The ribbon cutting for the new Lt. General Richard Seitz VA Community Based Outpatient Clinic in Junction City has been scheduled for April 14th.

The new clinic is under construction on Southwind Drive adjacent to US Highway 77 on the south side of Junction City.

John Seitz, Military Affairs Council Director, notified JC Post of the ribbon cutting date. “Well I just got an email from the public affairs officer of the VA in this area, and he says that the ribbon cutting is now set for April 14 at 1:30 in the afternoon, and that Senator ( Jerry ) Moran will be here for that.”

The clinic will have more space than an existing VA community based outpatient clinic that is located at 715 Southwind Drive in Junction City.

Don’t drink and drive.

According to the CDC, motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death during the first three decades of Americans’ lives. Prevention of drunk and impaired driving can reduce those statistics.

JCPD Captain Keith Fitzgerald said that New Year’s Eve celebrations a time of the year when many who are not regular “party-goers” may indulge in festivities surrounding alcohol.

“I suggest that if you’re going to go and have a few drinks for the evening that you make sure you have yourself a designated driver; or, if you’re going to sponsor a party, that you make a arrangements so that the people attending the party that do drink aren’t going to drive or [not] have a safe way home,” said Fitzgerald.

Law enforcement may not necessarily increase the patrol presence over the weekend, but they will be on the lookout for impaired drivers.

“It can be very expensive if you get picked up for driving under the influence in the state of Kansas,” said Fitzgerald. “First you’re going to pay for the bonds and all that stuff just to get out of confinement, it could cost you your career, then you’re going to have to have an attorney when you go to court if you so desire to go that route, and whatever it costs to defend yourself through the Municipal Court or District Court.”

In addition to the financial loss of drunk driving, it can cost you your life or the life of others.

According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving  there were over 7000 DUI arrests in Kansas in the last year.

Be safe, plan ahead this New Year’s Eve – Don’t drink and drive.

The recent Flint Hills Economic Analysis contained a number of recommendations to promote regional growth.

The study, funded by a grant to the Flint Hills Regional Council, was conducted by Matrix Design Group to assess the impact of the loss of 2345 soldiers and their family members at Fort Riley.

Some of the recommendations include:

• Continue working at the local, state and federal levels to protect and expand the region’s defense economy by identifying opportunities for military mission and compatible industrial growth
• Develop an annual Congressional legislative plan including priorities and objectives, and a contact plan to implement the objectives
• Pursue community partnerships
• Conduct a regional skills gap analysis to identify how effectively the community is producing the talent necessary to meet the region’s future occupational demand
• Fully understanding and tracking the demographic’s skills sets and desires of military personnel separating from Fort Riley
• Increasing the career readiness training, job placement and retention of military personnel separating from Fort Riley throughout the region
• Developing a regional economic development fund to assist in funding regional studies, workforce development programs, business recruitment incentives, grant opportunities and other economic and community development programs
• Leverage the recently commissioned Joint Land Use Study to improve coordination and communication between the community and Fort Riley

The analysis was completed earlier this month by the Matrix Design Group firm.

Rain with gusty winds swept through Junction City Christmas Day, Sunday afternoon. According to police dispatch a Cox Cable line was downed and the 700 block of Spring Valley Road was blocked off temporarily, but is now back open.

There were three reports of debris in roadways in Geary County. Two of those sites were at 5th and jackson and mile marker 299 on I-70 east of Junction City. No injuries were reported.

Farther west the winds may have been more intense.  The National Weather Service estimated a wind gust at the Abilene Airport at 56 miles per hour at 2:10 p.m.

The National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm watch Sunday morning, and it was cancelled at 3:25 p.m. for Geary, Morris and Riley counties.

The second phase of the terminal expansion project at Manhattan Regional Airport is now substantially complete. Operations began Friday out of the new area.

According to Airport Director Jesse Romo, passengers using MHK over the holidays can expect a new baggage carousel, a larger hold room and revolving doors out of the secure room that do not allow re-entry. A new meet-and-greet area is available for those meeting travelers through MHK. The loading and unloading area in front of the terminal is also open.

“There’s still some finishing touches and rearranging that will happen within the terminal now that both phases are connected,” said Romo. “But our holiday travelers will be the first ones to see how it all ties together.”

The first phase of the project was completed in February 2015. The second phase brings the total footprint of the terminal to 42,000 square feet to accomodate projected growth through 2030. Federal Aviation Administration grants funded approximately 75% of the $18 million project.

The airport plans to host an open house in 2017 for the public to see the completed facility.

The two people arrested in Geary County in connection with a triple slaying and pawn shop burglaries in Mississippi could face extradition back to that state.

Jamison Townsend and Joshua Garcia were arrested following a chase in southeast Geary County early Wednesday morning. Both are charged in arrest warrants in Mississippi with three counts of capital murder.

Steve Opat, Geary County Attorney, confirmed if the proper paperwork arrives extradition of the suspects will be sought to send them back to Mississippi. He noted that will be the case if the authorities from Mississippi send up the proper documents. “We’ll charge them here with the offenses that they committed here. If they’re wanted for a triple homicide as is alleged then we’ll proceed accordingly and work out all the details with the demanding jurisdiction, which would be the state of Mississippi.”

Garcia and Townsend are incarcerated in the Geary County Detention Center.

Two people suspected in a pair of pawn shop burglaries and robberies in Mississippi, and in a triple homicide robbery of a pawn shop in Jackson, Mississippi have been apprehended in Geary County.

That information has been provided by Geary County Sheriff Tony Wolf, who reported the arrest of Jamison L. Townsend, 31, Blue Springs, Missouri and Joshua M. Garcia, 35, Biloxi, Mississippi.

Wolf stated about midnight deputies conducted a traffic stop on a Dodge Charger, for no registration displayed, at I-70 mile post 311 in Geary County. That location is about 13 miles east of Junction City. Just as contact was made with the driver, the vehicle sped away westbound on the interstate. A deputy gave chase, the vehicle exited I-70 at mile marker 306 at McDowell Creek Road and took Roeser Road which was a dead end.

The vehicle wrecked and was inoperable, and the driver took off on foot. A female passenger remained with the vehicle. She was later identified as Jamison L. Townsend, and the driver was Joshua M. Garcia. A short time later authorities learned Townsend and Garcia were suspects in the alleged burglaries and robberies in Mississippi.

Deputies set up a perimeter and searched the area, as well as farmsteads and outbuildings. At about 7 a.m. Wednesday while searching the area around McDowell Creek community center Garcia was found hiding in the back seat of a vehicle and was taken into custody.

No injuries have been reported as a result of the incident, but there was some property damage at the scene of the crash.

The suspects are being held at the Geary County Detention Center pending further investigation.

City officials continue to wrestle with the Kansas Department of Transportation over the used of barbed wire fencing in side the city limits.

Current projects by KDOT have used the barbed wire fencing that is prohibited in City limits, and there are plans to continue using the banned fencing.

City manager Allen Dinkel said that the City must follow the rules that it makes. “Basically, the city ordinances does not allow barbed wire in that application, and I think the ordinance should be followed…when the City passes an ordinance, we need to follow the ordinance and of course the commission can change an ordinance, but until we do -the ordinance is in place.”

The City could decide to review the ordinance and change it, but Dinkel said he would advise against that. “I think ultimately, you don’t want barbed wire throughout town…part of the problem I have along Highway 77 and the City commission does too, is that the barbed wire is near an apartment complex and near parks and it’s just something that we need to stay away from – there’s other methods of fencing.”

If City commissioners decided to review the ordinance and possibly change it the process would not be easy.

Metropolitan Planning Commission Director David Yearout said – no. “Stay with the prohibiton.”

“There are going to be times when exceptions are going to be necessary; we build it in for security purposes, like around the football field, or water towers…we get calls from people saying ‘I want to fence my yard’ and they want to know can they put barbed wire – no, not in town,” said Yearout.

City commissioners asked city staff to continue conversation with KDOT regarding the barbed wire and halting any future barbed wire fencing. No decisive action was taken on the existing barbed wire that has been put in place by KDOT; it will continue to be reviewed in future City Commission meetings.