Junction City police are seeking assistance from the public in identifying a deceased woman whose body was located between two buildings in the area of Second and Franklin Streets on May 28th.
Police stated due to the condition of the body it was hard to provide specific characteristics to the public at that time. They sought assistance from the KBI, who were able to obtain usable fingerprints and a DNA profile. At this time authorities though, still do not have an identification on what they are calling “Jane Doe.”
Junction City Police Captain Trish Giordano said they reached out to forensic anthropologist Dr. Alexandra Klales, with the University Forensic Anthropology Laboratory, who was able to provide a preliminary profile.
Jane Doe is believed to be a white female with brown hair. She is between 40 and 60 years of age and is approximately 5’10. She was wearing a blue – green tank top and blue – green shorts, both size large along with size ten flip flops at the the time she was discovered.
Giordana added they have received several calls inquiring whether this individual could be Ashley Meiss, a missing woman from Ogden. They said Meiss has been ruled out as their Jane Doe by a fingerprint comparison.
If you have information on the identity of Jane Doe or what may have happened to her you can call the JCPD at 762-5912 or leave a tip on the Crime Stoppers website at Gearycrimestoppers.com.
Camso representative Jason Collins speaking at the podium during the Tuesday night Junction City Commission meeting.
The Junction City Commission has agreed to a deal to bring a new manufacturing company to the city.
Camso Manufacturing USA, LTD is a global company with headquarters in Quebec, Canada. They will put an operation in a renovated building in the I-70 Industrial Park on the south side of the city. They plan to hire up to 41 full time employees by January of 2020 and they are investing approximately $36.4 million to lease, renovate and equip a 139,000 square foot manufacturing facility. The building they will renovate will be a former grocery distribution facility.
The plant director for Camso at their operation in Emporia, Jason Collins, said they call themselves the road-free company. ” We’re strictly dedicated to the off-road vehicle industry. So we have business units that support agriculture. construction, material handling and power sports. The facility that will be coming to Junction City will be supporting the agricultural business unit and we’ll be manufacturing agricultural tracks.”
The city commission has authorized the issuance of taxable industrial revenue bonds of up to $40 million for the project. The City is not liable retire those bonds, since that is the responsibility of the company. The issuance of the IRB’s would give the company a property tax exemption by locking in the 2017 property tax rate for the next 10 years, and would make Camso eligible for a sales tax exemption on equipment purchased.
.Camso employees pose for picture with Junction City leaders.
The commission approved a development agreement that includes grant awards to the company totaling $575,000 based on meeting incremental employment targets from June 30,2019 through December 31,2020. A total of $200,000 of that amount would come from the JC First organization and pass through the city to the company.
As part of the agreement the City has agreed to upgrade nearby Old Highway 40 at an estimated cost of $150,000, upgrade the water line and loop serving the facility at a cost estimated by the City currently in excess of $515,000, waive building permit fees and authorize the issuance of the IRB’s.
If the company has commenced operations of the project at the facility by June 30, 2019, the City will work with the Junction City Land Bank to make available 45 substantially build-ready residential lots for company employees.
Camso has 165 employees at their plant in Emporia. Collins cited a number of factors that weighed in Junction City’s favor as a location for their new facility. “The proximity to K-State, the access to transitioning Soldiers from Fort Riley was something that was definitely attractive to us, as well as incentives and what the City was able to do for us.”
The general hourly wage at the company’s plant in Emporia was listed by Collins in the $16.50 to $21 an hour range. He noted their employees usually escalate up that range within a two-year period.
Junction City Area Chamber of CEO Mickey Fornaro-Dean called this a huge opportunity for the community. “it’s a huge opportunity for the community and I’m honored to get to work with them.” Camso conducted a nationwide search before selecting Junction City as the site for the new operation.
There has been new business development in Chapman.
City Administrator John Dudte reported that there are five new businesses on Marshall Drive ranging from a hair salon and flower and gift shop to a dance studio, daycare center and woman’s boutique. “Up a little farther north, DK Sport is going to develop a two-acre lot. They’re putting in a couple of businesses, one will be a baseball academy.”
Dudte added the Academy will have video simulation of various professional ballparks, batting cages and pitching lanes. A physical therapy business, a sophisticated exercise facility, will be included in the front of the building. Dudte added that project being undertaken by Judd and Amy Liebau is an exciting project. “And for Chapman it’s a big deal, it’s a big development. We don’t have big businesses like that come in every day.”
( Photo courtesy of 1st Infantry Division. It is from a training exercise involving a water crossing in the Gauntlet exercise this past Friday.
The Gauntlet Exercise at Fort Riley will culminate Tuesday with a combined live-fire exercise on post.
Lieutenant Colonel Joey Sullinger said the live-fire exercise will be held primarily on the northwest portion of the installation from about 8 a.m. until noon on Tuesday. He said with the exercise tanks, Bradley Fighting Vehicles, and artillery will fire live rounds. “So they’re going to put it all together in a fire coordination exercise. So you’ll hear various rounds from various systems going off on Tuesday morning.” Sullinger confirmed those sounds will be audible in the region.
Gauntlet is part of the 1st Infantry Division commander’s Combat Training Center certification program. The field training and fire-coordination exercise is designed to test command and control at all levels in field conditions and prove the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team’s readiness throughout its formation. The training has also involved the 1st Combat Aviation Brigade and numerous National Guard and Army Reserve units.
The Junction City Noon Kiwanis Club has presented a pop-up shade canopy to the Live Well Geary County Summer Picnic site at the Green Park Apartment Complex in Junction City.
That location serves a free lunch to children from noon to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday.
The meals at Green park are served outdoors and the canopy will help to provide shade for children and volunteers. Green Park property management is also making a daily donation of homemade sandwiches to help supplement lunches provided by the Summer Food Service program.
There are nine locations in Geary County and Fort Riley where children ages 1-18 can receive a free meal this summer through the USDA Summer Food Service Program.
They include breakfast at Junction City High School, and lunch at the 5th Street Playground Park, Dorothy Bramlage Public Library, 12th Street Community Center, Grandview Plaza Community Center, Washington Elementary School, Seitz Elementary School, Green Park Apartments and the Regency Mobile Home Park.
Tanks, Bradley Fighting Vehicles and troops from the 1st Infantry Division safely crossed a man-made bridge of about 600 meters across a stretch of Milford Lake in the Madison Creek area Friday morning.
Lieutenant Colonel Joey Sullinger said Fort Riley partnered on this exercise with the Fifth Engineers from Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, including three active component bridging companies and one from the National Guard in the bridging operation over a 600-meter stretch of the reservoir. “That allowed an entire battalion of tanks and Bradley’s to cross it this morning. So you had dozens of armored vehicles and hundreds of U.S. Soldiers from the Big Red One crossing that bridge this morning.”
Ethan Wharton worked with the Fifth Engineer Battalion from Fort Leonard, Missouri on this bridging operation. He explained at the start of the bridge building work they did survey. “Identified the slips of the boat ramps that we’d be using. We sent our survey and design and construction crews to reinforce those slips. ” When that work was complete boats were launched into the water. “Once the boats had hit the water we began launching bridge bays. Each bay hit the water, a boat tied off to it and started navigating the water. And then bridges started being put together by the boats with a bridging crew.” They latched each bridge section together with a ramp on each end for entry and exit across the gap.
Sullinger noted this was the first time the majority of the Big Red One Soldiers had crossed a river “so they know they can do it safely, efficiently and relatively quickly when needed.”
The Geary County Convention and Visitor’s Bureau is preparing a blues and barbecue festival for September 21st and 22nd in downtown Junction City.
Those are the dates that would normally be set aside for the Jammin in JC festival, but that event could not be held this year. CVB Director Michelle Stimatze said they wanted to fill that slot. “Because Jammin in JC was cancelled for this year in hopes that we can have that event again next year. We will have vendors in the park, blues music, it will be a Friday and Saturday event.”
Stimatze said CVB contractor Rick Dykstra is working on lining up the blues bands, who will be both regional and national. There will be a barbecue competition. “We will have different divisions for barbecue and we’ll have more information coming up down the road.”
Free vendor spots have been offered to nonprofit organizations and businesses for the event.
The major training exercise “Gauntlet” is under way at Fort Riley this week.
The 1st Infantry DIvision has reported as part of that exercise Soldiers have been busy constructing a 600-meter temporary bridge across a section of Milford Lake and at least one armored company will cross the bridge early on Friday as part of a larger movement.
( Photos courtesy of 1st Infantry Division Public Affairs Office )
The thermometer is expected to hit the century mark today ( Thursday ) and remain in the upper 90-degree range the rest of the week in Geary County.
Assistant Geary County Emergency Management Director Curt Janke said stay inside as much as possible. “If you don’t have air conditioning try to make sure you at least have a fan. Drink plenty of water, if you literally have to do things do them in the morning where it’s a little cooler or wait until late evening to do them.”
You can get some air conditioned shelter at a location such as the Health Department. Among other ideas you could visit the Dorothy Bramlage Public Library or the Municipal Building Gymnasium.
Check on senior citizens. Janke stated if you have elderly neighbors or family living alone if nothing else call them at least one time per day. ” If you don’t get any answer get over and get them checked on.”
The Junction City Commission received good budget news Wednesday evening from City Manager Allen Dinkel. He feels the property tax levy anticipated for 2019 is in good shape. “Yes, the only thing that probably scares me is we’ll get our ( property ) valuation on Friday. Depends on where it goes. If our valuation drops we may have to take a look at it but right now I’m feeling strongly we can do it again this year.”
The City maintained a relatively stable tax levy in 2018 with no big increase. The levy for this year totaled 48.095 mills.
Junction City police are seeking assistance from the public in identifying a deceased woman whose body was located between two buildings in the area of Second and Franklin Streets on May 28th.
