The Geary County Veterans Alliance Memorial Day program begins at 10 a.m. Monday at the C.L. Hoover Opera House.
Major ( Ret. ) Charles S. Wright will serve as the keynote speaker. He served in the U.S. Army with posts ranging from a stint with the 3rd U.S. Infantry in Washington D.C. on the Presidential Escort Platoon to the 1/17th Cavalry of the 82nd Airborne Division.
He is currently oversees the Junction City High School junior ROTC program.
For 40 years, the Smoky Hill River Festival has been bringing arts and humanities to the masses in an innovative, unique way.
This year’s event boasts an ever greater experience than last year; held in the Oakdale Park in Salina, KS the festival is a creative expression sponsored by Salina Arts and Humanities.
Admission to the festival is obtained with the purchase of a button for $10. The buttons are available in 20 cities across the state, but in our immediate area they can be purchased at any Dillons location in Junction City and Manhattan through Monday, June 6th at midnight. After this date, they must be purchased at the festival for $15.
Once a button is purchased, it is valid for the entire weekend- one button gives you admission every day.
Children 11 and under are free.
It’s no coincidence that the Salina Arts and Humanities serves as an advocacy and support for the River Festival.
“The visual arts is a big part of the River Festival 
– one that attracts art patrons regionally, from across the country, and includes featuring more than 130 exhibiting artists each year,” said Kay Quinn, Marketing Coordinator for Smoky Hill River Festival.
Quinn says that the two art shows offered: The Fine Arts Show, and Four Rivers Craft show – offer a wide range of media from painting, to photography, to things that are affordable and lovely to have in your home or office.
In addition to the art, Quinn says that another part of the River Festival that people love is the live music and entertainment. There are “four live stages that play music on the hour from 10 o’clock in the morning until 9 or 10 at night.”
Music ranges from bluegrass, acoustic, zydeco, strings, country and so much more. Each day of the festival there will be a headlining act. On Friday, festival goers can look forward to some country music from Reckless Kelly; on Saturday the modern pop/rock group Rocket Boys will headline and Sunday afternoon enjoy musical selections from SUNU.
A major selling feature to the festival is the vareity of activities that accomodate all ages.
“The Artyopolis children’s area is an area full of arts, crafts, and games for children of all ages,” says Office Administrator for the Smoky Hill River Festival, Amanda Morris.
Morris says the children’s area includes a “game street” where kids can play games ranging from 25 to 50 cents per play to help raise money for local charities.
There will be free face painting provided by Big Brothers, and Big Sisters of Salina.
And just as the adults can enjoy live entertainment there is an “Arty” stage for children with family friendly entertainment such as music and balloon artists.
Festival t-shirts, tanks and gift certificates can be purchased at the Salina Arts and Humanities office located at 211 West Iron Ave in Salina.
The Smoky Hill River Festival will feature additional art shows as well as food vendors and more than 20 professionally contracted acts.
The Smoky Hill River Festival is June 9th through 12th at the Oakdale Park in Salina. 
The National Weather Service in Topeka has issued the following Flood Warnings/Watches:
A Flood Warning remains in effect until 9:15 am TODAY for the counties of Wabaunsee, Morris, Geary, Lyon, and eastern Pottawatomie.
There is a Flood Warning for Wildcat Creek at Manhattan Scenic Drive.
Flood Warning for Chapman Creek in Dickinson County, and Salt Creek near Ada in Ottawa county.
A Flash Flood Watch is in effect for the following counties: Dickinson, Geary, Lyon, Morris, Wabaunsee, Clay, and Ottawa.
Officials are asking residents to avoid the area near the 5700 block of Zeandale Road near Sandy Lane Road in Manhattan due to flood waters.
The tornado that tore through Dickinson County Wednesday evening may have been in predominantly rural areas, but the damage was certainly felt.
Jane Blocher, Executive Director of the Capital Area American Red Cross, says that relief efforts are still ongoing for the areas affected by Wednesday evening’s tornado.
“We have received a lot of inquiries about what services we are providing; today, our primary focus is in Ottawa and Dickinson counties and we have volunteers there on the ground that are feeding, sheltering, and completing disaster assesment on the homes that have been destroyed or damaged,” says Blocher.
Red Cross volunteers are headquarted at the Community Center in Abilene.
“The best way that you can help those people that have been impacted b![red-cross[1]](https://www.jcpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/red-cross1-300x225.jpg)
y this and any other type of disaster is a financial contribution to the American Red Cross.”
To make a donation you can go to redcross.org or by simply texting 90999 you can make a $10.00 contribution.
The Capital Area American Red Cross chapter covers the counties of Geary, Riley, Dickinson, Lyon, Pottawatomie, and Ottawa countie just to name a few.
**This interview was prior to the tornado in Wamego and Pottawatomie county.**
UPDATE: The National Weather Service in Topeka has issued a Flash Flood Warning for Northern Wabaunsee County, Southern Riley County, and Pottawatomie County until 7:15 pm.
A Tornado Watch remains in effect until 10:00 pm. This includes the counties of Geary, Dickinson, Morris, Lyon, Wabaunsee, and Clay counties.
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At 3:34 PM The National Weather Service in Topeka issued a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for Central Wabaunsee County and Southeastern Geary County until 4:00pm.
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Severe Thunderstorm Warning for Southern Wabaunsee County, Morris County, and Lyon county until 4:00 pm.
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The National Weather Service in Topeka has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for Northwestern Wabaunsee County, North Central Morris County, Geary County, and Southeastern Riley County until 3:30 pm.
At 3:03 pm a Severe Thunderstorm was located 6 miles north of Dwight moving northeast at 50 mph. At 3:00 pm Geary County Emergency Management reported 60 mph winds and nickel sized hail six miles south of Junction City.
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The National Weather Service has issued a Flash Flood Warning for Western Morris County, Geary County, Southeastern Clay County, Southwestern Riley County, and Central Dickinson County until 5:45 pm.
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East Central Pottawatomie County remains under a Tornado Warning until 3:00 pm.
At 2:49 pm the National Weather Service confirmed a tornado located near the Pottawatomie County Landfill at 2:46 pm moving northeast at 20 mph.
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The National Weather Service in Topeka has said that a Tornado Warning remains in effect until 3:00 pm for East Central Pottawatomie County.
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The National Weather Service has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for West Central Nemaha County in Northeastern Kansas, Eastern Marshall County in Northeastern Kansas and Northwestern Pottawatomie County in Northeastern Kansas until 3:30 pm.
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The National Weather Service in Topeka has issued a Tornado Warning for Southeastern Pottawatomie County until 3:00 pm
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The National Weather Service in Topeka has issued a severe thunderstorm warning for Western Geary County, Southeastern Clay county, Southwestern Riley, and Central Dickinson Counties until 3:00 pm.
There is a potential for 60 mph gusts and half dollar sized hail.
A Tornado Watch remains in effect until 10:00 pm. This includes the counties of Geary, Dickinson, Morris, Lyon, Wabaunsee, and Clay counties.
Relief efforts are underway after a sizable tornado tore through Dickinson County.
Geary County Emergency Management Director Gary Berges says that although many may want to help, it’s best not to dump off items like clothing and furniture because it may be difficult to find places to store these items as the amount donated grows. Instead, he suggests that those interested in making donations contact the local American Red Cross.
The American Red Cross currently has a shelter set up at the Community Center at 1020 NW 8th Street in Abilene.
Dennis McMurray, a representative from the Red Cross, says that at this point in time they are still doing disaster assesments so the full needs of the Dickinson County community are not yet known.
One thing they do need is food. Food donations are welcome at the Community Center in Abilene. Victims of the tornado and volunteers are receiving mobile feeding from the emergency response vehicles in the areas affected including Chapman and Abilene.
To volunteer or donate food, contact the Community Center at 785-263-7266.
The American Legion in Chapman is offering assistance to all of the volunteers in the area today. From 12:30 pm and continuing all afternoon they will be supplying food and water to volunteers. If you are in need, and unable to make it out to the American Legion they will bring food and drink to you.
The American Legion in Chapman is located at 222 1/2 S Marshall St and their contact number is 785-922-6443.
An image of the tornado that touched down in earlier this evening. This image was taken by @TrooperTodKHP in Dickinson County North of I-70 at Niles Road. 
by: DeAngela McDougald
UPDATE: At 10:12 pm the National Weather Service in Topeka issued a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for Southeastern Geary County until 11:00 pm.
At 10:11 pm the National Weather Service located a Severe Thunderstorm 8 miles of Grandview Plaza moving east at 15 mph.
There is a potential for ping pong ball sized hail and damaging winds with gusts up to 60 mph.
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At 9:27 pm the National Weather Service in Topeka has issued a Tornado Warning for southwestern Wabaunsee county and Northeastern Morris County until 10:00 pm.
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At 9:24 pm the National Weather Service issued a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for Southwestern Wabaunsee County, Northeastern Morris County, and Southwestern Geary County until 10:00 pm.
Impacted locations include: White City, Alta Vista, Dwight, Parkerville, and Volland.
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At 9:07 the National Weather Service issued a Flood Warning for Chapman Creek in Chapman affecting Dickinson County.
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At 9:02 the National Weather Service indicated a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for North Central Morris and Southern Geary County until 9:30 pm.
At 9:02 pm a severe thunderstorm was located 6 miles south of Grandview Plaza moving east at 20 mph. Two inch hail is possible as well as 60 mph wind gusts.
At 8:56 pm the National Weather Service alerted that the Tornado Watch that was previously set to expire at 9:00 pm has been extended to 11:00 pm.
This includes the following counties: Dickinson, Geary, Lyon, Wabaunsee, Morris, Clay, Cloud, Ottawa, Pottawatomie, and Riley.
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The National Weather Service in Topeka has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for North Central Morris County and Geary County until 9:30 pm.
At 8:46 pm severe thunderstorm was located near Junction City moving east at 20 mph. There is a potential for two inch hail and 60 mph wind gusts.
This includes interstate 70 between mile markers 290 and 313.
The National Weather Service in Topeka has cancelled the Tornado Warning for Dickinson County as of 8:44 pm.
The tornadic thunderstorm which prompted the warning has moved out of the warned area.
A tornado watch remains in effect until 9:00 pm. for east central Kansas, which includes our area.
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The National Weather Service has issued a Tornado Warning for Southwestern Geary County and Northeastern Dickinson County until 9:00 pm.
There is a large tornado one mile east of Chapman moving east at 15mph.
The tornado will be near Junction City around 9:00 p.m., this includes interstate 70 between mile markers 286 and 299.
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The National Weather Service in Topeka, KS has issued a Tornado Emergency for the city of Chapman.
A Tornado Warning is in effect until 8:30 p.m. for Northeastern Dickinson County.
At 8:17 p.m. a confirmed large and destructive tornado was located just west of Chapman moving east at 15 mph.
Again, Chapman is under a Tornado Emergency. This is a dangerous situation. Please take shelter now.
by: DeAngela McDougald
The North Central-Flint Hills Area Agency on Aging (NC-FH AAA) announced today that more at-risk seniors in it’s 18 county region will be forced to wait for in-home services, and larger numbers will likely enter nursing homes or assisted living facilities because of a $2.1 million cut made in the state’s Senior Care Act program.
The Senior Care Act provides essential in-home serviecs for people 60 and over who are considered at-risk for entering nursing facilities. Seniors on the program pay toward the cost of their services.
Currently, 270 Kansans over the age of 60 in the NC-FH AAA region receive SCA services and another 55 are waiting for
those services.
This is the problem that at-risk seniors now face: On Thursday, May 19th Governor Sam Brownback’s administration announced a 30 percent cut to the $7,047,848 statewide Senior Care Act budget.
“The Senior Care Act means that hundreds of senior Kansans are able to stay away from the doorways of hospitals and nursing homes, and remain healthy and in their homes – the places they want to be,” said Julie Govert Walter, NC-FH AAA Executive Director.
Walter said that the Senior Care Act is “sunshine to at-risk seniors and caregivers who need some help at home to get by.” Walter goes on to state, “I’d like to know why people in Topeka’s Statehouse decided to bankrupt grandmas and grandpas and make them wards of the state instead of changing our state’s tax policy back so Senior Care Act can keep helping older Kansans living in their homes.”
The Senior Care Act monthly cost statewide is about four percent of the cost of care in a Medicaid nursing facility. The average cost is about $200 a month, which makes taxpayers happy because it costs less [than paying for a nursing facility or hospitals]. Taxpayers will pay $4000 a month for their care in a nursing facility through Medicaid/KanCare.