New lighting and a sidewalk have been installed along K-18 running west out of the city.
This has been part of a city project that will help improve access for pedestrians to the west side of the city. The goal is to eventually have the sidewalk go all the way west to the new Junction City High School after it is built( Photos courtesy of Junction City Public Works Director Ray Ibarra ).
The City of Manhattan has issued some precautions you can take to you and your neighbors are able to deal with the summer weather safely.
Never leave children or pets alone in hot vehicles, check on family members and neighbors, especially those who are older, If you have to be outside wear light, loose-fitting clothing, drink plenty of water to stay hydrated and take frequent breaks in the shade.
Know the signs of heat-related illnesses such as heat exhaustion and heat stroke, avoid high-energy activities, stay indoors n an air-conditioned area as much as possible, and check on your pets, bring them inside and provide them with plenty of cool water.
In Manhattan cooling locations open to the public include the Douglass Community Center, Flint Hills Discovery Center, K-State Student Union, Manhattan City Hall Lobby, Manhattan Public Library, Manhattan Town Center, Riley County, and the Riley County Seniors’ Service Center.
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In Junction City some cooling locations include the Dorothy Bramlage Public Library, Geary County Health Department conference room, or the Junction City Municipal Building Gym.
Fort Riley will bid farewell to current garrison commander Col. John
Lawrence and welcome incoming commander Col. Stephen Shrader at a change of command ceremony July 13 at 10 a.m. The ceremony will take place at Ware Parade Field, 500 Huebner Road.
Col. Shrader’s previous assignment was director of the Combined Joint
Operations Center, Resolute Support, Afghanistan.
Col. Lawrence assumed command of U.S. Army Garrison Fort Riley in July 2016.
He will be retiring after more than 34 years of military service.
Fort Riley officials remind visitors, residents and employees that the Grant Street Access Control Point will be closed during normal duty hours Wednesday due to the full-scale exercise being conducted that day at Fort Riley. The access control point reopens Thursday morning at 5 a.m.
Additionally, certain roads on the installation may be temporarily closed
and traffic could be rerouted to accommodate exerciseactivity Wednesday. Drivers are asked to be patient and allow extra time when traveling on post.
The exercise is a way to test and train installation emergency preparedness. The annual exercise involves Fort Riley assets and some of our community partners. It will allow each responding agency to test, evaluate and improve
emergency response processes and procedures.
Summer picnic party lunches continue for children in the Geary County community through July 27th.
This month there is breakfast from 8-9 a.m. at Junction City High School, and lunches for youth ages 1-18 from noon to 1 p.m. at the Dorothy Bramlage Public Library, the 12th Street Community Center, Grandview Plaza Community Center, Green Park Apartments and Regency Trailer Park. The meals are free and no registration or sign-up is required.
USD 475 has been providing hot school lunches and Live Well Geary County volunteers have been serving it. There have also been other donations and lunch preparation assistance.
According to Live Well Geary County planning is under way for next year. There will be roll out fresh-made lunches to all Live Well summer meal locations in Junction City, the planning committee has been expanded and they are considering several options for increasing and improving meal service for next summer. In the off-seasson they will be studying different ways that other cities are successfully working with summer meals and when they determine the new avenues that will be pursued they will be raising funds to make it a reality.
It is hot and dry, and Geary County is in a drought emergency. But Junction City Manager Allen Dinkel confirmed Monday that the city’s water supply is good shape. “I think we’re lucky in the fact that even though the drought seems tremendous here is not spread out through the area.”
Dinkel noted there is still water coming into Milford Lake, there’s still water being released from Milford Lake, and of course our well fields ( are ) along the Republican River. “We have no issues at this point in time.”
Rains in north central Kansas have resulted in water flowing into the Republican River in turn flows into Milford Lake.
Junction City – Geary County United Way has announced that they will run their annual Stuff the Bus Program July 14th through August 3rd.
More than 74% of Geary County public school students come from low-income families who often struggle to provide the supplies they need in school. United Way will gather school supplies to help send children back to school equipped to learn.
You can donate school supplies or money to purchase supplies through this program. Supplies may be brought to collection points including Walmart at 521 East Chestnut and Dillons at 618 West 6th Street on Saturday’s July 14th and 28th from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. and to Walmart at 521 East Chestnut on Saturday’s July 21st and 28th during the same hours.
Supplies may also be brought to United Way, 139 East 8th Street. That office is open from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. Monday through Friday.
You can volunteer to help sort and / or deliver the donated school supplies. Contact the United Way at 238-2117 or director@united wayjcgc.org
The sorting and packing of supplies will begin on July 16th from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday’s at the United Way office. The delivery of supplies will occur Monday and Tuesday August 6-7 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. You will need the ability to access Fort Riley.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas has expanded the number of counties classified as having a drought emergency so that nearly half are covered.
Gov. Jeff Colyer issued an executive order Friday listing 50 of the state’s 105 counties, including Geary, as having a drought emergency.
His new order replaces one in March listing 28 counties as having an emergency. That status allows counties to use water from some state fishing lakes and federal reservoirs.
The entire state is under some stage of drought.
The least serious stage is a drought watch. Under Colyer’s new order, that status applies to 28 counties, down from 48 in March.
Twenty-seven counties are covered by a drought warning, down from 29 in March.
Twelve counties jumped from a warning to an emergency, and 10 from a watch to an emergency.
A full-scale exercise is scheduled for Wednesday, July 11 at Fort Riley. During the day, residents, employees and community members may see an increase in
emergency response vehicle activity.
Additionally, certain roads on the installation may be temporarily closed and traffic could be rerouted to accomidate exercise activity. Grant Gate access control point is also going to have periods of closure due to
exercise activity. Drivers are asked to be patient and allow extra time when traveling on post.
The exercise is a way to test and train installation emergency preparedness. The annual exercise involves Fort Riley assets and some of our community partners. It will allow each responding agency to test, evaluate and improve emergency response processes and procedures.
The Geary County Sheriff’s Department reported the arrest of a 28-year old Junction City man, Terrell Kimbrough, just after 3 p.m. Thursday near mile marker 307 on Interstate 70. The arrest came at the end of what Sheriff’s Department Captain Brian Hornaday termed a low-speed pursuit on Interstate 70 eastbound out of the city. “We were able to use stop sticks to deflate the tires of the vehicle, and we ended up stopping it at mile marker 307.”
The pursuit began after Deputies had initially responded to the 1700 block of West Ash Street in Junction City after a victim reported that a vehicle ( Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck ) was stolen from that area. The was located by a Geary County Sheriff’s Deputy within a few minutes. A traffic stop was attempted and the driver fled. Eventually, the driver led Deputies onto the interstate at mile marker 295 at U.S. 77 and the pursuit moved in an easterly direction.
A Geary County Sheriff’s Office K-9 was also used to assist in the apprehension. During the apprehension. Interstate 70 was also closed for approximately 10 minutes.
The Sheriff’s Office thanked the Grandview Plaza Police Department and the Kansas Highway Patrol for their assistance, and also reminded citizens to always ensure their vehicles are locked and not left running when attended.
