TOPEKA – Gov. Sam Brownback today ordered flags in Kansas to be flown at half-staff from sun-up to sun-down through Saturday. Flags in Kansas may be ordered to half-staff again on the date of the funeral for Navy Petty Officer Randall Smith if that occurs after July 25. Smith has family ties to Kansas.

The governor also expressed his condolences to the families of the five military members killed during a July 16 attack on military recruiting stations.

“These five men served their nation as members of the U.S. Marine Corps and the U.S. Navy. Their loss through an act of cowardice by one individual serves in stark contrast to the bravery of Navy Petty Officer Randall Smith, Marine Gunnery Sgt. Thomas Sullivan, Marine Sgt. Carson Holmquist, Marine Staff Sgt. David Wyatt and Marine Skip Wells.

“On behalf of all Kansans, we express our deepest sympathies to their families and friends. We will continue to honor their courage, and the courage of all who serve to protect our nation. I urge all Kansans to take a moment to pray for those we have lost, their families and their friends.”

Manhattan, KS – After almost 55 years, the Aggieville Pizza Hut will be closing at the end of July along with the neighboring bar, The Goose. All of the other Pizza Huts in Manhattan and the surrounding areas remain open for busines – and all employees of the Aggieville location have been offered jobs at the other restaurants.

“This was the toughest decision I’ve had to make in my life,” remarked co-founder Bernie Butler,”but we finally had to acknowledge that the financial side of the business outweighed the history of the place. Over teh last couple of decades, the way people buy pizza has shifted dramatically towards delivery over dine-in. And the Aggieville location was never suited to accomodate higher volumes in delivery. Luckily, our other locations in Westloop and Tuttel Creek (behind Wal-Mart) have been designed to get pizzas out fast and fresh and that’s exactly what they will be doing.”

Opened in 1960, the Aggieville store was the 8th Pizza Hut in the franchise’s history – and the longest running store in it’s original location. There are now over 6,000 Pizza Huts worldwide. The Aggieville restaurant was the first foray into Manhattan by franchisees Dick Hassur and Jim Nellis, who enlisted a young Topekan, Bernie Butler, to run the operations. Butler later bought out his orginal partners and brought in his longtime operations manager, Rose Pritchard, as a partner. The Store (at 1121 Moro St.) has been a centerpiece of the ever-evolving Aggieville business district since it opened.

“If you had asked me in 1960, how long the Aggieville store would have lasted, I doubt I would’ve said almost 55 years,” Butler said. “No one here even knew what a pizza was! Imagine that! But I don’t think I would have guessed how big Pizza Hut – and Manhattan and Fort Riley and Kansas State – would get either. I’m very proud of the success we’ve achieved here in Manhattan – and I’m very grateful to all of the people who have helped us get there. I’m so lucky to have been surrounded by great people. But there are two groups of people that I will be eternally thankful to: the folks who worked tirelessly in the Aggieville store over the years – and to everyone who ever dropped by or called in to order a pizza. You can’t make it in any business for 55 years without loyal customers – and we have some of the best customers in the world. We look forward to continuing to serve them at our other stores.”

The Aggieville location will close on July 26th at 11:00 PM. To order your favorite pizza, pasta, and wings for delivery in Manhattan, you can still call (785) 539-7666 – or order from www.pizzahut.com or the mobile app. For carryout and dine-in, visit the Westloop [2931 Claflin Road – (785) 539-7447] and Tuttle Creek [1005 Hostetler Drive – (785) 776-4334] stores– or call them directly for delivery.

The Geary County Sheriff’s Department has reported that Deputies responded Monday afternoon to the 7200 block of Skiddy Road for a single vehicle injury accident. Ok Herdrich was traveling southbound when she ran off the roadway to avoid striking another vehicle. Herdrich complained of back pain, was evaluated by Junction City Fire / EMS on scene, and released.

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The Sheriff’s Department reported that Deputies responded to 110 River Street in Milford Monday afternoon for a two-vehicle accident. Gary Meadows, Miford, was backing out of his driveway in his 1995 Chevrolet Silverado when he backed into Douglas Kneisl, Milford, who was traveling north on River Street in his 2009 Pontiac G6. No injuries were reported as a result of the accident.

The Junction City Police Department has reported the arrest of three people Monday at 1214 South Washington Street, Express Inn and Suites.

They included:

–Rashad Timms, 39, Fort Riley, arrested on suspicion of Felony Possession of Marijuana and Felony Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

–Quintin Andrews, 24, Junction City arrested on suspicion of Misdemeanor Possession of Marijuana and Misdemeanor Possession of Drug Paraphernalia

–and Markese Bookhard, 26, Junction City on two District Court warrants alleging Probation Violation.

According to the National Weather Service of Topeka, highs will only reach the lower to mid 80s with lower relative humidity. During the day on Wednesday, shower and thunderstorm chances will increase through the day from south to north across the area. The best chance for showers and thunderstorms will occur Wednesday night along and south of interstate 70, as an upper level disturbance moves east across the state of Kansas. A warm front will move north of the area Thursday afternoon bringing warmer and more humid conditions by Thursday afternoon. Highs on Thursday will warm into the lower to mid 90s. The remainder of the week into early next week will continue to be warm and humid with highs in the mid to upper 90s. There may be chances for showers and thunderstorms during the night.

Today: Sunny. Highs in the lower 80s. Northeast winds up to 10 mph.

Tonight: Partly cloudy. Lows in the mid 60s. East winds up to 10 mph.

Wednesday: Partly sunny with a 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the lower 80s. Southeast winds 5 to 10 mph.

Wednesday Night: Mostly cloudy with showers and thunderstorms likely. Lows in the upper 60s. East winds 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation 60 percent.

Thursday: Mostly sunny with slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the lower 90s. Southeast winds 5 to 10 mph.

Thursday Night: Partly cloudy with slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Lows in the mid 70s.

Friday: Sunny. Highs in the upper 90s. Highest heat index readings 108 to 109 in the afternoon.

Friday Night: Partly cloudy with slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Lows in the mid 70s. Highest heat index readings around 108 in the evening.

Saturday: Mostly sunny with slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the mid 90s.

Saturday Night: Partly cloudy with a 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Lows in the lower 70s.

Sunday: Mostly sunny with slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the mid 90s.

Sunday Night: Partly cloudy with slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Lows in the lower 70s.

Monday: Mostly sunny. Highs in the mid 90s.

 

The Geary County Free Fair opened Monday with the activities including the 4-H Food Judging and the Pedal Pull for children.

Among the ribbons presented there were grand champion purple ribbons that went to Gracie Erichsen in Foods Nutrition for carrot cupcakes and to Taylor Curtright in the Decorated Cake category.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — President Barack Obama has signed a federal disaster declaration that will free up federal funds to help Kansas recover from recent spring storms.

The federal money will go toward repairing damage to infrastructure and services damaged by May and June storms that included tornadoes, straight-line winds and flooding. Obama signed the disaster declaration Monday.

Federal funding is available to the following counties: Atchison, Barton, Brown, Butler, Chase, Chautauqua, Cherokee, Cheyenne, Clay, Cloud, Coffey, Cowley, Doniphan, Edwards, Elk, Ellsworth, Franklin, Gray, Greenwood, Harper, Haskell, Hodgeman, Jackson, Jefferson, Jewell, Lyon, Marion, Marshall, McPherson, Meade, Miami, Morris, Nemaha, Neosho, Osage, Pottawatomie, Republic, Rice, Stevens, Sumner, Wabaunsee, and Washington.

Cloud County Community College has announced that it will begin offering a hybrid associate degree program in business this Fall 2015 semester at its Geary County campus in Junction City.

“Most working adults have many responsibilities placing demands on their time, which may limit their ability to be on campus for class, ” Associate Vice President for the Geary County campus Brenda Edleston said. “The hybrid course delivery mode is designed to address the needs of working adults wishing to complete an Associate’s degree in business, which is designed to transfer to four-year colleges and universities.

In this hybrid delivery mode, the degree can be completed in six semesters, with the students enrolling in twelve credit hours ( four classes ) for the fall and spring terms and six credit hours ( 2 classes ) in the summer terms.

The four fall and spring courses would meet alternately on the same night of the week equaling four face-to-face meetings for each of the four courses. In the intervening weeks, the students would work online engaged in lecture review through PowerPoint presentations and / or recorded lectures, class discussions, homework assignments, readings, quizzes, and exams.

The face-to-face sessions are designed to engage the students in active learning. Students will participate in case studies, group work, projects, simulations, working through content specific examples, and discussion of course content through a question and answer approach.  Lecture will be minimal or eliminated.

“One of the main selling points of this program is that it is designed for the working adult. They can give up one night a week during the fall and spring semesters and be a full-time student,” Edleston said. “Plus, there is a guaranteed completion pathway. We’ve mapped out the courses from beginning to end, to students can plan ahead and know what to expect.”

Course delivery during the summer terms will be the same as it currently operates with a student in class two days or nights a week for eight weeks or four days or nights a week for four weeks.

For more information about the degree, or to get enrolled in the Fall 2015 courses, contact Student Services at the Geary County campus at 1-800-729-5101 extension 714.

 

 

 

Lisa Eickholt, Geary County Director of Human Resources and Special Projects has announced her upcoing retirement from that Geary County Position. She will work independently with a human resources consulting firm. Eickholt anticipates her last day with Geary County will be Oct. 24.

In 1997, Eickholt was appointed to the newly created Human Resource Director position for the County. Since then she has been responsible for human resource functions as well as administrative projects for Geary County government operations including the development of GIS services, reorganization of the joint planning and zoning position with the City of Junction City, an innovative purchase card system and other projects.

Eickholt said, “It has been an honor to serve as the first Human Resource Director for Geary County and to represent the employees of the County and the taxpayers for the past 18 years. I have only held two positions in my professional career since graduating from Kansas State University. First as a 4-H Extension Agent for Geary County where I was the first Extension Agent in the state to be fully funded by a county, and then as the first HR Director for Geary County govenmental operations. Each of these have been innovative positions that I have loved and considered to be my “Dream job” so I stayed with each of them for a long period of time; nine years as an Extension Agent and 18 years as HR Director.”

Eickholt stated she is now moving on to another “dream job” as a consultant specializing in  Human resources challenges in county and city G\governments.  “The trust the Geary County Commissioners, department heads, elected officials and employees have placed in me over the past 18 years has been amazing and appreciated.”

Eickholt will be affiliated with McGrath Human Resources Group, Wonder Lake, Illinois as a human resource consultant. McGrath Group specializes in classificastion and compensation consulting with public sector cities and counties. McGrath has clients  in more than 20 states including many in the midwest and plains states. Eickholt will remain based in Geary County and working from a home office.

Eickholt will assist the Geary County Commission with a recruitment plan to fill the appointment in the coming weeks.

Geary Community Hospital has been selected as an additional site location for Bountiful Baskets, a national food co-op. Bountiful Baskets is a grass-root, all volunteer organization, which brings high quality food to program participants at very low costs.

“We are pleased to provide a location for Bountil Baskets,” stated Joe Stratton, Geary Community Hospital Chief Executive Officer. “It is a great program which encourages healthy lifestyles and that is one of our initiatives.”

Monetary contributions are made by participants through the Bountiful Basket website toward a pool of money used to purchase products including fresh fruits and vegetables. The produce baskets come from a high quality warehouse that supplies many local restaurants and grocery stores.

The site at GCH will be used as a drop off point for the food products on a bi-weekly bais. There is currently a site in Junction City at the Veteran of Foreign Wars hall located off South Washington Street that operates on the opposite weeks of the site at Geary Community Hospital.

For more information visit www.bountifulbaskets.org.