and Imaging Department for 12 years.

Former Junction City Kyle Ediger and his family have endured Hurricane Harvey but escaped any injury or major damage to their home in League City, which is in the Houston area.

Kyle told JC Post they were extremely lucky. “None of our immediate neighborhood was flooded in. I think everybody was able to keep the water away. ” But just a few blocks it was a different story. “Clear Creek flooded the whole neighborhood and parks. Everybody had damage just a few houses down.

Kyle stated it was a stressful few days with the rain in the forecast. “Especially the first night when we got almost 20 inches of rain in six hours. Every time that it would start to rain, just cringe. But once the sun peeked through the clouds Tuesday night and the anxiety went way…it was such a beautiful sight.

Cleanup is expected to take months. “Right now I’m currently helping a family friend who does not have any flood insurance. We’ve got to completely gut out a 35-hundred square foot house, and try to get all furniture, appliances, floors, carpeting and walls torn down before the mold starts coming.” As for his family Kyle didn’t feel his three young children completely understood the storm. “They were cooped up in the house and they got a little stir crazy but they thought it was really cool seeing all the water, and seeing all the rain. My wife and I kind of cringed because the rain meant bad things for us.”

The end result is that the family made it through the hurricane. “Overall our family is good. We’re happy the sun is out, and right now just happy that we weren’t affected so we can help our friends and family here get back on their feet.”

Emily Fawcett of Junction City will provide animal rescue services to victims of Hurricane Harvey in Texas

The owner of the Pampered Pet business and an animal rescue operation, Fawcett is traveling to Katy, Texas to provide assistance. “As soon as I get there I am getting to a staging area for animal rescuers. I will be administering first aid to a bunch of dogs and cats.”

Fawcett is taking along her boat, kayaks and medical supplies, “medical supplies and donations.” She confirmed she expects to be going into flood areas to provide help.

Fawcett stated a person can help in so many ways. “I’m just a person who can get in a vehicle and go do this. I have no fear of getting in the water, I have no fear of getting hurt, I have no fear of the dogs that might bite me. But then you have these wonderful beautiful people who I’m overwhelmed by that are making donations., whether you can donate a couple of dollars, donate a bag of clothes, or a bag of dog food or anything like that. I feel like we’re all here on this earth to ease other people’s suffering and just to give a little bit of love. I just feel that in my heart.”

In 2011 Fawcett deployed to help the victims of the Joplin, Missouri tornado.

The Flint Hills Area Transportation Agency, ATA Bus, has received an award of excellence from the Federal Transit Administration Region VII for the highest percentage increase in ridership.

The ATA Bus Board President Florence Whitebread said there was a 40% increase in ridership during the past year. “This increase was an increase of 9,223 riders, and it was among all rural transit providers in Kansas. This was all due to the big ridership increase that we’ve had in Geary County.

Whitebread was part of the initial discussions to bring the ATA Bus service to Geary County. She didn’t expect it to grow this fast. “I thought it would grow but I didn’t think it would grow this fast, and we have grown tremendously fast. I think in the first seven days that school has started I forget how many riders, but the increase in ridership in kids using it for school is tremendous.”

ATA Bus has both fixed route and on-call by appointment bus ride service. In addition to Geary County they also provide service in Riley and Pottawatomie Counties.

The outgoing CEO for the Junction City Area Chamber of Commerce, Dennis Beson, who had submitted his resignation effective today, received a surprise Wednesday morning.

A going away reception was thrown by Chamber staff and members.

Beson didn’t know this was planned. “Totally surprised. Absolutely wasn’t expecting it, certainly didn’t have to do it and I just feel blessed people cared enough to come out and say goodbye like this.”

Beson said he was pretty speechless. “I didn’t want to say too much because this town has really become part of me and it’s really bittersweet to leave. It will always be a part of my heart and great people of this community. I just hope that after I’m gone people think about me in a fond way and know that I put my heart and soul into trying to make a difference.”

Beson has served as Chamber CEO since August of 2015.

EDC Director Mickey Fornaro-Dean will become the Interim CEO for the Chamber.

Businesses ranging from realtors and banks to a mobile internet gaming company were represented at the Business Expo in Heritage Park Tuesday evening. Overall, there were 82 vendors in the second annual event organized by the Junction City Area Chamber of Commerce.

Chamber CEO Dennis Beson pointed to the community benefit of the Expo. “This is what community’s all about. Shopping local, doing business with the people that invest right here in the community.”

One of the participants was a fairly new local business, the mobile internet gaming company, owned by Pamela and Montrell Donnerson. It is called Donnerson Mobile Gaming. Montrell said they do events ranging from birthday parties to fundraisers. “We have x-box, playstation, wi, upto six tv’s, up to 24 people can come to play.” The Donnerson’s just brought the business to the Junction City area after being located before in Colorado Springs.

Donnerson added they have surround sound for each television, heating and gaming on the inside of their 32-foot trailer.

 

 

LaDonna Junghans State Farm Agency and Charles Martinez, Geary County Health Dept Community Health Planner greeted families as they arrived at the Junction City Freshman Academy .

State Farm and Safe Kids Kansas partnered to raise awareness of seat belt safety in a campaign called “Bucks for Buckles”.  One dollar was given to each family for having seat belts securely fastened.  If not, educational materials were handed out.

Safe Kids Kansas, State Farm and the Kansas Department of Transportation wanted to encourage families to buckle up and drive safely to protect their most valuable asset, their families.

 

 

 

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The Junction City Fire Department has joined in the efforts to assist those affected by flooding in recent days in Kansas and Texas by teaming up with the Salvation Army to assist in providing relief to the victims of recent events.

Monetary donations can be made online at https://www.salvationarmyusa.org/

The Junction City Fire Department will be accepting donations of new unused items at Fire Station Two at 2245 Lacey Drive.

The following items have been requested:

Nonperishable food ( canned preferred )

Disposable plates, cups, forks, spoons and knives

Personal hygiene products from baby to adult, toiletries, sanitary napkins, razors and shaving creme, ball caps and chapstick

Home cleaning supplies

Diapers and infant formula

Blankets and pillows

Mops, brooms and buckets

Sunscreen

Work gloves and latex gloves

Socks

Wash clothes and towels

Safety glasses

Pet food and leashes