MANHATTAN -The Manhattan City Commission unanimously approved an ordinance adding sexual orientation and gender identity to the city’s anti-discrimination policy, according to minutes from Tuesday night’s meeting.

Under the ordinance it is unlawful for the city, landlords and others to discriminate against LGBT individuals.

Those who violate the ordinance can face fines of up to $500.

Riley County Police Department Director Brad Schoen requested an exemption to the ordinance.

Following a 3-2 vote, the commission approved an amendment that would exempt the RCPD.

Kansas State University, other state and federal offices are also covered by their own policies.

In July 2015, then Manhattan Mayor Karen McCulloh proposed legislation to include sexual orientation to the list of classes that the City will not discriminate against.

The new ordinance will go into effect November 1.

The Junction City Caring Place has been in the community for over 10 years providing food, clothing, basic medical care, and some case management care to those in need.

The organization also houses a small food pantry where they help provide in a small way for those without residency at the Caring Place.

Zandra Williams, Golf Tournament Coordinator, was a guest on JC Now on 1420 AM – The Talk of JC where she discussed their upcoming fundraiser – the major fundraiser for the organization.

This Saturday, August 20th join them at the Rolling Meadows Golf Course at 6514 Old Milford Road in Milford, KS.

Williams says there will be good, prizes for golfers and raffles at the tournament aimed to raise money for The Caring Place in Junction City.

Registration is at 8:00 am and the golf tournament begins at 9:00 am.

Golfers must be on teams of four, that can be pre-arranged or you can just show up and they will place you on teams as you register.

Registration fees for individuals are $65 each or $260 per team which includes green fees, lunch, range balls and the cart.

Sponsorships are also needed for the golf tournament which is $100 for individuals and $200 for businesses.

For more information or to pre-register contact Troy Russell at 785-375-5835 or William Moore at 785-375-4082.

You can also find more information on their website https://www.jccaringplace.org/.

 

Kindergarten students in Geary USD 475 begin school on Thursday, August 18th.

Students will attend a full day of classes.

For a detailed look at the Geary USD 475 School Calendar click here or visit usd475.org.

MORRIS COUNTY – First responders are on the scene of an accident on Kansas 177 in Morris County.

The highway is closed to all traffic between Kansas 4 and U.S 56 from 11:00 am until late afternoon or early evening due to the crash involving a semi-tractor and trailer, according to the Kansas Department of Transportation.

The semi load is a wind generator tower that will need to be lifted out of the ditch and placed on a different trailer.

This lift will be performed using cranes that must be placed on the highway blocking both lanes.

The detour carrying traffic around the crash area will take southbound traffic west on Interstate 70 to U.S. 77 then south to U.S. 56 then east to rejoin Kansas 177 at Council Grove.

Northbound traffic will follow the same detour in reverse. Local traffic may substitute Kansas 4 for Interstate 70 in detouring around the crash site.

No injuries are reported.

The Geary County Convention and Visitor’s Bureau has voted 7-0 to grant a $10,000 funding request for the 2017 Symphony in the Flint Hills. Half of the funding will come from the CVB budget in 2016 and the other half from the 2017 spending plan.

The event, which features classical music by the Kansas City Symphony Orchestra in an outdoor prairie setting, is scheduled June 10, 2017 on the Deer Horn Ranch in Geary County. The site is about four to five miles southeast of Junction City near K-57 Highway.

The CVB Advisory Committee was informed the annual event, which is held at a different location every year, draws about 7,000 people. Approximately 10% of the audience stays overnight in the immediate area. The event has an economic impact of $4 million each year in the Flint Hills.

Tickets for the 2017 Symphony in the Flint Hills go on sale on March 4, 2017.

Symphony in the Flint Hills officials are seeking to raise $700,000 for the 2017 event. Approximately one third of the needed revenue comes from ticket sales.

For their sponsorship the CVB will receive various sponsor benefits for helping fund Symphony in the Flint Hills.

The Flint Hills Regional Council (FHRC)secured a $294,653 grant through the U.S. Department of Defense to perform the economic impact analysis as a result of force structure reductions at Fort Riley that were announced on July 9, 2015.

The reduction,  combined with previous force reductions resulted in a total loss of 2093 personnel.

The regional impact to communities surrounding Fort Riley needed to be understood and analyzed in order to mitigate these impacts in the future – thus the FHRC secured the grant.

The Matrix Design Group was hired in March 2016 to conduct the economic impact analysis and they have completed the draft report and will share the findings and recommendations with the community at three public meetings.

On Thursday August 25th there will be two meetings at the C.L. Hoover Opera House at 135 W. 7th Street in Junction City; meeting times are 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm and 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm.

Friday, August 26th at 10:00 am – noon, the Manhattan City Commission Chambers hosts the the third public meeting at 1101 Poyntz Avenue in Manhattan.

After months of stakeholder meetings and data gathering, the Matrix Design Group will share their draft Flint Hills – Fort Riley economic impact analysis.

 

Included in the Proposed 2017 Budget for Publication, the Geary County Commission included a pay raise for county employees.

County Commission Chair Florence Whitebread said this was a necessarty adaptation.

“Right now we have put in a two percent raise increase and we just have to do that – we’re losing employees to private individuals because they can pay more than we can,” said Whitebread.

This pay raise may come as a surprise for county residents after the new of the proposed property tax levy for 2017 increase of 6.126 mills.

If the 6 mill hike is approved this would be consecutive property tax levy raises for 3 years; in 2015 it was approximately 8 mills, in 2016 it was 6 mills and the proposed amount for 2017 is 6 mills.

There will be a public hearing on the proposed budget on August 29th; after that the county commission will consider final approval of the proposed 2017 budget.

Tuesday, August 16, 2016, Topeka KS— The American Red Cross is helping thousands of people in Louisiana affected by the devastating flooding there, likely the worst natural disaster since Superstorm Sandy in 2012. More than 500 disaster volunteers from all over the country are on their way to help in Louisiana. The Red Cross has also mobilized 60 disaster response vehicles, 40,000 ready-to- eat meals and more than two dozen trailer loads of shelter and kitchen supplies.

Three volunteers from the Kansas Capital Area Chapter traveled to Baton Rouge, Louisiana yesterday and will spend the next two weeks providing sheltering and bulk distribution assistance to those impacted by this historic disaster.

Preliminary reports indicate as many as 10,000 homes are damaged, forcing thousands of people from their homes. Those affected are being supported in numerous Red Cross and community shelters where they can find a safe place to stay and food to eat. Many of the Louisiana Red Cross volunteers helping their neighbors have also been affected by the flooding.

The Red Cross is also working closely with the entire response community to coordinate relief efforts and deliver help quickly and efficiently, keeping in mind the diverse needs of the community. Some of the organizations sending help to the area include Southern Baptist Disaster Relief, the NAACP, Islamic Relief USA, Church of the Brethren Children’s Disaster Services, Save the Children, AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps and Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints volunteers.

HOW TO HELP “Initial reports indicate responding to this disaster could cost more than $10 million,” said Jane Blocher, Executive Director of the Kansas Capital Area Chapter. “The Red Cross depends on the generosity of the public to support our work. We urgently need people to join us in supporting Louisiana by making a financial donation today, as well as to consider volunteering to help us provide relief on the ground.”

People can donate by visiting redcross.org, calling 1-800- RED CROSS or texting the word LAFLOODS to 90999 to make a $10 donation. Donations enable the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to and help people recovery from these disasters.

BECOME A VOLUNTEER People can make a difference in someone’s life by becoming a Red Cross volunteer. To join us, visit redcross.org today to learn more about volunteer opportunities and how to submit a volunteer application.

DOWNLOAD EMERGENCY APP People can download the free Red Cross Emergency App now to be ready in case of a disaster in their community. They can use the app’s “I’m Safe” button to connect with their loved ones and receive emergency alerts and shelter information. The Emergency App can be found in the app store for someone’s mobile device by searching for “American Red Cross” or by going to redcross.org/apps.

About the American Red Cross:

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for- profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.