FORT RILEY, Kan. – The 1st Infantry Division and Fort Riley will officially
welcome Col. (promotable) Patrick D. Frank, the division’s deputy commanding
officer for support, during a Victory with Honors ceremony at 2:30 p.m. Oct.
30.

The ceremony, which will include the 1st Infantry Division Band, the
Commanding General’s Mounted Color Guard and the firing of ceremonial
cannons, will take place in Fort Riley’s Victory Park.

Frank assumed duties as the deputy commanding officer on Sept. 8. He
previously served as executive officer to the commander, ISAF/Resolute
Support; head of operations for the “Big Red One”; and commander of 1st
Battalion, 28th Infantry, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry
Division, which deployed as a part of the surge during Operation Iraqi
Freedom V.

Medical Arts Building I at Geary Community Hospital is about to go through a revitalization project that includes a number of aesthetic and functionality improvement projects.

The GCH Board of Trustees toured MAB I Tuesday afternoon and went through a number of areas that Howard Whittaker, Director of Facilities has outlined to receive some type of improvements.

“We want to revitalize the area to make it friendlier to the customer, friendlier to the staff, bring it up to the standards I believe our Hospital is needing and wanting. Different seating, different color schemes, different lighting, just everything to try to make it friendlier,” said Whittaker.

Some of the proposed projects include updated window coverings, therapeutic lighting levels, wood grain laminate flooring, restructured artwork array, family friendly waiting rooms and a welcoming atmosphere for patients and families.

The total cost of the project is still being figured, but the project will in part be funded by the Geary Community Healthcare Foundation using funds from the Fall Classic Golf Tournament in September and the upcoming Holiday Glitz on December 12th.

“The first floor of the buildings look wonderful, and I think it is time to do the second and third floors,” said Trustee Patty Maycroft. “From what we hear that they have in mind, it’s going to be a great addition and really look nice and tied into the rest of the hospital.”

The project is still in the early stages and remains under review. Whittaker expects to go out to bid for the projects starting next month and he hopes to present those quotes to the Board of Trustees in December. If everything goes well work could begin as soon as January.

 

The Salvation Army bell ringers will be out collecting money in their red kettles again this Christmas holiday season in Junction City.

Nicole Mader, Salvation Army,  said they will begin the Saturday before Thanksgiving at Dillons. “We will have volunteers out there, so volunteers are needed ringing the bells to bring in the holiday season. ” Mader added they will be looking for donations to help fund the holiday season for the Geary County community.

Hydiyah Dansby explained the Salvation Army works with people who are unable financially to handle their utilities, “some food services, medical assistance with medications at the pharmacy.” They help with financial every day living needs.

The kettles will be located at various locations in Junction City. Some of those include East Chestnut Street, the new Walmart Neighborhood Market, Waters Tru Value, and at service stations.

The Fall Harvest Festival is Friday night at Saint Xavier’s Bradley Gym.

It will run from 6-8 p.m.

There will be games, prizes, a haunted house, full concession stand. and a pumpkin carving contest. Kids can come in costume and bring a bag for goodies. Tickets can be used for both games and food.

Tickets are 50-cents apiece, or 10 for $5, 20 for $10, 50 for $25, or you can purchase 60 tickets for $25 through a pre-sale by Thursday. Tickets will be available for pick-up the night of the festival at the Harvest Festival entrance.

WASHINGTON – Senator Jerry Moran Office said Tuesday the United States Senate has delivered a victory for our nation’s veterans by unanimously passing the Wounded Warriors Federal Leave Act  Companion Senate legislation was introduced by U.S. Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Jon Tester (D-Mont.), which passed the Senate in July before advancing to the House. The legislation  now heads to the president’s desk for his signature.

 

The Wounded Warriors Federal Leave Act will make certain disabled veterans receive the health care they need by providing first-year federal workers who have service-related disabilities with additional leave time for medical care.

 

“I am pleased this critical legislation to improve the lives of our nation’s veterans is on its way to the president’s desk,” Sen. Moran said. “Service-disabled veterans have demonstrated tremendous bravery in their selfless service, and we have a duty to make their transition to civilian life as seamless as possible. This legislation will help make certain our nation’s heroes may pursue careers in federal service and support their families, while also addressing their medical treatment needs.”

 

First-year government workers currently accrue four hours of sick leave each pay period. This forces many veterans with disabilities to take unpaid leave for medical appointments because they have not built up the necessary leave time. The Wounded Warriors Federal Leave Act gives these veteran employees additional leave up front, freeing them from having to make the hard decision between receiving care and taking unpaid leave after they start their new job.

 

 

The Geary County Sheriff’s Department has reported that Deputies worked a non-injury accident in the eastbound lane of Interstate 70 about two miles west of Junction City early Tuesday morning.

Steven R. Belcher, Chapman, was driving his 2014 Jeep Wrangler eastbound when his vehicle collided with a 2003 Honda being driven by Sheila R. Miller, Abilene.

The accident was reported at 6:04 a.m.

—

The Sheriff’s Department reported that two non-injury accidents involving vehicles and deer occurred Monday evening in Geary County.

In the first one on K-177 Mary Leadabrand, Grandview Plaza, was southbound in a Pontiac Grand Am when she struck a deer. In the second accident Misty Volner, Junction City, was northbound on U.S. 77 in a Honda Odyssey when she struck a deer.

 

 

“Bronco Busting Showmen and their Spectacular Wild West Shows” will be the title of the program for the 43rd annual meeting of the Geary County Historical Society.  It is scheduled Nov. 9 at 6:30 p.m.

The program will be presented by Kansas Humanities speaker Jane Rhodes.

Wild West shows at the turn of the 20th century delighted audiences in the United States and abroad. A substantial number of skilled cowboys and shows originated in the Great Plains region. This presentation will highlight western entertainers including Will Rogers, Pawnee Bill, Tom Mix, and Lucille Mulhall, and shows such as Pawnee Bill’s Historical Wild West Indian Museum and Encampment, the 101 Ranch Real Wild West, and the Mulhall Congress of Rough Riders and Ropers.

A reoccurring thread throughout all those shows was Buffalo Bill Cody.

A pork loin dinner will be hosted by the Pilot Club. The cost of the meal is $15.

RSVP before Nov. 4 by contacting the museum via email or telephone at 785-238-1666.

 

 

SHERMAN COUNTY–With the help of a local landowner, Sherman County KDWPT Game Warden Mike Hopper recovered a golden eagle in a field near Goodland.

The bird was transported to the Milford Nature Center in Junction City and later to the K-State Veterinary Hospital in Manhattan.

While tests are still pending, it appears the bird may have collided with a power line and injured its wing.

If you are a farmer or rancher forced to sell your livestock because of the drought that affects much of the nation, special IRS tax relief may help you. The IRS has extended the time to replace livestock that their owners were forced to sell due to drought. If you’re eligible, this may help you defer tax on any gains you got from the forced sales. The relief applies to all or part of 48 states and Puerto Rico affected by the drought.

Here are several points you should know about this relief:

• Defer Tax on Drought Sales.  If the drought caused you to sell more livestock than usual, you may be able to defer tax on the extra gains from those sales.
• Replacement Period.  You generally must replace the livestock within a four-year period to postpone the tax. The IRS can extend that period if the drought continues.
• IRS Grants More Time.  The IRS has added one more year to the replacement period for eligible farmers and ranchers. The one-year extension of time generally applies to certain sales due to drought.
• Livestock Sales that Apply.  If you are eligible, your gains on sales of livestock that you held for draft, dairy or breeding purposes apply.
• Livestock Sales that Do Not Apply.  Sales of other livestock, such as those you raised for slaughter or held for sporting purposes and poultry, are not eligible.
• Areas Eligible for Relief.  The IRS relief applies to any farm in areas suffering exceptional, extreme or severe drought conditions during any weekly period between Sept. 1, 2014, and Aug. 31, 2015. The National Drought Mitigation Center has listed all or parts of 48 states and Puerto Rico that qualify for relief. Any county that borders a county on the NDMC’s list also qualifies.
• 2011 Drought Sales. This extension immediately impacts drought sales that occurred during 2011.
• Prior Drought Sales.  However, the IRS has granted previous extensions that affect some of these localities. This means that some drought sales before 2011 are also affected. The IRS will grant additional extensions if severe drought conditions persist.

Get more on this relief in Notice 2015-69 on IRS.gov. This includes a list of states and counties where the IRS relief applies. For more on these tax rules see Publication 225, Farmer’s Tax Guide on IRS.gov.

Each and every taxpayer has a set of fundamental rights they should be aware of when dealing with the IRS. These are your Taxpayer Bill of Rights. Explore your rights and our obligations to protect them on IRS.gov.

The Kansas Counties of Allen, Anderson, Barber, Barton, Bourbon, Brown, Butler, Chase, Chautauqua, Cherokee, Cheyenne, Clark, Clay, Cloud, Coffey, Comanche, Cowley, Crawford, Decatur, Dickinson, Douglas, Edwards, Elk, Ellis, Ellsworth, Finney, Ford, Franklin, Geary, Gove, Graham, Grant, Gray, Greeley, Greenwood, Hamilton, Harper, Harvey, Haskell, Hodgeman, Jackson, Jewell, Kearny, Kingman, Kiowa, Labette, Lane, Lincoln, Linn, Logan, Lyon, Marion, Marshall, McPherson, Meade, Mitchell, Montgomery, Morris, Morton, Nemaha, Neosho, Ness, Norton, Osage, Osborne, Ottawa, Pawnee, Phillips, Pottawatomie, Pratt, Rawlins, Reno, Republic, Rice, Riley, Rooks, Rush, Russell, Saline, Scott, Sedgwick, Seward, Shawnee, Sheridan, Sherman, Smith, Stafford, Stanton, Stevens, Sumner, Thomas, Trego, Wabaunsee, Wallace, Washington, Wichita, Wilson and Woodson are included as counties where IRS relief