There are 45 businesses in Junction City that supporting breastfeeding.

Carissa Horton, Geary County Perinatal Coalition said that there were several steps taken toward having Geary County recognized as a community supporting breastfeeding.

The first step was to establish the local breastfeeding coalition. “We also have to have a peer support group for moms and babies – which we have the Milking Mommies the third Wednesday of the month…GCH has been recognized and enrolled in the High Five for Mom and Baby – and that’s basically for the women’s center and some special things that they focus on for moms and babies when they deliver at [Geary Community Hospital],” said Horton.

Having a significant number of businesses that support mothers breastfeeding as well as businesses that support women employed by them having a space to pump or breastfeed while at work were also important steps in the process.

“The last thing that we had to have was a minimum of 20 childcare providers in the community signed up to support breastfeeding, and we actually have 28 in Junction City that are signed up,” said Horton.

Businesses were given a window sticker to show their support for breastfeeding mothers.

Ashley King, Geary County Perinatal Coalition, said that the designated shows that Geary County has a multi-faced breastfeeding support.

“It’s a long process, it’s taken us three years to get there and we’re really excited that on Monday of next week we’ll be going to the County Commissioners to get the proclamation presented to them and then signed off on [to officially] show that Geary County is a community supporting breastfeeding,” said King.

There will be a community celebration for the designation on Wednesday, March 8th at the C.L. Hoover Opera House.

Those wishing to attend, must RSVP today by calling 238-0300 or emailing aking@gchks.org.

There is a new assistant Geary County Attorney.

The County Attorney Krista Blaisdell, confirmed that Jason Oxford has been hired. He is moving to Geary County from a similar position in Pottawatomie County.

Blaisdell stated, “Jason is going to handle a variety of criminal cases as they come in, both drug prosecution cases, person felonies, non-person felonies, pretty much a variety of everything that comes in.”

Oxford has 10 years of experience. He began work last week, and fills the position vacated by Chris Biggs, who stepped down in December.

In addition to Oxford, the other assistant county attorneys include Michelle Brown, Lloyd Graham, and Tony Cruz.

The Immanuel Lutheran Church will host a Spaghetti Dinner and Silent Auction on Saturday, March 4th.

Dinner will be served from 5:00 to 7:00 pm and the silent auction will run from 4:00 pm to 6:15 pm.

The dinner and auction will support the Immanuel Lutheran Early Childhood Center.

Tickets are $5 for adults, and $3 for children under 12. For more information or for tickets, call 238-5921.

The Junction City Kiwanis Noon Club will host their annual pancake feed on Saturday, March 4th from 7:00 am until noon.

The pancake feed will be at the Knights of Columbus Building, 126 West 7th Street in Junction City.

The cost is $5 for all you can eat pancakes, as well as sausage and a beverage. Children under 5 eat free.

Proceeds will benefit youth in the community.

The Dickinson County Historical Society is asking for quilts for the 28th Annual Ida Stover-Eisenhower Memorial Quilt Show.

Quilts should be brought to the Heritage Center located at 412 S. Campbell Street in Abilene beginning Friday, March 3rd through Thursday, March 9th between 9:30 am and 2:30 pm.

All quilts should be identified with your name, address, and phone number as well as a short description or story behind the quilt.

Quilts will be placed in a vault until they are hung up for the show.

The Quilt Show will be March 13th through March 26th. Quilts can be picked up on Tuesday, March 28th – not before.

For more information contact the Heritage Center at 263-2681.

Firefighters from Riley County, Manhattan and Fort Riley were called to a duplex fire at 201 Eleventh Street in Ogden at 11:38 p.m. Sunday. It was reported that the duplex was fully engulfed.

According to Riley County Fire Chief Pat Collins Manhattan Fire District station four arrived first and knocked down the initial fire in the kitchen area. All the occupants were outside at the time of the blaze.

Collins said it took firefighters about three hours to put out the blaze and overhaul the burned area. An electrical short in the attic above the kitchen door is believed to have started the fire.

No injuries were reported. The fire resulted in approximately $35,000 damage to the building and $2,000 – $3,000 to lost contents.

The structure is owned by pam and Jim Wood, and the occupant / tenant was Michael Turner. The occupants were being assisted by the Topeka Chapter of the American Red Cross.

U-S Senator Jerry Moran on Friday told JC Post that historically bankers have had a relationship with farmers that existed for generations.  He noted that based on character and past experience, those bankers have been willing to make loans in tough times.

Moran stated, “But the regulatory environment in Washington D.C. and the demands by examiners upon our banks, I’m fearful is going to prevent that from happening. And that exacerbates the problem. In difficult times a farmer needs to know that their banker is going to carry them through.”

Moran added lending does not need to be made based on a computer program determined by someone in Washington D.C. The determination on whether a loan should be renewed should be based on the relationship between the local banker and farmer.

The Senator said the financial regulatory regime needs to be brought under control so that can happen.