Junction City firefighters responded to the 900 block of West 11th Street late Saturday morning for a fire which destroyed a mobile home, and caused some exposure damage to a second one.  There were no injuries.

A check with the Fire Department revealed the cause of the blaze is under investigation.

The Fire Department responded with three fire trucks, two ambulances and 12 firefighters. They were on scene for about two hours.

Approximately 35 people attended the information session on Rock Steady Boxing at the Junction City Athletic Training Center this past week.

The program is designed to help people with Parkinson’s Disease and is being brought to the Center by Meadowlark of Manhattan.

Rick Bazan with the Athletic Center, said the weekly sessions will involve a lot of circuit training with approximately 15 minutes of boxing. “It’s real boxing but we’re not punching each other. They’re learning the footwork, they’re learning the jabs, they’re learning punch combinations and it really gets the neurons firing in the brain.” Bazan noted people with Parkinson’s often have a problem with their gait, shuffling feet and stooped posture so it gets them to stand up straight.” He added it gets the participants moving better.

Those attending the information session were not only from Junction City, but from multiple communities. The weekly Rock Steady Boxing sessions will begin in late May, with one per week. Later that will increase to two times per week.

The annual auction to support Saint Xavier School is Saturday night at the Bradley Gym.

Doors open at 5 p.m. The cost of admission is $40, and that covers dinner drinks and an opportunity if you are 21 or over to bid on items.

A total of 170 items are listed for the live auction. They will range from a Kansas City Royals gift set and Texas Roadhouse Gift Card to a two-month family membership at the Family YMCA and a four-hour Boat Cruise for eight around Milford Lake.

Some of the other auction items include Dinner for eight with Father Kyle Berens, St. Xavier Catholic School Tuition for One Year and four rounds of golf and a cart at Great life Golf & Fitness.

This is the biggest fundraiser for the Saint Xavier School every year.

 

UPDATE:

U.S. 77 and Old Highway 77 northwest of Junction City reopened to traffic about 10:30 p.m. following an accident about 7 o’clock Friday evening. No one was injured, but traffic lights and three of four power poles that housed the lights and wiring for that intersection were knocked down by an oversized load that caught one of the overhead wires and pulled them all down. A semi-truck traveling northbound had been transporting a large generator.

Geary County Emergency Management Director Garry Berges said motorists coming off Old Highway 77, from Estes Gate at Fort Riley, will have a stop sign controlling that intersection for approximately the next 30 days until repairs are made. An entirely new system will have to be brought in.

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An oversize load involving the transport of a generator went through the intersection of U.S. 77 and Old 77 about 7 p.m., heading northbound. Geary County Emergency Management Director Garry Berges confirmed there was an accident. “Something caught the wires up above and pulled down and ripped out the traffic signals, and three of the four poles.” No one was injured, but traffic is being impacted.

Berges said the area is blocked off. “Anybody that wants to try to get north has to go around the face of the dam.” A west-side entrance to Fort Riley, Estes Gate, has been closed. “So they’ll need to find a different way….go in off of Washington Street, probably for the next three to four hours.”

Berges said a lot of wires and electrical wires are down so you should avoid the area. U.S. 77 in both directions from K-57 north to Old Milford Road, which is about a three-mile stretch of highway.

The Kansas Highway Patrol, Geary County Sheriff’s Department, Geary County Emergency Management and KDOT officials have responded to the site where the accident occurred.

By Dewey Terrill

JC Post

Human trafficking was the focus of a Thursday evening session in Junction City.

Geary County Attorney and Flint Hills Human Trafficking spokesperson Krista Blaisdell, Deb Kluttz of Homestead Ministries and female victims of human trafficking who now reside in the region were in attendance to provide information, tell their stories and answer questions.

Much of the information focused on human sex trafficking. Blaisdell said she believed it brought personal information to the Junction City community. “I think we had an opportunity to listen to testimonies from victims who’ve been trafficked and bring home that human perspective of what this crime entails, and how we can best as a community support those victims.”

Blaisdell said she believes Junction City is a hot spot for human trafficking. “We’re right on the I-70 corridor so we have a strong east-west presence. Although there’s some pretty prevalent highways running north and south here in this region. There’s apparently a market here, it becomes a hot spot, and we know there’s a history here.”

Homestead Ministries, based in Manhattan, works to help victims recover and leave the human trafficking lifestyle.  They provide housing and support. Human trafficking exists in many areas, and several of the victims who spoke Thursday evening were originally from multiple cities and states across the nation ranging from Wichita and Atlanta to Mississippi and Alabama.

Kluttz answered a question from JC Post on how prevalent is the problem in the Junction City area? “Very, very prevalent. It’s one of the hot spots, it really is. I mean I-70 is going right by here. “Kluttz added when Homestead Ministries goes into the clubs to reach out to the women “they’re from all over the place.”

What can the community do to help with this problem? Kluttz stated, “I think the more people that are aware and there are more eyes on it I think that’s what needs to happen. There’s signs, there’s things to look for. I gave the hotline number out, when they see something that looks sketchy, just getting ahold of the hotline and letting it be approached by those who know how to approach things.” That hotline number is 1-888-373-7888.

There was information about what you need to know about people and places to be aware of trafficking. They can range from people who are comforting and showing the way to taking control. Trafficking can occur in places such as hotels and parks. The face of a predator is unknown since they can be male, female, younger or older, fathers or even members of law enforcement and the legal system.

Those who reside in Homestead Ministries housing while they are working to recover need to be 18, speak English, be a survivor of sex trafficking and be ready to change their own lives. A holistic approach is taken with some residents remaining there long term and working on job or career training. SIx girls currently reside in the Homestead Ministries group home and others live in five off-site venues which are host homes. If you need help go to their website at homesteadministry.org. There’s an inquiry button on the web site.

On possible growth and expansion of the program Kluttz stated, “We are poised to actually do Homestead chapters in other communities. That’s our next step, actually.” When asked if Junction City was a possibility Kluttz responded by saying, “Always. We’re talking to Salina right now as well.”

 

 

 

Geary County Extension Agent Deb Andres has been honored with the Kansas Association of Family and Consumer Sciences State Extension Award.

The award honors outstanding Extension System programming, which enables people to improve their life and communities through learning partnerships that put knowledge to work in family and consumer sciences programs.

Andres has served as an educator in many roles including manufacturing supervisor, high school teacher, college instructor, and is currently the Family and Consumer Science Agent in Geary County for K-State Research and Extension. She and her husband, Duane, have three boys, Mark, Joey and Zach and live on their farm near Alta Vista.

Geary County Sheriff Tony Wolf was in Geary County District Court Thursday morning for a scheduled bond appearance.

He had already posted bond, but a 9:30 a.m. April 26th status hearing was scheduled in his case. During discussion before the Court on the scheduling of the status hearing, the special prosecutor in the case, Assistant Dickinson County Attorney Daryl Hawkins, said that he anticipated a possible resolution of the matter.

Wolf was arrested in late March on suspicion of two counts of Felony Theft. That followed his earlier arrest last October on charges including one count each of Felony Theft and a misdemeanor charge of Misuse of Public Funds. He was represented in court by Attorney Barry Clark of Manhattan.

Wolf is on administrative leave from the sheriff’s post.

 

 

“Tribute to America” will be the theme for Sundown Salute this year in Junction City. The celebration is scheduled July 3-7.

Michelle Stimatze, Geary County Convention and Visitor’s Bureau Director, said the Sundown Salute parade will follow that theme, and the celebration will also recognize tribute bands in Kansas.  A number of tribute bands will perform during the celebration ranging from Almost Kiss and KCDC on Wednesday July 3rd to Change of Heart on Guns for Roses on July 4th.

Stimatze confirmed that on Friday night, July 5th, “Hairball” will be the headliner for the five-day celebration. She said they’re from Wichita. “We actually have been invited to some of their concerts just to see what they can do. They bring a lot to the table with different dress, different lighting. It’s really a great show to come to.”

Many of the tribute bands will perform rock or motown music.

Other activities during Sundown Salute will include on July 4th the traditional parade, the Freedom Run, Veterans Ceremony and fireworks. The Ottaway Amusements Carnival will operate throughout the celebration and will bring a new ride called, “Flying Dumbo.” There will be vendors set up in Heritage Park, a petting zoo, a car show, and local performances on the bandstand. The local talent show, “JC Has Talent will be back and organizers are working on the possibility of having either motorcycle or bicycle jumpers perform.

Geary Community Hospital is hosting their fourth 5k run/walk called “Chase for a Cause, ” Saturday, April 27 at 9 a.m. Participants can choose which approved local cause their registration funds go toward. The event is a healthy living initiative and fundraiser for local non-profit organizations that help our neighbors in Geary County.

There will also be a kids fun run, cash prizes for top three male and female finishers, masters ( above age 40 ). medals for 5k winners in each age group along with door prizes. The race will start and finish in front of the hospital’s Surgical Center.

2019 Approved Local Organizations:

 

By Dewey Terrill

JC Post

Irwin Army Community Hospital will host a retiree health fair for military retirees April 26, 9 a.m. to noon. Onsite screening services and wellness information will be provided. Multiple clinical sections are designating services, exhibits or demonstrations exclusively for the retiree community.

To make an appointment call ( 785 ) 239-3627. Retirees who wish to have lab work should call ahead or use secure messaging to have their provider submit a lab order.

The Fort Riley Public Health Department will be providing vaccinations to include Tdap, Pneumococcal 23 and 13, Zoster and influenza.

The physical therapy team will set aside space to demonstrate bed-mobility ergonomics and safe lifting techniques. They will also perform a test to determine a retiree’s level of risk for falls.

Retirees may speak with the pharmacy team on how to transfer prescriptions to IACH at no cost.

Virtual health technology will be exhibited to allow retirees to see how it all works in delivering better care.

The Fort Riley Staff Judge Advocate will have an exhibit space to help retirees with power of attorney documents or updates to their wills.

For retirees approaching age 65 and who want to keep seeing a provider at IACH they can talk to a benefits counselor onsite about the TRICARE Plus plan, can ask about the referral authorization process, and learn how to check the status of a referral online.