The Geary County Sheriff’s Department has reported that Deputies worked an injury accident early Wednesday morning.

Deputies responded at 1:13 a.m. to US 77 and Farnum Creek Road for a vehicle in the ditch. Jody Johnson, Milford, was southbound in a Volkswagen Passat, when the vehicle left the roadway and struck an embankment.

The Sheriff’s Department reported that Johnson was transported to Geary Community Hospital with several lacerations and possible broken bones.

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Deputies responded to Wolf Road and 2300 Avenue for a single vehicle accident Tuesday morning.

Harrison Strole, Junction City, was eastbound on 2300 Avenue when a deer ran across the roadway. Strole attempted to avoid the deer, lost control of the vehicle, and it struck a fence. Strole was not injured.

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Deputies responded at 6:22 a.m. Wednesday to 4310 North US 77 in reference to a lapsed burglary. Entry had been made into the residence and a flat screen television had been taken. The case is under investigation.

TOPEKA, KAN. – A former private in the U.S. Army who was stationed at Fort Riley pleaded guilty and was sentenced Tuesday to two years in federal prison for stealing his fellow soldiers’ identities, according to Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall.

In addition, he was ordered to pay more than $23,400 in restitution.

Todd M. Newbrough, 24, pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated identity theft. In his plea, he admitted he used his position with the Army to access personal identifying information about fellow soldiers in his unit at Fort Riley. The records he accessed included Leave and Earnings Statements, Enlisted Record Briefs and Alpha Rosters. They contained personal information including names, Social Security numbers, dates of birth and places of birth. Newbrough used the information to obtain credit cards and lines of credit in the names of the soldiers.

Beall commended the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the United States Army Criminal Investigation Command, Computer Crime

Investigative Unit (CCIU), the Riley County Police Department and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Robin Graham for their work on the case.

Keith Ascher received 220 votes and John Moyer 199 in the Republican primary election on Tuesday in the race for the Third District seat on the Geary County Commission. No Democrat filed for election in that race.

In the 68th District House race Dave Baker of Council Grove finished with 1,795 votes when the ballots were tabulated in Geary, Morris, Dickinson and Chase counties. Nicholas Allbritton of Junction City received 768 votes and Vance Donahue II 291. Baker will advance to run against Democrat Laura Blevins of White City in the November general election.

Vote tabulations are still unofficial until the votes have been canvassed in each of the counties, but no change in those overall outcomes are expected. In Geary County the canvass will be done by the Board of Canvassers ( County Commission ) on Monday.

15.37% of the registered voters in Geary County, or 2,233 people went to the polls to cast ballots in the primary election on Tuesday.

DICKINSON COUNTY –Four people were injured in an accident just before 3p.m. on Tuesday in Dickinson County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2011 Honda CRV driven by Fatima H. Abdi Karem, 45, Oakdale, MN., was eastbound on Interstate 70 in the left hand lane when a semi entered into its lane and forced the Honda off the road.

The Honda entered the median, struck a guardrail, then traveled back across both eastbound lanes of traffic and struck a bridge rail.

Abdi Karem and passengers Anab A. Adam, 48, Warsa B. Loyan, 14, and Ebyan B. Loyan, 15, all of Thornton, Co., were transported to Geary Community Hospital.

All were properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.

UPDATE:

FORT RILEY, Kan. – A suspicious package that arrived Aug. 2 at the installation’s U.S. Post Office was found to pose no threat and was cleared
by explosive ordnance disposal technicians and military police.

An all clear was released by Fort Riley officials at about 6:45 p.m.

Personnel at the post office, located at 5302 Ashby Ave., and buildings in the area had been evacuated as authorities conducted their investigation. The area of Normandy Road between the Army and Air Force Exchange Service Shoppette and fire station on First Division Road was closed as a precaution. All roads have since been reopened.

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FORT RILEY, Kan. – Explosive ordnance disposal technicians and military
police investigated a suspicious package that arrived Tuesday
at the installation’s U.S. Post Office.

Personnel at the post office, located at 5302 Ashby Ave., and buildings in
the area were evacuated as authorities continue their investigation. The
area of Normandy Road between the Army and Air Force Exchange Service Shoppette and fire station on First Division Road was closed as a
precaution.

More information will be released as it becomes available.

While there were several large items on the August 1st Board of Education meeting, there was some smaller actions passed that you may be unaware of.

Geary USD 475 has a Concealed Observations policy that “prohibits individuals from recording” students or staff without their knowledge.

As the policy is written, a student can not secretly record a teacher or administrator without their knowledge and vice versa.

Many of us in the age of social media have seen the “viral” videos of school employees “behaving badly” or in many cases simply having a good time with their students – often unbeknowst that a student is recording and uploading to Youtube, Snapchat or Facebook, for example. There are also the instances where students may record a fight and potentially have evidence that can help administrators.

The kicker – the policy contradicts state law.

Dr. Corbin Witt, Superintendent of Geary County Schools USD 475 said, “they need to let the people know if they’re going to be audio or videotaping one of our staff members during activities, so it kind of gives us some protection from that.”

The policy verbatim states:  “We offer this policy to prohibit individuals from recording students, employees, and/or board members surreptitiously or through the use of concealed audio and/or visual recording devices at school, on or in district property, and at meetings and conferences held for educational or disciplinary purposes.  Kansas law provides that any party to a conversation may lawfully record the conversation. However, we are using your Home Rule authority to limit recording unless we know it is taking place (with some exceptions for extracurricular activities).  In this way, schools can make their own copy of the conversation to ensure they have a full legal record of what transpired, or schools can atleast be mindful that employee interactions are subject to recording.”

This policy, like others are part of the June 2016 updated KASB (Kansas Association of School Boards) policies.

What do you think?

Former Board of Education President Brian Field was presented with a plaque thanking him for his service, by new BOE President LaDonna Junghans on behalf of the entire Board.

Junghans was voted as the Board president at the July 5th Geary USD 475 Board of Education meeting.

Dr. Ferrell Miller was voted Vice President during the July 5th meeting.

A 1st Infantry Division soldier died this past Saturday at Salina Regional Health Center in Salina.

Fort Riley officials confirm that PFC Luis Ortiz, a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter repairer with Company D, 3rd Assault Helicopter Battalion, 1st Aviation Regiment, 1st Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Inf.Div., lost consciousness while running June 27th in Junction City, and was subsequently hospitalized.

Ortiz had joined the Army in June of 2015 and arrived at Fort Riley in January of this year. He was 24 years old.

His awards included the National Defense Service Medal.