The Junction City Commission has approved the annual increase for the water and wastewater rates. They range from the 5.8% to 6% range for wastewater to 6.3 for 6.5% for water rates.

This is part of a multi-year long term plan to update the water and wastewater plant facilities that is required.

City Manager Allen Dinkel pointed back to 2014 when this program began. “Looking at the financial stuff you had hardly no cash balance in water or wastewater, zero. This has started rebuilding that. Because we’ve had the water rate increase and the sewer increases we now can do some projects.”

The city commission was in session Tuesday night.

 

December 5, 2017

Posted by USD 475 Communications Department

The Geary USD 475 Board of Education has decided to hold a public meeting next Monday, December 11th, to receive input on potential sites for a new Junction City High School. It will begin at 5 p.m. at the Devin Center.

Invited to visit with the board are architect Troy Hertel, engineer Leon Osburn and appraiser Bill Wilson.

Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Corbin Witt stated the Board will discuss the pros and cons of the property that has been looked at, and hopefully make a decision on the final site. “There are four parcels, and they’re going to identify them that night, and go through and talk about them, and then go through and make decision on how they want to move forward.” Each tract is approximately 150 acres in size. All of them are located on the west side of the city.

The Board of Education has also decided to proceed with a construction manager at-risk hiring. That firm will then serve, essentially, as a general contractor to coordinate the project and hire the subcontractors.

 

Geary County Rural Firefighters rolled to a vehicle fire on I-70 early Sunday morning.

Rural Fire Chief Garry Berges confirmed no one was injured.

“The vehicle was fully engulfed upon arrival,” Berges said. “There were three occupants; two adults and an infant in the vehicle and they were all able to get out. The vehicle was declared a total loss.”

The driver of the vehicle was Polo Garacillo.

Geary County rural firefighters responded to a rural house fire at 1992 Latzke Road during the early morning hours on Saturday.

No one was injured. The three residents including Andy Everitt and his two teenage children were able to get out of the house.

According to Rural Fire Chief Garry Berges the fire originated from an outdoor wood burner building into the limestone residence through a kitchen window where there was fire and smoke damage. There was damage throughout the house.

The damage estimated was placed at approximately $5,000. Berges added the limestone prevented further damage.

The Red Cross was called in to provide assistance.

The owner of the house is Ken Smith of Geary County.

Father Kyle Berens was among a group of about one-half dozen people to run into the water off the sandy beach at the Flagstop Campground in Milford. “It was a little cold but definitely worth it. ”

Berens wore a Cassock as he entered the water during the event, which raised funds for the Saint Xavier School. “So it’s kind of the traditional garb of the Catholic priest. So a bunch of the kids wanted to see if I would do it and I said absolutely.”

Berens estimated the turnout for the polar plunge at approximately 150 people. That was preceded by a two-mile fun run / walk at Flagstop Campground.

This was the second year for the Saint Xavier Day celebration which celebrates their patron saint, Saint Francis Xavier.

The Geary Community Hospital Medical Explorers completed their fifth class session this past week.

The bi-weekly evening program gives area high school students the opportunity to learn more about careers in the medical field ranging from surgery, cardiology, pediatrics, radiology and other specialties.

The next session will begin January 17th. Interested students should contact Nancy Dettmer ( nancydettmer@usd475 ) or Nikki Davies ( ndavies@gchks.org ) to receive an application packet.

 

Celebrate the holiday season with friends and family on Friday, December 8 during the Junction City Hometown Christmas.

Enjoy art during the annual Junction City Arts Council’s “Winter Gallery Walk.” The walk will begin at the C.L. Hoover Opera House and extend down 7th St. and Washington St. in the historic downtown district. There will also be music and carolers at the Opera House, free carriage rides, Santa at the Bartell House, treats and more!

This is the first combined effort between the City and Opera House to bring the event together. Junction City Mayor Phyllis Fitzgerald described the process on JC Now.

“Honestly it just kind of came to me one day,” Fitzgerald said. “The Christmas season, the holiday season is coming up and we have that small town feel about us. I thought it would be really great if we could come together with something to give back to our community and to the citizens here because we really do have a lot of good, caring folks here.”

The event will run from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Junction City Arts Council located at 135 W. 7^th Street.

 

The annual tradition sponsored by the Geary Community Healthcare Foundation continued Thursday evening at Geary Community Hospital. It was time for the Holiday Tree of Memories in the Tribute Garden at the hospital.

Healthcare Foundation Executive Director Jolana Montgomery – Matney began the program which remembered those who have passed away. “Family members whose earthly bodies have passed away from us, but whose spirit and memories remain with us, therefore it is only fitting that this Tribute Garden provide a place of solitude, a place of remembrance, a place to honor the memory of those whose names are inscribed here.

Chuck Otte then read the names of loved ones that were submitted by family members while family members in the audience held a lighted candle.

 

Geary Community Hospital hosted an event Thursday afternoon to formally thank State Representative Lonnie Clark of Junction City for his support of health care issues during the 2017 Kansas legislative session.

During the 2017 legislative session, Clark support health care in Kansas and in the local community. He voted in support of every high-priority health care issue and improvements that were addressed this year. Those legislative issues included KanCare Reform. Medicaid expansion and the reversal of the 2016 medicaid provider cuts.

“He gets the picture to what’s needed in healthcare in this district here in Junction City and Geary Community Hospital, and for that matter in the state of Kansas,” said Geary Community Hospital CEO Dr. Joseph Stratton. “He knows that a healthy hospital and a strong hospital and schools and roads and bridges make a good community and a possitive community. He understands those things and he gets behind us and supports us in many way.”

This event was held in the Martha K. Hoover Women’s Health Center Conference Room at the hospital.