The 1st Infantry Division’s 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team will begin a major combined arms live fire exercise ( CALFEX ) this week that will continue through late October. Periods of significant noise may be heard and felt throughout the Flint Hills region during the training.
Community members can expect significant noise on Sept, 13, 16-21, Sept. 30 – Oct. 4, Oct. 7-10 and 15-18. Those dates are approximate since training needs, operations and weather can shift schedules. Significant training noise may occur throughout the day and night.
Junction City police were dispatched to a business location at 920 North Washington Street, Godfrey’s Indoor Ranges and Tactical Supply, at 1:30 p.m. Thursday for a woman suffering from a gunshot wound.
Detective Lieutenant Cory Odell said upon arrival they found Audra Vonsenden, 26, Manhattan, suffering from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. She was pronounced deceased at the scene by the Junction City Fire Department. At this time no evidence of criminal activity has been located. An autopsy will be conducted.
The incident remains under investigation. If you have information pertaining to this investigation contact the JCPD at 762-5912.
Successful recruitment has produced enough participants to undertake the Fire Explorer program. Assistant Rural Fire Chief Curt Janke said about 50 flyers were handed out on Back to School Night at Junction City High School. “we got about 11 kids that showed up. I went to Chapman, we did some recruiting over there, right now we’re sitting at about 13 kids which is great compared to what we’ve done in the past.”
The members of the program meet the first Thursday of every month during the school year.
The participants learn the basics of how how to become a firefighter ranging from extinguisher training to how to roll a hose. Janke noted that officials are still getting the word out on the program.
Colonel Kevin Lambert, Chief of Staff, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley.
By Dewey Terrill
JC Post
Those Americans who lost their lives on 9/11 and the many 1st Infantry Division Soldiers who have made the ultimate sacrifice fighting terrorism were remembered at Fort Riley on Wednesday.
The names of Big Red One Soldiers have died during the war on terror are listed on the Global War on Terrorism Monument at the Cavalry Parade Field. One of those Soldiers was remembered by the Chief of Staff of the 1st Infantry Division and Fort Riley, Colonel Kevin Lambert. Capt. James Neal was a Soldier who had asked to be in his unit at one time, the 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment.
Lambert first met Neal when he asked to join the unit prior to a deployment to Afghanistan, and that was accomplished. Lambert said about three months into their deployment and following the evacuation of a company commander Neal unexpectedly took command of Delta Company 2-16 Infantry. “There was no one the Soldiers respected or admired more than James.”
On Nov. 9, 2012 Neal accompanied one of his platoons during a patrol in a dangerous area of Afghanistan. “As the commander James could have chosen to patrol with another platoon or remain at the company command post. However he was cognizant of the dangers associated with the mission and the impact that his presence would have.”
The platoon was ambushed as they approached a small farmhouse and were pinned down by fire. In an effort to free the platoon from their position Neal and his radio operator began to advance toward the enemy strong point returning fire as they advanced. ” James was felled by an enemy bullet that struck near his heart. He was 37-years old, a loving father and husband. To this day I cannot tell you why or how James knew he was supposed to be in our unit. But what I can tell you is that we were all blessed that we knew James, and that we knew why he knew he was supposed to be with us.”
Lambert said each name on the memorial has its’ own name or heroic story. The men and women on the memorial were all volunteer, served for their fellow Americans, and to fulfill their “common internal call to duty.”
Lambert said the genesis of the freedom we enjoy is rooted in their sacrifice.
Firefighter and police first responders were recognized during the ceremony that also included the laying of a wreath, a three-round volley and Taps.
Today ( Wednesday ) is the anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Local leaders in Geary County reflected back to that day 18 years ago and their thoughts at the time.
Junction City Commissioners Phyllis Fitzgerald was working that morning at the Mission Training Complex at Fort Riley. I happened toward my cubicle area at the news and saw one of the planes crash into the World Trade Center. ” Fitzgerald noted it’s something none of us will ever forget.
Geary County Commissioner Keith Ascher said he remembers the most when the airlines were shut down and there were no jet streams that day. He remembered a former local resident Bill Caspar died in the attacks on the twin towers. “So that was a really sad moment. ”
Geary USD 475 Board of Education member Jim Schmidt remembered it as a surreal experience once he began to learn about what had happened. He was in Illinois at the time. ” I think the realization when it really hit home was sometime early evening on Sept. 11th of that year we could see one contrail going through the sky, and after the fact realized that was Air Force One because everything had been grounded and there was only one plane left in the sky. And that’s when it really all sunk in.”
The 1st Infantry Division and Fort Riley will hold a 9 / 11 commemoration ceremony at 10 a.m. Wednesday at the Global War on Terrorism monument located on the east side of the Cavalry Parade Field. Since those attacks Big Red One Soldiers have been involved in extensive conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Concept drawings for a proposed public library. ( Photo courtesy of Javon George, Junctiion City High School.
Organizers of the fundraising effort for a new library in Junction City will be launching new fundraising efforts this fall. Library Director Susan Moyer said they will contact people to talk about the project and solicit support for it.
Moyer stated the fundraising dollar amount needed varies based on square footage. “Right now we’ve been told we’re probably around that $10 million mark for a new facility that would give us a 30,000 square foot ground floor.” Another option includes an unfinished second floor for future cost-efficient growth. “But it obviously adds cost to the project.”
The plan is to build the proposed new library at the same central Junction City location as the current facility.
The current library covers approximately 13,000 to 14,000 square feet, explained Moyer. “We’re well undersized for the community that we serve which is why we’re looking at something closer to 30,000 square feet.
All photos were taken by Javon George, JCHS.
Concept drawings for a proposed public library. ( Photo courtesy of Javon George, Junctiion City High School.
Kirt Nichols ( Photo courtesy City of Junction City )
Junction City Manager Allen Dinkel has named Lt. Kirt Nichols the interim police chief for the Junction City Police Department.
Nichols has served the JCPD for 29 years. He will succeed Dan Breci who is retiring on Sept. 20. Breci has served 43 years in law enforcement and 20-years to the JCPD.
The national recruitment process for the new police chief has begun and will be a continous process until a new chief is selected. Application reviews began on Sept. 3 with first interviews taking place in the beginning of October.
In his current role Nichols oversees and manages the entire recruitment process for all of the new hires for JCPD. That list includes police officers, dispatchers, records clerks, animal control officers and any other support role for the JCPD.
The Geary County Sheriff’s Department is looking at the possibility of putting a substation adjacent to rural fire station eight across from the entrance to Milford Lake.
Sheriff Daniel Jackson said that there is vacant ground in that area. “What we need to do is put a substation out near the lake to keep the boats and keep the dive team in. ” Jackson believed the county owned the ground but that is being researched along with possibly obtaining from the state,
Jackson said, “Once we get that stuff worked out we’re looking at putting another building right there to house all our boats and to house all our dive gear, and the dive trailer, and have a training room in there. That’s where they’ll work out of so it puts us closer to the lake.”
The Sheriff’s Department and Junction City Fire Department are working together to form a joint dive team, and the Sheriff’s Department is now able to put two boats on the water locally for response or patrol purposes.
The Geary County Sheriff and Junction City Fire Departments are working to forma joint public service dive rescue and recovery team.
Sheriff Daniel Jackson said the first step was a scuba assessment to determine the ability of prospective members, followed by a swim assessment that consisted of a 350-yard swim, 25-yard underwater swim, a 10-minute tread and a 25-yard swim to the deep end of a pool to retrieve a 10-pound brick from the bottom of that pool.
Jackson said the final dive team will consist of 12 members. “We’ll be available statewide once we are up and running.” He estimated it will probably be six or seven months before the team is fully trained. The first step will be training in a pool followed by two trips this fall to Beaver Lake in Arkansas for open water training. The next step will be to attend a public safety dive rescue school.
Jackson noted in the past they tried but the equipment and training needed for upgrading enforcement and rescue at Milford Lake were not available. “I think we’re getting there now so the next time we get confronted with something I think we’ll be much more prepared.”
The Sheriff’s Department has also added two boats for water patrol and rescue use and other equipment to equip those boats.
The 1st Infantry Division’s 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team will begin a major combined arms live fire exercise ( CALFEX ) this week that will continue through late October. Periods of significant noise may be heard and felt throughout the Flint Hills region during the training.
