ADC Recognizes 10 Communities for Outstanding Support to Service Members, Military Families

 

Charleston, S.C. — The Association of Defense Communities (ADC) and the Defense Communities Caucus today designated 10 communities from across the nation as “Great American Defense Communities” for providing unwavering support to service members and military families.

 

The Great American Defense Communities program was launched this year to acknowledge the unique contributions cities, counties and regions that host installations make to improve quality of life for service members, veterans and their families. This inaugural class of communities was selected by a panel of defense community advocates and experts from dozens of nominees based on the broad range of efforts they carry out on behalf of military personnel and their families, covering areas such as education, job opportunities, housing, family support during deployments and community appreciation.

 

“All 10 of our inaugural class of honorees truly embodied the ideals this initiative was designed to celebrate — making host communities for our nation’s military installations ‘Great Places to Call Home,’” said ADC CEO Tim Ford.

 

“The Great American Defense Communities program will help ADC and the Defense Communities Caucus share positive stories about the exemplary efforts being made in communities to support defense installations and their personnel,” Ford said.

 

The inaugural class of honorees includes:

• Colorado Springs, Colo.
• Dayton, Ohio
• Ft. Leonard Wood Region, Mo.
• Goldsboro, N.C.
• Grand Forks, N.D.
• Lawton, Okla.
• Flint Hills Region, Kan.
• Monterey, Calif.
• Okaloosa County, Fla.
• South Puget Sound, Wash.

 

This year’s class will be recognized throughout 2016 at a variety of events in Washington, D.C., including an exhibit and reception on Capitol Hill.

Written by Joe Montgomery on ksu.edu.

MANHATTAN — Climate change may have a new way of getting under your skin.

Researchers in the College of Veterinary Medicineat Kansas State University have validated a model showing growth in Kansas for the habitat of the troublesome lone star tick. Previously thought only to live in the eastern third of the state, computational modeling and live specimens have revealed the existence of these ticks as far west as Colby, which is only 55 miles from the Colorado state line.

Ram Raghavan, assistant professor in the Kansas State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory anddiagnostic medicine and pathobiology department, published the findings in the March 2016 issue of Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases. He collaborated on the article “Maximum Entropy-Based Ecological Niche Model and Bio-Climatic Determinants of Lone Star Tick (Amblyomma americanum) Niche” with faculty from Kansas State University’s entomology and geography departments as well as other experts in the College of Veterinary Medicine.

Raghavan said the best-known diseases resulting from pathogens transmitted by the lone star tick include human monocytic ehrlichiosis and human ewingii ehrlichiosis, tularemia, southern tick-associated rash illness and feline cytauxzoonosis.

“The number of cases of feline tularemia and cytauxzoonosis in the region diagnosed at the Kansas State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory have increased steadily over the years, at least partly owing to the wider geographic distribution of Amblyomma americanum, or the lone star tick,” Raghavan said. “The model also suggests ongoing warming of global temperatures will likely influence the ecology and distribution of such medically important ticks, favoring more tick-borne diseases among people and pets. Climate conditions in Kansas have already been noted to have changed in noticeable ways, and many such conditions are known to favorably affect tick phenology and spatial distribution.”

Raghavan listed specific examples of climate factors.

“For instance, diurnal temperature range, a climate-change index that influenced the model, has been decreasing steadily since the 1950s,” he said. “Similarly, increased atmospheric humidity during spring and summer months over the Northern Plains was noted for roughly the same time period. Other ixodid ticks occurring in northern latitudes have already shown shifts in their distribution and abundance that have been linked to warming climate.”

Several researchers at Kansas State University and a researcher at the University of Kansas assisted with the study.

Temperatures return closer to normal for Tuesday, but still very pleasant weather. Wednesday will see a return to the warmer temps with gusty southwesterly winds and dry conditions. Expect High Fire Danger to be possible late morning into the afternoon as temps rise.

Today: Much cooler. Mostly sunny. Highs in the mid 40s. Northwest winds 10 to 15 mph with gusts to around 25 mph.

Tonight: Mostly clear. Lows in the upper 20s. Northeast winds up to 5 mph shifting to the southeast after midnight.

Wednesday: Warmer. Partly sunny. Highs in the mid 60s. South winds 10 to 20 mph with gusts to around 30 mph.

Wednesday Night: Mostly cloudy with a 30 percent chance of rain. Lows in the upper 30s. West winds 5 to 10 mph.

Thursday: Cooler. Mostly sunny. Highs in the mid 50s. North winds 10 to 15 mph.

Thursday Night: Mostly clear. Lows in the lower 30s.

Friday: Mostly sunny. Highs in the lower 60s.

Friday Night: Partly cloudy. Lows in the upper 30s.

Saturday: Sunny. Highs in the lower 60s.

Saturday Night: Partly cloudy. Lows in the lower 40s.

Sunday: Partly sunny with slight chance of rain showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the upper 60s.

Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy. Lows in the upper 40s.

Monday: Partly sunny with slight chance of rain showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the upper 60s.

The Geary County Sheriff’s Department has reported a two vehicle non-injury accident occurred at mile marker 157 on US Highway 77.

Deetra Louis, Junction City, was stopping at a stop light in a Toyota Camry when the vehicle was hit from behind by a Honda Civic driven by Michael Almodovar, Junction City.

The accident was reported at 6:02 a.m. Tuesday.

The Junction City Daily Union has been in the Montgomery family for four generations and more than 130 years. Saying it was a difficult decision, publisher John G. Montgomery confirmed a change of ownership of the Junction City Daily Union, Abilene Reflector-Chronicle, and Wamego Smoke Signal.

Chris Walker and the White Corporation, owner of the Emporia Gazette, will assume ownership of the publications effective March 1. While Montgomery, president of Montgomery Communications, will be retiring from day-to-day operational responsibility, he will continue to maintain an office at the Daily Union, assist in the transition, and remain involved in an advisory capacity.

Montgomery stated, “As I am now 75 I felt that it was time to think about retiring, if not retire. So that was what drove me ultimately to the decision. And I’ve always had a great deal of respect for the White and Walker family from Emporia.”

Montgomery noted he wanted to keep the newspapers in Kansas, and run by a Kansas family he admired. There have been discussions on the sale for the past two years. He agreed it is bittersweet for him. “It is, absolutely. It is very difficult, and it was difficult this ( Monday ) morning when I told our department heads and other employees around the building what we were doing. It’s definitely bittersweet. I’m going to miss the industry, but I’m going to continue to have an office here, be in an advisory capacity, and make the transition as smooth as possible.”

Montgomery and his wife, Judy, will continue to reside in Junction City.

On major stories that he and the Daily Union have been involved with Montgomery noted a personal one…his arrival in Junction City in 1973 to join the family business. On the national level there have been the conflicts with Iraq and Afghanistan, and on the local level in recent years the tragic plane crash that took the lives of the Ron and Becky Bramlage family, and the passing of prominent developer Russell Johnson.

Montgomery said he tried to give the Junction City community the best possible newspaper they could for a community of this size. In recent years the primary focus was on local news.

Montgomery said he has been in the newspaper all of his life. He remembered returning to Kansas with his grandfather in the 1940’s and 50’s, and inserting pre-prints into newspapers. Later while his father John D. Montgomery published the paper he worked in the editorial and advertising departments, and then in 1973 returned to Junction City to become publisher.

The sale is effective Tuesday ( March 1 ).

Tickets for Symphony in the Flint Hills will go on sale Saturday at 10 a.m.

The annual event attracts thousands to a performance of classical musical by the Kansas City symphony.

This year it will be held June 11 at South Clements Pasture in Chase County.

Tickets are $90 plus tax for adults and $50 plus tax for children. VIP packages are available at kcsymphony.org.

Geary Community Hospital recently launched a Medical Explorer program for high school students interested in the medical field. The program began at the hospital early January, 2016 and has been running strong with at least 20 students attending each session. Every other Wednesday evening a different department or specialty is featured with hands-on activities at the hospital.

 

“This is a wonderful pro­gram for high school stu­dents looking to go into the medical field,” said Joe Stratton, GCH Chief Executive Officer. “These stu­dents are given a special opportunity to see various aspects of the healthcare industry and it may also spark interest in something of which they were not aware.”

 

Dr. Tom Craig, of Internal Medicine, along with Nikki Davies, Director of Public Relations, teamed up to launch and lead the program and have created a curriculum for the five month class. “We coordinate with each subject matter expert per respective specialty area to ensure it is not only educational but fun for the students too,” said Dr. Tom Craig.

 

Classes have already included the cardiopulmonary department, radiology department, labo­ratory, emergency department and tying surgical knots with physicians. Hospital officials plan to hold the class next spring and may even consider offering it in the fall semes­ter. It isn’t limited to kids from Junction City High School — kids from the sur­rounding area are also invit­ed to sign up.

 

“The medical field is a growing industry and though it is constantly evolving it is one that will never go away,” said Stratton. “If we can use this program as a tool to grow our own, then we are making great strides in the prevention of  ‘brain drain’ not only in the Flint Hills region but the state of Kansas as well.”

 

The class will run through the end of May, 2016. Students can still sign up by contacting Nikki Davies at ndavies@gchks.org or 785-210-3307.

 

The Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare & Recreation in partnership with the Garrison Safety Office at Fort Riley will receive a $10,400 award from Yamaha for the improvement of the existing trails and signage at the Fort Riley ATV Range ( Training Area 10 ) for CY 2016. Fort Riley officials made the announcement on Monday.

Through the Outdoor Access Initiative, Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. provides grant funding to deserving organizations to help further the program’s goal of Guaranteeing Responsible Access to our Nation’s Trails.

The grant acceptance ceremony will take place at 1:30 p.m. on Friday on the Ware Parade Field.