The Geary County Rural Fire Department has been notified that the Fire Rating Classification for the rural area of the county protected by the Rural Fire Department will change effective August 1st. The result is that many rural residents will see a reduction in their homeowners insurance cost up to 15% to 20%.

According to Rural Fire Chief Garry Berges those residents who reside within five miles of the main county fire station at 236 East 8th street, Spring  Valley Fire Station at 1019 South Spring Valley Road and the Milford Township Station at 3500 Pleasant View Drive are the main homeowners who see the reduction in insurance costs. Each of those fire stations houses a structure fire pumper. Businesses in the same areas will also a reduction in their rates.

This past December a representative from the Insurance Services Office visited Geary County and reviewed all aspects of the fire department including the type of fire fighting equipment, firefighter training, 911 call and dispatch area and water supply to rural hydrants. Each item is awarded points, which when totaled give a community their ISO rating.

Geary County was last rated in the late 1990’s. Since then three structural fire pumpers were added to the fleet, the 911 Center was updated and necessary equipment was installed. Training of the firefighters and record keeping was implemented.

Information about the insurance reclassification will be given to the insurance companies by ISO.

Phyllis Fitzgerald needs two more interviews with a Junction City area veteran on their service with the 1st Infantry Division.

Fitzgerald has been working on a series of 100 veteran’s stories in conjunction with the 100th anniversary of the Big Red One. “There is not really a deadline on it. I’ll put it in a final product by the end of this month of May. I’m actually in the process of getting a complete pack of all the stories put together.”

Fitzgerald is hopeful those stories will be be presented to the 100 veterans by the June 22nd MAC breakfast. Of course, those veterans are invited to be in attendance. If you have a veteran to nominate you can contact Phyllis Fitzgerald at 307-1472.

It’s a bit of deja vu from October 2016 – approximately 4000 soldiers assigned to the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, are set to deploy to Europe this fall.

In October, it was 3500 soldiers from the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division to the Republic of Korea.

Nonetheless, the impact to the local region will be similar. A study conducted by the Matrix Design Group last fall determined that nearly half of the economy in the Flint Hills Region is tied to military spending.

In October, Military Affairs Council Director John Seitz said that he was confident that families of the deployed soldiers would stay in the local community.

“With these nine month deployments, school cycles and all, it forces families to make the decision about staying here,” said Seitz. “We have to to do exactly, what we’ve been doing all along – take care of them; make sure that [we] look out for them.”

Those same principles and ideas likely apply now as well.

Seven months ago, the concern was the impact to the economy…today, it may have an impact on voters for a new high school.

USD 475 Geary County Schools received an $11.8 Heavy Impact Aid payment from the Federal Government, one piece in a proposed plan to pursue a new high school project. While this is good news; could the potential fluctuation in the number of students in the District have an impact on voters who will be needed to pass a bond issue election to get state aid funding for the new high school?

USD 475 has proposed a new high school project at a new site with no increase to the mil levy – or no responsibility to the local taxpayer.

Troops have begun redeploying to Fort Riley, with approximately 800 from the 1st Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division returning in the last month.

Mayor Phyllis Fitzgerald has released the following statement regarding the news of the deployment: “Based upon my limited knowledge of the recent deployment announcement, I can say that we absolutely support the military’s mission and hope they all come home safely. And for the families that remain in the area, if they should require assistance we will do all we can to help.”

USD 475 has received an $11.8 million allotment of federal heavy impact aid money.

Superintendent Dr. Corbin Witt confirmed for JC Post the money that had been delayed due to lack of an approved federal budget has been received by the school district. “We were notified that they have released our heavy impact aid payment in an amount of $11.8 million. It is in the bank.

Witt was notified by the U.S. Department of Education about the decision to release the money to the school district. Witt noted officials met with federal officials at the recent National Association of Federally Impact Schools conference and talked to them about our situation, and wanted to make sure that they knew that it was something that was very important to our community to make sue that the money was there.” The funds are targeted for a proposed new Junction City High School.

The school district delayed a bond issue election for a proposed school project until the federal aid money arrived. The election would be try to obtain voter approval so state aid could also be received to help pay for a new school, but district officials wanted the federal money in the bank first. ”

The Board of Education will meet May 9th and will make a decision then when to have the election. Witt added thought it would probably be in the August primary, but the final decision is up to the school board.

The Officers of the First Division Dinner is a 98 year tradition; and for the first time, it’s being held in Fort Riley’s hometown – Junction City.

Retired Four Star General Carter Ham will be the featured speaker for the event on Saturday at the Courtyard by Marriott.

“This is the home of the Big Red One, and we wanted to have [the dinner] here this year instead of Virginia to really highlight that it is the Division’s 100th anniversary, and so we could also celebrate that with our soldiers and families here,” said Ham. “It’s special to those of us that have served at Fort Riley, and it’s special to those at Fort Riley that have not attended a dinner before.”

The dinner is for Commissioned Officers and Warrant Officers that served in combat with the First Infantry Division.

Ham said the dinner is reunion of sorts for comrades with a special connection. “It’s about the history, and it’s about paying tribute to those that have fallen as well as those that have served, and we all have that in common that we served the Division and we served our country.”

The dinner began after World War I and was held at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City for many years, before moving to the Nation’s Capital region (Arlington, VA).

Attendance at the annual dinner is expected to be near 400 guests, which would make it one of the largest gatherings in recent years.

In addition to the dinner, there are events planned throughout the weekend for the many attendees that include tours of Fort Riley and special dinners and events for those that served in different engagements throughout the Division and Army’s history.

The dinner is Saturday, April 29th.

PRESS RELEASE

The City of Junction City Fire Department will begin fire hydrant testing throughout the northeast section of the City beginning 1 May 2017 during the hours of 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Monday through Friday. The City hydrants will be tested to ensure they’re operable and able to produce the required water pressure when needed to supply water for firefighting purposes.

Because this testing must be done during normal operating hours, it is impossible to know in advance just where or when exactly the testing will take place in any specific area.

Opening hydrants can sometimes cause a temporary discoloration of water in nearby homes. The discoloration is not harmful in any way and can be cleared up by running the water for a few minutes.

This kind of testing not only ensures the protection of Junction City residents, it’s also an evaluation indicator used by the Insurance Services Organization which rates cities according to the fire protection they offer. The recent Insurance Services Organization rating resulted in the elevation of the City of Junction City to a Class 3 protection rating, by maintaining a system of checks and maintenance on the City’s fire protection assets, your department is working to lower the overall Insurance Services Organization’s current rating and with your assistance and patience we can do it.

The following streets will be the areas of the testing of hydrants for the City of Junction City North of 6th Street and East of Jackson St: 7th, 8th, 9th. 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th Streets, Jackson St., Wisconsin, Kansas, Adams St, Vermont, Rhode Island, Madison St, Utah, Buffalo Solider Drive, Franklin St, Texas, Buffalo Solider Parkway, Monroe St, Tennessee, River Front, Chicago St, Pennsylvania, Trackwall, Perry St, Oregon, Northside, Reynolds St, Oklahoma, Snell, East St, Ohio, Taft, Old Grant Ave., Nebraska, Madison, Grant Ave., Alabama, Raber, Prospect St.,Arizona, Pierce, Commonwealth, California, Patton, Fuller St, Colorado, Bradley,Whitetail St, Delaware, Home, Jackolope, Florida, Deerfield, Georgia, Framer, Indiana, Hoover, Missouri, River Bend Drive South, and Kentucky.