TOPEKA — Emergency loans are available to help Kansans who had losses from storms last spring.

Last week, the Federal Emergency Management Agency designated 13 counties as natural disaster areas due to severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes and flooding on May 19.

The counties are Barton, Ellsworth, Harvey, Hodgeman, Lincoln, Morris, Ottawa, Pawnee, Reno, Russell, Stafford, Wabaunsee, and Wyandotte.

In additionn, neighboring counties Butler, Chase, Clay, Cloud, Dickinson, Edwards, Ellis, Finney, Ford, Geary, Johnson, Kingman, Leavenworth, Lyon, McPherson, Marion, Mitchell, Ness, Osage, Osborne, Pottawatomie, Pratt, Riley, Saline, Sedgwick, and Shawnee.

Contiguous counties of Platte, Clay and Jackson in Missouri are also eligible.&nbsp; &nbsp;

The loans can be used to meet various recovery needs, like replacing essential items, including equipment or livestock, reorganizing a farming operation, or refinancing certain debts. FSA will review the loans based on the extent of losses, security available, and repayment ability.

This Presidential disaster declaration allows the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) to extend much-needed emergency credit to producers recovering from natural disasters through&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fsa.usda.gov/programs-and-services/farm-loan-programs/emergency-farm-loans/index">emergency loans</a>. Emergency loans can be used to meet various recovery needs including the replacement of essential items such as equipment or livestock, reorganization of a farming operation, or to refinance certain debts. FSA will review the loans based on the extent of losses, security available, and repayment ability.&nbsp;

On farmers.gov, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.farmers.gov/node/28989">Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.farmers.gov/sites/default/files/2021-09/fsa-disasterassistance-at-a-glance-sept.-2021.pdf">Disaster Assistance-at-a-Glance fact sheet</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="https://lat.fpac.usda.gov/">Loan Assistance Tool</a>&nbsp;can help you determine program or loan options. To file a Notice of Loss or to ask questions about available programs, contact your local&nbsp;<a href="https://www.farmers.gov/service-center-locator">&nbsp;USDA Service Center</a>.FEMA offers different assistance programs for individual citizens, public groups including government agencies and private nonprofit organizations.&nbsp; To find the FEMA help you need following a disaster event, visit&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fema.gov/assistance">fema.gov/assistance</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732376315753.png" alt="Photo National Weather Service" />
 <figcaption>Photo National Weather Service</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA — Emergency loans are available to help Kansans who had losses from storms last spring.Last week, the Federal Emergency Management Agency designated 13 counties as natural disaster areas due to severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes and flooding on May 19.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732376290270.png" alt="Photo city of Russell" />
 <figcaption>Photo city of Russell</figcaption>
 </figure>The counties are Barton, Ellsworth, Harvey, Hodgeman, Lincoln, Morris, Ottawa, Pawnee, Reno, Russell, Stafford, Wabaunsee, and Wyandotte.In additionn, neighboring counties Butler, Chase, Clay, Cloud, Dickinson, Edwards, Ellis, Finney, Ford, Geary, Johnson, Kingman, Leavenworth, Lyon, McPherson, Marion, Mitchell, Ness, Osage, Osborne, Pottawatomie, Pratt, Riley, Saline, Sedgwick, and Shawnee.Contiguous counties of Platte, Clay and Jackson in Missouri are also eligible.&nbsp; &nbsp;The loans can be used to meet various recovery needs, like replacing essential items, including equipment or livestock, reorganizing a farming operation, or refinancing certain debts. FSA will review the loans based on the extent of losses, security available, and repayment ability.This Presidential disaster declaration allows the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) to extend much-needed emergency credit to producers recovering from natural disasters through&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fsa.usda.gov/programs-and-services/farm-loan-programs/emergency-farm-loans/index">emergency loans</a>. Emergency loans can be used to meet various recovery needs including the replacement of essential items such as equipment or livestock, reorganization of a farming operation, or to refinance certain debts. FSA will review the loans based on the extent of losses, security available, and repayment ability.&nbsp;The deadline to apply is April 21, 2025.On farmers.gov, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.farmers.gov/node/28989">Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.farmers.gov/sites/default/files/2021-09/fsa-disasterassistance-at-a-glance-sept.-2021.pdf">Disaster Assistance-at-a-Glance fact sheet</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="https://lat.fpac.usda.gov/">Loan Assistance Tool</a>&nbsp;can help you determine program or loan options. To file a Notice of Loss or to ask questions about available programs, contact your local&nbsp;<a href="https://www.farmers.gov/service-center-locator">&nbsp;USDA Service Center</a>.FEMA offers different assistance programs for individual citizens, public groups including government agencies and private nonprofit organizations.&nbsp; To find the FEMA help you need following a disaster event, visit&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fema.gov/assistance">fema.gov/assistance</a>.

FEMA designates 13 counties in Kansas as disaster areas

Skeptics more keen to improve Tier 3 benefits available to newer public employees

By:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a> Kansas Reflector

TOPEKA — Republican Sen. Michael Fagg wants to persuade the 2025 Kansas Legislature to allocate $1 billion of the state’s revenue surplus to shrinking the $9.7 billion long-term unfunded liability in the state’s pension system.

The Kansas Public Employees Retirement System, which serves more than 300,000 Kansans and possesses $27 billion in assets, years ago received legislative authorization to issue bonds so proceeds could be invested in the market to bolster the system’s bottom line.

KPERS made use of $500 million bond issues in 2004 and 2021, and a $1 billion offering in 2015.

On Wednesday, Fagg couldn’t convince the Legislature’s joint committee on pensions to get behind his idea of dedicating another $1 billion to address the system’s 30-year liability. Losses in 2022 — the return on investment was a negative 9.7% compared to a positive 15.7% in 2021 — deepened the challenge at KPERS in terms of meeting obligations on the pension-benefit horizon.

“I’m really focused on unfunded liabilities,” Fagg said. “Folks, very seldom have we had this kind of money sitting around. I’m letting you know I know the spot it ought to go.”

Sen. Pat Pettey, a Democrat from Kansas City, Kansas, said she was more interested in making use of available state revenue to enhance benefits under the modest KPERS 3 retirement plan offered to public employees since 2015.

“I cannot support this recommendation because I think we have to look at the whole picture,” she said. “We can’t underestimate the senior tsunami that is facing us.”

House and Senate members on the joint pension committee voted to encourage the 2025 Legislature to study the potential of a fourth infusion of cash to lower the unfunded liability. They decided to ask the Legislature to give thought to altering KPERS 3.

The committee agreed to recommend the Legislature once again think about giving KPERS’ retirees a cost-of-living adjustment. The panel said the Legislature ought to research expansion to other KPERS members the deferred retirement program incentivizing fire and law enforcement personnel to stay on the job rather than retire. It might be helpful, for example, in diverting the wave of teacher retirements in Kansas.

“I strongly encourage you to keep in mind … any increase in benefits that is not paid for upfront hurts the fund,” said Sen. Jeff Longbine, an Emporia Republican who didn’t seek reelection in 2024.

There is growing concern among public employees and legislators about the KPERS 3 retirement plan signed into law by GOP Gov. Sam Brownback nearly a decade ago. In an attempt to lower the burden on Kansas taxpayers, the Brownback administration settled on KPERS 3 to substantially lower financial benefits compared to KPERS 1 and KPERS 2.

A report produced this year by the Legislature’s auditing unit said KPERS 3 had higher worker contribution requirements, a longer vesting period and lower financial rewards than public retirement plans offered in comparable states. Auditors said a survey of current and former Kansas public employees showed people in KPERS 3 were more likely to leave their job than participants in KPERS 1 or KPERS 2.

In 2023, Rep. Sean Tarwater, R-Stilwell, put it this way: “I don’t think you need to do an audit to find out Tier 3 sucks.”

Public employees in KPERS 3 were guaranteed 4% annual earnings on their personal account balances, but additional benefits to these city, county or state employees was dependent on performance of the pension system’s investment portfolio. Neither KPERS 1 nor KPERS 2 deposited the investment-return risk directly on the back of public employees in Kansas.

Dissatisfaction has prompted proposals to move all KPERS 3 members to KPERS 2, which would transfer financial risk of retirement investments to the state.

Meanwhile, the executive director of KPERS said the pension system was undergoing a five-year transition to a new information technology system estimated to cost $75 million.

“It’s a massive undertaking,” said Alan Conroy, executive director at KPERS. “We’ve tried to do the prep work — cleaning data, backfilling staff — so we aren’t having staff trying to work full time on the project and doing their full-time, day-to-day jobs.”

Rep. Cindy Neighbor, a Shawnee Democrat on the joint committee, said she hoped KPERS secures a modern IT platform without the spider web of problems encountered by the Kansas Department of Labor while reforming the state’s unemployment insurance system.

“So far, I think we’ve done the right steps mechanically to have a successful project,” Conroy said. “The ultimate goal, as I tell the staff, is to keep us out of the ditch. We would not want 116,000 retired KPERS members marching on the statehouse because they didn’t get a retirement benefit check because of a failure in the IT system.”

Bruce Fink, chief investment officer at KPERS, said the retirement system was in compliance with a new state law mandating divestiture from countries that posed unusual investment risks. The countries targeted by the Legislature were Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia, Venezuela and China, including Hong Kong. The law compelled state agencies to complete divestiture transactions by Jan. 1, 2026.

“We’ve not identified any trade violations since the act became effective,” Fink said. “We’ve augmented our due-diligence process for new and future investments to confirm that the countries in which potential future managers may invest in will not … be organized in countries of concern.”

In response to enactment of the law on July 1, he said KPERS terminated investments in China and Hong Kong. That involved divesting 12 securities in 10 companies valued at $294 million, he said.

Fink said KPERS retained 300,000 shares of Norilsk Nickel, Russia’s leading metals mining company. He said trading of the stock was halted in conjunction with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“There were sanctions put in place,” he told legislators. “We continue to hold those shares in our accounts, but they are currently valued at zero market value.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732289150085.jpeg" alt="Kansas Sen. Michale Fagg, R-El Dorado, urged peers on the joint House and Senate pensions committee to endorse a proposal to invest $1 billion in surplus state revenue in lowering the $9.7 billion unfunded liability of the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System. The committee agreed to ask the 2025 Legislature to consider the concept, but didn't back his call for a $1 billion investment. Photo by Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector" />
 <figcaption>Kansas Sen. Michale Fagg, R-El Dorado, urged peers on the joint House and Senate pensions committee to endorse a proposal to invest $1 billion in surplus state revenue in lowering the $9.7 billion unfunded liability of the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System. The committee agreed to ask the 2025 Legislature to consider the concept, but didn't back his call for a $1 billion investment. Photo by Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Skeptics more keen to improve Tier 3 benefits available to newer public employees</h2>By:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a> Kansas ReflectorTOPEKA — Republican Sen. Michael Fagg wants to persuade the 2025 Kansas Legislature to allocate $1 billion of the state’s revenue surplus to shrinking the $9.7 billion long-term unfunded liability in the state’s pension system.The Kansas Public Employees Retirement System, which serves more than 300,000 Kansans and possesses $27 billion in assets, years ago received legislative authorization to issue bonds so proceeds could be invested in the market to bolster the system’s bottom line.KPERS made use of $500 million bond issues in 2004 and 2021, and a $1 billion offering in 2015.On Wednesday, Fagg couldn’t convince the Legislature’s joint committee on pensions to get behind his idea of dedicating another $1 billion to address the system’s 30-year liability. Losses in 2022 — the return on investment was a negative 9.7% compared to a positive 15.7% in 2021 — deepened the challenge at KPERS in terms of meeting obligations on the pension-benefit horizon.“I’m really focused on unfunded liabilities,” Fagg said. “Folks, very seldom have we had this kind of money sitting around. I’m letting you know I know the spot it ought to go.”Sen. Pat Pettey, a Democrat from Kansas City, Kansas, said she was more interested in making use of available state revenue to enhance benefits under the modest KPERS 3 retirement plan offered to public employees since 2015.“I cannot support this recommendation because I think we have to look at the whole picture,” she said. “We can’t underestimate the senior tsunami that is facing us.”House and Senate members on the joint pension committee voted to encourage the 2025 Legislature to study the potential of a fourth infusion of cash to lower the unfunded liability. They decided to ask the Legislature to give thought to altering KPERS 3.The committee agreed to recommend the Legislature once again think about giving KPERS’ retirees a cost-of-living adjustment. The panel said the Legislature ought to research expansion to other KPERS members the deferred retirement program incentivizing fire and law enforcement personnel to stay on the job rather than retire. It might be helpful, for example, in diverting the wave of teacher retirements in Kansas.“I strongly encourage you to keep in mind … any increase in benefits that is not paid for upfront hurts the fund,” said Sen. Jeff Longbine, an Emporia Republican who didn’t seek reelection in 2024.<h2>Tier 3, well, ‘sucks’</h2>There is growing concern among public employees and legislators about the KPERS 3 retirement plan signed into law by GOP Gov. Sam Brownback nearly a decade ago. In an attempt to lower the burden on Kansas taxpayers, the Brownback administration settled on KPERS 3 to substantially lower financial benefits compared to KPERS 1 and KPERS 2.A report produced this year by the Legislature’s auditing unit said KPERS 3 had higher worker contribution requirements, a longer vesting period and lower financial rewards than public retirement plans offered in comparable states. Auditors said a survey of current and former Kansas public employees showed people in KPERS 3 were more likely to leave their job than participants in KPERS 1 or KPERS 2.In 2023, Rep. Sean Tarwater, R-Stilwell, put it this way: “I don’t think you need to do an audit to find out Tier 3 sucks.”Public employees in KPERS 3 were guaranteed 4% annual earnings on their personal account balances, but additional benefits to these city, county or state employees was dependent on performance of the pension system’s investment portfolio. Neither KPERS 1 nor KPERS 2 deposited the investment-return risk directly on the back of public employees in Kansas.Dissatisfaction has prompted proposals to move all KPERS 3 members to KPERS 2, which would transfer financial risk of retirement investments to the state.<h2>$75 million IT overhaul</h2>Meanwhile, the executive director of KPERS said the pension system was undergoing a five-year transition to a new information technology system estimated to cost $75 million.“It’s a massive undertaking,” said Alan Conroy, executive director at KPERS. “We’ve tried to do the prep work — cleaning data, backfilling staff — so we aren’t having staff trying to work full time on the project and doing their full-time, day-to-day jobs.”Rep. Cindy Neighbor, a Shawnee Democrat on the joint committee, said she hoped KPERS secures a modern IT platform without the spider web of problems encountered by the Kansas Department of Labor while reforming the state’s unemployment insurance system.“So far, I think we’ve done the right steps mechanically to have a successful project,” Conroy said. “The ultimate goal, as I tell the staff, is to keep us out of the ditch. We would not want 116,000 retired KPERS members marching on the statehouse because they didn’t get a retirement benefit check because of a failure in the IT system.”<h2>Divestment mandate</h2>Bruce Fink, chief investment officer at KPERS, said the retirement system was in compliance with a new state law mandating divestiture from countries that posed unusual investment risks. The countries targeted by the Legislature were Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia, Venezuela and China, including Hong Kong. The law compelled state agencies to complete divestiture transactions by Jan. 1, 2026.“We’ve not identified any trade violations since the act became effective,” Fink said. “We’ve augmented our due-diligence process for new and future investments to confirm that the countries in which potential future managers may invest in will not … be organized in countries of concern.”In response to enactment of the law on July 1, he said KPERS terminated investments in China and Hong Kong. That involved divesting 12 securities in 10 companies valued at $294 million, he said.Fink said KPERS retained 300,000 shares of Norilsk Nickel, Russia’s leading metals mining company. He said trading of the stock was halted in conjunction with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.“There were sanctions put in place,” he told legislators. “We continue to hold those shares in our accounts, but they are currently valued at zero market value.”

Kansas GOP senator wants state to invest $1 billion to boost pension system’s bottom line

The Junction City Christmas Parade is Friday. The theme this year is Wild West Christmas.

The parade starts at 5:30p.m. and takes a new route this year. It will travel down North Washington to 6th Street. The lighting ceremony will be immediately after the parade in Heritage Park

The Junction City Christmas Parade is Friday. The theme this year is Wild West Christmas.The parade starts at 5:30p.m. and takes a new route this year. It will travel down North Washington to 6th Street. The lighting ceremony will be immediately after the parade in Heritage Park

The annual Christmas Parade is scheduled Friday

By&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcur.org/elizabeth-rembert">ELIZABETH REMBERT </a>Harvest Public Media&nbsp;

Drought has scorched much of the Midwest and Great Plains for the last four years. It has destroyed crops and sparked wildfires. Wildlife is also reckoning with the dry conditions – which can change animal behavior and even push species out of some regions.

A small pond sits near the end of County Road F in western Nebraska, shaded by cottonwood trees that rustle in the gentle wind.

At first, it looks like a typical pond off a quiet, dead-end gravel road. But after nearly twenty years of visiting this pond, Larkin Powell is pretty good at spotting its residents.

“Look at all the heads, the little bumps sticking up in the water?” the University of Nebraska-Lincoln professor of biology and ecology points out. “Those are the turtles.”

Each summer, Powell rounds up students and arms them with thick gloves, calipers and scales to catch and measure the painted turtles that call this pond home.

A handful of turtles were naive enough to mistake the floating traps as perches for sunbathing, and now they’re scratching around in buckets, waiting their turn to be measured by the crew of students.

Powell and his students analyzed 11 years of data to study how drought conditions impacted the turtles. They found that&nbsp;<a href="https://news.unl.edu/article/undergrad-driven-project-reveals-drought-s-effects-on-painted-turtles" target="_blank">during dry years,</a>&nbsp;the turtles grew more slowly. The conditions also seemed to lower survival and throw off the female to male ratio.

The papers have been Powell’s most-requested research studies in the last few years. While painted turtles are a stable population that aren’t existentially threatened by drought, Powell said the findings could be applied to other endangered species that might need help as they reckon with climate change’s extreme conditions.

“Now that droughts are becoming more frequent and more intense, there’s going to be some changes,” he said. “We have to account for that as we think about the future for species of conservation concern.”

The last few years of drought have been especially severe. In early November, more than 79% of the country’s population was living with abnormal dryness and drought,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/us-drought-weekly-report-november-5-2024" target="_blank">a record</a>&nbsp;in the U.S. Drought Monitor’s 25-year history.

Much of the Midwest and Great Plains have been dealing with extremely dry conditions for the past four years. It’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2024-05-13/drought-midwest-great-plains" target="_blank">killed crops,</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2024-09-20/mississippi-river-low-levels-barge-traffic" target="_blank">lowered river levels</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2024-05-22/a-big-start-to-wildfire-season-could-mean-another-smoky-summer-in-the-midwest-and-great-plains" target="_blank">fueled wildfires.</a>

States like&nbsp;<a href="https://www.radioiowa.com/2024/10/02/record-dry-september-conditions-not-expected-to-change-for-awhile/" target="_blank">Iowa,</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://nsco.unl.edu/articles/climate-summaries/driest-september-record" target="_blank">Nebraska</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/minnesota-on-track-to-have-the-driest-september-on-record/" target="_blank">Minnesota</a>&nbsp;experienced their driest September on record this year. The conditions follow a reprieve from drought earlier this summer, according to Molly Woloszyn with the National Integrated Drought Information System.

“Conditions were still OK, until we hit the fall where precipitation has turned off for many, many locations,” Woloszyn said. “We had a feeling that if the rain stopped, things were going to get dry pretty quickly, and that's pretty much what we have seen.”

Persistently high temperatures and low precipitation has also transformed creeks and ponds into puddles&nbsp;<a href="https://flatlandkc.org/news-issues/drought-sapping-fisheries-and-marshes-in-missouri-and-kansas/" target="_blank">in Kansas and Missouri.</a>&nbsp;It’s killed off fish and ruined habitats for migrating birds.

In Indiana, the extreme heat and dryness of the 2012 drought&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fws.gov/story/2023-09/recovering-karner-blue-butterfly#:~:text=Today%20the%20Karner%20blue%20is,blue%20butterflies%20vanishing%20from%20Indiana." target="_blank">wiped out the Karner butterfly.&nbsp;</a>The small, powder blue butterfly hasn’t been seen there since 2014.

Other animals are showing up where they shouldn’t be. Like in St. Louis, which saw a handful of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksdk.com/article/life/animals/missorui-black-bear-sightings-to-rise-mdc-says/63-07d07db6-57a6-4bea-98c9-f8ccf2f7fb27" target="_blank">wild black bears venture</a>&nbsp;into suburban neighborhoods at different points this summer.

Black bears usually prefer to stay away from people, but Missouri Department of Conservation biologist Nate Bowersock said they’re more willing to risk human contact when dry conditions kill the acorns and berries they rely on. That may mean they wander into the suburbs or onto farms.

“They might start trying to flip over a chicken coop to get at the chickens or just decimate a beehive if it’s not properly secured,” Bowersock said. “Bird feeders, too. They love to go after people’s bird feeders.”

Missouri’s rich forests, long growing season and abundance of native fruits and nuts give bears an advantage when it comes to surviving dry periods, according to Bowersock. But he said the department is still thinking of drought’s impacts.

“With climate change, conditions are happening a lot quicker than some animals can handle,” he said. “It just makes it vital for us to stay on top of how droughts affect the plants that bears rely on, so that our management decisions are really what’s best for the bears.”

While droughts are a part of the natural weather cycle, scientists have found that human-caused climate change is making them more frequent and more intense. The extreme conditions are putting wildlife’s coping mechanisms to the test.

But that’s only half the story, according to Wynne Moss,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usgs.gov/staff-profiles/wynne-moss" target="_blank">a biologist with the U.S. Geological Survey</a>.

“The other half is that the ecosystem's ability to withstand water shortages is also changing,” she said. “So even the same degree of drought might now have bigger impacts.”

Moss said wildlife is also fighting off new levels of disease, invasive species and habitat loss.

“Drought adds another threat to that list,” she said. “And it can be the death blow for some of these species.”

The threat is becoming more persistent. Even when drought conditions ease, Moss said the effects can stick around.

“Ecosystems recover very slowly. It can take years, and in some cases you might have no recovery at all,” she said. “But the droughts are happening so fast that ecosystems are finding it challenging to fully recover before the next drought happens.”

Scott White, manager of the Klamath Drainage District in southern Oregon, knows that phenomenon well. Over the past 15 years, his area has received 10 drought declarations from the governor.

“Dealing with drought and climate change is a new way of life for us,” he said.

The conditions dried up water sources in a nearby National Wildlife Refuge, which has served as a prime resting spot for waterfowl migrating south. When the waterways dried up, the birds stopped coming.

It shut down the hunting season and killed a major economic engine for the region. Before the drought, White said bird-cleaning stands lined the roads during hunting season.

“It was like lemonade stands,” he said. “You could go out hunting in the morning, stop at a stand and have somebody clean your birds for you, and you’re on your way home.”

But that stopped when the refuges dried up.

“It’s been a long, long time since that type of economy existed here,” he said. “It was an eye-opener for the entire community. Waterfowl hunting was a huge, huge part of our identity and our economy.”

White and others are now working&nbsp;<a href="https://klamathdrainagedistrict.org/replumbing-the-klamath/" target="_blank">on a project to rework the district’s canals</a>&nbsp;to reconnect waterways in the region, feeding the refuge’s pools to allow fish to access the wetlands and provide protections for animals and landowners.

“We just know that keeping the refuges dry is not a solution,” he said. “So we’re looking at these other alternatives to try and find a way to secure our future and bring back waterfowl, recover fisheries and not impact our neighbors in a negative way.”

Back at the pond in western Nebraska, the turtles have done their scientific duty. It’s time for them to go back home.

The students walk down to the pond, set the buckets on their sides and watch as the turtles slowly make their way to the water. They float on the surface before swimming out, only their little heads visible above the water.

Powell said studying drought’s impacts on parts of wildlife can shed light on how extreme conditions may play out on a greater scale.

“Pollinators and insects support our entire ecosystem. And if they’re impacted, other things in the system are going to be impacted, too,” he said. “Even if you don’t really care about turtles, this may be a lesson that if these dynamics out on the landscape can affect turtles, they can affect you, too.”

This story was produced in partnership with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcur.org/harvestpublicmedia" target="_blank">Harvest Public Media,</a>&nbsp;a collaboration of public media newsrooms in the Midwest. It reports on food systems, agriculture and rural issues.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732290413879.png" alt="A student from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln holds a painted turtle from a pond in western Nebraska. Data from this turtle population showed how drought conditions may impact painted turtles, such as slowing growth and lowering survival. Photo by Elizabeth Rembert/Harvest Public Media" />
 <figcaption>A student from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln holds a painted turtle from a pond in western Nebraska. Data from this turtle population showed how drought conditions may impact painted turtles, such as slowing growth and lowering survival. Photo by Elizabeth Rembert/Harvest Public Media</figcaption>
 </figure>By&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcur.org/elizabeth-rembert">ELIZABETH REMBERT </a>Harvest Public Media&nbsp;<h2>Drought has scorched much of the Midwest and Great Plains for the last four years. It has destroyed crops and sparked wildfires. Wildlife is also reckoning with the dry conditions – which can change animal behavior and even push species out of some regions.</h2>A small pond sits near the end of County Road F in western Nebraska, shaded by cottonwood trees that rustle in the gentle wind.At first, it looks like a typical pond off a quiet, dead-end gravel road. But after nearly twenty years of visiting this pond, Larkin Powell is pretty good at spotting its residents.“Look at all the heads, the little bumps sticking up in the water?” the University of Nebraska-Lincoln professor of biology and ecology points out. “Those are the turtles.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732290534640.png" alt="Larkin Powell teaches conservation biology and animal ecology at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where he also leads the School of Natural Resources. He’s been visiting the painted turtle pond for nearly 20 years to teach students how to capture and measure wild animals. Elizabeth Rembert/Harvest Public Media" />
 <figcaption>Larkin Powell teaches conservation biology and animal ecology at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where he also leads the School of Natural Resources. He’s been visiting the painted turtle pond for nearly 20 years to teach students how to capture and measure wild animals. Elizabeth Rembert/Harvest Public Media</figcaption>
 </figure>Each summer, Powell rounds up students and arms them with thick gloves, calipers and scales to catch and measure the painted turtles that call this pond home.A handful of turtles were naive enough to mistake the floating traps as perches for sunbathing, and now they’re scratching around in buckets, waiting their turn to be measured by the crew of students.Powell and his students analyzed 11 years of data to study how drought conditions impacted the turtles. They found that&nbsp;<a href="https://news.unl.edu/article/undergrad-driven-project-reveals-drought-s-effects-on-painted-turtles" target="_blank">during dry years,</a>&nbsp;the turtles grew more slowly. The conditions also seemed to lower survival and throw off the female to male ratio.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732290675313.png" alt="A student from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln holds a painted turtle from a pond in western Nebraska. Data from this turtle population showed how drought conditions may impact painted turtles, such as slowing growth and lowering survival.&nbsp;Photo by Elizabeth Rembert/Harvest Public Media" />
 <figcaption>A student from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln holds a painted turtle from a pond in western Nebraska. Data from this turtle population showed how drought conditions may impact painted turtles, such as slowing growth and lowering survival.&nbsp;Photo by Elizabeth Rembert/Harvest Public Media</figcaption>
 </figure>The papers have been Powell’s most-requested research studies in the last few years. While painted turtles are a stable population that aren’t existentially threatened by drought, Powell said the findings could be applied to other endangered species that might need help as they reckon with climate change’s extreme conditions.“Now that droughts are becoming more frequent and more intense, there’s going to be some changes,” he said. “We have to account for that as we think about the future for species of conservation concern.”<h2>Drought conditions</h2>The last few years of drought have been especially severe. In early November, more than 79% of the country’s population was living with abnormal dryness and drought,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/us-drought-weekly-report-november-5-2024" target="_blank">a record</a>&nbsp;in the U.S. Drought Monitor’s 25-year history.Much of the Midwest and Great Plains have been dealing with extremely dry conditions for the past four years. It’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2024-05-13/drought-midwest-great-plains" target="_blank">killed crops,</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2024-09-20/mississippi-river-low-levels-barge-traffic" target="_blank">lowered river levels</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2024-05-22/a-big-start-to-wildfire-season-could-mean-another-smoky-summer-in-the-midwest-and-great-plains" target="_blank">fueled wildfires.</a>States like&nbsp;<a href="https://www.radioiowa.com/2024/10/02/record-dry-september-conditions-not-expected-to-change-for-awhile/" target="_blank">Iowa,</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://nsco.unl.edu/articles/climate-summaries/driest-september-record" target="_blank">Nebraska</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/minnesota-on-track-to-have-the-driest-september-on-record/" target="_blank">Minnesota</a>&nbsp;experienced their driest September on record this year. The conditions follow a reprieve from drought earlier this summer, according to Molly Woloszyn with the National Integrated Drought Information System.“Conditions were still OK, until we hit the fall where precipitation has turned off for many, many locations,” Woloszyn said. “We had a feeling that if the rain stopped, things were going to get dry pretty quickly, and that's pretty much what we have seen.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732291438348.png" alt="High Plains drought map on Nov. 19, 2024. Image by U.S. Drought Monitor" />
 <figcaption>High Plains drought map on Nov. 19, 2024. Image by U.S. Drought Monitor</figcaption>
 </figure>Persistently high temperatures and low precipitation has also transformed creeks and ponds into puddles&nbsp;<a href="https://flatlandkc.org/news-issues/drought-sapping-fisheries-and-marshes-in-missouri-and-kansas/" target="_blank">in Kansas and Missouri.</a>&nbsp;It’s killed off fish and ruined habitats for migrating birds.In Indiana, the extreme heat and dryness of the 2012 drought&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fws.gov/story/2023-09/recovering-karner-blue-butterfly#:~:text=Today%20the%20Karner%20blue%20is,blue%20butterflies%20vanishing%20from%20Indiana." target="_blank">wiped out the Karner butterfly.&nbsp;</a>The small, powder blue butterfly hasn’t been seen there since 2014.Other animals are showing up where they shouldn’t be. Like in St. Louis, which saw a handful of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksdk.com/article/life/animals/missorui-black-bear-sightings-to-rise-mdc-says/63-07d07db6-57a6-4bea-98c9-f8ccf2f7fb27" target="_blank">wild black bears venture</a>&nbsp;into suburban neighborhoods at different points this summer.Black bears usually prefer to stay away from people, but Missouri Department of Conservation biologist Nate Bowersock said they’re more willing to risk human contact when dry conditions kill the acorns and berries they rely on. That may mean they wander into the suburbs or onto farms.“They might start trying to flip over a chicken coop to get at the chickens or just decimate a beehive if it’s not properly secured,” Bowersock said. “Bird feeders, too. They love to go after people’s bird feeders.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732290814075.png" alt="The wild black bears that roam into developed areas are often young bears trying to find food in a new territory, according to biologist Nate Bowersock. Drought conditions that make native fruits and acorns scarce can force bears into closer contact with humans. Photo by Noppadol Paothong/&nbsp;Missouri Department of Conservation" />
 <figcaption>The wild black bears that roam into developed areas are often young bears trying to find food in a new territory, according to biologist Nate Bowersock. Drought conditions that make native fruits and acorns scarce can force bears into closer contact with humans. Photo by Noppadol Paothong/&nbsp;Missouri Department of Conservation</figcaption>
 </figure>Missouri’s rich forests, long growing season and abundance of native fruits and nuts give bears an advantage when it comes to surviving dry periods, according to Bowersock. But he said the department is still thinking of drought’s impacts.“With climate change, conditions are happening a lot quicker than some animals can handle,” he said. “It just makes it vital for us to stay on top of how droughts affect the plants that bears rely on, so that our management decisions are really what’s best for the bears.”<h2>Droughts getting worse</h2>While droughts are a part of the natural weather cycle, scientists have found that human-caused climate change is making them more frequent and more intense. The extreme conditions are putting wildlife’s coping mechanisms to the test.But that’s only half the story, according to Wynne Moss,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usgs.gov/staff-profiles/wynne-moss" target="_blank">a biologist with the U.S. Geological Survey</a>.“The other half is that the ecosystem's ability to withstand water shortages is also changing,” she said. “So even the same degree of drought might now have bigger impacts.”Moss said wildlife is also fighting off new levels of disease, invasive species and habitat loss.“Drought adds another threat to that list,” she said. “And it can be the death blow for some of these species.”The threat is becoming more persistent. Even when drought conditions ease, Moss said the effects can stick around.“Ecosystems recover very slowly. It can take years, and in some cases you might have no recovery at all,” she said. “But the droughts are happening so fast that ecosystems are finding it challenging to fully recover before the next drought happens.”Scott White, manager of the Klamath Drainage District in southern Oregon, knows that phenomenon well. Over the past 15 years, his area has received 10 drought declarations from the governor.“Dealing with drought and climate change is a new way of life for us,” he said.The conditions dried up water sources in a nearby National Wildlife Refuge, which has served as a prime resting spot for waterfowl migrating south. When the waterways dried up, the birds stopped coming.It shut down the hunting season and killed a major economic engine for the region. Before the drought, White said bird-cleaning stands lined the roads during hunting season.“It was like lemonade stands,” he said. “You could go out hunting in the morning, stop at a stand and have somebody clean your birds for you, and you’re on your way home.”But that stopped when the refuges dried up.“It’s been a long, long time since that type of economy existed here,” he said. “It was an eye-opener for the entire community. Waterfowl hunting was a huge, huge part of our identity and our economy.”White and others are now working&nbsp;<a href="https://klamathdrainagedistrict.org/replumbing-the-klamath/" target="_blank">on a project to rework the district’s canals</a>&nbsp;to reconnect waterways in the region, feeding the refuge’s pools to allow fish to access the wetlands and provide protections for animals and landowners.“We just know that keeping the refuges dry is not a solution,” he said. “So we’re looking at these other alternatives to try and find a way to secure our future and bring back waterfowl, recover fisheries and not impact our neighbors in a negative way.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732290947149.png" alt="A pair of turtles return to the pond after being measured and weighed. The data and analysis could help other endangered species that might need assistance surviving drought, especially as climate change makes dry spells more frequent and intense.&nbsp;Photo by Elizabeth Rembert/Harvest Public Media" />
 <figcaption>A pair of turtles return to the pond after being measured and weighed. The data and analysis could help other endangered species that might need assistance surviving drought, especially as climate change makes dry spells more frequent and intense.&nbsp;Photo by Elizabeth Rembert/Harvest Public Media</figcaption>
 </figure>Back at the pond in western Nebraska, the turtles have done their scientific duty. It’s time for them to go back home.The students walk down to the pond, set the buckets on their sides and watch as the turtles slowly make their way to the water. They float on the surface before swimming out, only their little heads visible above the water.Powell said studying drought’s impacts on parts of wildlife can shed light on how extreme conditions may play out on a greater scale.“Pollinators and insects support our entire ecosystem. And if they’re impacted, other things in the system are going to be impacted, too,” he said. “Even if you don’t really care about turtles, this may be a lesson that if these dynamics out on the landscape can affect turtles, they can affect you, too.”This story was produced in partnership with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcur.org/harvestpublicmedia" target="_blank">Harvest Public Media,</a>&nbsp;a collaboration of public media newsrooms in the Midwest. It reports on food systems, agriculture and rural issues.

Drought delivers a big blow to wildlife already grappling with disease and habitat loss

The four finalists for the Junction City Manager's job met with members of the community Friday night at the C.L. Hoover Opera House.

Randy Robertson&nbsp;is an experienced City/County Manager and a retired U.S. Army Officer. He has served as City Manager in Aberdeen, Maryland, with a population of 18,000 that employs 180 staff with a $32 million budget. Aberdeen is home to the Aberdeen Proving Ground, the Army’s largest research and technology platform. Mr. Robertson also served as City Manager in Cordova, Alaska; Vestavia Hills, Alabama; Mt. Juliet, Tennessee and Ashland, Kentucky. He also served as Chief of Staff, U.S, Army – White Sands Missile Range, NM, and Deputy Command/Chief of Staff, U.S. Army Second Signal Brigade, U.S. Army Europe.&nbsp;&nbsp;

&nbsp;Rose Beverly has over nine years of executive-level experience in the public sector. She currently serves as the City Administrator for the City of Berea, Kentucky with a population of 17,000. She provides oversite and guidance to 14 departments with 150 employees and a $31 million budget. Her achievements include the development of a Capital Improvements Program, the creation of a 10-year financial forecasting model to ensure sound fiscal policy, and completion of a pay and classification study to aid in employee hiring and retention. Rose also previously served as City Administrator to the City of Aitkin, Minnesota and as a County Commissioner in Butte County, Idaho.&nbsp;

Blaine Oborn&nbsp;has over 20 years’ experience as a local government professional manager and over 38 years in government. Mr. Oborn most recently served as City Administrator in Oak Harbor, Washington with a population of 24,940, that staffs 185 employees, and a $60 million budget. He was also the City Administrator for the City of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, City of Rhinelander, Wisconsin, and City of Ronceverte, West Virginia. Mr. Oborn was also a Village Administrator in Kronenwetter, Wisconsin.&nbsp;

Kim David Zimmerman&nbsp;has 30 years’ experience that includes twenty plus years as an active-duty logistics officer in the U.S. Army. He has also served as City Manager in Ridgway, Pennsylvania, and most recently Chief Administrator for the Borough of Lewistown, Pennsylvania with a population of 8,500 residents that employs 90 staff. Zimmerman was also the Operations Director, Privatized Military Housing at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska. Mr. Zimmerman got his start in local government in Ridgeway, Pennsylvania, with a population of 4,100 residents that staffed 26 full-time and 50 part-time employees.&nbsp;

The city commission is seeking a successor to Allen Dinkel, who retired.

The four finalists for the Junction City Manager's job met with members of the community Friday night at the C.L. Hoover Opera House.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732412443134.jpeg" alt="Randy Robertson" />
 <figcaption>Randy Robertson</figcaption>
 </figure>Randy Robertson&nbsp;is an experienced City/County Manager and a retired U.S. Army Officer. He has served as City Manager in Aberdeen, Maryland, with a population of 18,000 that employs 180 staff with a $32 million budget. Aberdeen is home to the Aberdeen Proving Ground, the Army’s largest research and technology platform. Mr. Robertson also served as City Manager in Cordova, Alaska; Vestavia Hills, Alabama; Mt. Juliet, Tennessee and Ashland, Kentucky. He also served as Chief of Staff, U.S, Army – White Sands Missile Range, NM, and Deputy Command/Chief of Staff, U.S. Army Second Signal Brigade, U.S. Army Europe.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732412892398.jpeg" alt="Rose Beverly" />
 <figcaption>Rose Beverly</figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;Rose Beverly has over nine years of executive-level experience in the public sector. She currently serves as the City Administrator for the City of Berea, Kentucky with a population of 17,000. She provides oversite and guidance to 14 departments with 150 employees and a $31 million budget. Her achievements include the development of a Capital Improvements Program, the creation of a 10-year financial forecasting model to ensure sound fiscal policy, and completion of a pay and classification study to aid in employee hiring and retention. Rose also previously served as City Administrator to the City of Aitkin, Minnesota and as a County Commissioner in Butte County, Idaho.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732413034854.jpeg" alt="Blaine Oborn" />
 <figcaption>Blaine Oborn</figcaption>
 </figure>Blaine Oborn&nbsp;has over 20 years’ experience as a local government professional manager and over 38 years in government. Mr. Oborn most recently served as City Administrator in Oak Harbor, Washington with a population of 24,940, that staffs 185 employees, and a $60 million budget. He was also the City Administrator for the City of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, City of Rhinelander, Wisconsin, and City of Ronceverte, West Virginia. Mr. Oborn was also a Village Administrator in Kronenwetter, Wisconsin.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732415926505.jpeg" alt="Kim Zimmerman" />
 <figcaption>Kim Zimmerman</figcaption>
 </figure>Kim David Zimmerman&nbsp;has 30 years’ experience that includes twenty plus years as an active-duty logistics officer in the U.S. Army. He has also served as City Manager in Ridgway, Pennsylvania, and most recently Chief Administrator for the Borough of Lewistown, Pennsylvania with a population of 8,500 residents that employs 90 staff. Zimmerman was also the Operations Director, Privatized Military Housing at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska. Mr. Zimmerman got his start in local government in Ridgeway, Pennsylvania, with a population of 4,100 residents that staffed 26 full-time and 50 part-time employees.&nbsp;The city commission is seeking a successor to Allen Dinkel, who retired.

Junction City Manager finalists meet the public

DICKINSON COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just after 5p.m. Friday in Dickinson County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2024 Freightliner semi hauling two trailer and driven by Troy D.&nbsp;Hilsdon, 56, Blue Springs, Missouri, was&nbsp;was eastbound on Interstate 70 two miles west of Abilene.

The semi traveled off the right shoulder into the south ditch and rolled onto&nbsp; its top. EMS transported&nbsp;Hilsdon to the hospital in Abilene. He was properly restrained, according to the KHP.

DICKINSON COUNTY —Traffic is backed up for drivers traveling eastbound on Interstate 70 in Dickson County.

A semi was involved in an accident and the vehicle was on the south side of the Interstate.&nbsp; The KHP has not reported any injuries as of 6:15p.m. Friday.

Check the Post for additional details as they become available.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732321290380.png" alt="Image KanDrive" />
 <figcaption>Image KanDrive</figcaption>
 </figure>DICKINSON COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just after 5p.m. Friday in Dickinson County. The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2024 Freightliner semi hauling two trailer and driven by Troy D.&nbsp;Hilsdon, 56, Blue Springs, Missouri, was&nbsp;was eastbound on Interstate 70 two miles west of Abilene.The semi traveled off the right shoulder into the south ditch and rolled onto&nbsp; its top. EMS transported&nbsp;Hilsdon to the hospital in Abilene. He was properly restrained, according to the KHP.------------------DICKINSON COUNTY —Traffic is backed up for drivers traveling eastbound on Interstate 70 in Dickson County.A semi was involved in an accident and the vehicle was on the south side of the Interstate.&nbsp; The KHP has not reported any injuries as of 6:15p.m. Friday.Check the Post for additional details as they become available.

Driver hospitalized after semi overturns on Interstate 70

<a>According to the Kansas Department of Transportation I-70 through Junction City is scheduled to reopen to unrestricted winter travel by the end of Friday, Nov. 22,following the completion of Phase Two construction and a three-day lane reduction for bridge work in Grandview Plaza.</a>

Phase Three of I-70 construction is scheduled to begin in mid-March 2025. Traffic will be reduced to one lane in each direction and carried through construction via the westbound lanes while pavement is replaced in the eastbound lanes.

The multi-phase $30 million project includes construction of temporary crossovers, pavement and drainage structure replacement, bridge rehabilitation and resurfacing of some local routes. The project is scheduled to be completed by December of 2025, weather permitting.

<a>According to the Kansas Department of Transportation I-70 through Junction City is scheduled to reopen to unrestricted winter travel by the end of Friday, Nov. 22,following the completion of Phase Two construction and a three-day lane reduction for bridge work in Grandview Plaza.</a>Phase Three of I-70 construction is scheduled to begin in mid-March 2025. Traffic will be reduced to one lane in each direction and carried through construction via the westbound lanes while pavement is replaced in the eastbound lanes.The multi-phase $30 million project includes construction of temporary crossovers, pavement and drainage structure replacement, bridge rehabilitation and resurfacing of some local routes. The project is scheduled to be completed by December of 2025, weather permitting.

I-70 in Junction City reopens to unrestricted traffic for winter

On this episode of Forward Ever: Leading in Challenging Times, host Gary Shorman speaks with former legislator, realtor, and Real Men Real Leaders executive director Reynaldo Mesa.

<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/iN_WCBzYk-w?si=ZieSXJsrkZlPaifk" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>On this episode of Forward Ever: Leading in Challenging Times, host Gary Shorman speaks with former legislator, realtor, and Real Men Real Leaders executive director Reynaldo Mesa.

🎤Forward Ever: Reynaldo Mesa, Real Men Real Leaders

Abilene CVB Director Julie Roller announced that Abilene's new Holiday Inn Express &amp; Suites opened its doors Thursday evening, offering travelers a modern place to stay along Kansas I-70. The four-story, 65-room property features a 400-square-foot meeting space ideal for small to medium-sized groups, along with amenities like an indoor pool and fitness center.

“We are thrilled to bring this property to Abilene and its visitors,” said Anjan Ghosh Hajra, property owner. “We appreciate everyone’s patience during the construction delays and are confident travelers will love the finished hotel.”This marks the Ghosh Hajra family’s second investment in Abilene. Their original Holiday Inn Express, built in 2000, is being rebranded as Abilene Inn &amp; Suites, a Choice Hotels property.

“Abilene’s businesses, attractions, and visitors are grateful for the continued investment the Ghosh Hajra family has made in our community,” said Julie Roller Weeks, Director of the Abilene Convention &amp; Visitors Bureau.&nbsp; ”Travelers can book accommodations at both properties online.

Abilene CVB Director Julie Roller announced that Abilene's new Holiday Inn Express &amp; Suites opened its doors Thursday evening, offering travelers a modern place to stay along Kansas I-70. The four-story, 65-room property features a 400-square-foot meeting space ideal for small to medium-sized groups, along with amenities like an indoor pool and fitness center.“We are thrilled to bring this property to Abilene and its visitors,” said Anjan Ghosh Hajra, property owner. “We appreciate everyone’s patience during the construction delays and are confident travelers will love the finished hotel.”This marks the Ghosh Hajra family’s second investment in Abilene. Their original Holiday Inn Express, built in 2000, is being rebranded as Abilene Inn &amp; Suites, a Choice Hotels property.“Abilene’s businesses, attractions, and visitors are grateful for the continued investment the Ghosh Hajra family has made in our community,” said Julie Roller Weeks, Director of the Abilene Convention &amp; Visitors Bureau.&nbsp; ”Travelers can book accommodations at both properties online.

Abilene welcomes new Holiday Inn Express & Suites, former property rebranded

Pottawatomie County Economic Development has announced that Colliers is presenting the opportunity to acquire the crane served Caterpillar production plant in Wamego. The facility, currently owned by Caterpillar and employing roughly 300 full time employees, will be vacated by approximately the fourth quarter of 2025.&nbsp;

Pottawatomie County Economic Development has announced that Colliers is presenting the opportunity to acquire the crane served Caterpillar production plant in Wamego. The facility, currently owned by Caterpillar and employing roughly 300 full time employees, will be vacated by approximately the fourth quarter of 2025.&nbsp;

Caterpillar plant in Wamego is up for sale

Jody Johnson of Dwight, Kans. is the recipient of the 2024 Geary County Extension Appreciation Award.

Jody is an active volunteer for Geary County K-State Research and Extension, serving as a Senior Health Insurance Counseling for Kansas (SHICK) counselor for the past three years. During that time, she and FCS agents have saved Geary County residents over $200,000 in savings each year for necessary medicine and health expenses. Jody’s passion for helping others through the complicated healthcare system came from a background in animal health, customer service and volunteerism.

Graduating from Kansas State University in 1976 and 1981 with degrees in veterinary medicine and pathology, Jody would work in pathology before serving as the Assistant Dean for Admissions and Alumni Affairs for the K-State College of Veterinary Medicine. She then entered industry and worked in customer services for Hills Pet Nutrition, while continuing her involvement in the American Veterinary Medicine Association, focusing on healthcare insurance initiatives for independent veterinarians across the United States.

In addition to her 15 years of volunteerism as SHICK counselor in the local area, Jody volunteers as a member of the Marion Hill Lutheran Church of White City, Little Huskies Daycare, an election board volunteer as well as being a lifetime member of the K-State Alumni Association and the American Veterinary Medicine Association (AVMA).

Today, Jody and her husband Gary, along with two of their children, operate their farm and ranch in Dwight. The couple have four adult children and nine grandchildren. Jody shared that her love of assisting others stems from her mother and her many years in customer service.

The award was created in 1983 so that an individual, family or business, that goes above and beyond in their support of Extension in a county can be recognized.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732292915313.jpeg" alt="( Photo - Geary&nbsp; County Extension L-R ) Jody Johnson and Kyler Langvardt" />
 <figcaption>( Photo - Geary&nbsp; County Extension L-R ) Jody Johnson and Kyler Langvardt</figcaption>
 </figure>Jody Johnson of Dwight, Kans. is the recipient of the 2024 Geary County Extension Appreciation Award.Jody is an active volunteer for Geary County K-State Research and Extension, serving as a Senior Health Insurance Counseling for Kansas (SHICK) counselor for the past three years. During that time, she and FCS agents have saved Geary County residents over $200,000 in savings each year for necessary medicine and health expenses. Jody’s passion for helping others through the complicated healthcare system came from a background in animal health, customer service and volunteerism.Graduating from Kansas State University in 1976 and 1981 with degrees in veterinary medicine and pathology, Jody would work in pathology before serving as the Assistant Dean for Admissions and Alumni Affairs for the K-State College of Veterinary Medicine. She then entered industry and worked in customer services for Hills Pet Nutrition, while continuing her involvement in the American Veterinary Medicine Association, focusing on healthcare insurance initiatives for independent veterinarians across the United States.In addition to her 15 years of volunteerism as SHICK counselor in the local area, Jody volunteers as a member of the Marion Hill Lutheran Church of White City, Little Huskies Daycare, an election board volunteer as well as being a lifetime member of the K-State Alumni Association and the American Veterinary Medicine Association (AVMA).Today, Jody and her husband Gary, along with two of their children, operate their farm and ranch in Dwight. The couple have four adult children and nine grandchildren. Jody shared that her love of assisting others stems from her mother and her many years in customer service.The award was created in 1983 so that an individual, family or business, that goes above and beyond in their support of Extension in a county can be recognized.

Extension Appreciation Award is presented

RILEY COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a Kansas felon on new allegations after an arrest.

Just after 6p.m. Thursday, police arrested 20-year-old Cristian Soto of Manhattan on requested charges that include multiple offenses of violation of the Offender Registration Act x 8.

In December of 2023, Soto was convicted of Aggravated Robbery; Armed w/ dangerous weapon, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

Soto is being held on a $60,000 bond, according to the Riley County Police Department activity report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732289521493.png" alt="Soto photo KBI Offender Registry" />
 <figcaption>Soto photo KBI Offender Registry</figcaption>
 </figure>RILEY COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a Kansas felon on new allegations after an arrest.Just after 6p.m. Thursday, police arrested 20-year-old Cristian Soto of Manhattan on requested charges that include multiple offenses of violation of the Offender Registration Act x 8.In December of 2023, Soto was convicted of Aggravated Robbery; Armed w/ dangerous weapon, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.Soto is being held on a $60,000 bond, according to the Riley County Police Department activity report.

RCPD: Registered Kansas offender jailed on new allegations

Recent Booking Activity for the Geary County Detention Center. All persons included in this post are innocent of crimes until proven guilty in a court of law.

Bonds have been posted. Photos are unavailable.

Travoris Steele, Criminal trespass, arrested 11/21

Jason Ludecke, Probation violation, arrested 11/21

Roberto Ramosgatica, Failure to appear, arrested 11/21

Brian Hill, Unlawful restraint, arrested 11/21

Recent Booking Activity for the Geary County Detention Center. All persons included in this post are innocent of crimes until proven guilty in a court of law.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732286968294.jpeg" alt="Peter Henry, Theft - All other, arrested 11/21" />
 <figcaption>Peter Henry, Theft - All other, arrested 11/21</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732287031232.jpeg" alt="Michael Borggreen, Operate a motor vehicle without a valid license, arrested 11/21" />
 <figcaption>Michael Borggreen, Operate a motor vehicle without a valid license, arrested 11/21</figcaption>
 </figure>Bonds have been posted. Photos are unavailable.Travoris Steele, Criminal trespass, arrested 11/21Jason Ludecke, Probation violation, arrested 11/21Roberto Ramosgatica, Failure to appear, arrested 11/21Brian Hill, Unlawful restraint, arrested 11/21Recent Booking Activity for the Geary County Detention Center. All persons included in this post are innocent of crimes until proven guilty in a court of law.

Geary County Booking Photos Nov. 22

Junction City Commission Approves Reforms to Child Care Ordinances and Enforces Regulations Against Illegal Child Care

Junction City, KS – The Junction City Commission unanimously approved significant changes to local child care ordinances aimed at reducing barriers for in-home child care providers. These reforms come in response to recent state-level updates, which highlighted the need for local ordinances to be aligned with current regulations.

The newly approved changes remove previous restrictions on operational hours, allowing family child care providers to offer services outside of traditional work hours. This adjustment supports families who require care during shift work and nontraditional hours, fostering a more flexible child care environment.

In addition, the commission eliminated local permit requirements and associated fees, significantly decreasing operational costs for providers. Compliance with state licensing regulations and inspections will now be managed exclusively through state offices, streamlining the licensing process for Junction City providers. Providers still need to show state licensing to the City to facilitate code compliance and emergency response.

A notable addition to the ordinance is the designation of illegal child care as a municipal offense, carrying penalties that may include hefty fines and potential jail time. Illegal child care in Kansas is defined as caring for more than two unrelated children for more than 20 hours a week without a state license. While operating an unlicensed child care facility has been illegal for some time, enforcement of these regulations has been insufficient.

Individuals with questions or those who are interested in becoming a licensed provider can email the Geary County Child Care Coalition (gc3c.info@gmail.com) for assistance in accessing the appropriate resources.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710268533269.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>Junction City Commission Approves Reforms to Child Care Ordinances and Enforces Regulations Against Illegal Child CareJunction City, KS – The Junction City Commission unanimously approved significant changes to local child care ordinances aimed at reducing barriers for in-home child care providers. These reforms come in response to recent state-level updates, which highlighted the need for local ordinances to be aligned with current regulations.The newly approved changes remove previous restrictions on operational hours, allowing family child care providers to offer services outside of traditional work hours. This adjustment supports families who require care during shift work and nontraditional hours, fostering a more flexible child care environment.In addition, the commission eliminated local permit requirements and associated fees, significantly decreasing operational costs for providers. Compliance with state licensing regulations and inspections will now be managed exclusively through state offices, streamlining the licensing process for Junction City providers. Providers still need to show state licensing to the City to facilitate code compliance and emergency response.A notable addition to the ordinance is the designation of illegal child care as a municipal offense, carrying penalties that may include hefty fines and potential jail time. Illegal child care in Kansas is defined as caring for more than two unrelated children for more than 20 hours a week without a state license. While operating an unlicensed child care facility has been illegal for some time, enforcement of these regulations has been insufficient.Individuals with questions or those who are interested in becoming a licensed provider can email the Geary County Child Care Coalition (gc3c.info@gmail.com) for assistance in accessing the appropriate resources.

Junction City Commission Approves Reforms to Child Care Ordinances

The ribbon cutting was held for a&nbsp; new shelter in Fifth Street Park in Junction City Thursday afternoon.

The Quality Play for All project received help from multiple organizations, including the City of Junction City, Hutton Construction,&nbsp;&nbsp;students from Kansas State University’s chapter of the Associated General Contractors of America,&nbsp; USD 475 Career and Technical Education Students,&nbsp;&nbsp;Kaw Valley Engineering and Foley Equipment.

Quality Play for All spokesman Kendall Schoenrock said the shelter is located in between the playground equipment and the basketball court in the park. "This is really an awesome joint collaboration.

The Geary Community Healthcare Foundation has provided $4,184 to Quality Play for All for future improvements in the park.

By Dewey TerrillJC PostThe ribbon cutting was held for a&nbsp; new shelter in Fifth Street Park in Junction City Thursday afternoon.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732222435267.jpeg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>The Quality Play for All project received help from multiple organizations, including the City of Junction City, Hutton Construction,&nbsp;&nbsp;students from Kansas State University’s chapter of the Associated General Contractors of America,&nbsp; USD 475 Career and Technical Education Students,&nbsp;&nbsp;Kaw Valley Engineering and Foley Equipment.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732222908715.jpeg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>Quality Play for All spokesman Kendall Schoenrock said the shelter is located in between the playground equipment and the basketball court in the park. "This is really an awesome joint collaboration.The Geary Community Healthcare Foundation has provided $4,184 to Quality Play for All for future improvements in the park.

New shelter project is completed in Fifth Street Park

Patterson Family Foundation seeks to strengthen rural economy with this generous investment.

Manhattan, KS – Manhattan Area Technical College has been awarded a $668,000 grant by the Patterson Family Foundation. The school said the grant focus on students in grades 6-12 and aims to grow and sustain the talent pool in rural communities.

The initiative strengthens key industries identified by the Patterson Family Foundation as "the backbone of America's economy and vital to the health and well-being of rural communities." Manhattan Tech has long been a leader in these professions, including Welding, Construction/Carpentry, HVAC-R, Electrical, Automotive Services, and Industrial Machinery Mechanics. The grant will benefit rural-identified counties, including Clay, Dickinson, Geary, Marshall, Morris, Nemaha, Pottawatomie, and Waubansee. 

"As part of this initiative, students have the opportunity to earn credentials and college credit at little to no cost," states Manhattan Tech President Jim Genandt. "With the generosity of the Patterson Family Foundation, we are building an educational pathway that can lead to certificates and degrees at Manhattan Tech and ultimately an in-demand profession in a rural critical field."

A portion of the funding will go toward creating a Mobile Technology Lab equipped with virtual and augmented reality tools that can be brought directly to these communities.&nbsp;

Junior and senior high school teachers will also benefit through access to training, equipment, and ongoing mentoring provided by Manhattan Tech to effectively teach hands-on and technology-enabled lessons in these fields. 

Additionally, efforts made possible by this grant will foster community engagement by enabling parents, counselors, and community workforce specialists to participate in virtual and hands-on experiences, thereby enhancing their understanding and promotion of these occupations to area youth. 

For more information on how to participate, please contact:

David Umanzor, Outreach Coordinator, davidumanzor@manhattantech.edu

Patterson Family Foundation seeks to strengthen rural economy with this generous investment.Manhattan, KS – Manhattan Area Technical College has been awarded a $668,000 grant by the Patterson Family Foundation. The school said the grant focus on students in grades 6-12 and aims to grow and sustain the talent pool in rural communities.The initiative strengthens key industries identified by the Patterson Family Foundation as "the backbone of America's economy and vital to the health and well-being of rural communities." Manhattan Tech has long been a leader in these professions, including Welding, Construction/Carpentry, HVAC-R, Electrical, Automotive Services, and Industrial Machinery Mechanics. The grant will benefit rural-identified counties, including Clay, Dickinson, Geary, Marshall, Morris, Nemaha, Pottawatomie, and Waubansee. "As part of this initiative, students have the opportunity to earn credentials and college credit at little to no cost," states Manhattan Tech President Jim Genandt. "With the generosity of the Patterson Family Foundation, we are building an educational pathway that can lead to certificates and degrees at Manhattan Tech and ultimately an in-demand profession in a rural critical field."A portion of the funding will go toward creating a Mobile Technology Lab equipped with virtual and augmented reality tools that can be brought directly to these communities.&nbsp;Junior and senior high school teachers will also benefit through access to training, equipment, and ongoing mentoring provided by Manhattan Tech to effectively teach hands-on and technology-enabled lessons in these fields. Additionally, efforts made possible by this grant will foster community engagement by enabling parents, counselors, and community workforce specialists to participate in virtual and hands-on experiences, thereby enhancing their understanding and promotion of these occupations to area youth. For more information on how to participate, please contact:David Umanzor, Outreach Coordinator, davidumanzor@manhattantech.edu

Manhattan Tech is awarded $668K grant for rural workforce development

The Junction City Blue Jays football team hosted an end-of-season awards banquet to officially conclude the 2024 football season.&nbsp;&nbsp;

At the awards banquet, each coach spoke to the team and addressed their thoughts on the season as well as looking forward to next season. The seniors in attendance were able to perform their "last hit" and awards were given out as part of the banquet as well.&nbsp;

Ron Lowry Memorial Award Winner - Adrian Moreno &amp; Brock Nabus

Malcolm Tibbetts Memorial Award Winner - Jamarcus Tyson &amp; Petren Bartolome

Joseph Sinegal Memorial Award Winner – Trevon Briley

Al Simpler Memorial Award Winner - Petren Bartolome

Elijah Carter-Salisbury Memorial Award Winner – Trevon Briley &amp; Toby Johnson

Black Lion Award Winner – Lovell Autry &amp; Luke Nelson

Frank Drew Memorial Award Winner – Noah Aguon

Felix Snipes Memorial Award Winner - Xander Caldwell

Offensive Player of the Year - Justice Fonoti

Defensive Player of the Year - Lovell Autry

Special Teams Player of the Year - Ethan Hileman

Scout Team Offense Player of the Year - Scholar Brown

Scout Team Defense Player of the Year - Luke Nelson

The Blue Jay varsity team finished the season with a 5-5 record.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732205649257.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By Anthony GorgesJC PostThe Junction City Blue Jays football team hosted an end-of-season awards banquet to officially conclude the 2024 football season.&nbsp;&nbsp;At the awards banquet, each coach spoke to the team and addressed their thoughts on the season as well as looking forward to next season. The seniors in attendance were able to perform their "last hit" and awards were given out as part of the banquet as well.&nbsp;Ron Lowry Memorial Award Winner - Adrian Moreno &amp; Brock NabusMalcolm Tibbetts Memorial Award Winner - Jamarcus Tyson &amp; Petren BartolomeJoseph Sinegal Memorial Award Winner – Trevon BrileyAl Simpler Memorial Award Winner - Petren BartolomeElijah Carter-Salisbury Memorial Award Winner – Trevon Briley &amp; Toby JohnsonBlack Lion Award Winner – Lovell Autry &amp; Luke NelsonFrank Drew Memorial Award Winner – Noah AguonFelix Snipes Memorial Award Winner - Xander CaldwellOffensive Player of the Year - Justice FonotiDefensive Player of the Year - Lovell AutrySpecial Teams Player of the Year - Ethan HilemanScout Team Offense Player of the Year - Scholar BrownScout Team Defense Player of the Year - Luke NelsonThe Blue Jay varsity team finished the season with a 5-5 record.

Blue Jays host end-of-season Awards Banquet

RILEY COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating an alleged fentanyl overdose death and have made an arrest.

Just after noon Wednesday police arrested 23-year-old Caziah Self of Ellsworth in the 1000 block of S. Seth Child Road, according to the Riley County Police Department activity report.

The arrested is in connection with an incident that occurred in June of 2023 where law enforcement officers investigated the overdose death of a 25-year-old individual in Manhattan.

Self is being held on a $100,000 bond on requested charges of&nbsp; distribution of a controlled substance causing death, use of a communication facility in the commission of a felony drug violation, and distribution of opiate/opium/stimulant/heroin dosage &lt; 10 units.

Self has four previous drug convictions and another for criminal possession of a weapon, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

Anyone with relevant information on this case is urged to come forward, according to the RCPD. The investigation into this and all other Fentanyl-related overdoses remain active and ongoing. Any individuals possessing pertinent information are urged to come forward and assist law enforcement authorities.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732204540054.png" alt="Self photo KDOC" />
 <figcaption>Self photo KDOC</figcaption>
 </figure>RILEY COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating an alleged fentanyl overdose death and have made an arrest.Just after noon Wednesday police arrested 23-year-old Caziah Self of Ellsworth in the 1000 block of S. Seth Child Road, according to the Riley County Police Department activity report.The arrested is in connection with an incident that occurred in June of 2023 where law enforcement officers investigated the overdose death of a 25-year-old individual in Manhattan.Self is being held on a $100,000 bond on requested charges of&nbsp; distribution of a controlled substance causing death, use of a communication facility in the commission of a felony drug violation, and distribution of opiate/opium/stimulant/heroin dosage &lt; 10 units.Self has four previous drug convictions and another for criminal possession of a weapon, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.Anyone with relevant information on this case is urged to come forward, according to the RCPD. The investigation into this and all other Fentanyl-related overdoses remain active and ongoing. Any individuals possessing pertinent information are urged to come forward and assist law enforcement authorities.

RCPD: Kan. felon jailed in connection with fentanyl overdose death

Gage Ellis, Aggravated battery, Knowingly cause great bodily harm or disfigurement, Aggravated assault, arrested 11/20

Patricia Purcell, Failure to appear, arrested 11/20

Estelle Christiano, Unlawful damage to property, arrested 11/20

Recent Booking Activity for the Geary County Detention Center. All persons included in this post are innocent of crimes until proven guilty in a court of law.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732200598541.jpeg" alt="Michael Riffle, Probation violation, arrested 11/20" />
 <figcaption>Michael Riffle, Probation violation, arrested 11/20</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732200647973.jpeg" alt="Cassandra Crowley-Williams, Failure to appear (Three counts), Outside warrant, arrested 11/20" />
 <figcaption>Cassandra Crowley-Williams, Failure to appear (Three counts), Outside warrant, arrested 11/20</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732200782925.jpeg" alt="Austin Dowling, Use/possess with intent to use drug paraphernalia into human body, Criminal deprivation of property, Distribute opiate/narcotic/certain stimulant/heroin; Dose 10 - &lt;100 in 1000 ft of school, Possession of opiate, opium, narcotic or certain stimulant, Possession of stolen property, Taxation-Drugs; No drug tax stamp for marijuana or controlled substance, Possession of hallucinogenic drug, Possession of marijuana, arrested 11/21" />
 <figcaption>Austin Dowling, Use/possess with intent to use drug paraphernalia into human body, Criminal deprivation of property, Distribute opiate/narcotic/certain stimulant/heroin; Dose 10 - &lt;100 in 1000 ft of school, Possession of opiate, opium, narcotic or certain stimulant, Possession of stolen property, Taxation-Drugs; No drug tax stamp for marijuana or controlled substance, Possession of hallucinogenic drug, Possession of marijuana, arrested 11/21</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732201293315.jpeg" alt="Heather Cummins, Taxation-Drugs; No drug tax stamp for marijuana or controlled substance, Criminal deprivation of property,&nbsp;Use/possess with intent to use drug paraphernalia into human body, Possession of depressant, Possession of opiate, opium, narcotic or certain stimulant, Possession of marijuana, Possession of stolen property, arrested 11/21" />
 <figcaption>Heather Cummins, Taxation-Drugs; No drug tax stamp for marijuana or controlled substance, Criminal deprivation of property,&nbsp;Use/possess with intent to use drug paraphernalia into human body, Possession of depressant, Possession of opiate, opium, narcotic or certain stimulant, Possession of marijuana, Possession of stolen property, arrested 11/21</figcaption>
 </figure>Bonds have been posted. Photos are unavailable.Gage Ellis, Aggravated battery, Knowingly cause great bodily harm or disfigurement, Aggravated assault, arrested 11/20Patricia Purcell, Failure to appear, arrested 11/20Estelle Christiano, Unlawful damage to property, arrested 11/20Recent Booking Activity for the Geary County Detention Center. All persons included in this post are innocent of crimes until proven guilty in a court of law.

Geary County Booking Photos Nov. 21

Junction City Commissioners dealt with a number of items this week.

--Commissioners learned about a city POW / MIA program that could be established with signage. There would not be any cost for the city. This would be the fifth such program in Kansas. Dan Watkins outlined the program and will work with the city manager.

--They approved a change order of $79,930 for 2024 water system improvements.

--Commissioners awarded a bid for a fiscal sustainability plan totaling $31,400 to Columbia Capital Management.

--Commissioner Ronna Larson noted that United Way is seeking volunteers for their Day of Caring on Saturday.

By Dewey TerrillJC PostJunction City Commissioners dealt with a number of items this week.--Commissioners learned about a city POW / MIA program that could be established with signage. There would not be any cost for the city. This would be the fifth such program in Kansas. Dan Watkins outlined the program and will work with the city manager.--They approved a change order of $79,930 for 2024 water system improvements.--Commissioners awarded a bid for a fiscal sustainability plan totaling $31,400 to Columbia Capital Management.--Commissioner Ronna Larson noted that United Way is seeking volunteers for their Day of Caring on Saturday.--The Chamber of Commerce is hosting their Jingle Mingle on Dec. 5.--Mayor Pat Landes credited the appearance of the recently completed 6th Street project.--Interim City manager Gerry Vernon noted that the public meet and greet for the new city manager candidates is Friday night at the Opera House. It is scheduled from 6-8 p.m.--Public Works Director Ray Ibarra informed the governing body that before work can proceed on a new roundabout at McFarland and Eisenhower can proceed some water and sewer line repairs need to be made.

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