Konza Prairie Community Health and Dental Center partnered with USD 475 in 2018 to open the current school-based clinic housed in Junction City High School.

Students have been able to receive care for minor illnesses, injuries, infections, earaches, and sore throats since last August. Konza has now announced that they have a provider on site to offer a wider variety of services including sports physicals, wellness exams and general health assessments. The clinic will now collect labs, provide immunizations and continue to provide health education for USD 475 students and staff. The provider will be on-site Tuesday mornings and Fridays.

Konza CEO Lee Wolf said a school-based health center involves about all the services that are provided at Konza’s facility on Grant Avenue. “Except it is a full clinic in the school. In the current school we will have a nurse practitioner and a nurse, we’ve hired some behavioral health providers recently and we’ll also rotate them in the high school. ” There is also a dental outreach program.

Students have the option of scheduling an appointment in the school clinic before school, during their lunch break or after school and if time permits, they can be seen during those times. If a student is feeling ill or has an acute complaint during the school day, they may go to the school nurse who will then write them a pass to the Konza school clinic if a parent permission slip is on file.

School-based health centers improve health equity by increasing access to care. A comprehensive school-based health center gives students access to medical, dental and behavioral health care in a safe and convenient environment. Health care can be accessed within schools, parents do not have to take off work and students don’t have to travel to find care and miss school.

Live Well Geary County officials have announced that Geary USD 475 has received a Pathways to a Healthy Kansas Implementation Grant totaling $11,440 to go toward purchasing kits to convert at least one water cooler in each school in the district, and St. Xavier School to a water bottle filling station. The funds come from Live Well Geary County, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas “Pathways to a Healthy Kansas” community grant.

The equipment will enable students to have access to filtered drinking water throughout the school day. Filtered water bottle filling stations will give students the healthy drinking option they need. Luan Sparks, Executive Director of Student Support Services, said “a new policy in the 2019-2020 student handbook will allow students to have clear / translucent water bottles in the classroom where appropriate.”

Water bottle stations will help reduce the amount of waste from plastic water bottles. Swapping out soda for water is an easy way for young kids to form healthy habits and reduce their intake of unnecessary sugar. Safe, clean and accessible water gives students greater incentive to hydrate more often, contributing to greater energy and productivity.

Geary County is one of 16 Kansas communities selected to participate in the Pathways to a Healthy Kansas program. Live Well Geary County has received a $100,000 coordination grant. Geary County schools, work sites, restaurants, food retail outlets and other organizations have the opportunity to apply for non-competitive implementarionand achievements grants amounting to $400,000 through 2020.

Schools are able to apply for up to $60,000 in grant funds available through the Schools Pathway to enact policies and procedures to attain the Modeling level of the Kansas State Department’s Wellness Policy Guidelines in the areas of Physical Activity, Nutrition and Nutrition Promotion and Education.

Items ranging from jewelry to clothing and concessions were for sale during the Blue and Gold Market in the Bradley Gym at Saint Xavier High School on Saturday. Organizers reported a steady of stream of traffic as members of the public participated.

Saint Xavier School Principal Shawn Augustine said the event is all about support and help from the school and the parish. “Sheri Beck as well as Nicole Berry, who is actually downstairs working at our concession stand, this event could not take place without tons and tons of work from both of these ladies and what they’ve done to support our schools.

Beck, a volunteer with the School PTO, said there was a great turnout. “It’s been a wonderful day, lots of great items from our Catholic school items to lots of crafts, lots of woodworking, candles, the bounce house for the kids has been a huge hit. At one point Shawn Augustine even participated in the bounce house with some of the high school aged students.

Beck said the event helps the school in many ways including from the $1 admission paid by those who attended. “A lot of the vendors are donating a percentage of what they made to us. ” Concessions and the game of plinko were also revenue producers. Beck said, ” It benefits the whole school. the PTO and our activities committee.

Augustine noted that this event is a win-win for the St. Xavier School.  This was the fifth year for the Blue and Gold Market.

By Dewey Terrill

JC Post

The Peterson Brothers Farm Live performance at the C. L. Hoover Opera House helped raise funds for the new Dorothy Bramlage Public Library.

They showed multiple farm parody videos that they produced on their farm near Assaria, Kansas. Their videos supporting agriculture have captured the attention of many in this nation and in other countries. Their first video, “I’m Farming and I grow it” received more than five million views in just weeks.

In addition to the appearance by the Peterson Brothers the event was an event to explain the “Reimagining Your Public Library”project and the need to develop a library facility that is consistent with the size and needs of the Junction City – Fort Riley – Geary County community, and that will offer the flexibility of use as those needs change.

Library Director Susan Moyer said the new library would be built on the north end of the current lot at located at 230 West Seventh Street, “and continue to operate where we are so there’s minimal interruption of service. And then when the new library is open we move once into the new building, and we take down the old building and lay our parking lot in front of it.”

Fundraising for the project has already begun with private donations. Moyer stated, “We did a few private events last year. And those are actually going to turn into public events this year. We did one called “Whiskey, Wine and Library Time.” That’s going to be our Friends of the Library annual meeting and public event here on April 28th. ‘ A 5K run is also being planned. Donations and grants have also been received. Organizers hope to complete the project within five years.

Current plans do include a two-story facility but the upper level represents the future growth of the library. As funds are available to finish the space, the intent is to make at least some of it available for rent to other community organizations until it is needed by the library. The cost of a project covering the bottom level with no upper floor would be in the approximate $8 million to $9 million dollars. A total finished two-story facility would push the cost into the $13 million range.

The turnout for the Peterson Farm Brothers Live concert was solid. The seating in the Opera House was filled to approximately three-quarters capacity.  Tickets for the event were sold at the Dorothy Bramlage Public Library and Munson’s Prime with Susan Moyer, Deanna Munson and Lisa Eickholt serving as keynote speakers to help explain the project to the audience.

All donations to the project will be tax deductible and deposited to the Dorothy Bramlage Public Library Foundation, a 501(c)3 organization that is also affiliated with the Greater Geary Community Foundation.