Tune in to AM radio station 1420 KJCK tomorrow morning for a special JC Now show featuring State Senator/Senate Vice President Jeff Longbine.

Longbine will be in the KJCK studios to discuss one of the longest legislative sessions on record. Longbine will also discuss the successful override of Governor Sam Brownback’s veto to increase taxes in order to close projected budget shortfalls totaling nearly $900 million through June 2019, and the new school funding formula that phases in a $293 million increase over two years.

Tune in at 7:20 am and again at 7:48 am for the LIVE interview with Senator Longbine. A podcast of the interview will be available immediately afterward on jcpost.com under the “More” and “JC Now” tab.

Topeka physician Jim Barnett made Junction City one of the stops on his tour of the state to announce his candidacy for governor.

Barnett told an audience at the C. L .Hoover Opera House that he recognized the importance of the military to Junction City. “It’s not just Junction City. It’s important to Manhattan as well. And it’s not just there, it’s also Topeka, and it’s also Wichita and it’s actually statewide, Salina included. So military issues matter a great deal to me. That will be a focus, if I’m elected governor, that we want to retain, we want to keep their presence in the Flint Hills.”

Barnett, who was an unsuccessful candidate in the 2006 gubernatorial race when he was the Republican nominee, also expressed support for recent action by the Legislature. “We’ve ended the Kansas tax experiment. It had to come to an end. ” The Legislature agreed to implement a $1.2 billion tax increase over two years.

Barnett spoke in favor of education partnering with business, called for infrastructure improvements in highways, air traffic and railroads. He stated that money robbed from KDOT needs to be restored.  He also expressed support for medicaid expansion, for tourism funding, and for a need to keep young professionals home in Kansas.

Barnett is a former state senator.

 

 

One hundred Big Red One veterans will be honored on Thursday, June 22nd at the Military Affairs Council (MAC) breakfast at the Geary County Convention Center.

The theme for the breakfast is celebrating the 100th anniversary of the First Infantry Division.

Junction City Mayor Phyllis Fitzgerald will honor Big Red One veterans from her “What is your Big Red One Story” series which highlighted 100 veterans that chose to make Junction City/Geary County their forever home. All of the veterans that participated in the series have been invited as special guests to the breakfast.

Fitzgerald noted that all 100 of the veterans’ stories/photos will be placed around the room for others to enjoy.

The breakfast is $12 per person; active duty military service members are $10. The fee is payable by cash or check at the door.

The event begins at 7:30 am.

 

Five members of the Geary County Sheriff’s Department were honored for their heroism during a County Commission meeting today.

Lieutenant David Gilbert and Deputy Derek Charles assisted an unresponsive woman who passed out in a field near a grass fire in the Old Highway 40, Taylor Road area.

“The reason I took this job was to help people, so my main concern was to make sure that she was okay and that she was alive and breathing and to immediately render aid to her in whichever way I could,” said Deputy Derek Charles.

Lt. Gilbert said that you can’t allow yourself to freeze in stressful or intense moments.

“We had to spray water to douse down the flames around her, and then get extra help to get her up on her feet,” said Gilbert. “She was physically impaired at the time, so we had to get the hose off the truck, pull it and keep the flames down while we got her into another area safe away from the flames.”

The incident occurred a month ago.

In a similar incident – involving fire – Sergeant Eric St. John, Deputy Clint Arnold, and Deputy Nate Clement were honored for their heroism during the massive Bluffs apartment fire in April.

There was a moment during the search and rescue effort that Deputy Clement recalled everyone being on edge. “For quite a while there after we evacuated the building there was one person that was missing and you could tell it was bothering all of us; and then when we finally found out that [he] was located in a different residence it was a huge relief to all of us.”

“A lot of people run away from the things we have to run toward,” said St. John. “Our job is just to save lives…that’s our biggest honor is making sure people get out alive.”

Deputy Arnold echoed similar sentiments. “With the flames and the smoke it could have turned out [bad]; I’m just glad no one in the building was hurt and none of [the Deputies] were hurt.”

All five men that were honored received framed certificates of honor, a pen, and a challenge coin from the Sheriff’s Department. Challenge coins are issued similar to Military coins to award good merit.

 

 

The Junction City Fire Department responded to a report of a structure fire at 126 W 16th Street on Sunday, June 18th just after 6:44 pm.

Initial responding fire crews found a four unit apartment complex with smoke coming from the common entry door of the structure. Junction City Police Officers on the scene confirmed that the complex had been evacuated of all persons.

A quick fire attack from the first arriving Engine Company extinguished the fire. The structure was ventilated and the on scene firefighters conducted salvage and overhaul operations to ensure no spread of the fire.

Fire Chief Terry Johnson reports that it was a kitchen fire with damage estimates at $2500.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Grant funds received by the Flint Hills Regional Council (FHRC) could be utilized to help with the development of the Kansas African American Historical Trail.

Junction City has two locations targeted for that trail – the Buffalo Soldier Monument, and Rathert Field.

Jim Sands, FHRC, spoke with JC Post about the potential use of $25,000 in grant funding.

“They want to make it interactive with Kansas tourism,” said Sands. “Twenty five thousand ($25,000) doesn’t sound like a lot, but if we get a good portion of that we can improve visitation and get ‘heads in beds’ in our own area.”

‘Heads in beds’ refers to creating overnight stays in local hotels.

The trail includes various locations across the state including Nicodemus, Minneapolis and Dunlap, among others.

The FHRC met on June 16th in Alma.

Earlier this year, the Geary County Convention and Visitor’s Bureau (CVB) voted to recommend the approval of a $3000 expenditure to help pay for the installation of two signs for the historical trail’s stops in Junction City.

“Initially, out of the 14 or 15 points in Kansas, we were going to get one sign…[now] we’re going to get two signs; we have a lot more than that [as far as] historical sites in our city, but at least we’re on the map for the Kansas African American Historical Trail,” said Sands. “We’ll get people in [town] and once we get them in they’ll see the rest of it with our city efforts.”

GEARY COUNTY- One person was injured in an accident just before 6p.m. Saturday in Geary County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee driven by Natalie A. Blair, 32, Shawnee, was eastbound on Interstate 70 seven miles east of Chapman in the right lane.

The vehicle began drifting to the right off of the roadway and through the ditch.

It traveled between the bridge pillar and the embankment and rolled several times before coming to rest on the passenger side in the south ditch.

Blair was transported to the Geary Community Hospital. She was properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.