A winter storm warning is in effect for the Junction City area until 9 p.m. Monday.

On Sunday the National Weather Service had forecast 7-11 inches of snow, but as of Monday morning that estimate has been reduced.

The latest estimate called for one inch of new snow accumulation in the early morning hours on Monday. The forecast for later in the day now calls for areas of blowing snow in the morning along with 2-3 inches of snow accumulation. The forecast for the entire day calls for total accumulation of 3-5 inches.

North winds are expected to be 15-25 mph with gusts to around 35 mph.

Fort Riley reports that due to expected hazardous winter conditions, Fort Riley will operate at minimal manning with limited services Dec. 28.

 

The Whitside and Whitside North child development centers will be open.

 

The Grant and Estes access control points (gates) will be closed.  All other MWR activities are closed / canceled.

 

The 1st Infantry Division’s PT is canceled; however, units must conduct a telephone accountability Dec. 28.

 

All employees—including Irwin Army Community Hospital employees—must contact supervisors for additional information and reporting instructions forDec. 28.

 

 

Crime numbers are down in 2015 in Junction City in comparison to other recent years.

That information comes from police chief Tim Brown. “Up into December for this year we’re down 11-percent for the year, and that’s pretty much been steady throughout the year that we’ve been seeing. ” Brown added the city is on track right now to have probably have the best year since 1989, at least as far as police crime stats go back.

Brown discussed the information this week during a meeting with area legislators.

An agreement with the Geary County Rural Health Network was signed at the Monday Geary County Commission meeting.

Sarah Talley, Project Director explains a planning grant has been awarded to the network. The Federal Grant totals $44,166.

“We have spent the last year, a little over nine months, working as a collaborative to determine what our initial need is, and that need was defined as mental health services in our community. We have really strong mental health services available, as far as program development, but the area that we struggle with is the recruitment and retention of personnel to deliver those services,” said Talley.

Talley added they will design a plan to recruit people from state universities and private colleges,”to look at the use of telehealth and have them come here to get those field experiences.”

The hope is that they will remain in the community and continue to provide services.

The grant period runs through May of 2016.

There wasn’t an empty seat to be found at the C.L. Hoover Opera House Friday night for the annual 1st Infantry Division Band and Junction City Community Band Holiday Concert.

Because the Opera House did not sell any tickets for the free event patrons were encouraged to show up early, and those who listened were able to find a seat.

“I think you noticed that at 6:30 or 6:45 it was already so full,” said SPC Lawrence Evans, Pianist with the 1st ID Band and Producer of the Holiday Concert.

The concert has something for everyone to enjoy, as SPC Evans explained.

“There’s multimedia, there’s video, there’s music, there’s laughter, there’s comedy, not like standup comedy but there’s bits, you’re going to laugh at Santa Claus he’s got some funny jokes.”

Ultimately Evans said that the concert is an opportunity for the 1st ID Band and the Junction City Community Band to thank everyone and wish them happy holidays.

The concert will be held again Saturday night starting at 7:30 p.m., it is free of charge and you are encouraged to arrive early in order to guarantee a seat.

Nearly four years have passed since Fort Riley’s new hospital was expected to open.

The hospital was originally set to open in 2012 to replace Irwin Army Community Hospital, the oldest Army hospital in the nation. Due to continued disagreements between the construction contractor and the government over final inspections of the hospital, the previously scheduled mid-January opening has been scrapped.

Col. Risa Ware, Commander of Irwin Army Community Hospital updated community leaders on the current status of the hospital during the Camplan 2020 update at Fort Riley last Friday.

“The longest distance on a long trip home is that last mile. So we’re in that last mile on the hospital, and despite some of the press you may have seen it’s moving along,” said Col. Ware.

Ware went on to explain that hospital staff are in the building training, furniture is in, 85 percent of the equipment is in, and the contractor is still in the building fixing some deficiencies that need to be fixed before they can fully move in.

“The difference in that hospital and a business operation is that, you know if you have a business, some of those little things that are going on in there you could tolerate in a business because people can evacuate themselves if you had a fire. If we have a fire and we have patients, they can’t necessarily get themselves out.”

At this point Ware was hard pressed to give a hard date of when they will be able to open the new hospital, but said that she would almost guarantee that they will be in the hospital by 2016.

“I think we’re going to be in there by summer (2016). That’s the best estimate of the Army Corps of Engineers, by summer. It could be sooner, it could be later, but we think by summer.”

According to an Associated Press story released on December 5, political pressure is growing to finish the work, even if that means issuing new construction contracts to get it done.

The staff at Central National Bank in Junction City went above last years goal, raising $22,764.36 during their internal United Way Campaign that benefits the 2016 Junction City/Geary County United Way Campaign.

The money was raised through a number of events according to Lindsey Snider, Commercial Loan Officer and Captain of the United Way team at Central National Bank.

“This year we did things from a not so silent auction, more of an online bidding of different things, to our community food events, to our office olympics, bake sales, we like to eat a lot of food around here,” joked Snider. “Just a big culmination of different events that the employees and community members really rally behind and support.”

Employees also volunteer to donate through a payroll deduction program.

This is the ninth year in a row that Central National Bank has been named a Platinum Pacesetter, a designation given to organizations who raise over $15,000 in funds for the campaign.

Aileen Cray, United Way Executive Director explained that Central National Bank consistently raises a large portion of their overall campaign goal.

“I figured it out and I think it’s like 13 percent of our total goal, that’s coming out of one organization here in our community,” said Cray.”To me that is a powerful statement of again the support of the United Way concept, but how important people working together can be, and how powerful.”

United Way of Junction City/Geary County helps support four initiatives that make a difference in our community; Education, Health, Income Stability and Safety Net Services. Fifteen different service organizations fall under the four different initiatives.

 

The Geary County Convention and Visitor’s Bureau advisory committee has recommended approval on a series of marketing grant applications for 2016,

They include $1,000 for Acorn’s Resort, C. L. Hoover Opera House, Jammin in JC Blues & Barbecue, Junction City Reds Baseball Club, National Biplane Fly-In, and the Kansas Birding Festival. The CVB recommended awarding $500 to the Konza Environmental Education program, the Geary County Historical Society, and to the Junction City Rodeo Association, $400 to Friends of Animals, and $100 to Rolling Meadows Golf Course.

The funds will be used for promotion, marketing, and advertising.

The recommendations go to the Chamber of Commerce board for final consideration.

Authorities have identified the suspect following a pursuit Friday that ended on a residential street in Junction City.

The Sheriff’s Department said Michael Garrett of Council Grove was arrested in the 1300 block of West Ash Street after he allegedly took Deputies on a pursuit that began on South K-57 Highway at mile marker 15. Garrett crashed the alleged stolen vehicle he was driving into a Junction City police patrol unit and ran on foot before being caught and apprehended.

The Sheriff’s Department said Garrett was taken into custody on allegations including suspicion of Felony Fleeing and Eluding, Felony Interference with Law Enforcement, Possession of Stolen Property, Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute, Possession of Drug Proceeds, Felony Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, No Drug Tax Stamp, Aggravated Battery Against a Law Enforcement Officer, Aggravated Battery, Reckless Driving, Display of License Plate, Turning Movement and Required Signals, Basic Speed Rule, Following Too Close, Passing in a No Passing Zone, Improper Turn, Failure to Maintain a Single Lane of Travel, and four counts of Failure to Stop at a Stop Sign.

He was arrested at 9:33 a.m. Friday.   No one was injured.

The pursuit of a stolen vehicle that began in rural Geary County ended in Junction City with collision on Friday morning.

Sheriff Tony Wolf stated it began on Clarks Creek Road. “Deputies saw a red Dodge pickup, had no tag on it, so they tried to stop the vehicle, and it took off running.” The chase went north to I-70, west down the interstate into Junction City where it ended up on Bittersweet Drive on the west side of town and struck a Junction City police patrol vehicle. “He tried to bail out and run and we apprehended the suspect right there.”

There were no injuries. The vehicles, including the police patrol vehicle and the pickup driven by the suspect suffered disabling damage.

Wolf said the vehicle driven by the suspect was stolen in Herington. “Upon initial search of the vehicle there was a loaded gun inside the vehicle, and also what appeared to be methamphetamine.” Wolf added the suspect was from Council Grove.