The Dickinson County Law Enforcement Communications Center confirms two road closures early Monday morning due to flooding.

They are:

–2600 Avenue of Eden Road about three miles west of Abilene

–K-4 Highway at a location southwest of Abilene. Motorists can get to Gypsum but cannot go on through to Salina.

According to the National Weather Service of Topeka, areas of light precipitation will continue through the morning hours, primarily across far north central and far northeast KS. While most of this lingering precipitation should remain as light rain, some light snow will be possible across far north central KS in which any snow accumulations should remain at less than 1 inch. This precipitation should exit the area by this afternoon with predominantly dry conditions for the remainder of the week and into the weekend. However, expect temperatures to drop to near or below the seasonal normals for the latter part of the week, with highs in the 30s and 40s, and overnight lows in the 20s.

Early This Morning: Rain likely. Northwest winds 10 to 15 mph with gusts to around 25 mph. Chance of rain 70 percent.

Today: Cloudy until late afternoon then becoming partly sunny. A 20 percent chance of rain and snow in the morning. Highs in the mid 40s. Northwest winds 10 to 15 mph with gusts to around 25 mph.

Tonight: Partly cloudy in the evening then becoming mostly cloudy. Lows in the lower 30s. North winds up to 5 mph shifting to the east after midnight.

Tuesday: Partly sunny. Highs in the mid 50s. Southeast winds 10 to 20 mph.

Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy. Lows in the lower 30s. Southwest winds 10 to 15 mph with gusts to around 25 mph.

Wednesday: Colder. Mostly sunny. Highs in the lower 40s. West winds 10 to 20 mph.

Wednesday Night: Mostly clear. Lows in the mid 20s.

Thursday: Mostly sunny. Highs in the upper 30s.

Thursday Night: Partly cloudy. Lows in the lower 20s.

Friday: Sunny. Highs in the upper 30s.

Friday Night: Mostly clear. Lows in the lower 20s.

Saturday: Sunny. Highs in the mid 40s.

Saturday Night: Not as cold. Partly cloudy. Lows in the lower 30s.

Sunday: Mostly sunny. Highs in the lower 50s.

The Superintendent of Schools for Chapman USD 473, Lacee Sell, says there will be a two-hour late start for schools in that district on Monday.

Eagle Communications, an employee-owned television provider based in Hays, Kansas, has announced it may be forced to drop a collection of television channels owned by AMC Networks on January 1, 2016. Eagle execs cite the possibility of channel drops are due to AMC’s unreasonable terms and rate increases of more than 350% during the duration of the proposed contract set to take effect in 2016.

“As a local provider, Eagle prides itself on giving our customers the best possible service and value and we want to keep our customers’ costs low,” Gary Shorman, Eagle Communications CEO, said. “We will not be bullied by big networks forcing unreasonable demands on our customers. Eagle is actively working toward an agreement, with our partners at the National Cable Television Cooperative to ensure quality and value in programming. AMC’s tactics translates to unprecedented rate increases of over 350% for the term of the agreement — that just doesn’t make sense for our customers.”

AMC Networks is demanding a 10-year contract, as opposed to the industry standard three-to-five year agreement, and forcing the carriage of additional, lower-rated channels.

“We are aware that AMC has a popular show, “The Walking Dead,” but beyond this, the rest of the programming is unknown and far from popular. Eagle will continue to work with our partners at the NCTC to try to reach an agreement, with modified terms, that will allow us to continue to provide these channels. However, we are aware that Eagle is not the only provider that feels this way – we’re one of hundreds of other cable operators, representing over three million subscribers nationwide that is fighting for reasonable terms for our customers. Those channels will no longer be available in 2016 if nothing changes,” said Shorman.

AMC Networks include AMC, IFC, Sundance, WE, BBC World and BBC America. Eagle Communications currently provides AMC, IFC and WE in their channel lineups, and will continue to do so through the end of the year. If an agreement between Eagle and AMC is not reached before midnight on December 31, 2015 those networks will be dropped from Eagle’s lineups on January 1.

“Nobody likes to see their TV bill go up and we don’t like increasing fees to our customers. Network fees account for the bulk of a customers’ monthly TV bill. We are actively looking for other great channels to bring our customers, that will provide more, and in many cases, better channels for them and their families to watch,” said Travis Kohlrus, Eagle Communications Broadband General Manager. “If the channel is dropped in 2016, it does not mean customers cannot watch their favorite shows. Our teams at Eagle are ready to help our customers find new episodes and seasons, using other technologies and services, which many of our customers already subscribe to, like Amazon, iTunes, Vudu, Google Play and AMC’s own website. These shows are often times available within 24-hours of airing,” Kohlrus added.

Eagle maintains the fact that they continue to work to keep costs low to the end consumer and don’t believe a network with one popular show should hijack a consumer’s budget for that one show.

“In the end, our goal is to protect our customers from unrealistic programing fee increases. In order to provide our customers with programming, we pay a negotiated fee per month, per customer to receive the channels. Eagle will work hard, during every contract negotiation, to get the best value. Eagle refuses to be pushed into a corner with terms and prices that are unreasonable – it has to stop, it will start with AMC. We believe it is our responsibility to our customers to take a stand,” said Shorman.

For the latest on the AMC contract negotiations, please visit TVonmyside.com

The NCTC is a non-profit corporation that represents more than 900 small to mid-size cable television providers across the United States and its territories. It operates as a programming and hardware purchasing organization for its member companies.

Eagle Communications, Inc. is a Kansas-based Broadband Services and Media Company with more than 270 employee-owners. The company operates 28 radio stations in Kansas, Nebraska, and Missouri as well as cable TV systems in 59 Kansas, Nebraksa and Colorado communities. The company also offers e-business solutions, web hosting, telephone service, high-speed Internet, and wireless Internet in most service areas. For more information logon to www.eaglecom.net.

Fort Riley leaders touched on a variety of issues during a press briefing Friday where they unveiled the Fort Riley Campaign Plan 2020.

The plan includes multiple lines of operation.

Major General Wayne Grigsby Jr. said the list includes maintaining combat readiness. “That’s what we do. We build forces that are ready to close with and destroy the enemy. That’s just what we do.”

Sustainment of equipment, community relationships, keeping soldiers ready and resilient, and communication strategy are other lines.

—

Garrison Commander Colonel Andrew Cole addressed the challenge faced by the Army of reduced resources.

He asked area communities for patience as the post deals with it, but he urged continued dialogue with Fort Riley officials through community avenues through partnerships in the region, and also at the city and county level, “as we have to do things that may ultimately that affect the $1.5 or $1.6 billion in direct economic impact that we bring to this region.”

Cole stressed patience as officials deal with the challenges of reduced force structure. “Patience is one thing that we would ask as we work through changes, as we work through varying courses of action that we have to take here on the installation to still be able to deliver and develop combat readiness.”

—

Fort Riley is preparing for the 100th anniversary of the 1st Infantry Division in 2017. There will be activities leading up to that, but three days will be dedicated during Victory Week in 2017 to celebrate the 100th anniversary.

—

Housing has been a concern off post for community leaders as the Army downsizes, and soldiers may move from off-post locations back into on-post housing that has been built in recent years.

Colonel Cole addressed the housing issue. “We’re looking at seeing fewer people on post, but yet we have these structures on the installation that we have to deal with. Either they’re occuppied or we have to maintain them. So ultimately what we’re doing is a combined solution in partnership not only with our housing partner formerly Picerne, now Corvias, as well as talking to our local counties and the local mayors as well. And we’re developing a combined solution on how do we still make sure that we’re maximizing to the extent that we can our on-post structures, as well as partnering with our off-post communities to make sure that again that economic impact and the opportunities that we’re providing also can dovetail into the communities.”

 

GEARY COUNTY –Two people were injured in an accident just before 4p.m. on Sunday in Geary County.

The Kansas Highway patrol reported a 2011 Dodge Caravan driven by Theodore C. Fuller, 56, Gladstone, MO., was eastbound on Interstate 70 three miles east of Marshall Air Field.

The vehicle entered the south ditch and struck a rock embankment.

Fuller and a passenger Fuller, Tina M. Fuller, 51, Gladstone, Mo., were transported to the Geary Community Hospital.

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

The National Weather Service in Topeka, KS has issued a

* Flood warning for
The Republican River at Clay Center.
* from Sunday evening to Tuesday morning.
* At 4:30 PM Sunday the stage was 14.2 feet.
* Flood stage is 15.0 feet.
* Minor flooding is forecast.
* Forecast…Rise above flood stage by this evening and continue to
rise to near 15.8 feet by Monday morning.The river will fall below
flood stage by Monday before midnight.
* Impact…At 15.0 feet…Lowland agricultural flooding occurs from
U.S. Highway 24 to Milford Lake.

There was an emergency warning siren malfunction in the North Park area of Junction City Saturday evening during a brief thunderstorm that moved through the area.

That information was provided by Junction City police dispatch.

There were no severe storm warnings.

 

Fort Riley officials rolled out the update Campaign 2020 plan on post Friday.

The plan was first developed in 2010, but there have been updates in succeeding versions. The latest updates aim toward a larger focus on readiness.

1st Infantry Division Commanding General, Major General Wayne Grigsby Jr. explained that they will continue to balance their training between the Mission Command Training Center and live training in the field.

Grigby noted the Mission Command Training Center allows Fort Riley to do fundamental training up front. “So we go into the collective live event that builds confidence. In live we go in at a higher level. That means we’ll come out at a higher level. ”

Grigsby stressed the Mission Command Training Center does not replace live training.  “I still need to conduct live operations.”

Grigsby called the land that Fort Riley has for live training a major strength, combined with the buffer zone between the post and its’ surrounding communities. It allows Fort Riley to do more than other military installations across the country.

The Geary County Sheriff’s Department Saturday morning report included two DUI related arrests.

–Marwin Hudge and Justin Rose, both of Junction City, on suspicion of Possession of a Controlled Substance with Intent to Distribute. They were arrested at 1913 Lacy Drive at 2:46 a.m. on Saturday.