Topics ranging from the norms for breastfeeding the baby to Hypoglycemia and Jaundice were covered on the first day of the two-day Breastfeeding Summit at the Courtyard by Marriot Convention Center in Junction City.

The keynote speaker was Dr. Jack Newman from Toronto, Canada.

Day two of the seminar on Tuesday will include discussion on topics ranging from Maternal Perinatal Neurobehavior to Public Health Implementation of Skin-to-Skin Contact.

More than 185 people, primarily healthcare professionals, from four states are attending the summit, which is being sponsored by Delivering Change and Geary County WIC.

 

LOS ANGELES – A Kansas State University professor won a Grammy award on Monday night for his solo performance on an album with the Kansas City Chorale

Bryan Pinkall, assistant professor of music, and the Kansas City Chorale won in the categories of Best Choral Performance for the album “Rachmaninoff: All-Night Vigil.”

We won!!! pic.twitter.com/z7WcWjW59y

— Bryan Pinkall (@pinkall) February 15, 2016

The album was released last March and debuted at No. 1 on the Classical and Traditional Classical Billboard charts.

pic.twitter.com/j4SMdHGVCQ

— Bryan Pinkall (@pinkall) February 16, 2016

A local business man and the chair of the Economic Development Advisory Committee Ben Kitchens has offered his opinion on the decision by the Army to allow single and unaccompanied soldiers to occupy private housing at Fort Riley.

While the Army’s decision to allow single soldiers to live in privatized housing at Ft. Riley is certainly disappointing and could adversely affect the local economy, it should come as no surprise based on what the Army has done at other installations.  The efforts to encourage the Army to get to the end number of housing units sooner than 2021 should continue. 

 

As a community, energy should be directed towards marketing Junction City and Geary County as the place to live, work, shop and play.  The region continues to experience growth so why not market Junction City/Geary County?  These efforts should start with getting the citizens of Junction City and Geary County to believe in their community, talk the talk and walk the walk.  Sometimes, we tend to be our own worst enemies by wallowing in the negatives and not preaching how great our community is.  Once the citizens feel good about themselves, getting the word out with positive marketing follows.

 

Engaging everyone in the process to develop a plan to market our community combined with the efforts of the EDC to maximize our position to create jobs will lead to positive results going forward.   

 

Regards,

 

Ben Kitchens

 

Written by: Pat Melgares Monday, Feb. 15, 2016 Study: Freezing steak improves tenderness of some cuts MANHATTAN — Meat lovers may find it appealing to take a fresh steak from the store right to their home grill, but research continues to show that freezing the steak and cooking it later actually improves the tenderness of certain cuts. Kansas State University meat scientists say they’ve confirmed previous findings about the impact of freezing strip loin and inside round steaks. In a recent study, they tested six major muscles from the hind quarter and found that those two cuts were as much as 10 percent more tender after freezing. Steaks were evaluated for tenderness using the Warner-Bratzler Shear Force test, which measures the force needed to shear muscles. “So the question we had was why did these two cuts react while the other four did not,” said John Unruh, professor of animal sciences and industry. Part of the answer, he noted, is moisture loss. “These two muscles, for some reason, did not lose as much moisture during freezing as the other four,” Unruh said. Unruh and a team of graduate students also evaluated 125 paired strip loin steaks available in a retail setting. The steaks were frozen, thawed and evaluated for tenderness. “The strip loin steaks showed a 6 percent improvement in the Warner-Bratzler Shear Force test, indicating a more tender steak,” Unruh said. “Moisture loss did occur, but it was low, about 2 percent.” Freezing does, indeed, improve the tenderness of beef strip loin steaks, Unruh said. In a related study, the scientists tested the tenderness of strip loin steaks being sold in retail grocery stores. “We monitored the differences in these steaks at different times of the year and different quality grades, including Premium Choice, Choice and Select,” Unruh said. “A higher percentage of the steaks in the higher quality category, Premium Choice, met Warner-Bratzler shear thresholds for tender or very tender.” Lower quality cuts were more likely to fluctuate in tenderness throughout the year, he said. Unruh and his students will present their findings at the Kansas State University Cattleman’s Day, which will take place March 4 in Manhattan.

According to the National Weather Service of Topeka, today will be sunny with highs 50 to 55. There is a chance for light rain Monday night across northeast Kansas. Warm and dry conditions through the week.

Today: Not as cool. Sunny. Highs in the lower 50s. West winds 5 to 15 mph.

Tonight: Not as cold. Mostly cloudy with slight chance of sprinkles. Lows in the lower 30s. Southwest winds up to 10 mph.

Washingtons Birthday: Mostly sunny. Highs in the mid 50s. Northwest winds 5 to 15 mph.

Monday Night: Mostly cloudy. Chance of sprinkles. Lows in the mid 30s. Southwest winds up to 5 mph shifting to the west 5 to 15 mph with gusts to around 25 mph after midnight.

Tuesday: Mostly sunny. Highs in the mid 50s. Northwest winds 10 to 20 mph.

Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy. Lows in the lower 30s.

Wednesday: Sunny. Highs around 60.

Wednesday Night: Mostly clear. Lows in the upper 30s.

Thursday: Warmer. Mostly sunny. Highs in the lower 70s.

Thursday Night: Breezy…warmer. Mostly clear. Lows in the lower 50s.

Friday: Sunny. Highs in the mid 60s.

Friday Night: Colder. Mostly clear. Lows in the upper 30s.

Saturday: Sunny. Highs in the lower 60s.

Fort Riley and Corvias Military Living announced last week that single and unaccompanied military personnel who receive the basic allowance for housing are now eligible to live on post in privatized military housing.

They cited the decision to expand eligibility was made due to immediate home availability and a small decrease in the number of active duty families currently living on post.

Junction City Mayor Mick McCallister has responded by noting that the post housing inventory is higher than what was agreed to in 2010. “What Corvias and the Army would like to do is open up the opportunities to single soldiers to be able to live on the post. ” McCallister cited the information he has seen, “Somewhere around $400 per person, maybe two, maybe three people to a vacant home they’re looking to fill with single soldiers, active duty soldiers.”

McCallister said both Junction City and Manhattan have listened to Army requests to build apartments off the installation because the two-bedroom capability was being eliminated on post. “That was done. Junction City’s been doing that, Manhattan’s been doing that, and now the plan is because of the over abundance of inventory on the installation there is a plan to fill that with single soldiers. That really would adversely affect the Flint Hills Region.”

In their news release Army officials noted that the expansion of housing eligibility at Fort Riley helps to ensure the housing partnership between Corvias and the Army is able to reinvest in future home construction, modernization, upgrades and repairs throughout the 50-year partnership. They noted with troop drawdowns and changes to Army structure, several Army installations have similarly expanded on-post housing eligibility programs across the nation.

 

The Geary County Sheriff’s Department worked a two-vehicle injury accident Friday night on US 77 Highway south of Junction City.

Jeff Prafke, Dwight, was traveling northbound in his 1999 Ford Escort when the vehicle crossed the center line, and sideswiped a Cadillac CTS driven by Stephen Newey, Herington.  Both vehicles left the roadway and rolled onto opposite sides of US 77.

Prafke was flown to a Salina Hospital while Stephen Newey and Lisa Newey, were taken to Geary Community Hospital.

UPDATE:

The Kansas Highway Patrol has confirmed that a 30-year old Manhattan woman, Jenna Michelle Lindsten, has died following a three-vehicle accident in Riley County on Saturday.

Initially Lindsten had been transported to Stormont Vail following the accident, which was reported just after 11 a.m. Saturday at the intersection of Marlatt Avenue and Tuttle Creek Boulevard. KHP later received notice that Lindsten had passed away.

 

 

RILEY COUNTY – A Manhattan woman was injured in an accident just after 11a.m. on Saturday in Riley County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reports a 2014 Chevy Captiva Sport driven by Jenna Michelle LIndsten, 30, Manhattan, was eastbound on Marlatt Avenue approaching Tuttle Creek Boulevard.

The Chevy had a green light and started through the intersection.

A southbound semi ran the red light and struck the Chevrolet. The collision caused the Chevy to spin into the northbound lanes where it struck a 2008 Chevy Silverado driven by Quinton Lee Huncovsky, 42, Manhattan, which was stopped in the northbound lanes of Tuttle Creek waiting on a red light.

Lindsten was transported to Stormont Vail.

Huncovsky was possibly injured. The KHP did not indicate where he was treated.

The semi driver Ethan Mark Butts, 21, Manhattan was not injured.

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

The Geary County Sheriff’s Department reports that Deputies responded to K-18 Highway mile marker 166 for a single vehicle non-injury accident Friday evening.

Kevin Langdon, Talmage, was driving a 2006 Buick Lacerne eastbound when a cow entered the roadway. Langdon was unable to avoid striking the animal.