The Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army has announced that the deputy commanding general for maneuver of the 1st Infantry Division at Fort Riley, Brigadier General John S. Kolasheski, is being promoted to commandant, U.S. Army Armor School for the U.S. Army Maneuver Center of Excellence at Fort Benning, Georgia.

Brigadier General William A. Turner, who has been commandant of the U. S. Field Artillery School for the U. S. Army Fires Center of Excellence at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, will become deputy commanding general for the 1st Infantry Division at Fort Riley.

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323 AM CDT WED MAR 16 2016

…RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES…CRITICAL FUELS AND GUSTY WINDS FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONES

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TOPEKA HAS ISSUED A RED FLAG WARNING…WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING.

WIND…WESTERLY WINDS AT 15 TO 25 MPH SUSTAINED WITH GUSTS UP TO 30 MPH.

* HUMIDITY…MINIMUM HUMIDITY VALUES ARE EXPECTED TO QUICKLY FALL IN THE 17 TO 20 PERCENT RANGE DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON PERIOD.

* IMPACTS…ANY FIRES THAT DEVELOP WILL LIKELY SPREAD RAPIDLY.
OUTDOOR BURNING IS NOT RECOMMENDED.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A RED FLAG WARNING MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EITHER OCCURRING NOW…OR WILL SHORTLY. A COMBINATION OF STRONG WINDS…LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY…AND WARM TEMPERATURES MAY LEAD TO EXTREME FIRE BEHAVIOR.

Beef cattle researchers from Kansas State University and Texas Tech University are seeking feedlots to participate in a feedlot cattle production and health research study.

The collaborative research group includes faculty from Kansas State University’s animal sciences and industry department and the College of Veterinary Medicine. They will work with researchers from Texas Tech’s animal and food sciences department.

The group will focus on two areas of cattle feeding: starting cattle on feed and associated risks with bovine respiratory disease and the end of the feeding period focused on performance, carcass quality, fatigued cattle syndrome, heat stress, acute interstitial pneumonia, liver abscesses, cattle transport and others, said Dan Thomson, a member of the group and a professor of diagnostic medicine and pathobiology at Kansas State University.

Starting in May, the research group will work with feedlots participating in the study to better understand risks associated with acute interstitial pneumonia, known as AIP, and liver abscesses.

To participate in the study contact Thomson at dthomson@vet.k-state.edu or 785-532-4254.

GEARY COUNTY – One person was injured in an accident just after 3p.m. on Tuesday in Geary County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2001 Suzuki passenger car driven by Carmen Renee Keeton, 28, Columbus, OH, was southbound on Crider Road one mile west of Junction City.

The driver lost control of the vehicle. It left the road, hit an embankment, flipped, and landed on its roof.

A passenger in the vehicle Angel L. Gonzalez, 26, Long Beach, NJ., was transported to Geary Community Hospital.

Keeton was not injured. Both were properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.

School funding is one of the big issues in the Kansas Legislature.

The Kansas Supreme Court has already ruled that the State under funded poor school districts by $54 million. If the total is not paid by July 1 the Court has ordered schools closed.

Speaking in Junction City recently, State Senator Tom Hawk touched on the issue. “Even if we fix the income tax which goes back to January 1. That money won’t roll in until next year at the earliest.”

Hawk noted there’s some talk with low gas prices to do a gas tax. “I think there’s going to be a lot of things on the table to fix this, especially if the Court says not good enough.”

Hawk spoke to a legislative coffee audience in Junction City.

The Military Affairs Committee in Junction City received a briefing recently on a desire to establish a memorial honoring the late Kenny Langdon, the longtime downtown Building and Maintenance Supervisor.

Langdon, 62,  died in February.

According to MAC meeting minutes the mayor, Mick McCallister reported that with the passing of Kenny Langdon there was a contingent of people who would like to have a memorial established in Kenny’s name. The City Manager has been delegated to form a committee to bring recommendations to the City Commission.

The Junction City Area Chamber of Commerce Military Affairs Committee has been informed by Mayor Mick McCallister that the federal Office of Economic Adjustment will be holding a kickoff event on March 23 at 2 p.m. for elected officials and March 24 for business related people.

The event is part of a $450,000 grant project, which will be administered through the Flint Hills Regional Council.

The purpose of the grant is a joint land use study to determine the impact of troop reductions on the local economy. It will take approximately seven months to complete the project.

Fee increases are kicking in to assist the bottom line for the operation of the Geary County 4-H / Senior Center building.

Geary County Commissioner Florence Whitebread said this week the fees were put in place one year ago, and are now beginning to have an impact. “A lot of those people already had reservations in place, so they couldn’t increase them. But they are now with the new fees in place meeting the expenditures per month. So they’re very happy with that.”

Commissioners received an update on the operation this week. The fees paid go toward the cost and upkeep of the building.

The Junction City Fire Department has announced that Captain Doug Fisher, will retire from the Fire Department effective Wednesday, March 16 after 30 years of service.

Fisher began his fire service career with the Junction City Fire Department in November of 1986 as a firefighter and advanced to the position of Captain.

A ceremony for friends to honor Fisher’s dedication to the City and the Fire Department will be held on March 25 in the Municipal Gymnasium from 1-3 p.m.