Westar Energy has reported that electric service has been restored. The problem involved an equipment issue. Repairs have been made.

 

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Public Works personnel are responding to a series of reported power outages involving traffic lights at multiple intersections. The JCPD reports that some of those include Ash Street and U.S. 77, Sixth and Jefferson, Sixth and Eisenhower and Sixth and Garfield.

The cause of the outages is not yet known.

Motorists in the affected areas should exercise caution.

Westar Energy has reported two customer outages.

We will provide more information as it becomes available.

Applications for participation in the 2019-2020 Flint Hills Regional Leadership Program class are being accepted until July 16.

This program brings together future potential leaders from the Geary, Riley and Pottawatomie County region plus Fort Riley for a series of educational class sessions on the different communities and facets of the region.

The Executive Director Jack Lindquist, noted there is a lot that people in this area should be engaged in to provide good leadership to the region. “It takes a lot of vision, it takes good resource management and most importantly it takes individuals who are willing to have vision for the future and work together to solve problems.” Lindquist added helping people work together is the most important part of the program.

The members of the class will be selected August 8 with class members notified of their selection on August 9.  Following their selection class members will be introduced on August 29 at a special reception in Junction City.

Class members will attend an orientation retreat on September 12th and 13th that will include team building, and a Junction City / Geary County session that will include the introduction of Finding Your Purpose.

There will be sessions in Pottawatomie County on October 10, at Kansas State University October 24, Fort Riley November 21 and 22, Manhattan / Riley County December 12, in Topeka for a session on Economic Literacy, Collaboration & Compromise January 16, and a celebration event which serves as the class graduadtion on February 7 in Junction City.

Tuition for the program is $600 per person payable through their employer or by their own means. The Aileen Cray Memorial Scholarship Fund is available for those that cannot participate without financial support.

Training in the program will cover topics ranging from Building a Team and Motivating Members to Personality Differences, Time Management and Decision Making.

Interested candidates for the program are encouraged to learn more about the program by isiting the websitewww.fhrlp.org/. Instructions and program details are available on the site as well as the form for the application. The on-line form must be submitted before July 16.

Early Saturday morning the Junction City – Geary County Drug Operations Group conducted a search warrant in the 300 block of North Washington Street for a methamphetamine manufacturing investigation. A clandestine methamphetamine lab was located and processed.

Authorities reported that Avery Louis Pierson, 35, Junction City, was arrested on suspicion of manufacturing methamphetamine, possession of methamphetamine, felony possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of marijuana and felony interference with law enforcement.

The search warrant was served with the assistance of the Junction City Police Department, Geary County Sheriff’s office, Grandview Plaza Police Department the Riley County Police Department Emergency Response Unit, Hazardous Material Response Team and the Junction City Fire Department.

The Drug Operations Group is a joint task force composed of members of the Junction City Police Department, Geary County Sheriff’s Department and the Grandview Plaza Police Department.

Youth can register at the Geary County Historical Museum for Time Travel Camp, a three-day journey to learn about the Soldiers who shaped Geary County’s past.

Each day will focus on a specific time in military history.

Day one will deal with the cavalry, day two World War I and day three on World War II. Time travelers will experience boot camp and learn about military history and life as a Soldier.

The camp will run July 10-12 from 9 a.m. to noon. Campers ages 8 to 13 are invited to attend. The cost is $25. Registratiion is open from now through July 2. Registration forms are available at the museum or via email at gearyhistoryprograms@gmail.com.

By Dewey Terrill

JC Post

A Makerspace is incorporated into the plan for a proposed new Dorothy Bramlage Public Library in Junction City. It would provide space that could inspire collaboration, innovation and development of hands-on skills. STEM programs, 4-H and FFA members could benefit by having access to equipment and tools that might otherwise be unavailable to them.

A volunteer with the steering committee for the new library project, Lisa Eicholt, said former Geary County resident Michelle Munson and her husband / business partner, Serban Simu, have made a donation to the Dorothy Bramlage Public Library Foundation to facilitate an internship project this summer to explore the Makerspace concept for the community. Eicholt noted that the library has contracted with the Kansas State University Technology Development Institute, who has hired and will mentor the summer intern, Ryan Broeder, Great Bend.  “Michelle offered to fund an internship with an engineering student from Kansas State to do the research, find out about Makerspaces and what might mean. what it could involve.” The requirements and what the community needs in a makerspace would be among topics researched.

Broeder, who is an upcoming senior in mechanical engineering at KSU, wants to provide information on the technical side of this project. “What kind of equipment can be used in this community? How can we help the students, the youth, but also the entrepreneurs in the community as well? ” Broeder added it can be an opportunity for not only Junction City but for 4-H nationally. “STEM fields are growing and there’s this big iniative to make makers, have youth be surrounded by technology that they wouldn’t normally have at home, and just really give them to pursue in STEM fields.”

Deanna Munson is also working on the library project. “We definitely want to capitalize on 4-H’ers being able to use it.” But she said there is another reason for this effort> Michelle Munson is a director at the national level of 4-H. “If you look at the structure of the funding into national 4-H which is huge at this point in time, it’s all the tech people. Practically anything that we would want for them to develop and maintain over 40-50 years, a high end tech program can come through funding that is available through that type of association that is available at this point in time.”

Deanna Munson also added the STEM program used by most schools has been developed by national 4-H.” She stressed the interest is huge. There are rare places where there is a community very close to a major land grant university. The goal is to make this a prototype for all of the land grant universities and communities across the nation that might want to put a maker space into their local community and tie it into the 4-H Extension system and K-State.”

Jeff Tucker, Executive Director of the Institute, stated over the last several years they have become much more engaged with communities. “Realizing that a lot of times innovators and entrepreneurs with good ideas in a lot of communities do not have access to all the resources they need. What we’ve tried to do is build critical connections where there’s lack of critical mass.”Tucker added it’s all about connecting to communities lacking the resources or in the development of those resources.

The current Dorothy Bramlage Public Library does not have a lot of available space for a project of this sort but library director Susan Moyer noted while no specific room would available, some area will be opened where it could be added, possibly even off-site. The primary goal is to make Makerspace a significant portion of the new library.

 

 

 

A legacy Junction City business…Waters True Value Hardware…has been sold to Gerken Rent-All, Inc.
The announcement made today in a statement from owners Jim and Bev Waters.

Gerken has business operations in 10 Eastern Kansas communities and three in neighboring Western Missouri. None of the Waters locations are closing and two additional stores will be added in Paola and Garnett, KS.

The name will continue to be Waters Hardware but the “True Value” franchise name will be dropped. Waters Rental will be updated to Gerken Rent-All but will continue to operate inside the Waters store.

The store management teams and employees will not change and hours and days open will be the same.

The Waters Family owned store in Junction City have been in business operation the past 125 years.

Geary County Sheriff Daniel Jackson Jr. has invited community members to the Geary County 4-h / Senior Center on South Spring Valley Road Monday evening ( June 17th ) for a Town Hall meeting. It is scheduled at 6:30 p.m.

The sheriff will introduce the command staff of the Sheriff’s Department to the community and share his vision for the direction of the department, the changes that have been implemented, those he would like to see implemented and the reasons behind them.

There will also be a brief question and answer segment to follow the introduction of the staff and the sheriff’s vision.

The brand new “Celebration on 7th Street” will be Saturday in Junction City.

Coordinators Theresa Bramlage and Phyllis Fitzgerald developed the idea for the celebration which will feature a concert by the “Reminders” and Hip Hop. There will be a Hip Hop Story Time at the Dorothy Bramlage Public Library, Hip Hop Culture 101 workship at 11 a.m. at the C.L. Hoover Opera House, and Parents as Teachers events from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on 7th Street. Those will range from books for families with chidren up to eight years of age to water play with a floating alphabet and floating numbers.

Fitzgerald stated activities continue at 3 p.m. “There’s going to be a Poppin’ workshop at the Opera House where you can learn some great Hip Hop music. It’s open to all ages. You might get the opportunity to perform on stage with the “Reminders” during their concert at 6 o’clock.”

A Taste of JC area restaurants will be present with samples of their specialties as well.

Bramlage explained there was so much success with the Hometown Christmas event last December that they decided to do something that would show off downtown. “I approached the Markley’s at the Opera House. From there we decided to do this Hip Hop event. They’ve seen them perform and they’re a very inspirational youth-family inspired group so we’re very excited to have them.”

( Photo courtesy of Junction City Area Chamber of Commerce )

 

 

A handbell ensemble from the greater Kansas City area, “Rezound,” will perform at the C.L. Hoover Opera House on Sunday at 2 p.m.

Established in June of 2001, the ensemble presents a sound blending the timbres of Schulmerich handbells, Petit & Fritsen bells, Malmark handchimes, Whitechapel bells and Mass-Rowe bells. Rezound promotes the art and skill of handbell ringing in performance, serving the community through educational endeavors, and providing a quality and challenging outlet for skilled ringers.

 

Rain, strong winds, and extensive lightning were all part of the weather system that moved through the region Tuesday evening and during the early morning hours on Wednesday.

Junction City police dispatch had not received any reports of storm damage.

The first cell moved through in the six o’clock hour Tuesday evening with the last one packing strong winds sweeping across the region in the early morning hours.

The Junction City Brigade endured two rain / lightning delays but eventually picked up a 10-4 win over the Topeka Golden Giants at Rathert Field. The game was called after seven innings due to the weather.