Geary County has been chosen to receive $7,882 to supplement emergency food and shelter programs in the county.

The selection was made by a National Board that is chaired by the U. S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency and consists of representatives from American Red Cross; Catholic Charities, USA; National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA; The Jewish Federations of North America, The Salvation Army; and, United Way Worldwide. The National Board was charged to distribute funds appropriated by

Congress to help expand the capacity of food and shelter programs in high-need areas around the country.

A Local Board made up of a Geary County Commissioner, representatives from American Red Cross, Catholic Charities, Jewish Congregation of Manhattan, Salvation Army, United Way and others will determine how the funds awarded to Geary County are to be distributed among the emergency food and shelter programs run by local service agencies in the area. The Local Board is responsible for recommending agencies to receive these funds and any additional funds made available under this phase of the program.

Under the terms of the grant from the National Board, local agencies chosen to receive funds must: 1) be private voluntary non-profits or units of government, 2) be eligible to receive Federal funds, 3) have an accounting system, 4) practice nondiscrimination, 5) have demonstrated the capability to deliver emergency food and/or shelter programs, and 6) if they are a private voluntary organization, have a voluntary board. Qualifying agencies are urged to apply.

Geary County has distributed Emergency Food and Shelter funds previously with the Food Pantry, Junction City Caring Place and Open Door participating. These agencies were responsible for providing food and lodging.

Public or private voluntary agencies interested in applying for Emergency Food and Shelter Program funds must contact Nichole Mader, Local Board Chair at United Way, director@unitedwayjcgc.org , (785) 238-2117 for an application. The deadline for applications to be received is Friday, July 20th, 2018.

Nicole Mahder – Executive Director Junction City – Geary County United Way

Geary County Commissioner Ben Bennett is working to open up the discussion on a proposed new sports complex that could under his idea potentially utilize the athletic facilities that will be built with the new Junction City High School.

A sports complex could take a cooperative effort involving multiple entities including the school district, county and city plus other possible organizations.

During a visit on the JC Now show on 1420 KJCK AM, Bennett indicated he has discussed this topic with different members of the community. “We’ve got some people that have expressed an interest in being involved in that, including people from each of the activity groups that we’ve talked about, school district, city and the county commission, and then also looking at some of our organizational structures that have evolved over the years. The YMCA is an important part of that.”

Bennett noted the next step is to draw those people together to start talking, “And not 50 people in a room. Starting with one person from each of the organizations to voice their concerns, their opinions. “Bennett said he will speak from his podium as a county commissioner to try to bring people together.

He stated the needs and wants for the project would have to be documented, and there would have to be some structure for perhaps a corporation, or sports commission or quality of life commission. “Whatever we decide to name it, I think we’ve got to move forward with that.”

Bennett said he has thought for some time that something needs to be built, and stressed that he is not talking just about bricks and mortar but also concepts and ideas. “We need to be dedicated to bringing that about, and we’ve had a lot of things pull at us from different directions.”

No formal action has been taken on this issue, but the conversation is picking up.

Pawnee Mental Health Services is requesting increased funding for 2019 from Geary County.

A budget proposal submitted by Executive Director Robbin Cole asked the county commission to increase the support for community mental health to the state average contribution. “Currently in Geary County, Pawnee Mental Health receives funding of $3.98 per capita. The state average is $7.44 per capita. So I’ve asked them to reach that state average per capita contribution.” That would equate to a $128,213 increase. Geary County currently provides an annual funding contribution totaling $147,290 to Pawnee Mental Health Services.

Cole said an increase in funding could help by increasing the number of therapists that Pawnee Mental Health Services has working in Geary County. “By increasing then the amount of services that we were able to provide, by increasing the number of people that we could see and the amount of service that we provide to those individuals.”

The commission will take the budget request under review as they prepare the county’s spending plan for 2019. The budget request was received at the commission’s meeting on Monday at the Geary County Office Building.

Severe thunderstorm warnings were issued Monday evening for Geary, Riley, Dickinson, Morris and Pottawatomie counties plus other counties in northeast Kansas.

A storm cell moved on an easterly track through the region. A check with the Junction City police dispatch revealed no major damage problems and no reports of hail received by them.

The majority of the storm activity included a solid band of thunderstorms that swept from northwest to southeast. With the dry conditions the rain was needed, but there was a great deal of vivid lightning to be concerned about as the thunderstorms moved through the area.

The Junction City Brigade – Kansas City Knights baseball game was called after 8 and one-third innings at Rathert Field due to lightning. The Knights won the ballgame 15-9.

Due to heating, ventilation and air conditioning system issues in the Colmery O’Neil VA Medical Center Operating Room in Topeka, the CEO of VA Eastern Kansas Health Care System, Rudy Klopfer has determined that the operating room will be temporarily closed. While that occurs the operating room cases for the Veteran’s OR procedures will continue uninterrupted as they will be redirected and scheduled at other locations. To meet the needs of Veterans, operating room procedures will be provided at the system’s second hospital in Leavenworth. Other locations that may be used will include Irwin Army Community Hospital at Ft. Riley, as well as within community hospitals.

The reason for the decision is the safety of Veteran patients due to uncertainty of maintaining safe and consistent temperature and humidity during procedures due to the HVAC’s current condition. The existing equipment is beyond it’s useful and operational life and removal of high outdoor humidity is extremely difficult to control. While short-term temporary fixes were researched, they were determined to be not-cost effective and not in the best interest in the use of taxpayer money. Due to the safety concerns for Veterans, prohibitive cost, small number of surgeries performed the operating room will remain temporarily closed.

There is a planned project to replace air handling unit’s campus wide in Topeka. That project will replace the surgery air handling unit and allow for better control of the internal environment. The anticipated date for construction completion is the February – March 2019 time frame.

Surgery staff will be reassigned to support other critical patient care areas in Topeka and / or Leavenworth as surgeries are still being performed in Leavenworth. While the operating room in Topeka is temporarily closed, a full review of their surgical emphasis t include the type of surgeries or procedures to be performed at that location, in alignment with surgery complexity level and their Foundational Services will occur.

Heritage Park in downtown Junction City was the site for the annual Juneteenth celebration,

Festival goers braved the heat to attend the 23rd annual event, with turnout estimated about 700 people.

One of the coordinators, Bill Brooks, said he enjoyed being a part of the Junction City community and seeing people attend. “We’ve been around for 23 years in Junction City, volunteering and getting out. We’re just asking for the love of the community to understand that there are people in the community that care whether it’s cultural or Sundown Salute. All we’re asking for the community to do is come out and be heard. There’s people wanting to listen to you and put in part of programs that makes our community so great.”

There was music, food vendors and a reading of the Emancipation Proclamation by Abraham Lincoln impersonator Steve Burns of Russell, Kansas.

Burns said this was the third year he has visited Junction City for the Juneteenth celebration. On the Emancipation Proclamation, Burns speaking in the role of Abraham Lincoln, noted during the Civil War Lincoln wanted to do something about the issue of slavery. “We needed to do something about this, because even in our own Constitution it says all men are created equal.”

The Juneteenth celebration marks the time in 1865 when slaves in Galveston Texas first learned about the Emancipation Proclamation, which President Lincoln had issued in 1863.

 

 

Senator Jerry Moran continues to work to help attract the Army to place a new armored brigade combat team at Fort Riley.

On Friday he met with Lieutenant General Robert Abrams, U.S. Army Forces Command ( FORSCOM ) commanding general at Fort Riley. Moran said he’s concerned the analysis used by the Army to make those decisions need to be transparent.

The Senator stated, “We need to understand what the criteria are. And so we’ve been going through the analysis that the Army has completed about the potential of taking a brigade and placing it someplace in the United States, and what it would cost the Army. We wanted to make certain that the Army was taking into account all the features that Fort Riley offers, and to make certain that we understood the selection process. We want to make sure that it’s an objective decision, not a subjective one.”

Moran said Abrams is a significant component of the decision making process relating to training and the cost of training. He added Abrams agrees that one of the primary assets of Fort Riley is the available training space and lack of encroachment and environmental concerns.

Moran noted he asked Abrams to help officials get more information from the Army. “But two, please remain a vocal supporter of Fort Riley for a new brigade, either one that is being contemplated now, the ABCT Brigade, or additional forces that would be brought to a post sometime in the future.”

 

Major General Joseph Martin turned over command of the 1st Infantry Division to Major General John Kolasheski Friday morning at the Fort Riley Cavalry Parade Field.

During the ceremony accompanying the change of command Martin stated the 1st Inf. Div. has received a lot of accolades in recent years, and it’s because of what the Soldiers do every day. “We train hard to build readiness at Fort Riley, and there’s tank tracks and impact craters littering the training area at Fort Riley to prove it to anybody that wants to see it.

“Martin says building readiness is an idea that can only be fulfilled

 

when all members of the team are focused on the task. “Nothing that we do in the Big Red One is ever possible without the contribution of each and every Soldier in this division.”

Kolasheski said he was proud to once again be a Big Red One Soldier. “Brave, responsible and on point for the nation, serving in America’s 1st Division at one of it’s premier installations.” Kolasheski most recently served as

deputy chief of staff for the U.S. Army Forces Command at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He previously served with the 1st Inf. Div. as the division’s deputy commanding general for maneuver from June 2015 to May 2016, and in various positions with the division from July 2001 to May 2005.

 

Friday, United Way of Junction City/Geary County accepted a donation for $1,099.86 from JC’s BBQ & Grill.

On Saturday, May 26^th, JC’s BBQ & Grill held an invitation only event with a percentage of sales going to United Way of Junction City/Geary County.

( Photo — Raina Tomlinson, General Manager JC’s BBQ & Grill and Nichole Mader, Executive Director United Way of Junction City/Geary County. )

A steady stream of traffic flowed through the Geary Community Hospital north parking lot during the first Farmers Market of the season.

Nikki Davies, Marketing and Public Relations Director for GCH, credited with probably being the biggest opening day market in the five year history of the event. “We have a lot of new vendors, a lot of the same vendors from last year, a lot bigger setup and a lot more customers as well.”

The Extension Office shared information with those attending the market. Deb Andres, Extension Agent, reported there was information on an upcoming class at the WIC office in Junction City. “It starts June 20th and you call the WIC office to get registered for that. We’ve also been sharing information about making healthy choices.”

The next Farmers Market will be Thursday, June 14th, from 4-7 p.m.