The Junction City Fire Department is preparing for a Live Burn Training Exercise on Nov. 14 at the site of a former prominent house at 1550 McFarland Road. Fire Chief Terry Johnson said the exercise will begin at 7 a.m. and continue through the day until the structure is finally razed to the ground by allowing it to self-consume by fire.

Joining JCFD for the exercise will be partners from the Fort Riley Fire Department, Adeline Fire Department, Geary County Volunteer Fire Department, Geary County Sheriff’s office and Junction City Police Department. They will be on-site to assist in the training.

McFarland Road will be blocked at Caroline Avenue and Chadwick Court to allow for the large diameter hose from the hydrants in the area to be used for water supply for the training exercise. Motorists are advised to use alternate travel routes.

The training exercise is expected to continue until at least 8 p.m. on Nov. 14.

There is a dangerous stretch of K-177 Highway running between Council Grove and Interstate 70 that has been the site of multiple accidents over the years, and in recent weeks two severe accidents. There is also concern coming from the public about vehicles speeding on that roadway, and vehicles passing other vehicles in no passing zones.

The entire issue received attention at a Geary County Sheriff’s Department Town Hall meeting at the McDowell Creek Community Center Wednesday evening. Sheriff Daniel Jackson noted that his department is making sure that they’ve got people ( Deputies ) out there, and said that they know it is a dangerous highway. He told the town hall meeting that in the two severe accidents in October speed was not a factor and that his department had made 12 traffic stops on K-177 last month.

Upgrading the highway has been the subject of discussions between the Kansas Department of Transportation and state legislators but it was noted in the town hall session that unless the speeding is reduced, redoing K-177 won’t work.

State Representative Dave Baker is pushing KDOT for information on when improvement work on the highway could occur. “We’re trying to move the start date up on the project there on 177. They have it scheduled out for another year or two, and probably actually for another two or three years out. We’re going to work with KDOT to try and move that forward a little bit.”

Baker noted that acquisition of 20 more properties needs to occur. “And they say that’s going to take a year to do and we’re hoping that’s going to be shortened up.” The state representative noted that the worst stretch of the roadway is in Geary County, “which is a real problem, just as far away from the Geary County Sheriff’ Department as you can get and the EMS, and nobody likes working those accidents.”Baker added no one is very happy about K-177. “We have got to get that road fixed.” State Representative Lonnie Clark has also met with KDOT officials recently on this issue.

Sheriff Jackson told JC Post that his department will try to increase enforcement on K-177. “We’re already out there now but as we can we will increase enforcement out there and try to get the people to slow down.” Jackson added that he thought the Sheriff’s Department would reach out to the Kansas Highway Patrol and KDOT about the possibility of putting rumble strips down the middle of the highway to slow down motorists. That was one idea that was mentioned during the town hall.

Approximately 50 people attended the session at the McDowell Creek Community Center where they learned about Sheriff’s Department activities and had an opportunity to ask questions and voice their thoughts on issues.

Underground utilities work on the new Junction City High School project is nearing completion and building pad footings are about one-third complete. The Chief Operations Officer for USD 475, David Wild, told the Junction City Rotary Club that the cooling tower concrete work and backfill is being wrapped up this week with the orchestra pit now being dug out.

The asphalt base course for bus parking has been laid down and will be used as a staging area.  Plumbing and electrical lines are being placed from the auditorium west to the freshman academy.

“If the weather holds out, we can expect to see slab on grade wall construction start to take place in the next few weeks coupled with the arrival of masonry crew by early December. We have over 50 personnel on site now and expect more than 100 in early December. By January we can expect many more as steel, framing, masonry and concrete work are under way,” Wild added.

Efforts to continue reducing costs include value engineering changes being taken into consideration. Between re-negotiating subcontracts and value engineering initiatives, the District has seen a total cost reduction of 13 percent since the bid letting. Wild concluded by noting the district will continue those initiatives in the coming weeks.

Official election results pending audit and final canvass of the votes.

Junction City Commission ( 3 seats up for election )

Nathan Butler 1,157

Pat Landes       1,069

Ronna Larson 965

Holly Voelcker  850

 

Geary USD 475 Board of Education ( 4 seats up for election )

Ron Johnson     1,570

Kristy Haden      1,365

Jim Schmidt       1,301

Anwar Khoury    1,300

Tom Brungardt     1,121

 

Milford City Council ( 3 seats up for election )

Write-in votes

Jeff Roether             33

Gayle Edmiston        31

Bill Draper                29

William Noveroske  28

 

Grandview Plaza City Council ( 3 seats up for election )

 

Honey Grant           22

Ronald Woods          6

John Day                   5

George Edmonson    5

Harlan Lofthus Jr.      4

 

Junction City – Continuation of a one cent sales tax from January 1, 2021 for ten years for city debt service.

Yes   1,188

No      581

 

Grandview Place one percent retail sales tax to improve and maintain public streets and other governmental purposes that may be in the best interest of the city, to take effect January 1, 2020

Yes       72

No       45

 

Census Adjustment that includes a proposal to end the state’s practice of adjusting the U.S. Census population regarding military personnel and students when redistricting the Kansas State Legislature

Yes       1,428

No          932

 

Dickinson County

USD 473 Board of Education

District 2 Position 2

Jerry Wright                 519

Lara Strauss                 318

 

Chapman City Council ( Three are elected )

Tim Jury                   149

Jim Bell                    126

Dana Gaither           106

 

Abilene City Commission ( Three are elected )

Brandon L. Rein           782

Dee Marshall               568

Timothy B. Shafer        528

Phil Hamilton              415

William Hane              178

 

County Road and Bridge Sales Tax

Yes    1616

No     1117

 

Riley County

USD 383 Manhattan – Ogden Board of Education ( 4 seats up for election )

Kristin Brighton             5,783

Joseph Dasenbrock       2,155

Curt Herrman                4,604

Darell Edie                     4,319

Brandy Santos               3,742

 

Manhattan City Commission ( 3 seats up for election )

Aaron Estabrook   2,906

Mark Hatesohl      3,606

Kaleb James          1,899

Linda Morse          3,649

Sarah Siders           2,776

Mary Renee Shirk   1,614

Vincent Tracey         1,059

Maureen Sheahan   1,895

 

Riley City Council

Samantha Brown  215

William Isom         198

 

Ogden City Council

Mayor

Robert Pence     92

Eladio Reid Jr.    76

 

Ogden City Council ( Five are elected )

Ed Burch                   135

Rosio Duarte             112

Charles Heath            103

Kenneth Carroll          97

Quinn Jacobs             91

Eladio D. Reid             84

Roger Graham           72

Paul Foltz                    40

 

City of Manhattan sales tax

Three-tenths of one percent general retailers sales tax for reduction of the impact of the property tax burden on taxpayers. Collection of the sales tax would begin April 1, 2020.

Yes   3,359

No   4,187

 

USD 378 General Obligation Bond issue

The bond issue would not exceed $15,000,000 to construct, furnish and equipment improvements, repairs and addition to the existing Riley County Grade School and Riley County High School.

 

Yes  810

No   505

Constitutional amendment

Census Adjustment that includes a proposal to end the state’s practice of adjusting the U.S. Census population regarding military personnel and students when redistricting the Kansas State Legislature

 

Yes   3,131

No   1,393

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is election day for city commission, city council and board of education races plus a pair of sales tax questions in Geary County.

Voter turnout about 11:30 a.m. Tuesday at the polling places in Geary County was relatively light.

A check with the Geary County Clerk’s Office revealed that at the Immanuel Lutheran Church 113 voters or five percent of the registered voters had gone to the polls on Tuesday. The percentages at other locations included four percent at the 4-H / Senior Center, to percent at the 12th Street Community Center and six percent at the Grandview Plaza Community Center.

There are a combined total of 15,089 registered voters in the county.

Voters will go to the polls Tuesday, Nov. 5th to cast ballots in city commission, city council and school board races.

In the Junction City Commission election there are four candidates vying for three seats on the governing body. They include Pat Landes, Holly Voelcker, Ronna Larson and Nathan Butler. Two will be elected to four-year terms and one candidate to a two year term on the commission.

In the USD 475 Board of Education race five candidates are vying for four seats. They include Jim Schmidt, Kristy Haden, Tom Brungardt, Anwar Khoury and Ron Johnson. All four seats are for four year terms.

There are no candidates on the ballot for Milford City Council or Grandview Plaza City Council ballots. Geary County Clerk Rebecca Nordyke said there are three positions in each of those cities, but no one filed. “So there are three write-in spaces on those ballots so voters can write in three different people’snames, or if they don’t want to vote for three they can vote for one or two and we will compile those results on election night.”

The election results will be unofficial on Tuesday night. A new statutory requirement will require an audit of the votes and then as in the past a canvass of the votes, which will be done in Geary County on Nov. 15th after the audit is completed. Any provisional ballots would have to be tabulated at the canvass and could change the final vote totals, or in a close race an election outcome.

 

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A federal judge in Kansas has delayed the trial of an Army infantry soldier who prosecutors say is a Satanist hoping to overthrow the U.S. government and distributed information about building bombs.

U.S. District Judge Daniel Crabtree in Topeka on Monday granted a request from attorneys for Jarrett William Smith to postpone a trial from early December until at least mid-January. Smith pleaded not guilty in September to charges of distributing explosives information and making a threatening interstate communication.

His attorneys said they needed more time to review evidence.

Smith was a private stationed at Fort Riley, Kansas. He’s accused of providing information about explosives to an FBI undercover agent and threatening to burn down the house of a far-left-leaning “antifa” member.

Authorities say he also wanted to car bomb a major news organization.

——

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — An Army infantry soldier described by a prosecutor as a Satanist hoping to overthrow the U.S. government faces a federal court hearing in a case in which he’s charged with distributing information about building bombs.

The hearing in U.S. District Court in Topeka on Monday comes about five weeks after Jarrett William Smith pleaded not guilty to charges of distributing explosives information and making a threatening interstate communication. His attorneys have argued he was only an internet troll spouting off online.

Smith was a private stationed at Fort Riley, Kansas. He’s accused of providing information about explosives to an FBI undercover agent and with threatening to burn down the house of a far-left-leaning “antifa” member.

Authorities say he also wanted to target a major news organization with a car bomb.

The annual membership meeting for the Geary County Historical Society is Monday, Nov. 11. During that event there will be a membership booth at the annual meeting, which begins at 6:30 p.m.

The speaker for the event will be Louise Hanson on “Tasting the Past: Exploring Kansas Food Memories,” which is about ethnic groups in Kansas who have used food to maintain connections to the past. The dinner which will include lasagna, costs $13. You can pay at the door or in advance. RSVP by Nov. 6 if you plan to attend.

At the museum memories are preserved by not only collecting historic significant to people in the community, but also by preserving community resources like cookbooks, church histories and yearbooks, by supporting and collecting family history research and by collecting oral histories through out Memories at the Museum program.

Photographer Javon George toured the Historical Museum this past week and produced a series of photos for JC Post.

 

 

Junction City has been named one of five members of the 2020 class of the Great American Defense Communities.

The Military Affairs Council Director for the Junction City Area Chamber of Commerce, Craig Bender, made the announcement during a celebration to welcome home 1st Infantry Division troops from deployment. He presented the award to the City from the Association of Defense Communities. “It’s an association that brings together all the communities around all the  DOD posts and bases around the entire U.S.  Bender added there is a competition each year, “to award five communities across the entire US. for doing

exceptional support to the military posts and to their troops.”

The announcement was made during an event to welcome home 1st Infantry Division troops from deployments overseas. In attendance for the celebration in the 5th Street Playground Park and for the award announcement was U.S. Senator Jerry Moran. “I chair the Defense Communities Caucus in the United States Senate, a group of senators and our staffs who banded together to try to make sure we do the things necessary to make sure that the defense communities, those who support military installations, the Soldiers, military men and women and their families have the tools that they need to do what is done.” Moran said,  “On behalf of all Kansans welcome home. Congratulations to Junction City, thank you to the Chamber of Commerce and its military affairs committee, but most importantly please know that we care for you, that we respect you and we love you.”

Mayor Pat Landes thanked all the active duty and retired military for all that they have done this country, “This event is to help remind you about what you’re fighting for, about what a great country we have to live in and how proud we are of you. “

There was a strong turnout for the celebration in the park, which included a dinner for troops and their families, performances by the Commanding General’s Mounted Color guard, bounce houses and other food vendors, and live music from the 1st Infantry Division Country Band. The All American Beef Battalion provided the food to the troops and their families free of charge. A check with them revealed approximately 375 ribeye steaks, 300 hot dogs and a variety of fixings were served. With the big turnout they eventually ran out of the steaks and hot dogs.

The ribbon cutting at Santa’s Workshop for the 35th annual Operation Santa Claus has been set for 4:30 p.m. Monday at 1828 1st Street, Camp Funston, Fort Riley.

Through Operation Santa Claus, Fort Riley and the surrounding communities assist local active duty junior enlisted service members who have financial needs by providing gifts for their children. Soldiers and their family members apply for the program through their units.

Operation Santa Claus is accepting donations of new, unwrapped toys in the $10 to $20 price range for children ages birth to 18. Donation boxes are located on Fort Riley and at businesses throughout Junction City, Ogden and Manhattan.