The grand opening for the new improvements in the Fifth Street “Playground Park” has been scheduled for Saturday, March 30th at 10 a.m.

A spokesman for the Quality Play for All committee, Kendall Schoenrock, confirmed this opening, which was postponed earlier due to a back up in the work caused by inclement weather, couldn’t be delayed any further. “We’re super excited to open this up for the kids and get the fences down. So let’s go play.

Phase One of the five-phase project is near completion. Schoenrock said they’ll show the new playground equipment. and the artificial turf has been installed. “The zip line is going to be open, Quality Play for All is going to be there. We’re going to have some city representation.” The community is welcome to attend the event and help cut the ribbon on the facilities.

Schoenrock said Phase Two of the project will include a new basketball court and another covered pavilion. Fundraising for that phase will commence.

Konza Prairie Community Health and Dental Center partnered with USD 475 in 2018 to open the current school-based clinic housed in Junction City High School.

Students have been able to receive care for minor illnesses, injuries, infections, earaches, and sore throats since last August. Konza has now announced that they have a provider on site to offer a wider variety of services including sports physicals, wellness exams and general health assessments. The clinic will now collect labs, provide immunizations and continue to provide health education for USD 475 students and staff. The provider will be on-site Tuesday mornings and Fridays.

Konza CEO Lee Wolf said a school-based health center involves about all the services that are provided at Konza’s facility on Grant Avenue. “Except it is a full clinic in the school. In the current school we will have a nurse practitioner and a nurse, we’ve hired some behavioral health providers recently and we’ll also rotate them in the high school. ” There is also a dental outreach program.

Students have the option of scheduling an appointment in the school clinic before school, during their lunch break or after school and if time permits, they can be seen during those times. If a student is feeling ill or has an acute complaint during the school day, they may go to the school nurse who will then write them a pass to the Konza school clinic if a parent permission slip is on file.

School-based health centers improve health equity by increasing access to care. A comprehensive school-based health center gives students access to medical, dental and behavioral health care in a safe and convenient environment. Health care can be accessed within schools, parents do not have to take off work and students don’t have to travel to find care and miss school.

Live Well Geary County officials have announced that Geary USD 475 has received a Pathways to a Healthy Kansas Implementation Grant totaling $11,440 to go toward purchasing kits to convert at least one water cooler in each school in the district, and St. Xavier School to a water bottle filling station. The funds come from Live Well Geary County, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas “Pathways to a Healthy Kansas” community grant.

The equipment will enable students to have access to filtered drinking water throughout the school day. Filtered water bottle filling stations will give students the healthy drinking option they need. Luan Sparks, Executive Director of Student Support Services, said “a new policy in the 2019-2020 student handbook will allow students to have clear / translucent water bottles in the classroom where appropriate.”

Water bottle stations will help reduce the amount of waste from plastic water bottles. Swapping out soda for water is an easy way for young kids to form healthy habits and reduce their intake of unnecessary sugar. Safe, clean and accessible water gives students greater incentive to hydrate more often, contributing to greater energy and productivity.

Geary County is one of 16 Kansas communities selected to participate in the Pathways to a Healthy Kansas program. Live Well Geary County has received a $100,000 coordination grant. Geary County schools, work sites, restaurants, food retail outlets and other organizations have the opportunity to apply for non-competitive implementarionand achievements grants amounting to $400,000 through 2020.

Schools are able to apply for up to $60,000 in grant funds available through the Schools Pathway to enact policies and procedures to attain the Modeling level of the Kansas State Department’s Wellness Policy Guidelines in the areas of Physical Activity, Nutrition and Nutrition Promotion and Education.

 

Items ranging from jewelry to clothing and concessions were for sale during the Blue and Gold Market in the Bradley Gym at Saint Xavier High School on Saturday. Organizers reported a steady of stream of traffic as members of the public participated.

Saint Xavier School Principal Shawn Augustine said the event is all about support and help from the school and the parish. “Sheri Beck as well as Nicole Berry, who is actually downstairs working at our concession stand, this event could not take place without tons and tons of work from both of these ladies and what they’ve done to support our schools.

Beck, a volunteer with the School PTO, said there was a great turnout. “It’s been a wonderful day, lots of great items from our Catholic school items to lots of crafts, lots of woodworking, candles, the bounce house for the kids has been a huge hit. At one point Shawn Augustine even participated in the bounce house with some of the high school aged students.

Beck said the event helps the school in many ways including from the $1 admission paid by those who attended. “A lot of the vendors are donating a percentage of what they made to us. ” Concessions and the game of plinko were also revenue producers. Beck said, ” It benefits the whole school. the PTO and our activities committee.

Augustine noted that this event is a win-win for the St. Xavier School.  This was the fifth year for the Blue and Gold Market.

 

By Dewey Terrill

JC Post

The Peterson Brothers Farm Live performance at the C. L. Hoover Opera House helped raise funds for the new Dorothy Bramlage Public Library.

They showed multiple farm parody videos that they produced on their farm near Assaria, Kansas. Their videos supporting agriculture have captured the attention of many in this nation and in other countries. Their first video, “I’m Farming and I grow it” received more than five million views in just weeks.

In addition to the appearance by the Peterson Brothers the event was an event to explain the “Reimagining Your Public Library”project and the need to develop a library facility that is consistent with the size and needs of the Junction City – Fort Riley – Geary County community, and that will offer the flexibility of use as those needs change.

Library Director Susan Moyer said the new library would be built on the north end of the current lot at located at 230 West Seventh Street, “and continue to operate where we are so there’s minimal interruption of service. And then when the new library is open we move once into the new building, and we take down the old building and lay our parking lot in front of it.”

Fundraising for the project has already begun with private donations. Moyer stated, “We did a few private events last year. And those are actually going to turn into public events this year. We did one called “Whiskey, Wine and Library Time.” That’s going to be our Friends of the Library annual meeting and public event here on April 28th. ‘ A 5K run is also being planned. Donations and grants have also been received. Organizers hope to complete the project within five years.

Current plans do include a two-story facility but the upper level represents the future growth of the library. As funds are available to finish the space, the intent is to make at least some of it available for rent to other community organizations until it is needed by the library. The cost of a project covering the bottom level with no upper floor would be in the approximate $8 million to $9 million dollars. A total finished two-story facility would push the cost into the $13 million range.

The turnout for the Peterson Farm Brothers Live concert was solid. The seating in the Opera House was filled to approximately three-quarters capacity.  Tickets for the event were sold at the Dorothy Bramlage Public Library and Munson’s Prime with Susan Moyer, Deanna Munson and Lisa Eickholt serving as keynote speakers to help explain the project to the audience.

All donations to the project will be tax deductible and deposited to the Dorothy Bramlage Public Library Foundation, a 501(c)3 organization that is also affiliated with the Greater Geary Community Foundation.

The Junction City Fire Department Auxiliary is hosting an effort to help the victims of the major flooding in Nebraska. In a social media announcement they stated that they are helping those affected by gathering items that are needed. You can drop off donations by Monday, April 1st at Junction City Fire / EMS Station 2 at 2245 Lacy Drive, which is on the southwest side of Junction City.

Please do not donate clothing or perishable food.

Smithfield donated pallets to help with the effort.

The Department of the Army named Fort Riley as a Bronze medal winner for the 2019 Army Communities of Excellence award.

“Truly spectacular,” said Maj. Gen. John S. Kolasheski, commanding general of the 1st Infantry Division and Fort Riley. “It’s a tough Army competition, and our workforce’s efforts paid off in this recognition of excellence. My personal congratulations to every member of the Fort Riley team.”

The ACOE program promotes continuous process improvement and fosters excellence in installation management across all components. The Chief of Staff of the Army instituted the ACOE program in 1989 as a forum for assessing Army installations on how well they perform based on strategies and measurable business outcomes.

“I am proud of the dedicated professionals, volunteers and community partners who serve the Soldiers, families and civilians of Fort Riley and the 1st Infantry Division each day,” said Col. Stephen Shrader, Fort Riley Garrison Commander.

ACOE awards use criteria established for the Malcom Baldridge National Quality Award as a framework for performance assessment to award Army installations scoring highest in the competition. Baldridge-based performance assessments provide opportunities to identify best practices in installation management and reveal potential opportunities for performance improvements.

 

The annual District Art Show and SIlent Auction in USD 475 will be held March 29th and 30th at the C.L.Hoover Opera House.

There will be a reception for participants, parents and USD 475 staff on Friday, the 29th from 5 to 7 p.m. The show will be open to the public on Saturday, March 30th from 1 to 4 p.m.

Proceeds from the auction will fund the USD 475 Art Scholarship for one Junction City High School graduating senior who plans to pursue a career in Visual Arts or Design.

What began as an argument at an apartment complex on Wildcat Lane on the west side of Junction City August 31, 2018 spilled outside into the parking lot and ended with the fatal shooting of Felix Snipes, 29 and the wounding of Cartavius King, 25, both of Junction City.

The preliminary hearing for the defendant in the case, Fontelle Jolly, opened in Geary County District Court Wednesday with King testifying he was shot either three or four times including once each in a shoulder, an elbow and a buttock, and was also grazed in the abdomen. Felix Snipes was shot twice in the chest and later died from his injuries. Jolly is charged with the murder of Snipes and attempted murder of King.

According to testimony in the court hearing Wednesday the incident began as an altercation between Jolly and his girlfriend Alicia Gonzalez inside one of the apartments. Jolly later left the apartment. King said he was called to the scene by Gonzalez’ sister to pick Alicia up so she would be alright.  King remembered that he and Snipes told Jolly to leave the premises, and Jolly sat in his own vehicle. King said he and Snipes were ready to leave, they turned around and were shot by Jolly. “It all happened so fast.”

King said he saw Snipes struck by the shots and he tried to charge Jolly and was shot. He estimated the distance between himself and Jolly about three to five feet, and between Snipes and Jolly approximately 12 feet.

King stated that he was not armed during the incident and never threatened to do any physical abuse to Jolly at that time.   King was airlifted to Stormont Vail Hospital in Topeka and then moved to the KU Medical Center where he had surgery on his elbow wound.

The preliminary hearing is not expected to end on Wednesday.

The Junction City Commission has adopted a resolution on condemnation or eminent domain.

City Manager Allen Dinkel confirmed it ties in with the pending project to upgrade the Homer’s Pond dam being required by the Kansas Department of Agriculture. “To do this we have to get some land to do the earthwork on. One property owner we have made an offer to them, and at this time have not accepted.”

The property, about nine-tenths of an acre in size, is at 1219 McFarland Road. It is on the northwest side of Homer’s Pond. No structures are on the site.

Dinkel added that the resolution gives notice that the city could pursue condemnation. If they can’t reach an agreement they would move forward with the next stages of the process.

The cost of the overall project at Homer’s Pond is estimated in the one-half million dollar range with that expense being borne by the city. The money would come from the city’s stormwater fund.