The 2017 Kansas Click It or Ticket campaign will begin on Monday, May 22nd and continue through Sunday, June 4th. Travelers can expect increased police presence in Junction City as the Junction City Police Department joins 160 other law enforcement agencies in aggressively enforcing Kansas occupant restraint and other traffic laws.

This activity is supported by a grant from the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT).  Enforcement will occur around the clock.  Officers will be especially vigilant at night because seatbelt use diminishes after nightfall, meaning the likelihood of unrestrained crash injuries and deaths soars during those hours.

Drivers can expect strict enforcement of both the Kansas Safety Belt Use Act and the Kansas Child Passenger Safety Act.  These statutes require that all vehicle occupants must be appropriately restrained.  Law enforcement officers can stop vehicles and issue tickets when they observe front seat occupants, teens in any seat position, or children under the age of 14, riding without being properly restrained.  Occupants, ages 14 and over, are cited individually.  In the event that a passenger under the age of 14 is observed to be unrestrained the driver will be cited.  The fine for an adult seat belt violation is $10.  The fine for a youth (14-17) violation is $60, while the fine for a child (0-13) restraint violation is $60 and a court cost charge of as much as $117.

Children under the age of four must be correctly secured in an approved child safety seat.  Children, ages four through seven, must be securely belted into an approved booster seat unless taller than 4 feet 9 inches or heavier than 80 pounds, in which case, the booster may be removed and the child belted in without it.  Children, ages eight through 13 must be safety-belted.   In addition, the act prohibits persons under the age of 14 from riding in any part of a vehicle not intended for carrying passengers, such as a pickup bed.  For answers to child safety restraint questions and the location of the nearest safety seat fitting station, or safety seat technician, contact the Kansas Traffic Safety Resource Office at 1-800-416-2522, or write ktsro@dccca.org.

The aim of Click It or Ticket is simple:  to drastically reduce the number of preventable deaths and injuries that occur when unbelted drivers and passengers are involved in traffic crashes.  According to KDOT, 93% of crash occupants who suffer no injuries of any kind are belted in.  So, in general, unrestrained occupants who are involved in a crash have, at most, only about a 7% chance of emerging unscathed, not suffering some degree of injury.  While seat belts may not always protect from serious or fatal injury, certainly no other piece of equipment within the vehicle provides more protection.

Kansas’ overall adult seat belt compliance rate is 87% and ranges, by county, from 61% to 96%, with occupants in rural counties generally less likely to buckle up than those in urban counties.  According to KDOT, this rural-urban difference in seat belt rates is especially problematic because rural roadway conditions are, in general, less forgiving than those in urban areas and the consequences of driver misjudgment – such as unsafe speed and failure to buckle up – are likely to be more severe.

Kansas children aged 0-4, are buckled into child safety seats at a rate of 97 percent.  The percentage of properly restrained 5- to 13-year olds is only 84 percent.  Moreover, seven out of ten times when drivers themselves are unbelted, their child passengers are also unsecured.

Police Chief Dan Breci said, “I want people in Junction City to remember that when they don’t buckle up themselves, or require their passengers to buckle up, they are, in effect, promising themselves and those passengers, along with family and friends not present, that no circumstance will arise that will ultimately trigger seat belt activation, whether it be due to distraction, sleepiness, kids fighting in the back seat, etc. either in their vehicle or in all the vehicles they meet on the road.”

 “I want people to know that, day or night, Junction City Police Department is committed to aggressively ticketing violators of seat belt and child safety laws, as well as other traffic infractions – such as speeding and texting while driving – which make the need for occupant restraint so necessary.  By the way, the $10 seat belt fine may seem negligible, but the stop is inconvenient and the officer may decide to call in your vehicle and driver’s license numbers and check for outstanding warrants and insurance.  Use your belt and save yourself the trouble.”

Junction City Transportation school bus drivers finished first in two categories of the Northeast / Southeast Regional School Bus competition at Washburn Rural High School on Saturday.

Randall Eichorst captured first place in the Experienced Conventional category and Melody Collins finished first in Experienced Mini Bus.

Finishing second for Junction City Transportation were Kelly Mann in Rookie Conventional, Venessa Eichorst in Experienced Conventional and Chri Loy in Experienced Mini Bus.

Participants were judged by taking written exams covering school bus regulations, performance of a pre-trip inspection and driving in simulated conditions to include an obstacle course.

The participants will compete at the state level and receive their district awards at the state level awards banquet in Hutchinson on June 7th and 8th.

  ( Provided by USD 475 )

JUNCTION CITY, KAN.  – Unified School District 475, Geary County Schools, announced on May 12, 2017, the selection of a new Coordinator for ELL (English Language Learners), pending Board of Education approval. Susan Pender, a resident of Junction City, Kansas and a current ELL Teacher at Sheridan Elementary will take the position following the retirement of Bernie Altenhofen this year.

Things are just beginning to get interesting; Thursday, all three of the Commissioners whose terms are set to expire next year have chosen not seek re-election.

Mick McCallister made the decision early this morning, Jim Sands and Mike Ryan also confirmed their decision Thursday.

McCallister said due to circumstances that affect the family and minor health issues he must focus his immediate attention and efforts elsewhere. He plans to remain engaged with the community at a lower level after his term ends in the form of volunteerism, committee work and consulting.

Ryan has served on the City Commission four years. “if I run I don’t do anything without being competitive and if I won another four-year term I’d be 68 by the time I was finished. And I need to spend some time with my wife.” Ryan added he had family spread across the country that they need to visit, but he hasn’t had the time to do that.

Sands said he has done a good job for the City, and it’s time for him to to do some other things…noting he has a lot of projects he needs to do. He has served on the commission for three two-year terms, and is now serving the nine-month extension created when the Legislature moved the City elections from April back to November of odd numbered years.

Candidate filings for a seat on the City Commission are due by noon on June 1st.

New commissioners will join Mayor Phyllis Fitzgerald and Pat Landes in service to the City.

There has been one candidate filing thus far – Heinrich Biggs – that number is sure to increase in the weeks leading up to the June deadline.

Check with JC Post for updates.

Frustration – that’s the feeling of State Representative Lonnie Clark as lawmakers continue to wade through the legislative session.

The House convened on May 10th to work on a proposed income tax bill from the Senate; but the Senate failed to approve the measure.

“Everybody was thoroughly disappointed that we didn’t get a bill from the Senate to work on yesterday, and we’re back at square one now; we’ve taken too long in this session, we need to get something done and get it out so the people can see it and get it going – and we need to get out of Topeka,” said Clark.

Legislators are in the second week of the wrap up session. Clark noted that progress on the school funding formula is stagnant as well.

“I haven’t seen the bill yet, but I heard yesterday out of the Education Committee that we’re back to square one; we were heading in a direction that we thought had some funding,” said Clark. “I’ve been fighting for USD 475 – of course the buzz on the Capital now is that USD 475 got the Heavy Impact money and they don’t need any money, which is disgusting to me.”

The School District is planning to use the Heavy Impact Aid payment for a proposed new Junction City High School.

Clark said that legislators need to “come to reality and start funding our schools.”

“[We need to] get a budget out that is workable and allows the citizens of Kansas to be proud and be able to live the way they should be.”

Clark represents the 65th District of Kansas, which includes Junction City.