There were 311 graduates in the Class of 2019 at Junction City High School.

Commencement ceremonies had to be moved indoors to the Shenk Gym due to the inclement weather in the area. JCHS Principal Melissa Sharp said the class had earned total scholarships at more than $1.6 million and still increasing. She added there were “state caliber vocalists, musicians, cadets, athletes and some great leaders as well.”

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Reginald Eggleston presented the Class of 2019 and the members then walked across the stage where they were presented diplomas.

Student speakers included Class President Reece Boland and Corbin Sanner. This was the 144th commencement ceremony in the history of Junction City High School.

 

 

Officials at Junction City High School have made the decision to hold commencement in the Shenk Gym Saturday evening due to ancicipated inclement weather.

Those attendees with wrist bands will be seated in the Shenk Gym and overflow seating will be provided in the Settles Auditorium where the ceremony will be broadcast and displayed.

USD 475 has provided information on entrances for those attending the graduation exercise.

A Geary County native, Michelle Munson, will deliver the commencement address for the College of Arts and Sciences at Kansas State University today ( Saturday ).

The University announced that Munson, a KSU alum who earned a Goldwater Scholarship while an undergraduate at K-State, will speak during the College of Arts and Sciences ceremony at 8:30 a.m. in Bramlage Coliseum.

Munson is the co-founder and CEO of Eluvio, a software startup company. She is the daughter of Charles and Deanna Munson of Geary County.

The commencement ceremony schedule for the remaining colleges on the Manhattan campus include:

–The College of Architecture, Planning & Design ceremony will be at 10 a.m. in McCain Auditorium. Retired KSU football coach Bill Snyder wll serve as the speaker.

–The College of Education will hold commencement at 11 a.m. in Bramlage Coliseum, with State Department of Education 2019 Horizon Award serving as the speaker. He is also a former Wildcat quarterback.

–The College of Business Administration at 12:30 p.m. at Bramlage Coliseum where the chairman and CEO of Wingstop Inc., Charlie Morrison, will serve as the speaker.

–The College of Agriculture at 2:30 p.m. in Bramlage Coliseum where the founder and CEO of City Barbeque, Rick Malir will deliver commencement remarks.

–College of Human Ecology at 4:30 p.m. in Bramlage Coliseum. The general manager of specialty chemicals for Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LP, Venki Chandrashekar, will be the commencement speaker.

–The Carl R. Ice College of Engineering will be at 6:30 p.m. in Bramlage Coliseum. A retired vice president of ExxonMobile, Wayne Harms, will be the speaker.

Graduate School degrees were awarded on Friday.

A live webcast of the ceremonies will be available at k-state.edu/graduation/. A virtual commencement ceremony for the nearly 360 students earning their degrees through distance education is available at dce.k-state.edu/students/commencement/.

The Geary County Veterans Alliance will sponsor their annual Memorial Day program on Monday, May 27th at 10 a.m. at the C.L. Hoover Opera House.

Alliance spokesperson Brenda Boyd said the Military Affairs Council Director for the Junction City Area Chamber of Commerce, Craig Bender, will serve as the keynote speaker. She noted the ceremony will include the posting of the colors, “Virginia Lawrence will do our invocation and our benediction. The Junction City Community Band will play for us. They always start off their season by playing for the Geary County Veterans Alliance.

Bender recently retired from the U.S. Army before becoming the MAC director. During his time in the Army, Bender served as the Battalion S6 for 1-13 Tank Battalion in 3rd Brigade, 1 AD and deployed with the brigade to Iraq, he served as the Brigade S6 for the 1st Aviation Brigade, and deployed with that brigade to Afghanistan and as Deputy Division G6 at Fort Rley.

 

By Dewey Terrill

JC Post

Dr. Beth Hudson began her career in Geary USD 475 began as a bookkeeper at Junction City High School and rose to the highest level of administration in the school district. On Thursday friends, family, current and former co-workers gathered at the Devin Center to congratulate Hudson on her career and wish her well as she prepares to retire from the school district at the end of June.

Hudson is currently the Associate Superintendent of Schools for USD 475, but she has served three different stints as the Interim Superintendent.  Her feelings on Thursday were mixed. “I’m so glad to see all my friends and have such good memories from so many of these folks. But on the other hand I’m excited about what’s ahead to.” Hudson added she loved to teach in the classroom, but the favorite part of her different jobs was during her time as Director of Elementary Education when she got to work with the teachers on a regular daily basis.

Hudson, herself,  served as a teacher at Jefferson Elementary,  Ware Elementary and Eisenhower Elementary School during her time in USD 475.

Former Associate Superintendent of Schools Pat Anderson attended the reception at the Devin Center. “It’s really fun to come back and see all these people. Beth certainly has made an impression as she carried out the great work here in the district. It’s delightful to go back over some memories and laugh, and see all the people as well.” At one point Anderson supervised Hudson as she performed the duties of the Director of Elementary Education. She remembered Hudson as a sensitive, thoughtful and caring person. “Well aware of the history of our community, the need to honor our military families and all the diversity in the community, and she was just an outstanding choice for that work.”

Hudson’s siblings, Mike and Larry Myers and Kathy Tremont were all in attendance. Tremont enjoyed having all of them together. “I know it meant a lot to Beth. When there are times like this it’s always important to have your family there so I’m happy everybody was able to be here today.” Tremont remembered during their youth her brothers played sports while she and Beth were cheerleaders. “We were always a family on the go. We had a lot of things going on but mom ( Katie Myers )  always had cookies and supper every night, and noon every day so that’s the type of family we grew up in.” As to who was the better cheerleader Tremont responded firmly with a chuckle, “I think I was! ”

Tremont stated she has told her sister multiple times she has always admired her for her integrity and work ethic., and she complimented Hudson for serving as the fearless leader for her siblings.

Former Superintendent of Schools Dr. Mary Devin led off the program portion of  the reception, pointing out in every job Hudson held in the school district she did well, rising from JCHS bookkeeper to serve as Associate and Interim Superintendent. The two-hour reception attracted a strong turnout to the Board of Education meeting room at the Devin Center.

 

 

E-6 Vazquez Rocafort has been deployed to Poland with the First Brigade Combat Team from Fort Riley in recent months. But unknown to his daughter Alidsha Vazquez, her dad would be home in time for the Senior Class Awards Night presentations at Junction City.

Ali received two athletic certificates with her father watching in the Settles Auditorium. Her mom, Ahiesha Centenovega, said her daughter didn’t know her dad would be there. “So as the awards ceremony was proceeding he came through the back door, and said excuse me could I have that seat. That’s the first time that they saw each other.”

As for Alidsha, when saw Rocafort she said chuckling, “I just looked at my mom, looked at my dad and continued back and forth and so I could actually believe it. And then I just got up and hugged him.”

Rocafort said as a parent he wanted to be at JCHS for his daughter. “My unit gave me the opportunity to come down and participate with my daughter here. I’m glad, I’m glad I did it.” Rocarfort took an 18-hour flight to make it from Poland to Junction City. He said in the hallway at the senior high when his daughter came in and she didn’t see him. He gets to remain in Junction City for one week before returning to Poland, which means he will be able to attend his daughter’s graduation this Saturday.

Alidsha plans to attend Wichita State University in the future.

Geary County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to 3407 Liberty Hall Road Wednesday afternoon for a report of a man in his early 20’s who had suffered a gunshot wound to the leg. Sheriff Daniel Jackson said it was reported that the victim was shot by an unknown race male with a dark complextion wearing blue jeans and a white shirt.

Sheriff’s Department and Junction City Police Department officers set up a perimeter and searched the area on foot and with the use of K-9’s while the Kansas Highway Patrol provided an overview from one of their aerial units.

Spring Valley Elementary School was placed on a brief lockdown until it was determined that there was no threat to public safety.

The victim was transported to Geary Community Hospitay by Junction City Fire / EMS in stable condition, and as of late afternoon Wednesday was reported in stable condition. His wound was considered non-life threatening. The name of the victim was not released.

The case is still under investigation, but there has been no evidence uncovered at this time to suggest that there is any threat to the safety of the community at large.

By Dewey Terrill

JC Post

 

UPDATE:

A total of $97,200.33 had been raised to support local organizations in the Geary County Community.

The chairman of the Greater Geary Community Foundation Calvin Pottberg called it a great day on Tuesday, Match Day. “We really had no idea what we imagined it could be. To me it’s a very large success.” Donations were received at the Municipal Auditorium and online.

There will be and additional $40,000 in matching funds for the donors. Pottberg said, “I’m sure it will all be matched up. We won’t know that for several days though.”

This was the first Match Day event in Junction City. Pottberg hopes to do another similar event in the future. “If we can get the match money, yes we’ll certainly do that again.” Central Charities Foundation donated $20,000 and the R2B4 Bramlage Family Foundation donated $20,000 in match money for the Match Day on Tuesday.

The C.L. Hoover Opera House received the highest donation total, $16,895, followed by the Dorothy Bramlage Public Library Foundation, $14,375 and Wheels of Hope, Inc., $9,550.

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As of 4:53 p.m. donors had made 408 gifts totaling a combined $94,500 to be spread between different organizations in the community,

The Dorothy Bramlage Public Library Foundation was the top receipient with $12,300. Donors committed $8,800 to the C.L. Hoover Opera House. You can donate to any of 26 different organizations.

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A new activity in Junction City called the Greater Geary Community Match day is today ( Tuesday ) at the Junction City Municipal Building from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

You can make a donation to a local organization or charity and receive a 50% match from the Greater Geary Community Foundation chaired by Calvin Pottberg. “This is our first one. Some of the other communities have had two or three but you have to find some benefactors in the local community to put up the match money, and we’ve been successful doing that.”

A total of 26 local organizations are participating. Pottberg added each of the local organizations has been asked to set up a table, “so they can tell their story if you will, and then we give everyone a little menu sheet and they can go through and pick what organizations they might want to give to.”

You can also donate online until 11:59 p.m. tonight at https://www.gearymatchday.com/.

Geary Community Match Day participants include Aging Well, Inc., C.L. Hoover Opera House, Delivering Change, Inc., First Presbyterian Church, Geary Community Schools Foundation, Geary County Historical Society, Highland Cemetery Associatiion, Junction City Community Baseball Club/JC Brigade, Konza Prairie Community Health Center, Little Theater Foundatio, Inc., The I.C.A.R.E. Center, Wheels of Hope, Inc., Boy Scouts of America – Konza District Coronado Area Council, CASA of the 8th Judicial District, Dorothy Bramlage Public Library Foundation, Quality Play for All, Geary Community Healthcare Foundation, Geary County Fish & Game Association, Inc., Geary County Senior Citizens, Inc., Junction City Arts Council, Junction City Family YMCA Inc., Ladies Reading Club and United Way of Junction City/Geary County.

 

The annual cross-country motorcycle ride from California to the national Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C. makes a stop in Junction City on Sunday ( May 19 ).

According to organizers the riders are expected to begin arriving in Junction City by 4:30 p.m. Sunday with the majority coming in about 5 p.m. Following their arrival there will be a ceremony in Heritage Park in front of the Kansas Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

Lieutenant General ( Retired ) Perry Wiggins will serve as the guest speaker for the ceremony.