RILEY COUNTY –Two people were injured in accident during a pursuit by law enforcement just before 3p.m. on Tuesday in Riley County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2009 Lexus driven by Robert N. McGinley, 26, Lee’s Summit, MO., was westbound on Kansas 18 near south 6th and Fort Riley Boulevard fleeing from Rossville Police.
The vehicle went left of center and collided with a 2002 Chevy passenger vehicle drive by Hober, David F. Hober, 35, Manhattan.
McGinley and Hober were transported to Via Christi in Manhattan. Hober was properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.
FORT RILEY, Kansas – The 1st Infantry Division is inviting members of the media to get an up-close look at the multifaceted, brigade-level training taking place now on Fort Riley. A mock battle will take place on the morning of Feb. 16 that will highlight an engagement featuring Abrams tanks and Bradley fighting vehicles facing off against a similarly equipped force.
Danger Focus II, which began at the end of January, is a month-long exercise joining together all battalions within the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Inf. Div. It is designed to build leaders prepared for combat operations within a fully enabled live, constructive and virtual environment.
The exercise will better prepare “Dagger” brigade Soldiers for an upcoming rotation at the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, California. Similar to last year’s Warfighter Exercise conducted by the 1st Infantry Division headquarters, Danger Focus II pits the 2nd ABCT against a virtual, near-peer enemy.
Leslie Fetters, RN, holds baby Isaiah Paul Olney, as she adorns him with a knitted red hat donated by the American Heart Association.
GEARY COUNTY – One of Geary Community Hospital’s smallest patients recently participated in the American Heart Association’s Little Hats Big Hearts Campaign.
The campaign celebrates American Heart Month throughout February and is designed to raise awareness for the most common cause of childhood deaths, congenital heart defect. Each newborn at GCH will receive a red knitted hat to wear home and keep.
Little Hats, Big Hearts, honors babies, moms, and heart healthy lives in a very special way.
Thousands of hats are given to babies during American Heart Month to encourage and empower moms to live heart healthy lives and to help their children do the same.
In an effort to protect patients, visitors and employees during the influenza season, Geary Community Hospital (GCH) has implemented patient visitor restrictions effective immediately until further notice.
“We have seen an increase in positive influenza tests and it’s not just in our community, but statewide…this is something that we have implemented in the past merely just for precautionary reasons,” said Nikki Davies, Director of Marketing and Public Relations for GCH.
The following restrictions apply:
Children under 12 years of age may not visit.
DO NOT visit patients at the hospital if you are ill or have flu-like symptoms such as a runny nose, cough, sore throat, fever, muscle aches, fatigue or any other symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea.
Visitors are limited to CLOSE FAMILY members only.
Employees and visitors are reminded to wash their hands often, before entering a patient room and prior to leaving the facility. Sinks and waterless hand sanitizer are available throughout the building.
Davies said that the infection control nurse will provide weekly updates of the number of cases of the flu in order to determine a timeline for lifting the restriction.
image courtesy Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks, TourismIn just 24 hours, two different coyotes have caused vehicle accidents in Geary County.
The first accident was around 6:30 am on Monday, February 13th on Highway 77 mile marker 167. Geary County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to a single vehicle non-injury accident where a coyote ran in front of a vehicle driven by Georgeann Wilken of Clay Center and she was unable to avoid striking the animal.
On the same day just after 10:00 pm Deputies responded to a Interstate 70 mile marker 311 where Dalvin Drinkard, Fort Riley, overcorrected and struck a guardrail in order to avoid a coyote.
What in the world is going on?
Jesse Gehrt, Kansas Wildlife Parks and Tourism Game Warden, said that the incidents aren’t an immediate cause for concern.
“Normally it’s really cold this time of year, but now it’s a little warmer – my personal opinion is that [they] are probably just out getting a jump on a little bit of hunting, and seeing what’s going on,” said Gehrt.
Coyotes are generally considered to be an intelligent animal – why are they running toward moving traffic?
“From what I’ve seen, most of the coyotes accidents happen at night and I don’t know if it’s just the warmer weather that’s causing them to move around a little bit more…I think it’s just by chance that they get hit, they are a very smart animal…but it’s just like anything, you know – they’re in the wrong place at the wrong time,” said Gehrt.
Gehrt said there’s no immediate risk of increased coyote sightings.
“From what I’ve seen [they] are pretty uniform really, especially out in the rural areas you’re going to see them – where you’re really not going to see them, but in theory you’ll see them pretty evenly dispersed; but in Geary County, not necessarily,” said Gehrt. “A lot of times they’re concentrated more around food sources like a cattle feedlot, or a farmer’s cow died out in the pasture – you’re going to see them frequent that area a lot more; as far as around town, it’s kind of the age old thing – we as a people are moving out into their territory, especially west of Junction City where it’s really expanding – their territory or their home ground is slowly getting taken away.”
According to Gehrt, the two accidents involving coyotes were nothing more than a coincidence.
It is worth noting that both accidents occurred during dark or early morning/evening hours.
The Board of Education has voted, and the new school issue will soon be up to the voters; community members are now rallying to gain support for a new high school project.
Terrah Stroda, Way Forward Steering Committee member, is working with the JCHS Campaign.
“The passion becomes easy when you’re talking about your school and you want to make sure that the future generations receive the same education that you received which allowed you to be a successful product,” said Stroda. “The focus needs to be making sure that the school reflects what’s happening inside of it.”
Many involved with the JCHS Campaign are former Blue Jays.
“As a Blue Jay, I think you’re taught how to be a leader, you’re taught how to produce a future and certainly I’m hoping to use those skills as we work on the election,” said Stroda.
The JCHS Campaign will host their first meeting this Thursday, February 16th at 7:00 pm at the 4-H/Senior Citizens Center in Junction City.
This Campaign Committee is working independently of USD 475.
On May 9th the community will decide – the bond issue election for a new high school will go before voters.
Rebecca Bossemeyer, Geary County Clerk provided a timeline in preparation to the May 9th election.
“You’ve heard a lot about May 9th being the election, but for [us] we have to start mailing ballots out on March 25th – that is the 45 days prior to the election where we have to mail ballots to our overseas citizens,” said Bossemeyer.
April 18th will be the last day to register to vote for the May 9th election, if you are not already registered.
“April 19th is the first day that [we] can mail advanced ballots; April 28th will be the day that [we] have to begin in-person voting, but I always start that as soon as we’re ready – so I’m sure it will be earlier,” said Bossemeyer.
A bond issue election is required by the State to be presented before a community before the 48% State aid necessary to complete the proposed new high school project is granted.
Voters will be asked to consider and ultimately decide on a new high school at a new site, with a cost not exceed $105 million dollars with no increase to the mil levy.
Without voter approval, the issue falls flat.
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Dates to remember:
March 25th: Ballots will be mailed to Geary County residents whom are overseas
April 18th: Last day to register to vote for May 9th election if not already registered
April 19th: Advanced ballots set to be mailed
April 28th: Tentative date for advanced in-person voting
There will be a Black History Month observance on Fort Riley on Wednesday, February 15th.
It will be at 11:45 am at Riley’s Conference Center. The program will feature educational displays, entertainment and a food sampling.
Retired SFC Brian Coleman, a former Big Red One soldier, and Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) pre-discharge claims representative, will be the guest speaker.
This event is hosted by the 1st Infantry Division Equal Opportunity Program.
A Kansas House Bill would prohibit the use of cell phones while driving statewide unless the driver is using a hands free device.
Tony Wolf, Geary County Sheriff said he would be in favor of the effort.
“I don’t think it would be a bad thing; right now with the City ordinance the way it is law enforcement is exempt, and in the past I’ve talked on the phone going down the road – and I have a hands free device inside my vehicle…it’s not really the act of talking on the phone or holding the phone up to your head [but] you get lost in the conversation,” said Wolf. “I’ve done that before, talking on the phone and driven down the road and all of a sudden it’s like, ‘where’d the last half mile go'”.
The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) submitted written testimony in support of the Bill stating that from 2009 to 2014 an average of 92 people died per year because of the use of an electronic device while driving; that’s about 25% of the total traffic – related deaths in Kansas.
Talking on a handheld device while driving is illegal in 14 states and Washington, D.C., according to the insurance institute for highway safety.
Driving and talking on the phone without a hands free device is illegal in Junction City; texting and driving is illegal in the entire state.
![image courtesy Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks, Tourism [https://ksoutdoors.com/Hunting/Furharvesting/Furbearers/Coyote]](https://www.jcpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/coyote.jpg)
