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Tricare Changes to Impact Military Retirees

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Military retirees will have four weeks to make a decision on their TRICARE health plan for 2019.

According to a release from Irwin Army Community Hospital the opportunity to make changes runs Nov. 12 – Dec. 10. Coverage begins on Jan. 1, 2019.

For the first time retirees will experience Open Season — a period when retirees can change their health plan or switch from individual to family coverage.

Benefits counselors from Irwin Army Community Hospital are hosting a series of community briefings on TRICARE changes and Open Season. Military retirees and their family members are invited to attend for an opportunity to ask questions. The briefings will be Nov. 3 at 10 a.m. at the Manhattan Public Library, Nov. 10 at noon at the Abilene Public Library, Nov. 17 at 10 a.m. at the Dorothy Bramlage Public Library in Junction City, and Nov. 17 at noon at the Wakefield Community Center.

Outside of the Open Season, retirees will only be able to make changes within 90 days after a Qualifying Life Event such as getting married or divorced, having a baby or adopting, or children becoming adults.

The TRICARE Retiree Dental Program is ending Dec. 31. To continue dental coverage, retirees must enroll in one of 10 dental plans. Each plan’s details and premium rates are available at TRICARE.benefeds.com. Retirees will not be automatically enrolled into a dental plan. They must enroll during the Open Season.

Vision coverage will become available to military retirees and their family members who are enrolled in a TRICARE health plan. Beneficiaries will have four vision plans to choose from. Coverage is effective Jan. 1019, if they enroll during the Open Season. Retirees and their family members will not be automatically enrolled into a vision plan. Visit the TRICARE.benefeds.com site for details and premium rates of each plan.

Whether during TRICARE Open Season or following a Qualifying Life Event, retirees have three ways to make an enrollment choice. You can do so online at www.tricare-west.com, by telephone at 1-877-888-3337 or in person when you visit a benefits counselor at Irwin Army Community Hospital at Fort Riley.

Kansas woman dies after SUV rolls on I-70

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GEARY COUNTY — One person died in an accident just after 7p.m. Friday in Geary County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2000 Ford Explorer driven by Heather A. Hurley, 30, Salina, was eastbound on Interstate 70 one mile east of Grandview Plaza.

The driver lost control of the SUV overcorrected and overturned.

A 2017 Peterbilt semi driven by Bryan G. Hedrick, 40, Eudora, was behind the SUV and struck debris from the accident.

Hurley was pronounced dead at the scene and transported to Penwell Gable Funeral Home.

Hedrick was not injured. Hurley was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

Milford Lake Outflow Increased

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The Corps of Engineers has increased the outflow from Milford Lake to 1,000 cubic feet per second. A higher increase is planned for Monday.

The current lake elevation is 1154.03, which is 9.63 feet above normal and should be the crest. The current inflow is 781 cubic feet per second.

The Corps has been having to hold water in the reservoir to prevent downstream flooding, but has now been able to begin releasing more water.

Dickinson County Authorities Arrest Two on Drug Related Allegations

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In September Dickinson County Sheriff’s Department Drug Enforcement Unit opened an investigation into the distribution of controlled substances at 301 Opal Road, Lot 19 in Abilene.

According to the Sheriff’s Department as a result of the investigation, authorities conducted a search warrant at 301 Opal Road, Lot 19 on Thursday and arrested Keenen Henderson, 21, Abilene and Brianna Lake, 22, Abilene.

Henderson was arrested on suspicion of Aggravated Child Endangerment, two counts of Possession with the Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance, three counts of Possession of a Controlled Substance, Felony Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, misdemeanor Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and No Drug Tax Stamp.

Lake was arrested on suspicion of Aggravated Child Endangerment, misdemeanor Possession of Marijuana and misdemeanor Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

Ladies Reading Club Continues a Holiday Tradition

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The Junction City Ladies Reading Club is selling their signature pecan halves.  They are ideal for gifts and holiday baking and usually sell out quickly.  The price per bag is $13.

Interested buyers can contact Paula Dinkel at 620-791-8782 or ewm_mom@hotmail.com to make the necessary arrangements.  The proceeds from the pecan sales are used for the maintenance and upkeep of the group’s historic clubhouse located at 3rd and Jefferson Streets.

The Ladies Reading Club has been in continuous operation since 1875 and is the oldest affiliate of the General Federation of Women’s Clubs in Kansas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Susan Moyer, Director

Dorothy Bramlage Public Library

230 West Seventh Street

Junction City, KS  66441

785-238-4311

785-238-7873 (fax)

susanm@jclib.org

 

 

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Cold Weather Rule to take effect November 1

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The Cold Weather Rule is designed to help Kansans who are behind on their utility payments avoid disconnection during the winter months. It will begin on November 1 and remain in effect through March 31.

“The Kansas Corporation Commission encourages Kansans who are past-due on their utility bills and at risk for disconnection to prepare now for the colder weather by contacting their utility company to make the necessary payment arrangements, said Commission Chair Shari Feist Albrecht.

The Cold Weather Rule was first enacted by the Commission in 1983 to prevent utility companies from disconnecting a customer’s natural gas or electric service during periods of extreme cold. Utility companies are prohibited from disconnecting a customer’s service when temperatures to forecast to be at or below 35 degrees over the next 24 hours.

Utility companies are also required to offer a 12-month payment plan to allow consumers to maintain or re-establish utility service. Any residential customer with a past due balance will qualify for payment arrangements under the Rule. However it is the customer’s responsibility to contact the gas or electric company to make those arrangements.

Halloween Horrors: Distracted and Drunk Drivers Pose Dangers for Trick-or-Treaters

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TOPEKA, Kan. – Oct. 26, 2018 – A good scare is in good fun on Halloween, but not when it comes to child pedestrian safety. According to Safe Kids Worldwide, children are more than twice as likely to be hit by a car and killed on Halloween than any other day of the year.
Creative costumes, trick-or-treating and bags full of goodies become top Halloween priorities, but safety often becomes an afterthought. Excited trick-or-treaters often forget about safety, so drivers, party-goers and parents must be even more alert, as the risk of kids being injured by moving vehicles increases greatly.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that Halloween is consistently one of the top three days of the year for pedestrian injuries and fatalities.
“With an increased risk of pedestrian crashes on Halloween night, AAA Kansas urges parents to take the time to make trick-or-treaters and their costumes safer and more visible to motorists,” said Jennifer Haugh, spokeswoman for AAA Kansas.  “In addition, motorists must eliminate distractions, slow down and watch for children, as well as have a completely sober designated driver if drinking is part of a Halloween celebration.”
Halloween is also a statistically dangerous night for drunk driving. Although Halloween falls on a Wednesday this year, many parties will be held the weekend before. Drivers must also take into consideration that some neighborhoods have scheduled trick-or-treating for that weekend as well. The combination of drinking and increased pedestrian traffic on Halloween has been a deadly combination.
Tragically, Halloween drunk-driving fatalities are on the rise. From 2012-16 there were 168 drunk driving fatalities nationwide on Halloween night. During that period 44 percent of all people killed in motor vehicle crashes on Halloween night were in crashes involving a drunk driver, according to NHTSA statistics. Children out trick-or-treating and those accompanying them are also at risk, as 14 percent of pedestrian fatalities on Halloween night involved drunk drivers. Younger people are most at risk: The 21- to 34-year-old age group accounted for the most fatalities (46 percent) in drunk-driving crashes on Halloween night in 2016.
AAA Halloween Safety Tips
Motorists
  • Do not use your phone while behind the wheel, so you can focus on the road and trick-or-treaters.
  • Slow down in residential neighborhoods and obey all traffic signs and signals. Drive at least 5 mph below the posted speed limit to give yourself extra time to react to children who may dart into the street.
  • Look for children crossing the street. They may not be paying attention to traffic and may cross the street mid-block or between parked cars.
  • Carefully enter and exit driveways and alleys, taking extra care if you are backing up or turning.
  • Turn your headlights on to make yourself more visible – even in the daylight.
  • Broaden your scanning by looking for children left and right into yards and on front porches.
Parents
  • Make sure Halloween costumes are flame-retardant and light in color to improve visibility.
  • Be bright at night – have trick-or-treaters use glow sticks or wear retro-reflective tape on costumes and on treat buckets.
  • Ensure that disguises don’t obstruct vision, and avoid facemasks. Instead, use nontoxic face paint. Also, watch the length of billowy costumes to help avoid tripping.
  • Ensure any props are flexible and blunt-tipped to avoid injury from tripping or horseplay.
  • Ask an adult or older child to supervise children under age 12.
  • Instruct children to travel only in familiar areas and along established routes.
  • Teach children to stop only at well-lit houses and to never to enter a stranger’s home or garage.
  • Review trick-or-treating safety precautions, including pedestrian and traffic safety rules.
Trick-or-Treaters
  • Stay on sidewalks and avoid walking in streets if possible.
  • If there are no sidewalks, walk on the left side of the road, facing traffic.
  • Look both ways and listen for traffic before crossing the street.
  • Watch for cars turning or backing up.
  • Cross streets only at the corner, using traffic signals and crosswalks, and never cross between parked vehicles or mid-block.
  • Trick-or-treat in a group if someone older cannot go with you.
  • Tell your parents where you are going.
  • Carry a flashlight containing fresh batteries. Never shine flashlights into the eyes of oncoming drivers.
Party Goers
  • Arrange a safe ride home and/or designate a driver before partaking in any festivities.
  • Always designate a sober driver.
  • If you are drunk, take a taxi or ride share service, call a sober friend or family member, or use public transportation.
  • Before leaving for a party, load ride share apps or put numbers of local cab companies or your designated driver(s) into your phone.
  • Walking impaired can be as dangerous as drunk driving. Designate a sober friend to walk you home.
  • If you see a drunk driver on the road, contact local law enforcement.
If you know someone who is about to drive or ride impaired, take their keys and help them make safe travel arrangements to where they are going.

United Way Day of Caring Saturday

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The annual United Way Day of Caring in Geary County is Saturday from 8 a.m. until noon.

Volunteers are invited to help local elderly and disabled homeowners with outdoor projects that may need to be completed. They can include mowing and trimming grass, raking leaves, cleaning gutters, cleaning exterior windows and changing smoke detector batteries or light bulbs.

Volunteers are asked to bring any equipment they have available.

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