Areas of dense fog with visibilities around or less than 1/4 mile will continue through mid-morning for locations generally along and north of I-70. Showers along with some scattered thunderstorms will develop across the outlook area late morning through this evening but severe weather is not expected. Another system will move through later on Thursday, but with falling temperatures areas of light rain may mix with snow early Friday morning before the precipitation exits the area.

Today: Mostly cloudy. Areas of dense fog early in the morning. A 50 percent chance of showers in the late morning and afternoon. Visibility one quarter mile or less at times early in the morning. Highs around 57. North winds up to 5 mph becoming northeast 15 to 20 mph with gusts to around 30 mph in the afternoon.

Tonight: Mostly cloudy with a 50 percent chance of showers in the evening…then partly cloudy after midnight. Lows around 29. North winds 5 to 15 mph. Gusts up to 25 mph in the evening.

Thursday: Mostly sunny. A 20 percent chance of showers in the afternoon. Highs around 52. North winds 5 to 10 mph.

Thursday Night: Mostly cloudy. Chance of rain in the evening… Then chance of rain and light snow after midnight. Lows in the upper 20s. Northeast winds up to 5 mph. Chance of precipitation 30 percent.

Friday: Partly sunny. Highs in the lower 50s. Northwest winds around 5 mph.

Friday Night: Mostly cloudy with slight chance of rain in the evening…then partly cloudy with slight chance of rain and light snow after midnight. Lows in the lower 30s. Chance of precipitation 20 percent.

Saturday And Saturday Night: Mostly clear. Highs around 60. Lows in the lower 40s.

Sunday Through Monday Night: Partly cloudy. Highs in the upper 60s. Lows in the lower 40s.

Tuesday: Partly sunny. Highs around 70.

 

Geary USD 475 leaders are in the very preliminary stages of studying what to do in terms of future improvements at Junction City High School….renovate or build new are among the possibilities.

But Board of Education members learned Tuesday from bond counsel that if a school block grant funding plan becomes law it could mean less state aid for projects of that sort….51 percent of the funding would come from state aid instead of 66 percent under the existing school finance formula.

Board of Education member Brian Field noted the high school has some infrastructure issues. “And we’re going to have to address that. So hopefully,this is one of the steps that we can take as far as some research as to what we may have to do as far as issuing a bond. Obviously that’s not something we want to have to do.”

The superintendent of schools, Dr. Corbin Witt noted under the proposed block grant formula in order to get the same amount of money USD 475 would have to levy more mills, which is considered undesirable.

Architects working on a six-year capital outlay plan for the school district have been asked to address the areas where the current capital outlay funds do not exist to address to fix and make desired improvements.

“The architects have been working with the high school. Mostly that is the big area that has been focused on. ” Witt also added some other areas have been reviewed such as safe rooms for elementary schools. “But most of it’s been working with the high school, saying what would it look like, what would we like to have as a needs assessment if you were going to offer programs at the level you’d like to.”

Witt said the architects will return with a preliminary cost estimate, and staff will then see if the Board wants to move forward on it.

Witt also noted that the entire process would be lengthy, many community meetings to gather input, including as many people as possible in the decisions. “It’s a long process, and we would need to go through quite a bit of work before we’re ever ready to actually approve moving forward with a bond.”

The block grant funding proposal has cleared the legislature, and has been forwarded to the governor. One of the undetermined factors is weather a Shawnee County District Court handling a school finance lawsuit in Kansas could issue a stay on the block grant funding plan.

 

 

Geary USD 475 officials are looking at refinancing $9.4 million dollars in outstanding bonds at a 2.41% rate for eight years. If approved by the Board of Education in May the move could save the school district nearly one million dollars over the life of the bonds.

The $9.4 million constitute a portion of the bonds issued in 2005 to finance construction of Junction City Middle School and Spring Valley Elementary School.

The proposal was reviewed for the school board Tuesday in Junction City.

Stormont-Vail and Geary Community Hospital Affiliate

 

Stormont-Vail HealthCare of Topeka and Geary Community Hospital of Junction City have announced an affiliation arrangement between the entities. Their respective Boards of Trustees each approved the agreement during their regular March board meetings.

 

“This is not a buyout, a merger, or a management agreement with Stormont,” said Geary Community Hospital CEO Joe Stratton. Each organization maintains their independence, management and structure. “We are talking about a committed strategic collaboration that will focus on improving our quality of care, decreasing our costs, and ultimately enhancing positive patient experiences at both GCH and Stormont-Vail.”

 

Healthcare systems throughout the country have faced increased financial and quality pressures in recent years. “While we may not know exactly what the future holds for healthcare, we do know this – we must change the way we deliver care. We must improve quality and decrease costs” stated Randy Peterson, Stormont-Vail HealthCare President & CEO. “We must provide a more patient-centered experience than ever before. Creating collaborative relationships with like-minded partners like Geary Community Hospital is a step in the right direction for Stormont-Vail.”

 

As affiliates, the organizations will join forces to purchase supplies at a lower cost. They will also collaborate on such things as better integration of clinic services and the sharing of best practices in non-clinical activities. “We look forward to working together to share knowledge and expertise and to develop and strengthen healthcare in our region” said Peterson.

 

XXX

 

 

Harold Marion

Director of Marketing and Public Relations

Geary Community Hospital

Junction City, KS  66441

hmarion@gchks.org

785-210-3308

 

 

Progressive Healthcare

Hometown Compassion

 

IMPORTANT: This communication contains information which may be confidential and privileged and is solely for the use of the intended recipient.  If it appears that this communication was addressed or sent to you in error, you may not use, copy, disclose, or distribute this communication or any information contained therein.  If you have received this in error, please notify the sender immediately by reply email or by telephone.

 

 

The Geary Community Hospital Trustees voted unanimously Tuesday to approve an affiliation between the hospital and Stormont-Vail Healthcare in Topeka.

Gary Drake, Geary Community Hospital Board of Trustees Chair,  was asked what he liked about the arrangement. “I like the fact that we have a relationship with a hospital that we look to for innovation and solutions to problems, and yet it will be done in a way that they do not make the decision for us.” Drake added it will still be Geary Community’s decision, and GCH can send patients anywhere they choose. “Our doctors will have resources available to them, our administration will have resources available to them. It just I think opens a door to the future for Geary Community Hospital.”

Benefits that could be provided by the affiliation that were cited by Geary Community CEO Dr. Joseph Stratton, included sharing of knowledge and expertise, the ability to participate in group buying including supplies at a lower unit cost, more clinical integration between physicians, and educational benefits.

Stratton reported that the trustees for Stormont-Vail also approved the affiliation on Tuesday.

Stratton has made it clear this is an affiliation to collaborate. It is not a merger. GCH is not being acquired by Stormont Vail, and it is not a management operation where Stormont-Vail would manage the operation and finances of Geary Community Hospital.

JC Post has been notified by Junction City Commission candidate Scott Johnson that he is withdrawing as a candidate for city commission.

In an email to JC Post, Johnson stated he just doesn’t have the time to campaign or be on the commission.

Rebecca Bossemeyer, Geary County Clerk, confirmed even though he has announced his withdrawl, Johnson’s name will remain on the April 7 election ballot. “The filing deadline is both the date you have to file and the date that you could ask for your name to be removed.” Bossemeyer added Johnson’s name is still on the ballot and she does not have the authority to remove it.

“Should he be successful in winning a seat on the commission, if he didn’t want to take it, he could withdraw after being elected.”

Johnson served four years on the Junction City Commission, but did not run for re-election in 2013. He had filed to run for a new term this past January.

Other candidates in the race for city commission include Heinrich Biggs, Pat Landes, David Alexander, Tyler Dupy, George Marcus, Phyllis Fitzgerald, and James Sands. Three seats are up for election.

The author of “Eisenhower: The Public Relations President,” will speak at the Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum and Boyhood Home in Abilene on March 31st.

Dr. Pam Parry will discuss her book in the Visitors Center auditorium starting at 7 p.m., the free program is open to the public.

According to Parry President Eisenhower embraced public relations as a necessary component of American democracy, advancing the profession at a key moment in its history. But Eisenhower did more than believe in public relations–he practiced it.

Parry is Associate Professor of Communication at Eastern Kentucky University, Richmond, Ky. She earned her Ph.D. in Communication with an emphasis in Media History and in Public Relations in 2013 from the University of Southern Mississippi.

Copies of the book will be available for purchase in the Presidential Gift Shop, and a book signing will follow Parry’s presentation.

 

The need to acquire a sign for the Senior Center on South Spring Valley Road was brought to the

attention of the Geary County Commission on Monday.

Commissioner Florence Whitebread said the governing body met with Susan Davis on the subject. “They were requesting a more clarified sign out there. Some people see that it says Geary County Fairgrounds, and they don’t know that it is also the senior center.”

Whitebread noted the matter was returned to the Senior Citizens Center so it can be taken to the Building Committee where it would need to be considered before being submitted to the County Commission.

Update:

Public Works notified JC Post at 2:18 p.m. that water service had been restored on Parkside Drive.

——

Junction City Public Works reported at 8:30 a.m. that water has been shut off on Parkside Drive for water main repairs. Water should be restored in four to six hours.

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Department of Veterans Affairs says it is relaxing a rule that makes it hard for some veterans in rural areas to prove they live at least 40 miles from a VA health site.

The change comes in response to pressure from Congress and veterans groups, who say the VA’s current policy has prevented thousands of veterans from taking advantage of a new law intended to allow veterans in remote areas to gain access to federally paid medical care from local doctors.

The VA said it will now measure the 40-mile trip by driving miles, rather than as the crow flies, as currently interpreted. The rule change is expected to roughly double the number of eligible veterans.

The VA says few veterans have seen private doctors under the new law.