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Sen. Moran Applauds Unanimous Support of Veterans Choice Program

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) – chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies – applauded the Senate’s unanimous passage of legislation Sen. Moran helped develop to make certain veterans can continue to access care in the community through the Veterans Choice Program. The legislation passed the House of Representatives with a bipartisan vote of 414-0.

“I am pleased the Senate unanimously supported critical legislation to appropriate the funds necessary for the Veterans Choice Program to continue offering veterans access to healthcare closer to home,”said Sen. Moran. “Since Congress created this important program in 2014, I have worked to make certain our veterans in Kansas and across the country benefit from the access to quality and timely healthcare the Choice network provides. Veterans deserve the best our nation has to offer, and this is a proven program that veterans like and need. I urge the president to quickly sign this bill into law so our nation’s heroes can continue to receive increased access to healthcare in their communities.”

Timeline of Sen. Moran’s work on the Veterans Choice Program:  

-2014-

June 3, 2014: Sen. Moran joined Senators John McCain (R-Ariz.), Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), Richard Burr (R-N.C.) and Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) to introduce the Veterans Choice Act.

June 11, 2014: The Senate passed Sen. Moran’s legislation to establish the Veterans Choice Program.

August 7, 2014: The Veterans Choice Program was signed into law by President Barack Obama.

December 15, 2014: Sen. Moran introduced legislation to improve the Veteran Choice Program’s 40-mile eligibility rule.

-2015-

January 22, 2015: Sen. Moran spoke on the Senate floor regarding his legislation to improve the Choice Program’s 40-mile rule.

February 26, 2015: Sen. Moran questioned VA Secretary McDonald about flawed implementation of Choice Program.

May 22, 2015: Senate unanimously passed Sen. Moran’s legislation to improve 40-mile Choice Act eligibility criteria.

July 23, 2015: Sen. Moran expressed concern with VA budget shortfall in Community Care accounts.

December 2, 2015: Sen. Moran urged VA Deputy Secretary Gibson to improve Choice Act implementation.

-2016-

March 7, 2016: Sen. Moran joined Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) to introduce the Veterans Choice Improvement Act.

-2017-

January 20, 2017: Sen. Moran urged President Donald Trump to work with Congress to improve the Veterans Choice Program.

January 24, 2017: Sen. Moran was selected as chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs; met with VA Sec. nominee Dr. David Shulkin.

February 1, 2017: Senator Moran pressed VA Secretary nominee Shulkin on Choice Program eligibility criteria.

March 8, 2017: Senator Moran joined Senators Jon Tester (D-Mont.), John McCain (R-Ariz.), Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) to introduce legislation to improve and extend the Veterans Choice Program.

April 3, 2017: The Senate passed legislation to preserve the Veterans Choice Program.

April 19, 2017: The Veterans Choice Improvement Act was signed into law. Sen. Moran and Sen. McCain authored an op-ed on the Veterans Choice Program, “A great day for veterans and Veterans Choice.”

June 7, 2017: Sen. Moran questioned Secretary Shulkin on the Choice Program at Veterans Affairs Committee hearing.

June 21, 2017: Sen. Moran convened hearing with Secretary Shulkin and questioned Choice budget shortfall and VA’s recent changes to Choice Program; sent letter to Secretary Shulkin regarding financial mismanagement at the VA.

July 27, 2017: Sen. Moran spoke on Senate floor urging colleagues to pass legislation to fund the Veterans Choice Program and fix the budget shortfall.

 

JCPD to receive new tasers at no cost to taxpayers

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Asset forfeiture funds will be used to purchase twenty new tasers for the Junction City Police Department.

The City Commission approved the action on Tuesday evening. Allen Dinkel, City Manager, said that it makes the technology available the best possible [for law enforcement].

“When [we] have to get in a situation, we keep our people from getting hurt as well as the other people; and like a computer, it’s just [a matter of] updating,” said Dinkel. “You know, tasers are half the size they were ten years ago and the technology is getting better, and we’re just staying professional by improving all the time.”

The cost of the tasers total $24,717 – a cost not to be incurred by taxpayers.

“We’re buying those with asset forfeiture money so we’re not using the local property tax dollars,” said Dinkel.

July Weather Summary

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Chuck Otte

July continued the trend that we have been seeing every month in 2017 with monthly average temperatures running above normal. More concerning than that is the fact that July precipitation was only about 40% of normal for the month.

The average daily high for July was 90 degrees which is very close to the 90.1 long term average daily high for the month. But once again the average overnight low was 73.0, 5.5 degrees above normal. This resulted in a monthly mean temperature of 81.5, 2.7 degrees above normal. The highest temperature for the month was 102 degrees on the 21st and 22nd. The lowest temperature for the month was the overnight low of 63 on the 31st. There were two temperature records set in July. The low of 80 on the 11th set a new record high overnight low temperature. The old record was 79 set in 1954. The high of 72 on the 31st set a new record low high temperature. The old record was 73 set in 1998. While we were warmer than normal, we weren´t nearly as hot as the record warmest July. In 1954 the monthly mean temperature was 87 degrees. More recently, in 2012, we had a monthly mean temperature of 86.1, the second warmest July on record. The coldest July on record was set in 1950 and reached again in 1967 when the monthly mean temperature was a very comfortable 73.8.

Scattered rainfall events, mainly in the second half of the month, helped to cool temperatures down but fell significantly short of achieving average precipitation. Normal July rainfall is 4.07 inches. Milford Lake received 1.52 inches for July and Junction City 1.68 inches. Year to date we are running very close to normal. Normal through July is 20.72 inches of precipitation. Milford Lake has received 23.35 inches so far in 2017 and Junction City 20.81 inches. The wettest July on record was also the coldest July on record, 1950. In July of 1950 we received 13.65 inches of rain. The driest July was in 1983 when one rainfall event the entire month provided a mere 0.04 inches of rain.

Contrary to popular opinion, August is not our hottest month, that is July. We expect August to start cooling down as the days start to become shorter. Average daily highs start the month at 91 and drop to 88 by the end of August. Overnight lows fall from 67 degrees to 64 degrees. Normal rainfall is slightly less in August, as we start to move out of those spring and summer weather patterns. Long term average rainfall for August is 3.96 inches.

-Chuck Otte, Geary County Extension Agent

‘Stuff the Bus’ heads into final two days within striking distance of 8000 item goal

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Can you imagine a room or a bus full of 8000 school supplies?

That’s the goal for the United Way as they head into the final stretch of the Stuff the Bus campaign.

Nichole Mader, United Way Executive Director, said that the financial goal of $1000 has already been met. “As far as pieces, we are at 5850; this year has been an amazing year, everyday we have brought in more and more supplies than we did the year before.”

Mader noted that she doesn’t see any reason why they shouldn’t meet and possibly exceed the 8000 item goal. “The more donations we raise as far as pencils and crayons, the less that I have to take out of that $1000 which means I can turn around and take that $1000 and put it toward book-bags for next year, or toward stuff that the schools still need.”

School supplies are given directly to the schools for the teachers to distribute to students to ensure that supplies last and serve as many children as possible.

“When they start school, their parents or even [students] themselves tell their teacher ‘I don’t have paper, or I don’t have crayons’, and so the teacher can have the power to make [those supplies] stretch even further,” said Mader. “If we were to give those supplies directly to the child, then that’s just one student that we would be able to help, however by giving it to the schools they can make it go so much further; a pack of paper has 150 pages, [teachers] can probably take that and divide it among three students.”

Various items are needed for students, but Mader noted that she would like to see more donations of college ruled paper/notebooks/composition books, as well as three ring binders, two pocket folders, and folders with prongs. There are several items that can be donated toward the 8000 item goal. (list below)

“There is roughly 61 percent of USD 475 that is below the poverty line, and that 8000 pieces will help that 61 percent,” said Mader.

Volunteers will be outside the Walmart on Chestnut Street tomorrow – Thursday, August 3rd – and Friday, August 4th from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm.

—

Suggested supply list:

  • 3 ring binders – 2 inch
  • 3×3 sticky notes
  • gallon ziploc freezer bags
  • black dry erase markers
  • glue sticks
  • clorox wipes
  • hand sanitizer, 8 ounces
  • quart ziploc freezer bags
  • white glue, 8 ounces
  • wide ruled notebook paper
  • composition books
  • crayola crayons, 24 pack
  • #2 pencils
  • kleenex, large box
  • large pink erasers
  • plain pocket folders
  • wide ruled spiral notebooks
  • yellow highlighters
  • mechanical pencils

City-County-Chamber meeting to discuss CVB and Consolidated Master Agreement has been POSTPONED

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The tentatively scheduled August 9th meeting with City, County and Chamber of Commerce officials to discuss to the Consolidated Master Agreement and the Convention and Visitor’s Bureau (CVB) has been cancelled.

Dennis Beson, Outgoing Chamber of Commerce CEO, sent out a notice of cancellation earlier this afternoon. He could not comment any further.

The proposed meeting was a topic of conversation at the City Commission meeting on Tuesday evening.

“There’s been discussion (among Chamber and CVB officials) about having a small meeting first rather than having all the entities coming together with the public; there’s a feeling from the City standpoint of ‘let’s try to work this out,” said City Manager Allen Dinkel. “A year ago we had kind of the same thing where there was some grumbling from the County and it took a number of meetings to get back to where we were; we gave it some time to breathe, and that’s the sentiment of the [City] Commission to just ‘breathe through it’ and get some emotions out the way.”

The Junction City Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors called for the meeting to discuss the situation with the County’s intent to withdraw from the Master Agreement covering the Consolidated Chamber.

Stan Hambright, Chamber Board President, said that the meeting is not cancelled, but simply postponed. “We’re postponing this meeting, not cancelling it just until we can get together more information.”

Although there is support for the formation of a new smaller committee to do a comprehensive review and evaluation of the Consolidated Chamber’s five year operations, Hambright noted that at some point all the parties would have to be involved.

“I would hope everyone would want to be present and engaged in the issue,” said Hambright. “We just need a little more time to make sure we have all the information before we move forward.”

Hambright noted that Dennis Beson’s resignation as Chamber CEO was not a factor in the postponement of the meeting.

City to discuss issues regarding real estate signs

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Real estate signs were a topic of conversation at the City Commission meeting Tuesday night.

Allen Dinkel, City Manager, said that the Codes Department has been trying to follow the regulations.

“We’re going to have some discussion about that at future meetings about where to set real estate signs and different codes,” said Dinkel. “Sometimes [people] want to set them up against the curb and the Codes Department picks them and it gets to be a little bit of a battle.”

The “battle” lies in the presentation of the signs and where homeowners or realtors are placing them.

Dinkel is hopeful they will find a happy medium.

Greater Manhattan Project Community Assessment Available

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NEWS RELEASE

MANHATTAN, Kan. (Aug. 1, 2017) – The Greater Manhattan Project, which includes partners in both the private and public sector, has embarked upon a long-term strategic community and economic development planning process. The goal is to create a shared vision for the area’s future growth and actions to accomplish the cohesive plan.

Market Street Services, Inc., a community and economic development consulting firm based in Atlanta, Ga., is facilitating the creation of the plan. Initial funding was provided by Advantage Manhattan, a private-sector-based economic development initiative that is a program of the Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce. Public sector funding partners include Riley County, City of Manhattan and Pottawatomie County Economic Development Corporation.

The project has enjoyed broad-based support throughout the Greater Manhattan community, as more than 2,000 public surveys were completed online. Dozens of focus groups and one-on-one interviews will also help to refine a consensus-based vision for the next five years and beyond in the Greater Manhattan area.

This public input and Market Street data analysis is included in the Community Assessment, now available at the project website: GreaterManhattanproject.com. This site also lists 51 steering committee members who will continue to guide the strategic process.

Vern Henricks, President/CEO of the Greater Manhattan Community Foundation, is one of three chairs for the steering committee. Henricks said the process allows for great input from the business community, and online surveys with focus groups provide added perspective to the study.

“The Greater Manhattan Project has provided a great opportunity to gather a diverse set of business leaders from our community and listen to their thoughts and vision for the future of Manhattan,” Henricks said. “The data provides refreshing detail, and we’ve received candid thoughts from consultants about our Manhattan business process.”

Manhattan has numerous strengths it can build upon. According to Market Street CEO J. Mac Holladay, momentum has been generated in a positive direction.

“This report shows that Greater Manhattan can hold its own against some very strong competition,” Holladay said. “Clearly, residents love this place and think it has a lot of potential. The key to the kingdom will be to balance public sector jobs with a strong mix of private employment.”

The final report will be delivered in early 2018. Tri-chairs for the committee: Vern Henricks, President/CEO, Greater Manhattan Community Foundation; Dennis Mullin, Chairman, SPS Companies, Inc.; and Linda Morse, Mayor Pro Tem, City of Manhattan. Their participation has been invaluable in facilitating the planning process.

Kansas State University Polytechnic Campus and Geary USD 475 Team Up to Improve STEM Education with Technology Grant

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SALINA — With jobs in science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM, some of the most in-demand in today’s work force, coupled with an expanding focus put on STEM curriculum in the classroom, Kansas State University Polytechnic Campus and Geary County USD 475 have joined together to enhance technology education for elementary, middle and high schools in Junction City, Milford, Grandview Plaza and Fort Riley.
Kansas State Polytechnic and USD 475 have been awarded a more than $160,000 Title II grant that will help 12 schools in Geary County implement adequate technology training for teachers, specifically in computer science and robotics, and increase STEM-related learning opportunities for underrepresented students. The grant, “Enriching and Integrating 21st Century Science and Technology Knowledge and Skills into Today’s Classroom Through Effective Partnerships,” also provides for the purchase of new technology pieces for each classroom, such as a 3-D printer, Osmo kits, a Circuit Playground and Edison robots.

“The primary goal of the grant is to get new technology in both the hands of the teachers and the students through experiential and engaged learning, which is the polytechnic approach that this campus is passionate about,” said Terri Gaeddert, director of academic operations for Kansas State Polytechnic. “We have a rich history that is rooted in technology education, so Kansas State Polytechnic is proud to be collaborating with USD 475 on this vital effort to grow STEM curriculum in the school district’s classrooms and help create a more viable pathway to future STEM careers.”

In June, the two entities kicked off the grant’s agenda with a two-week teacher institute for Geary County educators to learn computer and programming concepts. Kansas State Polytechnic mechanical engineering technology and computer systems technology professors taught sessions that covered the basics of coding, robotic programming, 3-D printer operation and gaming. The 20 participating teachers from the fourth through 12th grades also learned how to effectively use the different technology pieces purchased for their classrooms, and on the last day of the institute, took part in a variety of hands-on aviation, unmanned aircraft systems and robotic demonstrations on campus.

Next, a one-week student camp was offered July 24-28 for those Geary County teachers to practice the skills, new ideas and innovative techniques that were learned in the institute. They created grade-appropriate exercises and curriculum that they taught to 20 USD 475 middle school students. Just like at the teacher institute, on the last day of the camp the students visited Kansas State Polytechnic to tour the technology spaces and participate in applied activities. Conclusions from the student camp will help shape how Geary County teachers build their lesson plans and integrate the new technology education into their classrooms.

Kansas State Polytechnic also will work with Geary County educators four times during the upcoming school year to answer any questions that arise, help them refine their curriculum and provide professional development on evolving technologies. In summer 2018, an additional 20 Geary County educators will take part in a second two-week teacher institute as the final piece of the grant. The 40 total teachers who participate, including library media specialists and technology integration specialists, will then instruct their peers in future years to keep advancing STEM education in USD 475.

“There have been several shifts in the state science standards over the past few years that have directed our focus to making engineering, technology and science applications central elements in the science curriculum,” said Daniel Dinkel, a kindergarten-fifth grade STEM instructional coach for USD 475 and the grant project coordinator. “We believe students best learn science content through engaging in the practices of the subject, and this grant promotes high-quality instruction and enhances the availability of technology needed to do that.”

“The school district has done a great job with previous training and has always encouraged us to focus more on STEM, but sometimes budget constraints have made it challenging,” said Abby Allen, a third-grade teacher at Spring Valley Elementary in Junction City. “Because of this grant, technology is now readily available in our classrooms and our comfort level with integrating new concepts into lesson plans has strengthened. Overall, our ability to teach STEM-related activities has been taken to the next level.”

According to a recent list of the nine most in-demand jobs of 2017 compiled by CareerCast, the need for relevant STEM education is apparent as tech roles make up one-third of the study. Troy Harding, a computer systems technology professor at Kansas State Polytechnic who instructed Geary County educators in the teacher institute, echoes the opportunity for more technology professionals and believes working with grade schools and high schools can help clear the way for more students interested in STEM.

“The United States is facing serious employment challenges in the technology sectors — the demand for computer programmers is very high in nearly every type of market,” Harding said. “Anything we can do to help the next generation get excited and feel confident in solving problems with technology is a win-win. It has become obvious to me after this experience that building K-12 and higher education partnerships will provide a better understanding of the issues we both face. This will help us build a more comprehensive approach to technology education.”

To learn more about Kansas State Polytechnic’s five degree options in engineering technology, contact the campus’s admissions office at 785-826-2640 or polytechnic@k-state.edu. To learn more about Geary County’s focus on STEM education, contact Mat Droge, executive director of communications for USD 475, at 785-717-4066 or matthewdroge@usd475.org.

K-State News and Communications Services
Division of Communications and Marketing

City Postpones Budget Hearing

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The Junction City Commission has postponed the public hearing that was scheduled Tuesday evening on the 2018 City budget.

City Manager Allen Dinkel confirmed the proposed spending plan had not yet been published. “The budget is still the same as we said. It was going to be no mill levy increase even though the valuation went down a bit. We think it’s still a sound budget, but the public hearing will be on the 15th. ”

Commissioners were in session Tuesday night.

 

Low voter turnout for City Commission Primary election

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Polls closed at 7:00 pm on Tuesday, August 1st for Junction City residents voting for City Commission candidates to advance to the November General Election.

By 8:30 pm all of the ballots were counted. Nine hundred and thirteen ballots were cast, representing only eight percent of registered Junction City voters.

Rebecca Bossemeyer, Geary County Clerk, wasn’t sure what contributed to the low voter turnout.

“We haven’t had a primary for City/School elections in probably over a decade, so I really don’t know,” said Bossemeyer. “I didn’t expect a huge turnout today, but I’ve been frankly horrified at the low turnout we had.”

There are still 11 provisional ballots that will be canvassed on Monday, August 7th when County Commissioners sit as the Board of Canvassers, and 64 mailed ballots that have not yet been returned that could have a slight impact on the vote.

“A new law that took effect July 1st – if we have ballots that are postmarked on or before election day and we receive them on Friday (August 4th) we can count those, and we’ve not been able to do that before,” said Bossemeyer. “I do not believe all of those will come back, but I do think there’s a chance that we might get a handful of those ballots back.”

Bossemeyer stressed that the results are still unofficial at this point until all other ballots are counted.

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