Local – Page 764

New Director Introduced for Cloud County Community College Geary County Campus

Posted on October 11, 2016October 12, 2016

Jennifer Zabokrtsky is the new director of the Cloud County Community College Geary County campus.

Zabokrtsky was introduced at the Geary County Commission meeting on Tuesday. She will succeed Brenda Edleston, who is now the Vice President of Academic Affairs for the college. Edleston will spend much of her time on the Concordia campus, but plans to work on the Geary County campus one day per week.

Zabokrtsky has been employed at the Geary County campus since 2001 working in student services. “Most recently I was the coordinator of student services, overseeing admissions, financial aid, advising, all of those types of things on our campus. So now I am learning a whole other side of the house.” She said they are trying some creative scheduling where they are offering courses between the two campuses via some video conferencing technology. Partnerships are also being continued with area high schools to increase traditional enrollment.

On a separate note, Edleston confirmed there has been a decrease in enrollment of about 10% at the Geary County campus. But second start classes which are eight week courses begin next week. The enrollment on the main campus in Concordia is slightly up.

Uodate: Williams – Craig Hearings in District Court

Posted on October 11, 2016October 11, 2016

Gabrielle “Gabby” Williams, 19, waived her preliminary hearing this past Friday in Geary County District Court. Arraignment has been scheduled for November 4. Also, on the same day, the preliminary hearing for Joseph Craig, 24, was continued to November 9.

Geary County Attorney Steve Opat confirmed that Craig and Williams are both charged with Conspiracy to Commit 1st Degree Murder, 1st degree Murder Premeditated, Conspiracy to Commit Aggravated Robbery, Aggravated Robbery, and Felony Murder. Craig also faces one additional count of Possession of a Firearm by a Previously Convicted Felon. The two Junction City residents are accused in the shooting death of David Phillips, 24, Manhattan, last January. Phillips was found dead from gunshot wounds to the head at an 827 West 12th Street, Apartment C location.

Opat said the preliminary hearing for Craig was continued last Friday morning ” due to the receipt that morning of a forensic evidence report from the Kansas Bureau of Investigation regarding some DNA that was submitted in this case.”

United Way Donations Increase

Posted on October 11, 2016October 11, 2016

Business donations for the Junction City – Geary County United Way fundraising campaign continued to increase Tuesday.

Tuesday afternoon United Way officials reported five new pledges and donations:

–KS State Bank $600

–State Farm Ladonna Junghans $300

–Spring Valley Elementary School $595.25

–V-Wealth Management $50

–Kansas Best Real Estate $200

The combined total of all business donations during this week’s United Way Business Blitz has reached $4,547.30.

Fire Prevention Week and Open House

Posted on October 11, 2016October 11, 2016

MANHATTAN, Kansas, October 11, 2016 – Does your home have smoke alarms? It should. Do you know how old your smoke alarms are? If they are older than 10 years, they should be replaced.

This week is the National Fire Protection Agency’s (NFPA) Fire Prevention Week. The Manhattan Fire Department is promoting this year’s theme “Don’t Wait – Check the Date! Replace Smoke Alarms Every 10 years.” Smoke alarms older than 10 years old may not function correctly and offer you the detection you need to escape a home fire.

To find out how old your smoke alarm is and its expiration date, simply look on the back of the alarm where the date of manufacture is marked. The smoke alarm should be replaced 10 years from that date (not the date of purchase). The Manhattan Fire Department also encourages residents to test smoke alarms monthly, and that batteries should be replaced twice a year or when they begin to chirp, signaling that they’re running low.

The Manhattan Fire Department will host its annual Open House from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, October 16, at

Headquarters Fire Station, 2000 Denison Ave. Activities will include Old Engine 1 rides, spraying a real fire

hose, using an escape window, and watching live demonstrations of firefighters in action. Through many

educational, family-oriented activities, residents can learn more about fire safety and the Manhattan Fire

Department.

Please contact Deputy Fire Chief Ryan Almes, Manhattan Fire Department, at 785-587-4504 with any questions.

Register to Vote! – Deadline October 18th

Posted on October 11, 2016

The number of people registering to vote in Geary county has increased.

Rebecca Bossemeyer, Geary County Clerk said that even for a presidential election year, traffic in her office has been much higher with citizens registering to vote.

“We are having literally hundreds a week now which is a little higher than what we normally see in a presidential race…people are registering to vote in the office, we’re getting emails, we’re getting faxes and people are registering when they’re getting their drivers license renewed, so we’re having brisk business already,” said Bossemeyer.

The requirements to register are fairly simple, and if you need to check your registration status you can do so online at https://www.voteks.org/.

“You have to be a citizen of the United States and a resident of Kansas and you have to be 18 or older by the [date of the] general election,” said Bossemeyer.

Bossemeyer wants to let young voters know that if you are 17 but will turn 18 before or on the date of the November 8th election, you must register now in order to vote on that day.

“I really want to emphasize [that] for our younger people, they have to complete the voter registration application and the last day that you can do that for this election is October 18th,”said Bossemeyer.

If you have moved or changed your name since the last time you voted, you must re-register.

For more information contact the Office of the Geary County Clerk at 238-3912 or visit voteks.org.

KSU Marriage and Family Therapy Program Ranks Sixth in Nation

Posted on October 11, 2016

MANHATTAN — The marriage and family therapy program at Kansas State University has earned a high national recognition for its reputation among students, faculty and associates in the field.

The program, which is offered through the School of Family Studies and Human Services in the College of Human Ecology, is ranked sixth in the nation by Online-psychology-degrees.org, an online website for finding the best academic programs in the field of psychology.

To be considered for ranking by the website, programs must be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education through the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. Point values were assigned to such criteria as cost of graduate program(s), university ranking, number of degrees or specializations and additional accreditations.

Kansas State University’s marriage and family therapy program edged out the competition by being affordable, well-ranked nationally, offering two degree options — both master’s and doctoral degrees in marriage and family therapy — and having accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

“What truly sets K-State’s marriage and family therapy program apart is that our graduate programs produce leaders in the field,” said Glade Topham, marriage and family therapy program director. “Our graduates become integral clinical practitioners at community mental health centers, nonprofit agencies, K-12 school districts and private group practices. They go into nonclinical positions in university administration. And, after completing their doctoral degrees, our graduates receive top postdoctoral fellowships and obtain faculty positions in the top academic programs in the field.”

Topham also said the university’s marriage and family therapy program is often selected by students because of the high quality of its personalized instruction, mentoring and supervision that both master’s and doctoral students receive.

“We offer our students opportunities to participate in a wide range of research and clinical experiences that afford them the opportunity to develop the skills and expertise to compete for the top jobs in their areas of interest,” he said.

Another program strength, Topham said, is that students have access to clinical sites such as the Family Center, anon-campus clinic, as well as to external school placement sites, medical facilities, military installations, community mental health centers and more.

“In addition, our students have opportunities to participate on faculty research teams on the topics of interest to them,” Topham said. “Through these opportunities, students develop knowledge and skills relative to all phases of research and have opportunities to present their research at national conferences and to publish their work in top journals in the field.”

Graduates of the university master’s program in marriage and family therapy choose from one of two paths: practicing marriage and family therapy in a variety of mental health settings, or entering some of the most challenging doctoral programs — including at Kansas State University.

Many graduates of the university’s doctoral program in marriage and family therapy go on to postdoctoral fellowships or to faculty positions at other institutions.

“It comes as no surprise that our marriage and family therapy program would be so highly ranked,” said Dorothy Durband, director of the School of Family Studies and Human Services. “Our students are consistently recognized for their achievements locally and nationally. Students have the opportunity to work closely with our esteemed faculty in a challenging and supportive learning environment. We see that this approach prepares successful practitioners and academics.”

KSU Best Value in Kansas

Posted on October 11, 2016

For the second year in a row, a study by SmartAsset finds Kansas State University is the best value in Kansas when it comes to getting the most bang for your education bucks. And for the second-straight year, the study finds the average starting salary for Kansas State University graduates tops that of graduates of other schools in the state.

SmartAsset, a financial data and technology company, measures tuition, living costs, average scholarships and grants, starting salary upon graduation, and retention rates at 10 Kansas schools for its study to determine the best higher education value in the state. Along with K-State, the schools included Baker University, Emporia State University, Fort Hays State University, Friends University, Pittsburg State University, Southwestern College, University of Kansas, Washburn University and Wichita State University.

Among the reasons K-State comes out on top in the study are its average starting salary of $47,900 for graduates and its 83 percent student retention rate, both best in Kansas. According to the study, the average starting salary for a K-State graduate is $1,300 more than a graduate of Southwestern College, which is second in the category, and $2,600 more than a University of Kansas graduate.

“K-State has made progress toward graduation, jobs and affordability priorities because they are so important to our students and prospective students,” said Pat Bosco, vice president for student life and dean of students. “As this study shows, we are succeeding. In fact, our freshman-to-sophomore retention rate is now at 85.11 percent, and our job placement rate of 94 percent shows our graduates are in demand, which is why they are commanding good salaries.”

K-State’s reputation as a best value is attracting not just students from Kansas but from out of state as well.

“We award more than $29 million in scholarships each year,” Bosco said. “We also have developed new scholarship opportunities, many specifically for out-of-state students, ensuring that K-State remains affordable for all of our students.”

Bosco said he expects average starting salaries and student retention rates to continue climb as the university just admitted its brightest freshman class with a composite ACT score of 25.1.

Milford Lake Bird Walk on Saturday

Posted on October 11, 2016October 11, 2016

The monthly Milford Lake bird walk will be Saturday at 8 a.m.

Geary County Extension Agent Chuck Otte said participants will meet at the parking lot on the south end of Milford Lake Dam, just across the highway from the Corps of Engineers Office. The walk will focus on southbound migrants and arriving winter species.

The walks usually last two to three hours, and involve moderate walking. If you have binoculars or a bird book you can bring them.

Library Foundation Registered With Secretary of State’s Office

Posted on October 11, 2016

The new Dorothy Bramlage Public Library Foundation has been registered with the office of the Kansas Secretary of State as a new business entity.

Work on the filings with the Internal Revenue Service to recognize the foundation as a nonprofit entity is also under way.

Susan Moyer, Library Director, explained there is a two-fold purpose. “One is to provide an ongoing source of support for the library and the programs, resources and services that we offer, which I think is pretty typical of an organization such as this. But also we are investigating ways that we can try to raise funds to help with a library building project.”

On the library building different options are under study. “We have been looking at actually being able to renovate the existing facility and have working with an architect.” Moyer noted they have been considering an expansion of the current facility from approximately 14,000 square feet up to 26,000 square feet. The cost estimate is between five and six million dollars. “But in the course of this we were also asked to look into what the cost might if we just completely built a new facility. So we did that with the same architect. They came up with a draft concept for a new building that I believe at about 28,000 square feet.” The cost estimate for a new facility would be closer to seven million dollars.

At this point no final decisions on the building project have been made.

The foundation is led by a board of directors that includes Sally Jardine as President, Linda Hoeffner as Vice-President, Michelle Custer as Treasurer, Vic Davis as Secretary, Carolyn Cook, John Majerus and Scott Stuckey. The next meeting of the board is scheduled for Thursday, october 13 at 5 p.m. in the library meeting room.

It’s a Calling

Posted on October 10, 2016

Tom McRae is on his 13th deployment as a Red Cross Volunteer helping victims of natural disasters. On Monday he described his work as a calling.

This time Mcrae has been assigned to Brunswick, Georgia to help victims of hurricane Matthew. JC Post talked with him in Georgia as he traveled to the city of Brunswick to find out his assignment. “Where we’re going to be finding out whether we’re going to be feeding out on the barrier islands and around the city of Brunswick, or whether we’ll be doing bulk distribution, cleanup supplies.”

McRae is driving an emergency response vehicle for the Capital City Area chapter for the Red Cross from Kansas.” We get assigned an area and we go out and feed people that are in the process of trying to get their homes put together. Or we might just be providing them with cleanup supplies to help them get things cleaned up.”

McRae estimated the trip could last a minimum of three weeks. He has made previous deployments to Iowa, North Dakota, Colorado, Minnesota and St. Louis, Missouri.