Firefighters responded to Ogden about 4 a.m. for a structure fire, believed to be on Walnut Street.
No injuries have been reported stemming from the blaze.
The Northeast Kansas Regional Notification System reported that Walnut Street is currently closed from Ninth to Eleventh Streets and Ninth is closed from Elm to Walnut.
Eagle Communications announced this week Mike Doerfler has joined the Broadband Division as its newest employee-owner.
Doerfler will serve as director of Eagle Technology Solutions, which was created after the recent acquisition of Hays-based SICOIR Computer Technologies and already has expanded into the Abilene and Columbus, Neb., regions.
Eagle Technology Solutions provides information technology services and support for business and residential customers.
Doerfler comes to Eagle with a wealth of industry experience, having spent the past 18 years working for companies such as Systems Solutions, Inc. and Nex-Tech, and has experience leading teams that create and implement managed I.T. services for business. His expertise lends itself to developing managed service offerings in areas such as network security and support, managed firewall, compliance, proactive network monitoring, cloud computing, managed backup, remote desktop support, computer repair and more.
Doerfler has been instrumental in leading teams through acquisitions and developing managed service offerings that are focused on solutions for business growth, innovation and profitability.
“Mike’s wealth of experience and industry knowledge has already made him a key addition to the Eagle Communications family. Bringing Mike on to lead our Technology Solutions team is a sign of our commitment to being the leading technology company in our industry,” said Travis Kohlrus, Eagle Broadband general manager. “Our new service offerings were driven by our customers asking for more support in the fast-paced world of technology. Mike’s addition to our team strengthens our promise to customers to provide exceptional service. We are very fortunate that we were able to find someone of Mike’s talents to lead us forward. I’m confident that he will play a key role in providing and implementing high quality solutions for our customers.”
Eagle Communications, Inc. is a Kansas-based Broadband Services and Media Company with more than 285 Employee-Owners. The company operates 28 radio stations in Kansas, Nebraska and Missouri, as well as cable TV systems in 59 Kansas, Nebraksa and Colorado communities. The company also offers e-business solutions, web hosting, telephone service, high-speed internet, and wireless internet in most service areas.
For more information, visit www.eaglecom.net.
SHAWNEE COUNTY – A Wamego woman was injured in an accident just after 5p.m. on Monday in Shawnee County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2008 Kia Sedona driven by David L. Brown, 53,Wamego, was eastbound on Interstate 70 near the U.S. 75 exit.
The Kia rear-ended a 2007 Chevy Silverado driven by Casey Rene Bolton, 27 Berryton, that had slowed down for traffic.
A passenger in the Kia Susanne Renee Brown, 27, was transported to Stormont Vail in Topeka.
There were no other injuries reported.
Bolton, 3 adults and 2 children in the Kia were properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.
The loss of 2,345 personnel at Fort Riley 2015 to 2017 has prompted a study by the Matrix Design Group on the economic impact on the region, and possible impact is further reductions should ever occur….a what if scenario.
Key recommendations received by local officials in the economic analysis range from working at local, state and federal levels to protect and expand the region’s defense economy to increasing the career readiness training, job placement and retention of personnel separating from the military at Fort Riley throughout the region.
Junction City Mayor Mick McCallister said it will take a continued effort to ensure that Fort Riley remains the region’s economic driver and that they stay here. “It’s going to take an extraordinary effort like we have all along to ensure that Fort Riley is our biggest economic driver, and that they stay here. It’s going to take money to do that. ”
McCallister added it will take funding of the Flint Hills region, private money, and partnerships. “It’s something that we have to continue to do and keep beating that drum. Everything that they told us we already know. But we haven’t taken action.
Matrix Design officials outlined their recommendations during public meetings in Junction City and Manhattan. Some of the others included leveraging data collected from the state’s Defense Supply Chain mapping exercise to conduct a comprehensive economic impact assessment of the Kansas defense economy, to developing of a regional economic development fund to assist in funding regional studies, workforce development programs, business recruitment incentives, grant opportunities and other economic and community development programs.
The Kansas Attorney General’s Office published a report earlier this month that said that marijuana from Colorado has permeated nearly every county in Kansas despite authorities assurances that it wouldn’t infiltrate states where marijuana remains illegal.
Tony Wolf, Geary County Sheriff, said that there has definitely been increased marijuana activity since the legalization in Colorado.
“We’ve seen a lot more, and a lot of it that comes out of Colorado,” said Wolf. “We have had numerous drug arrests where the individuals have stated that it was purchased in Colorado.”
Wolf said that the marijuana coming out of Colorado is at a much higher potency than the marijuana from the Mexican cartel.
“We are finding extremely high grade marijuana coming out of Colorado, this is not like the older marijuana that we were finding several years ago that would come out of Mexico – this stuff is extremely high, high quality and it’s affecting people in ways that we really never have seen before,” said Wolf.
Two men from Nebraska were so “high” off of the Colorado marijuana that they called the police on themselves, and Wolf said stories like that are funny – but show a dark reality of the type of potency law enforcement is dealing with.
“It’s not your father’s or parent’s marijuana that they had back in those days, this stuff is extremely potent,” said Wolf.
In addition to the potent marijuana from Colorado, there are the synthetic versions that in many cases are sending people to the hospital; this is where you see the hallucinogenic drugs, and simulated controlled substance charges in the Geary County booking photos.
Beyond the many forms of marijuana that are circulating, the quality and accessibility of marijuana in Colorado has had an effect on the usage of other drugs.
“The Mexican Cartels they don’t hardly deal in marijuana anymore, they’re dealing more in heroin and methamphetamines – that’s what’s coming across the border,” said Wolf.
The increase in those drugs coming across the border explain the surge in heroin use and overdoses that have been documented and gone viral on social media across the country.
As for Geary County, Wolf said that heroin use hasn’t had quite the surge that it’s had in other parts of the country. “We haven’t seen a surge in heroin use yet…fortunately no, we haven’t seen any real cases of that.”
But that doesn’t rule out the possibility.
“The Mexican Cartels [in other parts of the country] aren’t making any money off of marijuana anymore so they’re sending up methamphetamines and heroin, and that’s where a lot of that is coming from,” said Wolf.
Could the legalization of marijuana in other states and specifically in Colorado cause an increase in not only marijuana usage in neighboring states, but other highly dangerous drugs as well?
Tell us what you think. Sound off in the comments.
All Treats Day, brought to you by the Junction City Area Chamber of Commerce and Junction City Parks & Recreation will be on Thursday, October 27th.
From 5:15 pm until 7:00 pm there will be several fun activities taking place that include:
Come out and enjoy All Treats Day on Thursday, October 27th!
The students in Company C of the Junction City High School JROTC have been conducting a month long food drive to benefit the Food Pantry of Geary County.
Company C collected the most donations among the five JROTC companies. The total food collected by all five classes weighed 518 pounds.
There were some pledges and donations late last week to the United Way Business Blitz in Junction City.
According to United Way Executive Director Nicole Mader they included:
–Security Solutions $500, not $300 as earlier reported
–Century 21 Gold Team Realtors $250 pledge
–Schoenrock Realtors $200 pledge
–American Appliance Service $25
–Coldwell Banker $25
–Beacon Marine $50
A Junction City – based organization has been awarded a grant to support a drug court program, Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt announced.
The 8th Judicial District Community Corrections was awarded $139,545 to set up a Drug Court Program targeting high risk offenders struggling with alcohol and / or drug dependency.
Providing the best public safety services and victim support requires a dedicated staff of local officials,” Schmidt said. “This grant will help advance local priorities for improving public safety.”
The grant is part of the Federal Edward J. Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program, and was awarded by the Kansas Criminal Justice Coordinating Council. Schmidt serves as chair of the council.
The 1st Infantry Division will host a joint ceremony to welcome Maj. Gen. Joseph M. Martin as the new “Big Red One” commanding general and to case its colors ahead of a nine-month deployment to Iraq and Kuwait.
The Assumption of Command and Casing Ceremony will take place at 10 a.m. Tuesday on Fort Riley’s Cavalry Parade Field.
“I’m excited to be leading the 1st Infantry Division as we once again answer the nation’s call,” Martin said. “This is the third time I have had the opportunity to serve at and deploy from Fort Riley and with the Big Red one. “I’m confident our Soldiers are prepared to deploy and accomplish their assigned mission with the utmost professionalism and service our country with honor.”
The 1st Inf. Div. headquarters will deploy to the Central Command area of responsibility with about 500 Soldiers for nine months. The headquarters will assume the role of Combined Joint Forces Land Component Command – Operation Inherent Resolve, replacing the 101st Airborne Division. In that role, the division headquarters will provide command and control of coalition troops training, advising and assisting Iraqi Security Forces.
