By BRIAN GRIMMETT

The terms for handing off the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility in Manhattan, Kansas, have been settled — even as the billion-dollar-plus research site remains under construction.

In the agreement signed this week, the Department of Homeland Security remains responsible for completing construction of the state-of-the-art research facility. But it will hand over the job of running the place to the U.S. Department of Agriculture when construction wraps up. That’s expected at the end of 2020.

Now the USDA won’t be a tenant, it’ll be the landlord.

“The roles of the research people does not change,” DHS NBAF Coordinator Tim Barr said. “The security setting does not change. The relationships that exist with the FBI and other entities, that does not change at all.”

NBAF is intended to be a world-class animal disease research facility and will ultimately be the only location in the U.S. where scientists will study live foot-and-mouth disease in livestock.

Once finished, the building will house more than 500,000 square feet of laboratory space, including the nation’s first biosafety Level 4 large animal research laboratory.

The BSL-4 laboratory will allow researchers to study deadly zoonotic diseases — those that are highly contagious and can spread between humans and animals — that don’t have any known vaccinations or treatments.

NBAF will be replacing the aging Plum Island Animal Disease Center in New York.

The USDA recently opened up an office in Manhattan to begin recruiting potential employees.

“A facility like this allows us to bring those people in, do the work that we need to do and be more prepared to stand-up operationally when we move into the NBAF facility,” said Ken Burton, USDA’s NBAF coordinator.

He said the agency would like to have 80% of the workforce needed for NBAF hired by the end of 2020.

The USDA expects to need as many as 400 employees once the facility is completely up and running at the end of 2022.

Brian Grimmett reports on the environment, energy and natural resources for KMUW in Wichita and the Kansas News Service. Follow him on Twitter @briangrimmett or email grimmett (at) kmuw (dot) org.

SALINE COUNTY — A 27-year-old  woman and a two-year-old boy had to be rescued by Saline County Sheriff’s deputies Sunday night after attempting to drive onto a flooded roadway in the eastern part of Saline County.

Deputies were sent to the 9000 block of East Magnolia Road for the report of a vehicle stalled in floodwaters, according to Saline County Sheriff Roger Soldan.

He said deputies waded into the water covering the roadway to rescue the woman from Abilene and child.

No one was injured, Soldan said.

A flood warning continues on Monday and until Tuesday afternoon for the Smoky Hill River near Junction City. Minor flooding is forecast.

The flood stage is 22 feet, and the river is expected to rise to 22.4 feet by Monday afternoon before falling below flood stage Monday night. At 22 feet water spreads over north and south banks of the Smoky Hill River and lowlands near the river flood.

The Geary County Sheriff’s Department reported that Deputies responded to I-70 westbound mile marker 313 for a single vehicle accident Saturday.

Terrance L. Black, Aurora, Colorado, was driving a 2004 GMC Envoy which ran off the right side of the road and wound up in a ditch. Minor injuries were reported. The accident was reported at 8:21 a.m. on Saturday.

By Martin Hawver

There’s a place where the constitutional protection of free speech bumps up against polite or at least orderly conduct that is now in the process of being sorted out in a federal court in Topeka.

The issue is that American Civil Liberties Union lawsuit against the folks who manage the Statehouse and just what is permitted and not permitted inside its halls where lawmakers consider issues ranging from expanding Medicaid to Kansans and, well, to whether you can ride your all-terrain vehicle across a federal highway.

That’s a broad range of topics, and there are different levels of emotion by supporters on the issues. But the federal district court case appears to be more narrowly focused on signs in the Statehouse and whether the four 10-foot by 24-foot banners urging expansion of Medicaid in Kansas are a little too big, and whether just an 8-1/2-inch by 11-inch piece of paper with a message on it is too small.

The 1^st Amendment doesn’t talk about sizes. It talks about freedom to express one’s opinions. Haven’t found the American yet who opposes freedom of speech; just how that speech is delivered.

The issue gets complicated in the Statehouse, a grand and well-preserved historic governmental headquarters for Kansans that deserves protection. Can’t think of anyone except maybe maintenance contractors who want people to express their opinions by nailing signs on the walls of the Statehouse. Carrying signs? That’s a pretty good way to express one’s opinions, especially in the building where state law is created.

The banners incident which fostered the lawsuit? Three Kansas State University students unfurled banners in the Statehouse rotunda blasting legislative leaders (Senate President Susan Wagle, R-Wichita, House Speaker Ron Ryckman, R-Olathe, Senate Majority Leader Jim Denning, R-Overland Park, and House Majority Leader Dan Hawkins, R-Wichita) for stymieing passage of a bill law that would expand KanCare for poor Kansans. “Blood on their hands” was the key phrase on the banners. That’s a politically ingenious way to draw the issue, with a catchy phrase that got the protesters and their opinions on television, in the newspapers and probably all over the Internet.

But the banners were removed from the Statehouse rotunda by state workers because they didn’t meet Statehouse rules for such signage. Too big. No official approval for the size or placement of the banners, and, well, they were disruptive.

It fell a dab short of the shouting “fire” in a theater, but it was disruptive.

And while there’s a 1^st Amendment and the need for an orderly and safe operation of the Statehouse, there’s something in the middle. Conservative legislative leaders would rather not see signs, and certainly not banners, in the Statehouse. The ACLU? It’s apparently willing to settle for something considerably smaller than the banners, but large enough that they can, if phrased catchily, still express a clear statement of opinion that lawmakers can read from a few feet away, or maybe even across the rotunda.

The other recent free-speech issues? Singing from the Senate balcony? Ordering reporters off the Senate floor (and threatening to revoke their Senate press credentials) after they’ve gotten their photos and quotes from protesters? A little more difficult, and probably something that will be settled not in court, but by legislative leadership which dreams up the rules for conduct in its chambers.

What’s next? We’re thinking back to those airport frames, the ones that determine whether you can carry on a bag or have to have it checked into the baggage cart. Something like “if your sign fits through this frame (unfolded), you can carry it into the Statehouse.”

Free speech? Yes, just a dab smaller…

The Milford Lions Club will hold a fund raiser at Freddy’s Restaurant, 802 East Chestnut Street in Junction City on Tuesday from 5-8 p.m.

Bev Greenwood said portion of the proceeds from food sales will go to support the community, Milford Elementary School and Junction City youth.

FORT RILEY — Fort Riley is partnering with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation to host the Hiring Our Heroes Career Summit Wednesday and Thursday.

The event is scheduled for Fort Riley’s Conference Center, 446 Seitz Ave.

While this nationally-recognized hiring event provides active duty service members another avenue for exploring future careers, it’s also an opportunity for military spouses and veterans to connect with more than 90 employers and educational institutions that will be on hand and learn ways to jump start a new career.

Many companies will be prepared to interview and hire potential employees. Companies participating in the event range from America’s largest employers to dozens of smaller companies from across the region.

The event begins with a free reception on Wednesday, providing attendees the opportunity to network with human resource experts and hiring managers.

Thursday features a full day of workshops ranging from career planning to using digital networking and job search sites, such as LinkedIn and Indeed, to resume writing and interviewing. The day will conclude with a career fair and the opportunity to speak directly with representatives of local, regional and national companies.

The Hiring Our Heroes career summit is for all military spouses, service members and veterans, regardless of branch of service, from across the region — including Fort Riley, Fort Leavenworth and McConnell Air Force Base.

Pre-registration is recommended, as some employers will reach out to prospective employees prior to the event. You can pre-register for the career summit at https://www.hiringourheroes.org/events.

For more information, call the Fort Riley Soldier For Life Transition Assistance Program office at
785-239-2278.

GEARY COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just after 1:30p.m. Saaturday in Geary County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2005 Toyota Prius driven by Colleen M. White, 32, Broomfield, Co., was southbound on Kansas177 eight miles south of Manhattan and turned onto the Interstate 70 westbound on ramp.

The driver failed to negotiate the turn and ended up in the north ditch of the on ramp.

White was transported to Geary County Hospital. She was properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.