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Kansas Gas Prices Up Five Cents, 7th Highest Increase in Nation

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 JULY, 2017– For the first time in five weeks, according to AAA, the national average gas price is increasing. At $2.26, today’s price has been moving higher since July 6 and is three cents more than one week ago. The moderate price surge follows a week of solid demand growth and a third straight week of gasoline inventory drawdowns across the country.

Kansas gas prices this week jumped five cents to an average of $2.10 per gallon marking the 7th largest increase in America, said AAA Kansas spokesman Shawn Steward.

“Gas prices are still at some of the cheapest prices we’ve seen this year, but consumers should take advantage of them while they can,” AAA’s Steward said. “This week, drivers in 31 states, including Kansas, are paying more than last week for a gallon of gas. And AAA expects to see slight price increases throughout July.”

Despite the rise in average gas prices in Kansas, there are still bargains to be had. Motorists in 40 Kansas communities are enjoying average prices of $2 per gallon or less. Last week, 94 communities registered $2 or less prices. Kansas’ average gas price is 12th lowest in the nation.

Of the 10 regularly reported Kansas cities (see chart below), only half saw price increases in the past week. Lawrence led the way with a 13-cent increase. Kansas City, Kansas rose 11 cents and Wichita saw a 10-cent gas price jump from last week. Average gas prices in Emporia, Hays and Topeka all declined slightly this week.

This week’s Kansas cities with the state’s gas price extremes are:
HIGH: Wilson – $2.40
LOW: Galena – $1.90

Great Lakes and Central States Report

All states in the Great Lakes and Central states saw gasoline prices increase on the week, on average by six cents. Five states saw some of the country’s largest price increases this week: Indiana (+15 cents), Ohio (+15 cents), Michigan (+13 cents), Kentucky (+11 cents) and Kansas (+5 cents). As gas prices increase, stockpiles fell in the region by 1.2 million bbl, indicating an increase in regional demand.

Gas Price Trends in Select Kansas Cities

Today
Last Week
Last Month
Last
Year
Change Over Last Year
National
$2.26
$2.23
$2.34
$2.24
1%
Kansas
$2.10
$2.05
$2.16
$2.09
0%
Emporia
$2.03
$2.04
$2.16
$2.10
-3%
Garden City
$2.03
$2.00
$2.12
$2.07
-2%
Hays
$2.10
$2.12
$2.21
$2.03
3%
KCK
$2.20
$2.09
$2.20
$2.13
3%
Lawrence
$2.22
$2.09
$2.21
$2.14
4%
Manhattan
$2.14
$2.13
$2.15
$2.06
4%
Pittsburg
$1.99
$1.99
$2.10
$2.01
-1%
Salina
$2.09
$2.09
$2.19
$2.06
1%
Topeka
$2.07
$2.10
$2.15
$1.97
5%
Wichita
$2.06
$1.96
$2.11
$2.08
-1%
Bordering states and rank in lowest gas prices around the country
State
Current Avg.
Rank Today
Last Week
Oklahoma
$2.01
6
3
Missouri
$2.02
7
7
Kansas
$2.10
12
11
Colorado
$2.25
26
29
Nebraska
$2.22
21
22

Some Property Insurance Rates Could See Declines

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Geary County Emergency Management Director Garry Berges

Some property insurance rates in Geary County could be going down in the near future. That’s due to the placement of Class “A” pumper trucks at four rural fire stations.

Garry Berges, Rural Fire Chief, said the insurance reduction could affect people who live within five miles of those stations. The private company, ISO, provides the insurance rating for an area, explained Berges. “The fire stations where this counts is the downtown station, 200 block of East 8th, the Pleasantview Fire Station which is out in Milford Township across from the State Park, our station out by the 4-H Center are the three current facilities.” Once a new Class “A” pumper truck is ready for use at the station on Barr Road just off I-70 exit 303 that will be the fourth location.

According to Berges if you live within five miles of those rural fire stations contact your insurance company and tell them you believe your rates will be decreasing on August 1 approximately 15 to 18 percent. If you have questions contact the Geary County Emergency Management Office at 238-1290.

 

Abilene man, former fair board volunteer receives donation from Dickinson Co. cancer fund

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Ron Shivers, posing with his wife Doris, has benefitted from the Elsie Brooks Memorial Cancer Fund. The Abilene man has served on the Central Kansas Free Fair board and loves the Abilene rodeo.

Abilene -Ron Shivers hasn’t missed many nights of the Abilene rodeo.

Whether it was in the stands, watching his favorite event, the bull riding, or helping out as a member of the Central Kansas Free Fair board, he was there.

He believes in giving back, and for him, serving on the fair board for fifteen years was a way to give back to the community of Abilene.

And the community was able to give back to him, in a way.

When the 79 year old was diagnosed with cancer a year ago, he ended up going through six cycles of chemotherapy, three times a week, for six weeks. That was followed up with 35 days of radiation. Five days a week for seven weeks, he made the 30 mile trip to the hospital in Salina.

And when funds ran a bit low, the Elsie Brooks Memorial Cancer Fund was there, to help with mileage expenses.

The Fund, which was begun in 1993 by Brooks, a Dickinson County Resident, provides monies to cancer patients who live in Dickinson County. Monies are not restricted due to income.

Shivers believes in giving back. He was raised on a dairy farm northwest of Abilene, and in 1982, began in the auction business. He drove truck for a few years, and then added real estate and appraisal services to his auctioneering.

He’s glad that he could volunteer on the fair board for fifteen years. He did it, in part, to pay back the community “for supporting my auction business,” he said. “You get a lot out of the community, and they help you, and then it’s time to give something back to them.”

He also volunteered with the fair board because he loves rodeo. “I’ve been going to rodeos all my life,” he said. His family goes with him, but when it rains, they head for the car. Not him. “I’ve sat a few times in the rain, out there, and the family all left me.”

The money he received from the Elsie Brooks Fund was “a godsend,” Shivers said.

The Wild Bill Hickok Rodeo contributes donations to the Elsie Brooks Fund through its annual Tough Enough to Wear Pink night on August 4. Fans are asked to wear pink; rodeo committee members, volunteers, and cowboys and cowgirls will be in pink. Voluntary donations will be accepted for the Elsie Brooks Fund that night. Since the partnership began in 2008, over $28,000 has been raised for the Fund.

In June, doctors found no sign of the cancer. He and his wife Doris, who have been married 44 years, live in Abilene.

The Wild Bill Hickok Rodeo runs August 2-5 and begins at 7:30 pm each night. Tickets range in price from $7 to $13 and can be purchased online at www.ckff.net, at the fairgrounds, and at area retailers.

For more information on the Elsie Brooks Cancer Fund, contact Chris Ostermann at 785.479.3749. For more information on the Wild Bill Hickok Rodeo, visit the rodeo’s website at WildBillHickokRodeo.com or call the Central Kansas Free Fair office at 785.263.4570.

Change of Command Scheduled for Devil Brigade

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The 1st Infantry Division’s 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team will welcome their new commander while bidding farewell to their outgoing commander during a change of command ceremony on Fort Riley’s Cavalry Parade Field July 12.

During the ceremony, Col. Timothy C. Hayden will relinquish command of the brigade to Col. Charles S. Armstrong. The unit will also uncase its colors, signifying the Devil Brigade’s recent return from its South Korea deployment.

Armstrong comes to the 1st ABCT from the North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD, and U.S. Northern Command where he served as the command center director.

Hayden’s next assignment will be the Brookings Institution Fellowship at the U. S. Army War College.

The ceremony comes shortly after the brigade completed a nine-month deployment to South Korea in support of the U.S. – South Korean alliance, where Devil Soldiers provided security to the peninsula and deterrence to North Korean aggression.

 

DUI Check Lanes Scheduled Friday and Saturday

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Members of the Junction City Police Department, Geary County Sheriff’s office and the Kansas Highway Patrol will be conducting DUI check lanes Friday and Saturday in Junction City. The focus will be to detect and deter drunk drivers and arrest those over the legal limit.

The information on the check lanes was released by the JCPD.

Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest. is a national campaign organized by NHTSA, which focuses on combining high-visibility enforcement with heightened public awareness efforts. This campaign is designed to remind motorists that impaired driving is no accident, and will not be dealt with lightly.

Nationwide, one person every 39 minutes, approximately 37 people per day, or more than 13,000 people each year die in traffic crashes involving a vehicle driver or a motorcycle operator with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 or higher, which is the legal limit across the United States.

Free Cancer Screenings Scheduled in Dwight

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KU Med Dermatologist Aly Barland, MD, at a recent Masonic screening event

Local Masons are hosting free cancer screenings during Dwight’s Summerfest on Saturday, August 5.

The screenings will go from 9 a.m. to noon at the Dwight Library & Community Center at 637 Main Street. It is one of 28 free cancer screenings being sponsored by the Kansas Masonic Foundation across the Heartland in 2017.

The screenings are open to the public and will include free skin and prostate cancer screenings, colon cancer home screening kits as BMI tests and facial sun damage assessments. Masons from Alta Vista Masonic Lodge No. 357 are providing the screenings, which is being coordinated by Midwest Cancer Alliance and staffed by physicians from University of Kansas Medical Center.

Diagnostic Imaging Center mammography services will also be available at this event. Cost of a mammogram will be covered for those who qualify through the Early Detection Works program or have insurance coverage. Otherwise, a fee may apply. Participants can call 913-344-9989 to learn more or to pre-schedule a mammogram for August 5.

New State Law Could Have Impact at Junction City Municipal Swimming Pool

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Some Kansas swimming pools and water parks are closing their water slides after a new state law tightened regulations on amusement park rides.

This new law defines a water slide as an amusement ride if it is at least 15 feet tall and uses water to propel someone throughout the ride.

JCPost.com asked Junction City Manager Allen Dinkel if the Junction City Municipal Swimming Pool is impacted. “Yes we think we are. We’ve talked to our legal counsel and the new law started July 1, but it’s not going to be in effect as far as inspections until August 1.” Dinkel said this law applies to any slide that is over 15 feet tall and has water on it. “And ours is not propelling people, it is just keeping it lubricated, might have to be inspected. But there’s no inspection, permitting process until August 1.”

Dinkel added the city’s legal counsel has advised official they will be fine and they will see where this issue goes in the future. Dinkel believes the swimming pool will have to go through an inspection process for 2018, but the cost of that inspection is not known at this time.

The new law was approved by the legislature after a state lawmaker’s son died last summer on the Verruckt Water Slide at Schlitterbahn Kansas City Water Park in Kansas City, Kansas.

Sheriff’s Department Responds to Non-Injury Rollover Accident

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The Geary County Sheriff’s Department has reported that Deputies responded at 11:40 p.m. Sunday  to the 19000 block of Lower McDowell Road for a non-injury rollover accident.

Isaac Healy, Fort Riley, was driving his 2004 Hyundai Sonata southbound when he could not negotiate a turn and rolled his vehicle. No injuries were reported.

—

Deputies responded just after 5:30 a.m. Monday to I-70 west of Junction City near mile marker 290 westbound.

Kathryn Franklin, Abilene, was driving her 1998 Chevrolet Tahoe when she struck a deer causing major damage to the vehicle. No injuries were reported.

Junction City Rodeo Scheduled Friday and Saturday

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Past Junction City Rodeo photo

The Junction City Rodeo is Friday and Saturday evenings at 7:30 p.m. at the arena at 1025 South Spring Valley Road.

There will also be a special needs rodeo from 10 a.m. until noon on Saturday, and a rodeo dance Friday and Saturday nights sponsored by Coyote’s Saloon.

The Junction City Rodeo will include events ranging from bull riding to kids activities such as calf scramble and the boot scramble.

Tickets can be purchased at Orschelin’s and Country Floral & Gift in Junction City. The cost for tickets for adults will be $9 in advance and $10 at the gate. For children they are $4 for ages 6 to 12, and $5 at the gate.

The Coppertown Clown, Bert Davis, will provide entertainment during the rodeo.

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