Geary County Sheriff Tony Wolf has announced that Kayla Michelle Simpson has been located and apprehended in Fort Payne, Alabama by investigators from the Dekalb County Sheriff’s office. The Geary County Sheriff’s office is working with the Geary County Attorney’s office to secure extradition for Simpson so she may be returned to Kansas.

Wolf said Simpson is also being held without bond pending a first court appearance, and is charged in Dekalb County, Alabama for alleged violation of the Alabama Sex Offender Registration and Community Notification Act.

On September 21 the Geary County Sheriff’s Department had issued a release that they began  investigating allegations during the second week of this month that a Registered Sex Offender in Junction City was having unlawful contact with a minor child contrary to a No Contact Order issued by the Geary County District Court. On September 20 the Sheriff’s office conducted a search warrant at 705 West 7th Street and seized evidence supporting the allegations. The suspect Kayla Michelle Simpson, was not present during the execution of the search warrant and remained at large.

The Sheriff’s Department said at that time that Simpson was wanted on two felony violations of the Offender Registration Act, one count of Felony Violation of a No Contact Order, one count of Felony Probation Violation, Contributing to a Child’s Misconduct and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. She was also wanted by Junction City Municipal Court for alleged Failure to Appear.

Wolf said the Sheriff’s office would like to thank the public for their participation and assistance in keeping the community safe. He noted there were a multitude of Crime Stoppers tips received in this case.

 

There was a steady turnout for the Patriots Day Job Fair sponsored by Kansasworks on Tuesday at the Junction City Municipal Building. Numerous employers were present seeking to fill openings, and there were plenty of people interested in finding a job.

Jon Thummel, Geary County Human Resource Director, said there were many applicants looking for different types of positions. “We’ve had pretty good luck looking for applications for corrections officers and those types of things.” The County had job openings ranging from deputy sheriffs to registered nurses. Corrections officers are a big need. ” People could apply for vacant County positions on their website, HRE Partners.

Jason Yearwood, Job Fair Coordinator, said there were 45 employers who participated. He noted some of those included Bayer Construction, ACT, Burger King, Florence Manufacturing, Riley County Police Department, and Geary Community Hospital.

Yearwood said more of these job fairs will be done in the future. “We normally do what we call our spring career fair in Manhattan, and then we have our fall career fair here in Junction City.”

LOLITA C. BALDOR, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Army says it has fired the commander of Fort Riley and is continuing an investigation opened last week at the Kansas base. No details have been provided.

Army spokesman Col. Patrick R. Seiber says that Maj. Gen. Wayne Grigsby was relieved of command of the 1st Infantry Division due to loss of confidence in his ability to lead. Grigsby was initially suspended on Friday. Army officials have declined to disclose the nature of the investigation.

Seiber says a replacement will be named in the coming days.

About 17,000 troops are stationed at Fort Riley. Grigsby assumed command of the base in August 2015, after 31 years of military service that included a stint as commander of the Combined Joint Task Force in East Africa.

Jammin in JC  has been cancelled due to inclement weather.

Effective immediately, all events scheduled for Saturday, September 24th have been cancelled.

Jammin in JC Coordinator Bob Cevera said officials made the call to shut down the festival in the downtown Junction City area. Two storm cells have come through Junction City on Saturday afternoon, prompting the cancellation. “It’s just too wet out there. I don’t think there’ll be anybody out there to listen to the music.”

Cevera said there is insurance coverage on a portion of the festival….the cost of bringing in the bands, but an inch of rain will be needed.

This is the first time the festival has been cancelled in it’s seven-year existence due to rain. “You know you play the odds. This year it didn’t work.”

CVB Director Connie Hall said the cancellation was disappointing because of the rain. “But that’s something that’s always a risk with any outdoor event. And the safety of people coming down here, the safety of the musicians and everything is a priority. We’re getting some lightning and thunder , and this is the wise choice.”

The barbecue competition that was part of the festival was completed before the heavy rains arrived.

Night one of Jammin in JC Blues and Barbecue Festival roped in a slew of spectators to Heritage Park in downtown Junction City.

Bob Cervera, Event Coordinator, said that this is one of the best opening nights to date with well over a thousand people in attendance.

Weather permitting, Cervera hopes to see the number of people in attendance around four or five thousand.

Bud Cox, Part-Owner of Cox Brothers BBQ, said that he’s impressed with the Friday night turnout.

“It’s amazing, it’s double what it was last year…tomorrow is really going to be off the charts, it’s going to be really, really special; seriously, we’ve got the best lineup that we’ve ever had in all the years that we’ve done Jammin in JC ,” said Cox.

A big selling point for a Jammin in JC is the barbecue and blues combination.

“The barbecuers come here because of the blues and it all goes together; it’s just a cool event and I thin that’s going to bring a lot of people, having all the barbecuers – having the number one barbecuer in the country here doesn’t hurt anything,” said Cervera.

Last year’s Barbecue Grand Champion, John Beaver of Grillin Beavers traveled all the way from Colorado – and he is back to defend his title.

“There’s a lot of very good teams here this year – a lot more than there was last year – the top team in the country is [here] and I think there’s a couple more in the top ten that are here also…whoever wins is going to earn it,” said Beaver.

Cheryl Hill, a Junction City native, of The Smoking Hills based out of Overland Park, KS, finished in 2nd place overall in last year’s competition. A husband – wife team, The Smoking Hills see the art of barbecue as a science.

“We cook every weekend so we’ve almost got this down to a science, we just have to do our normal thing, turn in good food and hope for the best,” said Hill.

And what goes better with good food on a warm night in September than a cold beer?

Terry Dow, Owner of Flint Hills Beverage, said that the beer sales from night one are impressive.

“The crowd is a lot busier today than it was last year – but the temperature is a lot better too – so hopefully [sales will be] a lot more than last year; we sold 120 cases last year so hopefully this is a good start for the weekend,” said Dow.

Jammin in JC continues Saturday with music beginning at 1:00 pm, and the Barbecue Contest results at 3:55 pm.

Cervera said festivals like this shed a positive light on Junction City.

“I heard some people talking the other day about all the hotels being full…and it brings money to town, and it’s a great image for our town; there’s other towns that can’t do this and it happening here,” said Cervera.

 

FORT RILEY, Kan. (AP) — The U.S. Army says it has suspended the commander of Fort Riley and launched an official investigation, though no details have been provided about what led to the action.

Army spokesman Col. Patrick R. Seiber announced Friday that Maj. Gen. Wayne Grigsby has been suspended as commander of the 1st Infantry Division at the Kansas base. He declined further comment. An Army spokeswoman also declined to disclose the nature of the investigation.

Grigsby assumed command of For Riley in August 2015, after 31 years of military service that included a stint as commander of the Combined Joint Task Force in East Africa.

Grigsby was previously stationed at Fort Leavenworth in Kansas and served in multiple deployments to Iraq, including as commander of the 1st Infantry Division’s G3 unit.

 

 

The sound of gunshots echoed in the hallways of the Geary County Office Building on Thursday afternoon.

It was a starter pistol used to begin a training exercise for employees in the building, and for law enforcement and emergency personnel.

With high school students playing the role of shooting victims a shooter went down the hallways firing shots.

Police responded followed by ambulance personnel and a SWAT team that went through the building, removed the victims, negotiated with the shooter who had gone inside an office, and then arrested him and escorted him out of the building. Employees who had gone into hiding when the training exercise began were eventually allowed to escape outside of the building. Everyone was then debriefed after the exercise ended.  The goal…to be prepared in the event a shooter in the workplace ever does occur.

Employees agreed in a debriefing afterwards, it was a realistic exercise. Curt Janke, Assistant Geary County Emergency Management Director, told them everyone did a good job. “When we started down that hallway there wasn’t a sound in this building.”

Possible options for employees could be to take shelter or run, depending on the situation., Janke stated if the people in an office decide to evacuate they need to have a rally point. “If you decide as an office to evacuate, we’re trying to find where everybody is, we need to know that you’re at the rally point. And we need somebody from each office that you’re at the rally point and you have all the people with you.”

Observers were present to watch the exercise as it unfolded. They ranged from emergency management and law enforcement personnel to county commissioners.

Under current ( ALICE ) training, Janke noted, businesses such as this are getting hit as often as school districts. “The ALICE training that they’re teaching at the school districts transfers right over to this. You do the exact same thing. You make the choice on whether you’re going to lock down, whether you’re going to try to evacuate, or as a last resort whether you’re going to take the shooter down.”

Again…it was a training exercise for a shooter in the workplace on Thursday, not the real deal.

 

 

The First Infantry Division at Fort Riley is celebrating 100 years as “The Fighting First” and Brigadier General Patrick Frank wants the community to celebrate with them.

“This 100th year anniversary of course showcases the Division and all it’s done since 1917; when you see our combat tradition, what we have done in combat for the nation, being on point – what our soldiers do each and every day in the 1st Infantry Division, it has the entire Division excited to honor those that came before us, those that are currently in our formation, our families and to celebrate that with the Flint Hills community,” said Frank.

Frank was the speaker during a Thursday morning Military Affairs Council (MAC) Breakfast where he boasted about the excitement surrounding the 100th anniversary of the Big Red One and the storied history behind the nation’s “Fighting First”.

“We take great pride in that, we’ve been the first in to World War I, World War II, Vietnam, [the] first back in to Iraq; we are a Division that wins at everything that it does and our soldiers truly believe that right down to the core and you can see that each and every day at Fort Riley, so it’s really special to the 1st Infantry Division,” said Frank.

A major strength in the Division, a division that Frank likes to affectionately say belongs to the community, is the strength of the surrounding region and it’s support of the army.

“We want the community in the Flint Hills to come out and to enjoy these ceremonies that surround the Division’s history with our soldiers because we are a part of  your communities…to have the Flint Hills as a part of this 100 year celebration is very important to us,” said Frank.

On October 19th there will be a Deployment Ceremony for the Division, and members of the Division will take part in the Veterans Day parade in Manhattan in November.

The next year will be filled with events celebrating and highlighting the 1st Infantry Division, with a 100th Anniversary Celebration on June 8, 2017 and Victory Week 2017 the third week in August.

 

From The Geary County Sheriff’s Department:

During the second week of September 2016, the Geary County Sheriff’s Office began investigating allegations that a Registered Sex Offender in Junction City was having unlawful contact with a minor child contrary to a No Contact Order issued by Geary County District Court.  On September 20, 2016 the Geary County Sheriff’s Office conducted a search warrant at 705 West 7^th Street in Junction City, Kansas and seized evidence that supports the allegations.

The suspect, Kayla Michelle Simpson (21), was not present during the execution of the search warrant and still remains at large.  Kayla Simpson is wanted for two felony violations of the Offender Registration Act, one count of Felony Violation of a No Contact Order, one count of Felony Probation Violation, Contributing to a Child’s Misconduct and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.  Simpson is also wanted by Junction City Municipal Court for Failure to Appear.

The Geary County Sheriff’s Office is seeking the public’s assistance in locating Kayla Simpson and urges anyone who knows her whereabouts to not take any action to assist her in evading arrest or avoiding prosecution.  If you know the location of Kayla Michelle Simpson, contact your local law enforcement agency immediately.

If you have any information regarding this crime or any other crimes in the Junction City / Geary County area, call Crime Stoppers785-762-TIPS (8477).  You can remain anonymous and you may be eligible for a reward up to $1,000.00.

Many in the Flint Hills region realize the asset that Fort Riley is to the community, but many may not know the asset that the installation is to the armed forces.

In the past year, 26,000 individuals have come through Fort Riley for some type of training – this includes Airmen, Marines, Reservists, National Guard, local and state law enforcement, and also ROTC programs from area colleges.

Bill Raymann, Chief of Training of the Directorate of Plans, Mobilization, Training and Security (DPTMS), said that Fort Riley’s training capabilities are unmatched in military installations across the country.

“One of the great things about being here at Fort Riley and the way the post is situated and the great training area that we do have allows us to allow armored companies and infantry companies to basically train in the maneuver area using live ammunition, so they’re able to train exactly how they would fight,” said Raymann.

Geographically, the natural waterways that border the base, in addition to the largely rural, underpopulated area bordering the northwest side of the installation allows for “live” training.

“They’re able to integrate aviation [in to their training],” said Raymann. “We’ll have helicopters, and other aviation assets actually fire, and fire not on a fixed range which allows the Commander the make the decisions on where he needs to be and where his soldiers need to be; the only other place that we’re aware of here in the United States that they do that is at the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, California, and each brigade of course will go out there prior to a deployment…the capability to do that here at Fort Riley is somewhat unique among Army installations.”

In addition to the live fire training, Fort Riley is a trailblazer in technological training capabilities.

At the Seitz Regional Training Center on Fort Riley soldiers are able to practice real war scenarios on varying types and levels of simulators.

These simulators, which may seem like video games to an onlooker take virtual reality to the next level with sophistication such as feeling fatigue, driving an armored tank and seeing the bullet damage to the windshield, having to differentiate between the enemy and allies without just shooting everyone in sight, as well as practicing communication skills with your team via headsets or other technology – it’s far more than a day of playing Call of Duty.

Fort Riley prides itself being open and inclusive to the community whether it’s training capabilities or simply just keeping the door open to civilians.

“Our campaign plan, which we unveiled last year…talks about the unique relationship between the First Infantry Division, and the Flint Hills,” said Deputy Commanding General of the First Infantry Division, Brigadier General Patrick Frank.

Frank says that Fort Riley is an “integral part” of the community, adding that the 1st Infantry Division is not just a part of Fort Riley, but it also belongs to all Kansans.

“The vast majority of our married soldiers live off base, so when those soldiers come in to the Flint Hills, they know that most likely they’re going to have a pending deployment out there; he or she understands that their family will be taken care of here in the Flint Hills, that they’ll be welcomed in to those neighborhoods – and that means a lot to a soldier who is on a nine month deployment in to theaters around the world,” said Frank.

Local and regional media were invited to tour and take part in some of the training means available for soldiers and regional partners.