The U.S. Army is facingan environment with fewer resources while readiness requirements remain constant.
The Director of the Military Affairs Council for the Junction City Area Chamber of Commerce, John Seitz, released information he has received showing that the Army has tasked all major commands to examine requirements, establish priorities and reduce funding and manpower. Resources re-purposed by that effort will be used to buy back critical areas associated with maintaining Army readiness.
Seitz feels this could be an opportunity for Junction City and Geary County partnerships with Fort Riley. “It’s an opportunity for the communities to work closer with Fort Riley, because Fort Riley will have to do less because they’re just going to have less resources.” Seitz noted there are many places where they can work together, “and improve efficiencies in both directions. And I think this is an opportunity we ought to explore and take advantage of.”
Seitz feels city and county officials need to get with their Fort Riley counterparts, “and say hey, where can we work together to make this better.”
A Junction City police officer was honored this week at the Junction City Commission meeting.
Doug Cathey was presented a certificate of appreciation for his role in assisting a fellow JCPD officer who was suffering from a gunshot wound to his right leg.
Cory Odell, Detective Sergeant, served as Cathey’s team leader on the Junction City – Geary County Swat Team. The commendation stemmed from an off-duty incident on May 20, said Odell. “On May 20, 2016 Officer Cathey was able to assist who was suffering from a gunshot wound to the right leg. It traveled from his right thigh out above his right knee back into his right calf, and the bullet lodged in his right ankle. Officer Cathey has been through extensive life saving training through the U.S. Army as well as emergency first aid training, while being employed as an operator on the Swat Team.”
Odell reported that the aid rendered by Cathey was vital due to the close proximity of the wound to arteries.
WABAUNSEE COUNTY – A Manhattan man was injured in an accident just before 3a.m. on Friday in Wabaunsee County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2006 Lincoln passenger car driven by Collin A. Wood, 23, Manhattan, entered westbound Interstate 70 from the Vera Road exit ramp.
The Lincoln traveled eastbound in the westbound lane and struck a semi head-on
Wood was transported to Stormont Vail.
The semi driver Khyl J. Buckallew, 57, Excelsior Springs, Mo., was not injured.
Both drivers were properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.
The weather cooperated and mother nature held back her storms, and all was well at the 2016 Kicker Country Stampede.
Sam Hunt
Held at Tuttle Creek State Park, the event boasted an impressive crowd for the opening night of music.
“Actually, someone was telling me today that they looked at the Billboard Top 20 and the artist we have booked this year have six of the top 20 hits,” said Wayne Rouse, Director of the Kicker Country Stampede – the state’s largest music festival.
Rouse didn’t have the official numbers for the evening but anticipates 25,000 to 30,000 people daily attending the stampede.
Amongst the crowd swooning over Sam Hunt and Dierks Bentley, there were plenty of activities in the park for festival goers to enjoy.
Jacob Alexander, operating the Human Foosball event said the lifesize game is much more successful than he could have anticipated.
“It’s been going awesome….it’s been a great success. Everybody loves it – you can bring your drink in there- the only problem is some people are getting hit by [other player’s] boots, but other than that everybody loves it,” said Alexander.
In addition to the games and music there is plenty of beer.
Drayson Cherry, Owner of Elite Hockers and in charge o
Human Foosball
f the Miller Lite tents at the festival anticipates going through 100 cases of beer before the weekend is over.
With the abundance of drinking, there are likely to be some health related incidents involving alcohol.
“Today we haven’t had any alcohol related patients,” said Larry Couchman, Director of Emergency Services for via Chrisit Hospital in Manhattan and Riley County EMS.
Couchman said there were two incidents at the campgrounds on Wednesday night – one was alcohol related and the other heat related.
There were three trauma incidents Thursday night – one was a domestic issue and the other two were lacerations, none of which required transport to the hospital.
With the large number of people, it is difficult to “police up” everyone, but Pottawatomie County Sheriff Greg Riat says they are heavily staffed with law enforcement that are all working hard to prevent major incidents.
“We’ve got a very strong law enforcement presence; we’re very fortunate to have good neighbors to help us – the Wamego Police Department, Riley County Police Department, Kansas Highway Patrol, the FBI – and I know I’m leaving a lot of agencies out, but we have a lot of folks who come in here and help us,” said Riat.
Riat said Thursday was a decent day with only the domestic incident and a few alcohol related incidents.
“We have a very strong law enforcement presence, and you can’t stop everything but at the same time we’re hopeful with the stronger presence we have,” said Riat. “So far the crowd is really good, and the concert has been really good, so hopefully it’ll be a pretty quiet year this year – that’s what our hope is.”
Friday night features Tim McGraw, and Saturday is Jake Owen – both artists at 10:00 pm on their respective nights.
Day one of the Kicker Country Stampede ended with a no major incidents medically or criminally.
Larry Couchman, Director of Emergency Services for via Christi Hospital in Manhattan and Riley County EMS, says there has been a slight spike over the years in one area – generators and carbon monoxide poisoning.
“I’d really like to caution people that when they have their home generator and they’re out camping, watch where it is positioned – especially if you have low wind and higher humidities like we’re going to see in the next couple of days – that carbon monoxide doesn’t dissipate as fast and if your generator is (close to your trailer) exhausting under the trailer it can be very, very significant,” said Couchman.
Last year Couchman noted that there were two patients last year who had to be transported to KU Medical Center for hyperbaric treatment due to the carbon monoxide poisoning.
The symptoms to carbon monoxide poisoning can often feel like alcohol or heat related symptoms, so campers utilizing generators should exercise caution.
Symptoms may include light-headedness, nausea, or feeling very tired which may result in wanting to lay down and take a nap – but if affected, you may not wake up.
Carbon monoxide is odorless and tasteless so please exercise caution while camping.
Pat Roberts, Republican U.S. Senator from Kansas, praised the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision today to block President Obama’s executive action on immigration.
“Today’s Supreme Court ruling is a victory in reining in President Obama’s executive overreach and restoring our country’s separation of powers,” said Roberts. “The president has trued time and time again to go around Congress, but this decision reaffirms that the president does not have the authority to rewrite the laws to push his immigration agenda and unilaterally allow millions of illegal immigrants to obtain legal status.”
This decision by the Supreme Court effectively means that allillegal immigrants are subject to deportation, no matter how long they’ve been illegally living in the United States.
We’d love to hear from YOU; do you support this decision by the U.S. Supreme Court?
SHAWNEE COUNTY – A Kansas man was injured in an accident just after noon on Thursday in Shawnee County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2016 Freightliner semi driven by Mitchell Thornburrow, 22, Manhattan, was westbound on U.S. 24 two miles west of Rossville.
The semi went off the road into the right ditch. The driver overcorrected causing the truck to go on its side and a 1991 Mercedes Benz 190-E driven by Michael McGinnis, 50, Topeka, into the ditch.
McGinnis was transported to Stormont Vail.
Thornburrow was not injured. Both drivers were properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.
The U.S. Army is facingan environment with fewer resources while readiness requirements remain constant.
WABAUNSEE COUNTY – A Manhattan man was injured in an accident just before 3a.m. on Friday in Wabaunsee County.
