WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) – member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies – today applauded the President’s signing of the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018 (Farm Bill) that included legislation Sen. Moran championed, the Facilitating Accessible Resources for Mental Health and Encouraging Rural Solutions For Immediate Response to Stressful Times (FARMERS FIRST) Act, to provide our nation’s agricultural community with critical mental health support and resources.

“Farmers and ranchers are facing a net farm income that has been cut in half over the last five years, continued low commodity prices, uncertain market access and unfavorable weather,” said Sen. Moran. “The inclusion of this legislation in the Farm Bill will provide the ag community with necessary mental health programs, such as a crisis help line and suicide prevention training for farm advocates during these tumultuous times for our producers. I will continue working with my colleagues to make certain this legislation is implemented in a way that will best serve our farmers and ranchers who need help during trying times.”

To assist this community in crisis, provisions included in the Farm Bill will provide seed funding through the U.S. Department of Agriculture to state departments of agriculture, state extension services, Indian tribes and non-profits to establish helplines, provide suicide prevention training for farm advocates, create support groups and reestablish the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network. In addition to these resources, the language will establish a Farm and Ranch Stress Assessment Committee to better understand how agricultural workers’ mental health impacts rural development and provide recommendations for addressing mental health care needs within the agriculture community.

Additional co-sponsors of the original legislation include U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.), Joni Ernst (R-Neb.), Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) and Cory Gardner (R-Colo.).

The FARMERS FIRST Act was introduced in April and is supported by a wide array of commodity groups, advocacy organizations and agricultural associations. Clickhere to read the full list of support.

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The Junction City Area Chamber of Commerce is seeking nominations for Volunteer of the Year, Seitz Family Military Community Award and the Eldon L. Hoyle Economic Development Award.

The awards will be presented at the Chamber’s annual dinner in March.

Nominations are due by February 7th.

Shortly after noon on Friday Geary County Public Works will close the old county landfill site. The announcement was made by Rural Fire Chief Garry Berges, who noted that’s where people have been able to take their trees and brush to. “they’re going to go ahead and light that on fire, and get it burned up.

Berges estimated there has been a collection of trees and brush for about six months. “With the holidays they need about four to five days for it to burn completely down so they can start the new pile. So today was the day they decided to do it.”

The landfill will be closed until Wednesday. There is expected to be a lot of smoke coming from the site on the south side of the interstate on the southeast side of Junction City while the fire is burning.

There will be no trash / garbage pick-up by the City of Junction City on Tuesday due to the Christmas holiday.

According to the Junction City Public Works Department, the trash / garbage pick-up will done on the next work day. For example the normal Tuesday pick-up will be done on Wednesday.

In order to ensure pick-up your trash should be set out by 6 a.m. Wednesday morning. Carts should be removed from the curb or alley by the following day of their scheduled pick-up.

Additional items that are set out may require making arrangements for a special pick-up.

Customers with questions should call the City of Junction City, Public Works Department at 785-238-7142.