Manhattan, KS –Cowboy poets from across Kansas and beyond will compete for the coveted trophy buckle at the finals of the 2017 Kansas Cowboy Poetry Contest on June 9 at the Flint Hills Discovery Center. There is no charge for admission and the public is invited to attend.

“We have an outstanding field of cowboy poets from three states,” said poetry contest chair Ron Wilson of the Lazy T Ranch near Manhattan. “They have earned their way into the finals with excellent performances in our regional contests.”

The finals will be held on Friday, June 9, 2017 at 7 p.m. at the Discovery Center on the night before the Symphony in the Flint Hills. Celebrity judges include Chief Justice Lawton Nuss of the Kansas Supreme Court, Marie Martin from the Flint Hills Discovery Center Foundation, K- State Provost April Mason, Kansas Farm Bureau President Richard Felts, and Manhattan Mayor Usha Reddi.

Contestants are as follows (towns in Kansas unless listed otherwise): Serious poem category: Terry Arnwine, Cherryvale; Betty Burlingham, Manhattan; John J. Cannon, Fredonia; Tim Keane, Manhattan; Danny McCurry, Ash Grove, Missouri; Donna Penley, Haysville; Dennis Russell, Cimarron, New Mexico. Humorous poem category: Betty Burlingham, Manhattan; Tim Keane, Manhattan; Barbara Lilyhorn, Hutchinson; Danny McCurry, Ash Grove, Missouri; Dana Moodie, Neodesha; Donna Penley, Haysville; Dennis Russell, Cimarron, New Mexico; and Carl Stueve, Olpe.

State champions at the finals will receive the Saddlejack Bradrick Award, the coveted Governor’s Buckle, discounts and gift certificates from leading western wear stores, and two tickets to the Symphony in the Flint Hills plus an opportunity to present their poems in the story circle after the symphony. In addition, the state winners will be invited to compete in the National Cowboy Poetry Rodeo. It is not necessary to go through the state contest to enter the national rodeo because anyone can enter the National Cowboy Poetry Rodeo directly, but the Kansas winners will have their entry fees paid by the Kansas contest.

For more information, go to www.cowboypoetrycontest.com

A survey has been scheduled for U.S. 56 in Morris County.

Surveyors will soon be conducting work on U.S. 56 to gather necessary information for the replacement of Rock Creek Bridge located seven miles east of the east U.S. 56/K-177 junction.

The field survey effort will begin next week, approximately June 5th. It is scheduled to take six weeks.

A member of the survey crew will first contact property owners and/or tenants for permission to enter private property. Survey activities will include the use of survey instruments on the ground to determine locations of existing features within the survey corridor.

 

The annual meeting of the Kansas County Commissioner’s Association is being held in Junction City.

The convention began today – Wednesday, May 31st – and will continue through Friday, June 2nd at the Geary County Convention Center.

Ben Bennett, Geary County Commission Chairman said that the convention will begin with a special education session at noon today.

“Tomorrow night is the general meeting, we’ll start with a reception and then educational programs all day on Thursday; and then a wrap-up session on Friday ending at noon.”

This is the second time the convention has been held in Geary County since Bennett has been a Commissioner.

A program of featured workshops and events can be accessed here: https://www.kansascounties.org/DocumentCenter/View/2413

MANHATTAN, Kan. 31 May, 2017 – The largest animal vaccine company in China announced May 31 that it will open a research lab and offices in the Kansas State University Office Park, located on the north side of campus.

Officials for Jinyu Bio-technology Co., LTD, said that this is the first time that the company has established facilities in the United States. The company will focus its work on the research and design of vaccines for swine and cattle, as well as developing educational materials for Chinese companies and veterinarians.

“When university-focused companies like Jinyu Bio-technology locate adjacent to K-State’s campus, partnerships develop with faculty expertise and research to promote real-world application and discovery,” said Greg Willems, KSU Foundation president and chief executive officer. “The K-State Office Park advances opportunity for these current and future collaborations to boldly move K-State and the needs of a global community forward.”

Jinyu plans to employ 4-6 scientists. The company has researched the Manhattan location for nearly two years and was drawn to its connection with the region known as the KC Animal Health Corridor.

“The KC Animal Health Corridor’s international reputation is a strategic advantage for more and more animal health companies,” said Kimberly Young, president of the KC Animal Health Corridor. “We are thrilled to welcome Jinyu to our Corridor community and look forward to the company’s leadership and effort.”

The Corridor is anchored by Manhattan, Kan. in the west and Columbia, Mo. in the east. The region is home to more than 300 animal health companies, accounting for more than half of the sales generated annually by the global animal health industry.

Jinyu Chairman Chongyu Zhang said the company’s decision was based on a belief that Manhattan and Kansas State University are “in the forefront of animal health research that is relevant to Chinese animal agriculture and the world.”

“Manhattan is the home to many world renowned scientists in the Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Biosecurity Research Institute, and the future National Bio and Agro-defense Facility,” he said.

Zhang added that Jinyu is growing quickly internationally and is “looking forward to developing long-term, mutually beneficial relationships with partners in the region.” The company may add manufacturing facilities in the future.

“The addition of Jinyu Bio-technology to the KC Animal Health Corridor is truly a partnership of innovation and expertise,” said Kansas Commerce Secretary Antonio Soave. “We, as a state, must continue to engage excellent biotech companies like Jinyu, as Kansas continues to become one of the leading locations for bioscience in the nation.”

Many organizations played a key role in attracting Jinyu to the region, namely the State of Kansas; Kansas Department of Commerce; City of Manhattan; Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce; Kansas State University; Kansas State University Institute for Commercialization; KSU Foundation; Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine; the Kansas State University US-China Center for Animal Health; the Kansas City Area Development Council; and the KC Animal Health Corridor.

“Jinyu has state of the art pilot production and manufacturing facilities, strong financial support for research and development and great market penetration in China,” said Jishu Shi, director of the U.S.-China Center for Animal Health at Kansas State University. “This partnership is the first (for K-State) with a Chinese animal health company. It will accelerate the commercialization of novel discovery and development ideas generated by K-State scientists.”

Tammy Beckham, dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine, said the agreement supports the university’s interest in research and development of biopharmaceuticals.

“In addition, Jinyu’s expansion to Manhattan will help support economic development through the addition of jobs and partnerships,” she said. “I am absolutely thrilled to welcome Jinyu to the State of Kansas and look forward to a long and robust partnership.”

Peter Dorhout, vice president for research, said the university’s strength in animal health research helps to attract large companies to the region and contributes to what amounted to $882 million of economic impact in Riley, Geary and Pottawatomie counties in fiscal year 2015.

“Partnerships in animal health in particular help university and industry researchers inhabit the cutting edge,” he said. “Protecting animal health requires adapting to changing global circumstances, and we want to ensure that our researchers and students are prepared to contribute and to help industry address urgent needs.”

Dorhout added that the partnership further advances the university’s goal to become a top 50 public research university by 2025.

“K-State’s 2025 strategic plan encourages us not only to create a culture of excellence that results in increased research activities, but also to fully engage with people and build necessary infrastructure,” he said. “We are working to ensure that K-State innovations are applied to improve global food security, bio-agro defense, animal and human health, and more.

He added: “Engagement is part of our land-grant heritage, so our attention to this area isn’t new, but 2025 infused new energy into these efforts. Industry partnerships also enhance the opportunities we can offer to our students through involving undergraduate and graduate students in individual research projects as well as internships and full-time employment opportunities.”

Lyle Butler, president of the Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce, hailed Jinyu’s announcement as another success story for the City of Manhattan and the KC Animal Health Corridor.

“Our partnerships with the university family, the State of Kansas and the Animal Health Corridor were critical in attracting Jinyu to the state,” Butler said.

“Jinyu’s decision to locate in Manhattan is yet another example of the successes that can come from our shared university/community economic development strategy to attract high-pay, knowledge-based jobs and grow the regional economy through the leverage of Kansas State University’s research and talent.”

Jinyu’s Manhattan operations will be located in Phase II of the K-State Office Park, which is scheduled to break ground in July. The company will begin operations in 2018.

POTTAWATOMIE COUNTY – Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on kidnapping and other charges.

Just after 5 a.m. Tuesday, the Wamego Police Department received a report of shots fired in the 300 block of Chestnut Street, according to a media release.

Officers and Deputies arrived in the area and located a residence which had been struck by gun fire. Officers checked the occupants of the residence and found no one was injured.

Investigators from the KBI, KHP, Wamego Police and Pottawatomie County Sheriff’s Department went to a residence in the 1800 block of Marsha Lane in Wamego and took David Rojas, 31, into custody.

He faces charges including aggravated kidnapping, kidnapping, aggravated assault, and aggravated burglary. Investigators believe this to be an isolated incident.

Valley View Senior Life is anything but a traditional “nursing home”. Director Tyrone Wilkens said that they are technically called a continuing care retirement community, or CCRC.

“We’re a skilled nursing facility, a VA contract facility for veterans; we accept Medicaid, Medicare and obviously private pay [insurance],” said Wilkens. “We also have assisted living units and we also have independent living; everything is right there on the campus and that’s where you get the continued care retirement concept.”

Individual living is open to individuals 55 and over.

“[They can] rent an apartment and live there and be a part of that campus, and do as much as they want or as little as they want,” said Wilkens. “That’s what unique about some of those things [we offer] with our culinary skills that we have on campus to create different food platters and activities within the community.”

The unique retirement facility will host a career fair on Wednesday, June 7th.

Marketing Director Melissa Tyson said interviews will be conducted on site. “We welcome all positions that Valley View has to offer, RNs, LPNs, CNAs and we’ll also be hiring for dining services and hospitality services.”

Wilkens noted that for those looking for employment, this shows that there is job opportunity locally. “It just takes a little bit of everything to run a large campus like that and we’re reaching out to the community to let them know we have some opportunity out there for them.”

The career fair will be from 10:00 am until 2:00 pm on Wednesday, June 7th. Valley View is located at 1417 W Ash Street in Junction City.