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Kansas considers quarantine for invasive bluestem grass

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MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Kansas agricultural officials are considering a quarantine to slow the spread of an invasive plant that’s threatening the state’s native grasses.

The Kansas Department of Agriculture recently sought public input on a plan to quarantine invasive yellow and Caucasian bluestem grasses. The varieties have invaded all but three counties in Kansas.

Declaring the quarantine would prohibit the movement of all seeds, plants or parts of bluestem grasses within Kansas or across the border into the state.

The move could affect some ranchers who rely on the species when cutting hay to feed livestock.

Ron Klataske, executive director of environmental nonprofit Audubon of Kansas, expressed support for the proposal, saying bluestems are both difficult and expensive to eradicate.

“It has a dramatic detrimental impact,” Klataske said. “It basically destroys all native plants.”

He said bluestems are inferior to native grasses in terms of livestock forage, erosion control and wildlife habitat.

Kansas Livestock Association Attorney Aaron Popelka acknowledged that bluestem grasses pose a threat to the state’s biodiversity. But Popelka said the livestock group opposes the plan because it could economically hurt producers.

He said the quarantine would prevent hauling hay containing the invasive bluestems, affecting farmers and ranchers in areas where the grasses aren’t posing a big challenge.

Popelka said most of the bluestem grasses “came from the (state) Department of Transportation allowing it to be seeded along roadways.”

He said producers shouldn’t be forced to deal with a problem largely manufactured by the government.

Popelka instead suggested that the state blocks the sale and planting of bluestem seeds in Kansas. He also said the state could list bluestems as a noxious weed. The label would allow the plant to be managed on a county-by-county basis.

The Department of Agriculture doesn’t have a timeline to decide on the quarantine, according to officials.


Check Flipp interactive online circulars on Little Apple Post

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Riley County Arrest Report Sunday June 30

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The following is a summary of arrests, citations by the Riley County Police Department. Those arrested are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

THERESA LYNN ERWIN KOTULA, 51, Manhattan, Failure to Appear; Bond $2000

NICHOLAS JAY SAMUELSON, 40, Westmoreland, Possession of opiate, opium, narcotic or certain stimulant Use/possess w/intent to use drug paraphernalia into human body; Bond $3000

BRADLEY DEAN SMITH JR, 18, St. George, Driving under the infl of drugs/alcohol; 1st conv;competent evidence of blood/breath .08+ Failure to appear; Bond $1250

 

Vaccine Opposition Isn’t Why Many Thousands Of Kansans Miss Out On Shots

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 CELIA LLOPIS-JEPSEN

Oklahoma, Missouri, Colorado.

State health officials think a case in Kansas looks nearly inevitable. And the state’s annual survey of kindergartener vaccination rates suggests some counties do better than others at getting little kids their potentially life-saving shots of MMR vaccine.

But while measles snags all the headlines, doctors, nurses, and public health workers worry not just about that, but about other vaccine-preventable diseases that rarely raise the same alarms for the public.

The best evidence suggests hundreds of thousands of Kansans lack one shot or another — or  several. Those inoculations have the potential to save lives from pneumonia, cancer and other threats.

Why so many under-vaccinated people?

The latest map of the 2019 measles outbreak. Kansas is in a shrinking minority of states without cases yet (light blue).
CREDIT CDC

As best as public health experts can tell, religious objections and the anti-vaccination movement account for just a tiny sliver of the myriad reasons.

More commonly, the obstacles involve busy work lives, rural distances, poverty, spotty vaccine records, health providers with gaps in vaccine stock or limited walk-in hours, and the public’s lack of knowledge about things like adult vaccine schedules.

Vaccine schedule for adults: What shots are recommended and when?

Schedule for children/teens: What shots are recommended and when?

Every age group is affected, from infants to the elderly. Though Kansas theoretically requires shots against illnesses such as measles, whooping cough and polio for school attendance, 15% of kindergartners last year weren’t up to date on those.

If this all sounds dismal, some public health experts see cause for optimism.

Changing the mind of someone truly opposed to vaccines can seem daunting, even amid outbreaks of illnesses such as measles. This despite the risks of foregoing shots: hospitalization, brain damage, deafness or even death. A 105-degree fever is common with measles, Mayo Clinic says.

The vaccine against measles, mumps and rubella is required to attend school in Kansas.
CREDIT CELIA LLOPIS-JEPSEN / KANSAS NEWS SERVICE

“They cannot be swayed,” pediatrician Barbara Pahud said. “Focus on this ginormous group in the middle …. They’re already on board for some vaccines, so there is hope if you want to see it that way.”

That “ginormous” middle group of under- or unvaccinated people greatly outnumbers those who reject all vaccines based on religion or other beliefs. Researchers peg the latter group at just 1 to 3 percent of the population, said Pahud, a specialist in infectious diseases at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City and an associate professor at the University of Kansas and University of Missouri-Kansas City.

Read about the known side effects of specific vaccines here. No evidence links vaccines to autism, a myth that got its start with a debunked academic article.  Read Autism Speaks’ FAQ page on what does and doesn’t cause autism here.

Numbers speak loudly

Health is a numbers game. You can’t be certain pneumonia won’t get you, but you can reduce your risk with two vaccines against bacterial pneumonia recommended for adults ages 65 and older. Bacterial pneumonia hospitalizes hundreds of thousands of Americans a year and kills tens of thousands.

Likewise, researchers estimate inoculation against the cancer-causing HPV virus would wipe out 80 percent of the tens of thousands of cancer cases it causes across the country each year. (The vast majority of people pick up HPV at some point in their lives, though most clear it out of their bodies naturally without necessarily ever knowing.)

“Just imagine: Almost everybody knows a woman who’s had an abnormal pap smear,” said Edward Ellerbeck, chair of preventive medicine and public health at KU’s School of Medicine. “And imagine now, ‘Oh, I don’t have to worry about abnormal pap smears.’”

The HPV vaccine eliminates the number one cause of those worrying results.

Yet surveys and other sources that the federal government uses to gauge vaccine rates suggest just half of Kansas teens get even the first dose of the two-to-three dose HPV vaccine. The same problematically low rates apply to the state’s elderlyand the recommended pneumonia immunizations.

Minors without insurance, with poor-quality insurance or on Medicaid qualify for free vaccines against 16 diseases, including HPV and measles. Read more.

That frustrates groups trying to rein in the havoc these diseases wreak on our health, happiness and pocketbooks. Compared to other measures we should take to safeguard ourselves — exercise more, eat healthier, quit smoking — a shot in the arm is an easy lift.

“If there was a vaccine against breast cancer or lung cancer or prostate cancer, we’d probably run out of vaccine,” said Dan Leong, of the American Cancer Society in Kansas.

It’s tempting to conclude Kansans simply don’t want the HPV vaccine for cultural reasons. That theory seems less convincing when the best data available, though imperfect, suggest many more teens get the shots in other states. That includes nearby states with similar populations and cultural attitudes.

Checking records

It’s difficult to single out what hurdles stand between Kansans and vaccines⁠ — HPV or otherwise. Public health experts see a patchwork of barriers large and small, some of which are counterintuitive.

Last month, the Immunize Kansas Coalition launched a video campaign targeting not just parents but fellow doctors. Why? Because some physicians don’t talk to parents about the HPV vaccine. For that matter, says Wichita pediatrician Gretchen Homan, some don’t talk to patients about other vaccines, either.

Sometimes doctors assume parents will say no. Other times, they may not have the vaccines on hand.

“They don’t even pull up a vaccine record on the kids that they see,” said Homan, a professor at the KU School of Medicine in Wichita. “Because they’re not stocking those vaccines, they don’t even check the status and don’t have the conversation.”

That can leave families mistakenly thinking they’re up to date on all their shots, or that inoculation isn’t important. She encourages doctors and nurses to check vaccine records no matter what, and tell patients about locations that stock what they need.

Families, meanwhile, should feel free to ask.

Hepatitis A vaccine is already required for daycare in Kansas and will likely soon be required for school, too.
CREDIT CELIA LLOPIS-JEPSEN / KANSAS NEWS SERVICE

“Say, ‘Hey, I’ve heard there are three vaccines due at this age,’” she said, “‘and I want to know about all of them.’”

Other hurdles

Getting a handle on the problem is tough in part because of gaping holes in what we know about who does and doesn’t get vaccines.

“Our struggle right now is really being able to know what the true vaccination rate is in any county,” said Phil Griffin, who heads immunization programs at the Kansas State Department of Health and Environment.

State and federal vaccination estimates both have their limits. Kansas calculates rates among kindergartners annually with cooperation from a solid sampling of schools that provide more precise data than some of what the Centers for Disease Control publishes.

The CDC rate calculations, though, cover a wider range of shots and age groups.

But state health officials will gradually get a better picture of immunization rates across the state in coming years. Lawmakers tightened rules for electronic vaccine records starting next year.

That same change will fill in some of the gaps for health providers who often don’t know which shots a new-to-them patient has yet to get. Doctors and pharmacists will gain more consistent access to vaccine histories, as long as the shots occurred in-state.

Kansas lawmakers passed a law to give health providers more consistent access to electronic vaccine records when patients move within the state.

Griffin hopes that will boost vaccine rates. Think of a person dropping by a local pharmacy for a flu shot, for example. He or she could easily find out whether they need a pneumonia shot, too. And if so, get it then and there.

A few other efforts going on to boost vaccine rates in Kansas:

  • Starting this fall, Kansas plans to phase in two more vaccine requirements (hepatitis A and meningococcal ACWY) for school attendance. Inoculation rates for both would likely increase, though the hep A rates were already fairly strong because they’re required for day care in Kansas. On Thursday, parents opposed to vaccinations protested the state’s plans at a public hearing.
  • The state recently hired an epidemiologist to dig into vaccine rates across the state, is chasing grants to support the effort, and working closely with individual health providers on a regular basis to improve their practices.
  • Lawmakers also recently expanded vaccine access by letting pharmacists give more shots. That may particularly benefit teenagers who no longer visit their pediatricians as often, but who still lack a number of vaccines.

Celia Llopis-Jepsen reports on consumer health and education for the Kansas News Service. You can follow her on Twitter @Celia_LJ or email her at celia (at) kcur (dot) org.

Riley County Arrest Report Monday July 1

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The following is a summary of arrests, citations by the Riley County Police Department. Those arrested are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

JEREMY ARTHUR FISHER, 46, Manhattan, Aggravated domestic battery; choke in rude 1 manner; family member/dating relationship; Bond $5000

DARCELLA MAY SALAS, 34, Manhattan, Identity theft; Defraud to receive benefits < 1$100,000Making false information; Bond 10,000

LANGSTON CORTEZ GROCE, 29, Fort Riley, Driving under the influence of drugs/alc; 2nd conv; 1 incapable of safely driving; Bond $2000

CITATION REPORT
KLARISSA BECK, 27,  MANHATTAN, KS WAS CITED WHILE AT N 11TH ST & BLUEMONT AVE IN MANHATTAN FOR ADULT SEAT BELT (17-182.1) FOR NO PROOF OF MOTOR VEHICLE LIABILITY AND FOR DRIVE CANC/SUSP/REV LICENSE (19-194) ON JUNE 27, 2019 AT APPROXIMATELY11:10 PM.

LUCAS BARNETTE, 22,  MANHATTAN, KS WAS CITED WHILE IN THE 300 BLK N 17TH ST IN MANHATTAN FOR RACING ON HIGHWAYS (7-37) FOR NO PROOF OF MOTOR VEHICLE LIABILITY (19-200) ON JUNE 27, 2019 AT APPROXIMATELY11:56 PM.

MICHELLE KARMANN MEARS, 48, JUNCTION CITY, KS WAS CITED WHILE IN THE 2100 BLK ANDERSON AVE IN MANHATTAN FOR IMPROPER DRIVING ON LANED ROAD (8-46) ON JUNE 27, 2019 AT APPROXIMATELY 4:08 PM.

SIDNIE DAVIDSON, 21,  MANHATTAN, KS WAS CITED WHILE IN THE 900 BLK N MANHATTAN AVE IN MANHATTAN FOR SPEEDING (7-33) ON JUNE 27, 2019 AT APPROXIMATELY 7:44 AM.

SHAUN BROWN, 19,  MANHATTAN, KS WAS CITED WHILE IN THE 1400 BLK POYNTZ AVE IN MANHATTAN FOR NO PROOF OF MOTOR VEHICLE LIABILITY (19-200) ON JUNE 27, 2019 AT APPROXIMATELY10:58 PM.

COLTON SMITH, 20,  SOLOMON, KS WAS CITED WHILE IN THE 2400 BLK FORT RILEY BLVD IN MANHATTAN FOR FOLLOWING TOO CLOSELY (8-47) ON JUNE 26, 2019 AT APPROXIMATELY12:55 PM.

PETER ANDERSON, 51, MANHATTAN, KS WAS CITED WHILE AT BEACH LN & ANDERSON AVE IN MANHATTAN FOR VEHICLE TAGS-EXPIRE/ILLEGBLE (19-198) ON JUNE 27, 2019 AT APPROXIMATELY 2:40 PM.

TASIA MCBRIDE, 32,  MANHATTAN, KS WAS CITED WHILE AT 5935 CORPORATE DR IN MANHATTAN FOR FAILURE TO PERFORM DUTY (5-26) ON JUNE 27, 2019 AT APPROXIMATELY 4:56 AM.

AGNES MORTON, 79,  MANHATTAN, KS WAS CITED WHILE AT CONNECTICUT AVE & ANDERSON AVE IN MANHATTAN FOR FTY RIGHT OF WAY STOP/YIELD (159) ON JUNE 27, 2019 AT APPROXIMATELY 3:30 PM.

MICHELLE LAWSON, 35,  WICHITA, KS WAS CITED WHILE AT 101 BLUEMONT AVE; WAL-MART IN MANHATTAN FOR THEFT (PETTY) (22-26) ON JUNE 25, 2019 AT APPROXIMATELY 6:28 PM

 

Kansas Requires Students To Get Vaccines, Yet 15% Of Kindergartners Are Missing Shots

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Kansas wants students to get vaccines against measles, polio and more, but many remain under-vaccinated.
CHRIS NEAL / FOR THE KANSAS NEWS SERVICE

More than one in 10 kindergartners in Kansas schools last year lacked at least some of the shots that the state requires to shield students against outbreaks of measles, whooping cough and more.

The state’s most recent annual report pegged the figure at 15%.

Kansas health officials surveyed hundreds of schools and found one in five didn’t have any policies on excluding those kids for lack of vaccinations.

Don’t miss: Vaccine Opposition Isn’t Why Many Thousands Of Kansans Miss Out On Shots

Replies from those schools reflected worries about children falling behind on their learning if kept out of classrooms, or about cuts to state aid that hinges on enrollment.

Coffeyville nurse Kali Morgan reflected in the door of the fridge where her clinic stocks vaccines for children and teens who attend Coffeyville schools, and their families.
CREDIT CELIA LLOPIS-JEPSEN / KANSAS NEWS SERVICE

Enough kindergartners appear to be getting shots against diseases such as polio, tetanus and hepatitis B to hit federal targets — and make all kids safer by lowering the chances of an outbreak — but Kansas lagged on shots for measles and chicken pox.

Kansas doesn’t survey statewide inoculation rates for grades other than kindergarten.

Statewide, 90% of last year’s kindergarten class had received their measles shots. For herd immunity, Kansas puts the goal at a minimum of 95%.

Herd immunity not only cuts the overall risk of outbreaks, it shields those in society most susceptible to serious illness. That’s people who can’t get immunized because they’re too young or have compromised immune systems.

Most of the state’s under-vaccinated kindergartners do not have religious or medical exemptions. Combined, those two groups made up just 2%. Kansas schools can’t deny entry to that 2% except when necessary during active outbreaks.

They can deny entry to the much larger group of children who have neither the required vaccines nor the legal exemptions to them.

Minors without insurance, with poor-quality insurance or on Medicaid qualify for free vaccines against 16 diseases, including HPV and measles. Read more here.

Coffeyville Public Schools, seated in a county that hit the state’s ambitious herd immunity target last year, aims to get vaccines to every child whose parents are willing. Children who arrive with gaps in their vaccine history get put on catch-up schedules to get them up to speed at a safe pace.

“I want the children to be protected from those diseases that used to devastate the pediatric community,” said Stephanie Ackley, a registered nurse at the 1,000-student elementary school, the largest in the state.

Ninety percent of her school’s students were on track with required shots this school year, Ackley said, or else working their way through the catch-up schedule.

“And that’s with a lot of people coming in that have never had vaccinations,” she said.

Ackley works at one of three health clinics at the district’s schools, operated by the Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas.

The organizations teamed up several years ago, and families quickly turned to the new, convenient locations for primary care. Immunization rates shot up in a district where school officials and nurses recall them as abysmal before. By way of example, about a third of third-graders met the rules before the clinics opened, compared to nearly all of them today.

“If you have kids who aren’t getting shots, what do you do?” said Jason Wesco, the community health center’s executive vice president. “You go where the kids are.”

Schedule for children/teens: What shots are recommended and when?

Vaccine schedule for adults: What shots are recommended and when?

It frustrates him that more health care providers don’t take the same tack.

“It’s self-evident,” he said, “but we have a health care system that’s more interested in expensive tests and specialty care.”

Surveys and federal data suggest towns like Coffeyville face steeper hurdles to herd immunity. Rural areas have fewer pediatricians. Additionally, most children in Coffeyville schools come from low-income families. Poverty often leaves families with less preventive care.

Desirae Judd’s 4-year-old son gets his vaccines at the Coffeyville school clinics.

“It makes it really accessible,” Judd said. “When Emmett was born, we had a pediatrician that we loved … He moved away.”

Celia Llopis-Jepsen reports on consumer health and education for the Kansas News Service. You can follow her on Twitter @Celia_LJ or email her at celia (at) kcur (dot) org.

Riley County police report Tuesday July 2

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The following summary of calls for service/reports filed by the Riley County Police Department is a portion of those received by police.  Some names, addresses, and case details are withheld to follow local, state, and federal law as well as in an attempt to protect community members from being victimized further.  Those arrested are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Officers filed a report for theft in the 400 block of McCall Rd. in Manhattan on July 1, 2019, at approximately 12:45 AM. Officers listed a 16-year-old male from Manhattan as the victim when it was reported an unknown suspect took his bicycle. The estimated total loss associated with this case is approximately $550.00.

Police ask that anyone with information please contact RCPD or the Manhattan Riley County Crime Stoppers. Using the Crime Stoppers service can allow you to remain anonymous and could qualify you for a cash reward of up to $1,000.00.

 

 

Olson named Assistant Secretary of Agriculture

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kdaSecretary of Agriculture Mike Beam has announced that Kelsey Olson has been named Assistant Secretary of Agriculture at the Kansas Department of Agriculture. Olson began serving in the new role this past Monday, July 1.

Olson will assist in lesading the agency by serving as a liaison between the agency and industry stakeholder, assisting the Secretary with attendance and participation to meeting / event invitations, participating in regulatory and legislative police deliberations, and coordinating special projects and initiatives of KDA.

Olson has been Syngenta in Junction City since 2010, specializing in portfolio management, trend analysis, investing and sales within the agriculture industry. She also worked in the office of U.S. Congressman Jerry Moran as a district agricultural representative.

Olson grew up in Norton, Kansas, then attended Kansas State University where she earned a bachelor’s degree in interntational agribusiness and a master’s degree in agricultural economics. She resides in Manhattan with her husband, Casey, and their two children.


Sundown Salute runs Wednesday evening through Sunday in Junction City

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Sundown Salute kicks off this ( Wednesday ) evening in Junction City and continues right on through Sunday with free concerts, a parade, fireworks, arts and craft vendors, food vendors, both 5K and 10K runs and the Ottaway Amusement Carnival.

The entire celebration is headquartered downtown around Heritage Park, with the concert stage set up on West 6th Street.

Set up was under way on Tuesday. Convention and Visitor’s Bureau Director Michelle Stimatze said the park will be full with many activities “We also will have the Hendricks Petting Zoo that will be open as well as the camel rides.” Those will be located in the parking lot in front of the Waters Hardware parking lot.

The theme this year is Tribute to America with a number of tribute bands performing on stage. The headliner will be Hairball, who will perform from 9-11 p.m. Friday.

RCPD reports arrest following an assault and crash

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Riley County police have reported the arrest of a Manhattan man following a Tuesday night incident on allegations ranging from aggravated kidnapping to aggravated assault.

The suspect, identified by police as Jordan Hildreth, 24, Manhattan, was transported to Stormont Vail Hospital for treatment of his injuries. Following his release from the hospital he was arrested on suspicion of two counts of aggravdated battery plus one count each of aggravated kidnapping, aggravated assault, driving under the influence of drugs / alcohol, driving while suspended, failure to stop at an accident, duty of driver to provide information, battery on LEO, interference with LEO and criminal damage to property.

Police said at approximately 10:05 p.m. Tuesday their Emergency Communications Center received a 911 call of an in-progress assault in Manhattan. When officers arrived on the scene, the female victim reported an unknown man had left the area. A few minutes later dispatchers received a report of a two-vehicle crash involving a bicyclist near the intersection of Heritage Court and Wreath Avenue in Manhattan.

The suspect and vehicle were located in the 1700 block of Wreath Avenue. Hildreth was taken into custody at that location at approximately 10:15 p.m.

Hildreth was issued a total bond of $140,000.

Flash flood warning for Thursday morning

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Thunderstorm activity moving through the region has led the National Weather Service to issue a flash flood wdarning for central Riley County and western Pottawatomie County until 8:30 a.m.

Up to two inches of rain had fallen by 4:30 a.m. and flash flooding was expected to begin. Manhattan, Westmoreladnd, Blaine, Ogden, St. George, Olsburg, Louisville, Randolph, Keats and Tuttle Creek Lake are in the waddrned area. Additional rainfall amounts of up to two inches were possible through 6 a.m. in the warned area.

A check with the Riley County Police Department revealed there was some flash flooding in Manhattan on East Poyntz Avenue, Tuttle Creek Boulevard, Fort Riley Boulevard, at 14th and Anderson, 11th and Bluemont, and at Juliette and Fremont. Motorists are advised to remain out of those areas.

Soldiers from the Big Red One march in the Sundown Salute parade

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1st Infantry Division Soldiers participated in the Sundown Salute parade in Junction City on Thursday.

Sundown Salute in Junction City included the traditional parade on the 4th of July.

Crowds lined Eisenhower and 6th Streets to view the Sundown Salute parade entries, which ranged from 1st Infantry Division Soldiers and bands to motorcycles and horses, and of course the floats.

Rain caused a half-hour delay, moving the start time back to 10:30 but then the fun began. Law enforcement and fire fighters led the day followed by 1st Infantry Division Soldiers.

Immanuel Lutheran had the top parade entry with Calvary Baptist second and the Moms Demand Change Felix Snipes Foundation third.

RCPD is investigating a theft

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Riley County police officers filed a report for theft in the 900 block of Thurston Ave. in Manhattan on July 4, 2019, at approximately 10:00 AM.

Officers listed a 22-year-old female from Manhattan as the victim when she reported an unknown suspect took her GT Talera Mountain bike. The estimated total loss associated with this case is approximately $700.00.

Police ask that anyone with information please contact RCPD or the Manhattan Riley County Crime Stoppers. Using the Crime Stoppers service can allow you to remain anonymous and could qualify you for a cash reward of up to $1,000.00.

You can vote in Manhattan’s flag design contest

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Manhattan officials have announced on the City website that seven finalists have been selected from 120 design submissions in the City’s new flag design contest. You can vote on your favorite concept either online or in person at city hall. Only one entry is allowed from each computer IP address and only one ballot per person can be otained at the customer service window.

To cast a vote online, please visit www.cityofmhk.com/flag. or to fill out a paper ballot in person, go to the customer service window at City Hall, located at 1101 Poyntz Avenue.

The final designs are based on submissions from six artists including Kim Medvid, Jordan Peters, Ben Chmiel, Sarah Snyder, Jackson Andre, and Troy Henningson.

The concepts were inspired by the natural beauty of the Flint Hills, Manhattan’s location at the confluence of the Big Blue and Kansas Rivers, the Kansas State Motto “ad astra per aspera,” as well as the prosperity and unique heritage of the city. Each flag also has a distinctive and meaningful symbolism.

 

 

Fort Riley to host 34th annual Prairie Run

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The 10-5-2 Prairie Run will be held July 27th at Fort Riley, starting at King Field House. This event will provide runners options of three different courses including a 10-mile, 5-mile and 2-mile race. Discount registration is available through Tuesday, July 9th.

The Army said for active-duty Soldiers, the 10-mile race will serve as a qualifier for Fort Riley’s team that will compete in the Army 10-miler in Washington D.C. in October.

All three of the races are open to both military and civilian runners. For the two-mile run only, strollers will be permitted on the course. No pets or bicycles will be allowed on the course.

Registration is available online at https://riley.armymwr.com and costs $20 through July 9th. After July 9th, registration will cost $25. Active-duty Soldiers registering for the 10-mile race do not have to pay the registration fee. Runners 17 and under can also register for any of the
three races for free. Soldiers in the 10-miler and all runners with paid registration will receive a race t-shirt. Shirt sizes can only be guaranteed for those registering by July 9th.

Runners who don’t register online before July 27 can sign up on race day at King Field House, between 6 and 6:45 a.m. Races begin at 7 a.m.

For those participants without a DoD ID card, enter the installation at Henry Gate at the Marshal Army Airfield, Exit 301 off of I-70. As you enter the gate stay in the far right lane. You will see a guard in a safety vest and you will tell him that you are coming on Fort Riley for the 10-5-2 race. Do ensure that all people in your vehicle have a driver’s license or government issued identification ready. Youth 15 years old or younger will not be required to present an ID.


Progress continues on Hale Library renovation

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Renovation of Hale Library at Kansas State University continues to move forward following the May 18, 2018 fire that caused extensive damage to the facility.

The K-State Alumni Association has provided information on the recovery effort for the library. The Dave and Ellie Everitt Learning Commons on the first floor will open this fall and the second floor is schedueld to open at the beginning of the spring semester, followed shortly after that by the fifth floor. The final phase to be completed will be the 1927 historic Farrell Library restoration. The entire project should be completed by the end of 2020.

Not all of the furniture was a total loss in the fire. Some of the tables were salvaged and are stored on the second floor in the Farrell Library area.

Most of the library’s 1.5 million items ( books ) are in storage units in the limestone caves underneath Kansas City. The cleaning process is ongoing. Those boxes of material are rotated through a facility near the Manhattan Regional Airport where they’re cleaned by hand one at a time, and treated in an ozone chamber. They’re then reboxed and sent back to a storage unit filled with clean boxes. At this time more than 65 percent of the Hale Library collection is clean.

Funds donated to the Help for Hale campaign will be used to create improved study spaces, group study rooms, for more white boards and for more outlets.

Riley County police report arrest in alleged assault case

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Riley County police issued a news release saying that on Friday at approximately 9:45 a.m. the police department Emergency Communications Center received a call of a reported assault occurring in a vehicle in the parking lot in the 1000 block of Westloop.

Police said Jose Rivera, 26, Manhattan, was arrested on suspicion of aggravated kidnapping, aggravated assault and aggravated robbery. Rivera was issued a bond of $150,000 causing him to remain confined in the Riley County Jail.

There were no injuries reported to the male victim.

Pottawatomie County Administrator to retire

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Robert Reece, County Administrator for Pottawatomie County has given notice of his retirement to the County Commission. The governing body accepted the retirement.

Reece stated, “it has been both an honor and a pleasure serving the Pottawatomie County community. I am grateful for the privele to work with the many dedicated men and women that serve the Pottawatomie County community. Following the development and prepadration of the 2020 county budget I have decided to step down as County Administrator and retire from Pottawatomie County.” Reece has been employed by the county for more than 22 years, serving 20 years as county administrator.

Reece has been a public servant for more than 25 years, having also served as a firefighter for the City of Manahattan. He is a Past-President of the National Association of County Administrators and was the 2012 recipient of the Kansas Association of Counties County Official of the Year award.  During his tenure the county has experienced significant growth and it’s his wish for that to continue.

Deer & Company funds precision planting project

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Development of a precision planting system, offering producers the ability to plant large areas of acreage rapidly while maximizing yield per acre, will be the goal of a research team at Kansas State University.

Deer & Company has invested more than $300,000 in the project., “Precision Planting System with Hydraulic Downforce Technology for Seed Placement Uniformity, ” headed by Ajay Sharda, associate professor of biological and agricultural engineering in the Carl R. Ice

According to Sharda and Ciampitti the project will focus on evaluation of a planting system control response to manage real-time seed spacing and depth uniformity during diverse field and operating conditions.College of Engineering, and co-investigator Ignacio Ciampitti, associate professor of agronomy.

Graduate students involved in the project will work with new equipment provided by Deer & Company.

Joint active violence training exercise is scheduled Wednesday through Friday

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The Riley County Police Department and emergency personnel from the Manhattan Fire Department, Riley County EMS, and other law enforcement agencies will be participating in a joint active violence training exercise taking place July 10-12. This training will focus on streamlining interagency cooperation during crisis situations.

“This type of realistic training is designed to give our officers the knowledge, skills, and confidence necessary to resolve a terrible situation like this,” Lieutenant Brad Jager, Training Coordinator at the RCPD said.  “We have to train ourselves so that if our officers find themselves in this position, it isn’t the first time they’ve experienced it.  And beyond stopping the threat, we have to be able to quickly link up with fire and EMS to get help to victims as soon as possible.  This training gives everyone, from officers to EMS to fire personnel, the opportunity to work together in a stressful environment.”

For the past several months, training staff with area emergency services have worked with USD 383 officials on securing a site for the training which will be closed to the public. The training will take place at the Theodore Roosevelt Elementary School.  Signs designating the area as a temporary training site will be placed near the scene to remind the surrounding community that there is no danger to the public.

“USD 383 is grateful that our community emergency response partners are willing to train in our school buildings. This training benefits everyone involved and will especially benefit the students of USD 383 if a real-life situation would ever occur,” Michele Jones, USD 383 Director of Communications and School Safety said. “This year we have some teachers and other building staff who will be watching and participating in the training. It is important for our staff to understand how RCPD, MFD, Riley County EMS and other law enforcement agencies coordinate and cooperate during an emergency response.”

 

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