The Junction City Brigade used a five-run seventh inning to defeat the Kansas City Knights on opening night for the summer collegiate baseball team at Rathert Field 8-5.

Junction City got three hits in that seventh inning including a double down the left field line by Carson Zenter as the Brigade broke open a 2-2 tie. The Knights rallied in the top of the ninth to close to win three, but left two men on bases as the game came to an end. The teams rematch at 7 p.m. Saturday in Kansas.

Coach Derek Francis said the game started with a great atmosphere with the fans, “first pitches and stuff. I think there was a little of bit of nerves with our team. It started out as a 2-2 game and then we kind of turned on there for a little bit and then got out to do some good things.”

The Brigade won the Mid Plains League championship last summer, but only four players return from that team.

Francis said he like the fact that the Brigade got after it on the base paths. “I think we probably had seven or eight stolen bases.” He also praised starting Riley Taylor of Oklahoma State for his work on the mound, and the relief pitching by Thane McDaniel, the KU signee from Junction City. His brother, Trae McDaniel also hit a big double and drew two walks in the win.

The contest was the first one on the new playing surface that features an artificial turf infield and sod outfield.  The game drew a strong fan turnout.

The night wrapped up with a big fireworks show by Bennett Fireworks of Junction City.

By Dewey Terrill

JC Post

Biplanes will be visible in the sky over Junction City this weekend.

The National Biplane Fly-In is set for this weekend in Junction City. It is being billed as the grand finale for the event. Although organizers plan to conduct future fly-in’s this will be the last one focusing on biplanes.

Many of the pilots will arrive on Friday but the main public viewing day is Saturday at the airport, Freeman Field.

There will be a Chris Cakes pancake feed from 7 – 10 a.m., aircraft judging from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and the public can view the plans and visit with the pilots at the airport. Admission is $5 per carload. There will be vendors including food service provided by the Geary County Historical Society and biplane train rides for children.

Baseball season is here. That means the Junction City Brigade summer collegiate team will begin playing at Rathert Field Friday night when they host the Kansas City Knights in a 7 p.m. ballgame.

The team has been practicing at Rathert Field the past two days, and there was a public meet and greet for the squad Thursday evening at the ballpark.  Royals Hall of Famer and former pitcher Dennis Leonard was in attendance. In addition to visiting with fans while signing baseballs and posing for pictures, he also got a look at the new playing surface at Rathert Field. “I think it’s pretty awesome.” He also added, “To have a field like this that these college kids come here and play on I think is pretty awesome. The town itself, they support them really well andI hope the kids appreciate what they get.”

Leonard noticed the Mid Plains League championship trophy won by the Brigade last season. “I see this trophy, it seems like they do pretty good here winning championships.”

You can hear the Brigade game against the Knights on 107.9 FM and 1420 KJCK AM.

By Dewey Terrill

JC Post

Geary Community Hospital officials laid off 22 members of the hospital workforce on Thursday.

That information was confirmed by Hospital CEO Joe Stratton, who noted GCH has struggled financially for approximately two-and-a-half to three years. “This last winter and spring we went through an operational assessment with a company called Community Hospital Corporation. ”

Stratton said there was a lot of study within that assessment. “And then we also had to face the fact with their findings and recommendations some of what we already knew, that we were overstaffed if you will in comparison to our volumes. When you look at the payroll we were paying versus the volume and productivity we had to face the reality unfortunately, and humbly, that we just can’t continue like we have in the past.”

Stratton noted that there’s no question the employees are the heart and soul of the hospitaL and the clinics, but in the healthcare business it’s also the largest expense. GCH is trying to bring back into alignment labor expenses with volume and revenue going forward. He confirmed the employee layoffs are effective now, as of Thursday.

Stratton stated the hospital will start to work on other components of the operation at Geary Community going forward.

Following the layoffs there are approximately 320 employees remaining on the staff. The positions eliminated were across the board in many departments, both clinical and non-clinical, said Stratton. ” We had very few registered nurses and LPN’s out of the reduction in force that were affected, but after that it was really  system-wide. It wasn’t concentrated in any one or two departments, particularly.”

Stratton confirmed that officials believe the hospital can continue provide the same quality care and medical services that currently exist. He does not expect any more layoffs, and said it’s not in their plan or thinking. The 22 workers laid off total 7% of the hospital workforce.

Financial pressures on the hospital have ranged from dwindling insurance reimbursements and uncollectible debt from uninsured patients to high deductible insurance plans, the buildup of local military medical services and the lack of medicaid expansion in Kansas.

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Geary Community Hospital officials announced employee layoffs on Thursday.