The Friends of Milford Group is conducting their first annual Chili Cook Off and Car Show on Saturday, October 15 from 2-5 p.m. at the day use area at the south boat dock at Milford Lake.
All fees include a $5 State Park entry fee, a chili bowl, chips and drink and a score card.
Fees include: car entry – $10, Cook off entry – $, Single – $8, Couple – $14, Family – $24 includes four bowls.
Geary County 4-H Extension Agent Ginger Kopfer has reported that local 4-H members were the winners of top ribbons at the Kansas State Fair.
They included:
–Lindsey Ascher, rabbits, Best of Variety
–Hailey Frazier, photography judging, 14th place
–Noah Hinkley, rabbits, Best of Breed and Best of Variety
–Thane McDaniel, photography, Kansas 4-H Foundation Selection
–Trae McDaniel, photography, Kansas 4-H Foundation Selection
–Cadin Sanner, photography, Kansas 4-H Foundation Selection
–Creytin Sanner, photography, Kansas 4-H Foundation Selection
The Junction City High School JROTC Raiders team competed this past Saturday at the Smith-Cotton Raider Meet in Sedalia, Missouri.
The team placed fifth in Rope Bridge, third in Leadership Challenge, and third in Army Physical Fitness Test. They will be traveling next for a competition at Leavenworth on Saturday, October 15.
Kansas State University’s Briana S. Nelson Goff was one of four Americans to receive the Outstanding Civilian Service Medal from the chief of staff of the U.S. Army on September 15 at the Pentagon.
Goff is the first Kansas State University faculty member to receive the national award, which honors civilians for exceptional support of the military.
Goff is a professor of family studies and human services, and director of the Institute for the Health and Security of Military Families in the College of Human Ecology. She said the recognition is an honor not only for herself, but also for Kansas State University as a whole.
“Our work as a military-inclusive university is pivotal, across the board,” Goff said. “We have many faculty and graduate students who are doing incredible work on behalf of military service members, veterans and their families.”
The other recipients of the award included Trace Adkins, country music singer and actor; John G. Bunch, founder of Operation Open Arms; and Spencer Kympton, president of the Mission Continues.
The Geary County Sheriff’s Department has reported that Deputies responded to a single vehicle rollover accident in the 800 block of Walker Road Saturday evening.
Brandon Bell, Fort Riley, was westbound when a deer ran out in front of him. Bell attempted to avoid the deer, lost control of his Jeep Wrangler, the vehicle left the roadway striking a ditch and the vehicle rolled onto its roof. Bell suffered minor injuries, but no transport was required to a hospital.
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Deputies responded to a single vehicle versus deer accident at mile marker 303 westbound on I-70, five miles east of Junction City. Iyzak Jones was backing off of Ascher Road on to Clarks Creek Road when he backed down into a ditch. There was damage to the rear of the vehicle, but no injuries were reported.
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Deputies responded to a single vehicle versus deer accident at mile marker 303 westbound on the interstate. Jonas Barrish, Kansas City, Missouri, was westbound in his Mazda CX-9, when a deer ran out in front of his vehicle. No injuries were reported.
ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — A new Pentagon policy brings some relief to transgender military retirees and children of active-duty service members.
Starting Monday, the military’s health insurance will cover transgender-related services that include hormone therapy and supportive counseling.
The change follows the decision in June to allow transgender members to serve in the military. Roughly 7 million retirees and children who use the same health insurance will get many of the same benefits.
The policy comes with some controversy. Transgender advocates fault it because it covers gender-reassignment surgery only for active-duty personnel, not retirees or dependents. A conservative group says the benefits are expensive and lack military purpose.
The expanded coverage helps transgender teens like Jenn Brewer of Virginia, who says she attempted suicide after being bullied this year. The change puts support for Jenn’s mental and physical wellbeing during her transition within reach.
The Kansas Black Leadership Council set their 2017 legislative platform during a meeting on Saturday at the C. L. Hoover Opera House in Junction City.
Bonita Gooch, Council President, said one initiative on the platform is to get the State of Kansas to ban the box, “which is to eliminate the question on their applications about whether you are a felon or not a felon….to move that back later in the process so people are given an opportunity to at least interview and show themselves.” Gooch added it’s a way to get felons employment opportunities and help the economy.
A second initiative is a move to revise the payday lending regulations in Kansas “so they are not onerous, see if we can get down from 400% average interest maybe even to 200 or 100% interest. ” Governor Brownback will be asked to form a committee to study at how revisions might be made to payday lending regulations in Kansas.
Expansion of medicaid was a third initiative.
The fourth was a program to help grow small businesses. “We say let’s help them by giving them more work and opportunities, and that the State of Kansas would designate some contracts for small Kansas businesses so that they can get better at what they do, get more opportunities and grow them that way instead of just giving them a tax break.”
Gooch said in addition to approving a platform those attending the session wanted to talk about how they move forward. “Because last year we left with a great platform, but not a plan with how to get some of these things done. ” They looked at issues where they felt recently there was an opportunity to get some traction, and how they proceed to get that traction.
Gooch called the session a first step toward many other steps heading toward the legislative session and all of 2017. The legislative session begins in January.
Junction City High School marching band students worked hard Saturday morning to raise funds for their trip next May to the National Memorial Day Parade in Washington D.C.. They ran and walked laps around the track at Al Simpler Stadium as part of their Band on the Run fundraiser.
Band Director T.J. Taylor noted students were asked to secure a pledge amount per lap from sponsors, and in one hour they cover as many laps as possible around the track, a pledge amount times the number of laps is prepared, and the bill is sent to the sponsor.
Makayla Powell ran 17 laps. ” My small goal was 12 but need to pass that, really excited, really happy I did.” She noted it was hard toward the end. “But at the beginning you have this thrill, you’re like I’m doing this for a good reason. I have this goal set, then you make it there, want to calm down but then you’re like I can go past this.
Lyra Olli is a member of the band. “We did Band on the Run. This is for going to Washington D.C since we’re going to be playing in the Memorial Day parade.” Olli covered 21 laps around the track which equates to just over five miles.
Band Director T. J. Taylor was hopeful $10,000 to $15,000 could be raised through Band on the Run. The total amount needed for everyone to make the trip is approximately $100,000. There have already been some other fundraisers, and more are scheduled including a pancake feed and a pastry fundraiser.
During their trip to Washington D.C. the band will also do two stand still concerts including one at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and another at the John Phillips Souza statue. Among other activities they will also visit monuments and museums.
Housing on Fort Riley may not be as plentiful after January when an agreement between the army base and the local community goes in to effect.
Mick McCallister, Mayor of Junction City, said that this reduction in on-post housing will not only be a benefit Junction City, but the Flint Hills region as well.
“We have come to an agreement that out at Fort Riley there are going to downsize their inventory by some 253 units; beginning in January they’re going to remove 160 in phase one and then in phase two the remainder will be demolished – that is a huge help to the community, that’s a huge help outside the gate whether it’s in the region or whether it’s Junction City alone,” said McCallister.
McCallister said that it was very important to him that housing numbers on post were at the agreed amount of 3827; citing that the housing problem outside the “gates of Fort Riley” was one of the driving factors in his decision to run for Mayor.
“I wanted the community to be able to be on a level playing field; and what was promised to the community I wanted to make sure that happened,” said McCallister.
McCallister credits his visit to AUSA last year as the reason for the reduction at Fort Riley.
“If we hadn’t gone to AUSA and talked face to face with those folks and let them know what our feelings were and what the community’s feelings were,” nothing would have been done, said McCallister.
The 2016 Association of the United States Army (AUSA) Annual meeting will take place next week in Washington, D.C.
Local community leaders will travel to the meeting, a decision that many have criticized as invaluable to Junction City and the Flint Hills region.
Mick McCallister, Mayor of Junction City, said that having a local presence at this national meeting is essential, and not as costly as some may suggest.
“The amount of money we spend is a pittance in the grand scheme of our budget and what we get out of it for the small amount,” said McCallister.
At the 2015 meeting, McCallister had an opportunity to see firsthand how in-person discussions can sometimes go a long way for the community.
“AUSA is important to the community, there are some folks who don’t believe it’s very important, but as I look back last year talking to the honorable Ms. Hammock, and talking about the recycling sorter that we desperately need at Fort Riley for a regional opportunity to recycle; and she said, ‘well we just don’t have the money right now but if I find the money, Fort Riley will be the first place on my list’ – and she did, she found the money and Fort Riley has a recycler,” said McCallister. “It was one of those face to face, nose to nose, across the table talking and letting people know what we need here in this region.”
Now that Fort Riley has the recycling sorter, McCallister said the next step is to put everyone in the region on a recycling plan.
“Now the next step is going to be, take all those folks in the region, put them on a recycling plan, recycle that material and make it profitable, make it economical for Fort Riley to be able to do that and plus, it will help the Flint Hills region as a whole to be able to get on board with the environmental issues and doing some of that stuff, said McCallister.
McCallister, along with other City and County officials will travel for the conference October 3rd through 5th.
