The first Farmers Market of the season is scheduled at Geary Community Hospital on Thursday from 4-7 p.m. in the front parking lot.
The Farmers Markets will be held every Thursday at those times through September. They feature fresh locally produced fruits and vegetables, eggs, cheese, jams and jellies plus items ranging from coffee to cookies. They do accept SNAP / EBT benefits through Live Well Geary County.
The Farmers Market is part of the Double Up Food Bucks Program, which is a healthy food incentive program that helps low income-families and supports local farmers who grow the produce. In the program SNAP participants who shop at participating farmers markets swipe their ebt cards to get snap tokens to use for their purchases. For the first $25 of snap tokens they purchase they will receive a matching amount of Double Up Food Bucks tokens that can be used to purchase fruits and vegetables with a limit of $25 per day.
There will be some changes in personnel in Junction City governmental job positions. That includes the city attorney, city clerk and finance director positions.
Officials confirmed Tuesday night that City Attorney Katie Logan is retiring, although she will continue to handle some cases that are still currently ongoing. The City Prosecutor, Britain Stites, will continue in that role, but also handle city attorney duties.
City Clerk Shawna Settles is departing due to a military move. Her husband is in the Air Force and has received orders to move to a new assignment in Las Vegas. Tammy Melton will become the new city clerk.
City Manager Allen Dinkel stated that Lindsay Miller will become the city’s new finance director. She will begin work on June 12th. Dinkel noted that Miller has 17 years of finance experience at Kansas State University. Miller will succeed Cheryl Beatty, who resigned earlier.
DInkel also confirmed the assistant city manager position formerly occupied by Beatty will be left vacant. “Right now we’re trying to work without one. I think we can. I have a great set of department heads and a great set of other staff that I think we can move forward with and cover all the bases.”
The Geary USD 475 Board of Education this week approved a motion to have the principal at Junction City Middle School, Mary Wright, reassigned. But they left it up to the school district administration to determine where Wright will be reassigned.
JCPost.com contacted Wright to determine if she would accept that decision, and for her reaction.
“Right now I can’t answer any of those questions. I am extremely disappointed by the Board of Education’s decision. ”
Where does Wright go from here on this issue?
“Right now, you know, it’s tough. I’ve given my heart and soul to the students, the staff and parents at JCMS as well as this district, USD 475, for 30 years now. I’m pretty hurt and devastated by the treatment that I’ve received the past two months.”
Wright said she hasn’t talked with members of the District administration so she didn’t know what was on the table yet.
Heather Oentrich, who has been serving as principal at Fort Riley Middle School. has been named the new Junction City Middle School Principal. The Executive Director of Personnel Services for USD 475, Mona Manley, said Oentrich will begin her work at City Middle School on July 1.
Oentrich received her Bachelor’s Degree from Kansas State University in Education (2002) and her Master’s Degree from KSU in Educational Leadership (2007). She began her career in 2002 as an 8th Grade Science Teacher at Fort Riley Middle School, and then moved to teach 7th Grade Science at Lakewood Middle School in Salina from 2008-2009. Oentrich returned to USD 475 to teach 7th Grade Science at Fort Riley Middle School from 2009-2011, and was then named the Assistant Principal at FRMS in 2011. She held that position until she was named the Fort Riley Middle School Principal in 2015.
Oentrich was a Member of the USD #475 Professional Leadership Academy (PELA) from 2005-2007. She has presented at many local, regional and national conferences, and is a member of a variety of district level committees and task forces. She is a resident of Junction City, her husband Brad is a contractor, and they have three children, Ava, Grady, and Eliot who attend Geary County Schools.
Heather shared that she is “so excited to work with the students, staff and families of JCMS!”
Oentrich will succeed Mary Wright in the principal’s position at Junction City Middle School. The USD 475 Board of Education this week approved a motion to have Wright reassigned, but left it up to the school district administration to determine where Wright will be reassigned.
USD 475 will advertise the vacancy in the principal’s position at Fort Riley Middle School.
FORT RILEY, Kan. – The “Big Red One” will bid farewell to its senior leader
and welcome the newest commanding general to the 1st Infantry Division in a
Change of Command ceremony at 10 a.m. June 8 on Fort Riley’s Cavalry Parade
Field.
Maj. Gen. Joseph M. Martin assumed command of the 1st Inf. Div. in October
2016 and shortly thereafter deployed with the Big Red One headquarters to
Iraq, where the division took command of the Combined Joint Forces Land
Component Command – Operation Inherent Resolve in November 2016. While
deployed, the division headquarters provided command and control of
Coalition troops training, advising and assisting Iraqi Security Forces.
During that time, 1.8 million people were liberated in Mosul, Iraq, which
had been under ISIS control since June 2014. While the headquarters was
deployed, more than 350,000 children returned to school in Mosul, 320
schools reopened and 195,000 internally displaced persons returned to their
homes in Iraq’s second-largest city. Under the 1st Inf. Div.’s leadership,
30,000 Iraqi Security Forces Soldiers were trained.
The division’s next commanding general will be Maj. Gen. John S. Kolasheski.
Kolasheski most recently served as deputy chief of staff, G-3/5/7, for the
U.S. Army Forces Command at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He previously served
with the 1st Inf. Div. as the division’s deputy commanding general for
maneuver from June 2015 to May 2016, and in various positions with the
division from July 2001 to May 2005.
The Geary USD 475 Board of Education has appointed Jim Schmidt to fill a vacancy on the Board that was created when Dr. Ferrell Miller recently resigned.
Schmidt, who was an active member of the JCHS Way Forward Steering Committee that studied and made recommendations on the new high school, will officially become a member of the Board once he is sworn in by Geary County Clerk Rebecca Nordyke.
Schmidt said Monday night he was humbled by the appointment. “Honored, looking forward to getting started…start drinking from the fire hose. ”
He also worked on a campaign committee to promote passage of a bond issue to help secure state aid to fund a portion of the new high school. His familiarity with that project should help as the planning work continues. “It does, it does. Very blessed to have a great group of folks on the steering committee and the campaign. Looking forward to seeing that through to fruition.”
Parental involvement in their children’s school activities will be another priority for Schmidt.
The other applicants for the Board position included Keith Brian Brown and Heinrich Biggs. All three of the applicants were interviewed Monday night by the Board before they announced their final decision.
POTTAWATOMIE COUNTy– Two Westar Energy employees died Sunday night from injuries at Jeffrey Energy Center.
Operations supervisors Craig Burchett, of Overbrook, and Jesse Henson, of Manhattan, were critically injured when a piece of equipment with high pressure steam behind it apparently failed, according to a media release from Westar.
“Our Westar employees work very closely together and form strong bonds,” said John Bridson, Westar’s senior vice president of generation. “All of us who worked with Craig and Jesse are grieving and thinking of their families as we cope with this loss.”
The incident at the energy center happened about 11:30 a.m. Sunday. Burchett and Henson were transported by helicopter to the University of Kansas Medical Center, where they were treated for severe burns.
Jeffrey Energy Center, north of St. Marys, is Westar’s largest power plant with three generating units. All three units are shut down while the full circumstances of the incident are reviewed. The company will resume operations at the plant when it can safely do so.
———
POTTAWATOMIE COUNTY — Two workers severely burned in an accident at the Westar Jeffery Energy Center have died, according to Westar media relations manager Gina Penzig.
The accident occurred just after 11 a.m. Sunday at the facility in the 2500 Block of Jeffrey Road near St Marys in Pottawatomie County.
A helicopter transported the two workers to the University of Kansas Hospital. Immediate family members were notified Sunday. Names of the workers have not been released.
The circumstances of the incident are under review. Westar released no additional details.
————
POTTAWATOMIE COUNTY — Two people were injured just after 11:30 a.m. Sunday at the Westar Jeffrey Energy facility in the 2500 Block of Jeffrey Road near St Marys in Pottawatomie County.
According to Westar media relations manager Gina Penzig, the workers were severely burned and transported by helicopter to the University of Kansas Hospital. Immediate family members have been notified.
The circumstances of the incident are under review. Westar released no additional details.
Check the Post for additional details as they become available.
POTTAWATOMIE COUNTY —Authorities are investigating an accident with injuries at the Westar Energy facility in the 2500 Block of Jeffrey Road near St. Marys, Kansas in Pottawatomie County.
Google image
Westar media relations manager Gina Penzig was working to get details.
Check the Post for additional details as they become available.
Baseball for youth of all ages took center stage at Rathert Field Sunday evening.
Up first was the annual opening ceremony for the Junction City Junior Baseball Association. Players and coaches paraded around the base paths in their team uniforms while parents and friends watched from the grandstand.
Then the Junction City Brigade summer collegiate team played their home opener in which they fell to the Kansas City Monarchs (10-1 ) by a score of 15-1 in a seven-inning ballgame.
Brigade Head Coach Derek Francis noted the first week has been a challenge for the team. ” You know, I think it’s going to get better. Some of these guys haven’t played baseball in two or three weeks. As we go and as we gel as a group it’s definitely going to help us. We’re also waiting on a couple of guys to get here and I think they could definitely contribute to what we’re trying to do. Hopefully it gets a lot better than this.” The Brigade ( 0-4 ) are waiting on the arrival of four more pitchers for their team.
Brigade General Manager Cecil Aska noted there was a good crowd and the weather was good. There were also some challenges such as the scoreboard failing to work and an under-estimate on the amount of food that would be needed for the large crowd. Those matters will be corrected.
Junction City will host the Liberty Monarchs Monday evening at 7 p.m.
Pilots brought their biplanes to Junction City for the National Biplane Fly-in Saturday.
The Freeman Field tarmac was a busy place as the public took in the planes, visited with the pilots, and enjoyed the vendors who were selling food and airplane related items on site.
Coordinator Marvin Hornbostel said the turnout was good. “People coming in to look at them is really outstanding I think.”
Brenda and Steve Gross by their Boeing-Stearman airplane.
One pilot, Steve Gross, Larned, brought his Boeing-Stearman which dated back to 1941 when it was used as a trainer plane in World War II. “This one is a little special. This one has a 450-horse ( power ) engine on it. Most of them of this nature are 220 horse. ” He cited the extra horsepower as the advantage for this plane. The gusty winds made it a bit difficult for pilots as they flew over Junction City on Saturday. ” We give quite a few rides normally here, but it’s just awful rough. The average person wouldn’t like that very much. ”
Steve Gross credited the organizers for their efforts in putting on the Fly-in. “The man that instruments this, Jim Clark, does a fantastic job. Him and his wife and all his crew put on an air show here for everyone, not just the pilots, but for all the people that attend. They do a wonderful job.”
Hornbostel noted there was some concern during the overnight – early mornings when rain with gusty winds moved through the area. “We were a little bit about that…that wind coming up. You know birds are pretty hefty and they’re tied down.” He added everything worked out well.
The Geary County Historical Society sponsored a Chris Cakes pancake feed and Ala Carte lunch at the airport for those who were in attendance. Historical Society Director Katie Goerl explained they had a good turnout. “Yeah, I think things have gone really really well. When I walked up there was a line out of the hangar for the pancakes and they were flipping them right onto people’s plates, and it looked fun to me.”
Visitors were given an opportunity to take a ride and view the planes.
Geary County Historical Society members serving food to the public
Visitors relaxing at the hangar that served as the site for vendors and food purchases
Visitors to the Fly-in could ride a tram on the tarmac and grass area to view the planes
Jessica, Jaydon and Leah Thompson. ( Photo from a Gofundme account at the time of the crash )
A Houston, Texas man, Steven W. Johnson, 45, has been sentenced to a controlling term of 174 months in prison.
That is the sentence imposed in Geary County District Court on Friday stemming from the November 15th, 2016 accident in which Johnson was the driver of an International truck that was eastbound on Interstate 70 at a location east of Grandview Plaza. The truck entered into the median and onto the westbound lanes where it struck a Ford 500 driven by Jessica Michelle Thompson, Junction City. Thompson and her daughter, 5-year old Leah Michelle Thompson were pronounced dead at the scene while her son, Jaydon Allan Thompson, 6, was transported to Wesley Medical Center in Wichita.
Johnson was later charged with three felony counts each of Murder in the Second Degree – Reckless, three felony counts of Involuntary Manslaughter – DUI, and misdemeanor charges including one count each of DUI and Possession of Phencyclidine. But following negotiations between the prosecution and defense there was a plea agreement in which Johnson pleaded guilty to one count of second degree murder – reckless and to a pair of Involuntary Manslaughter charges.
Battling through emotion the families of the victims and Johnson testified in court before the sentence was announced.
Steven W. Johnson ( Photo courtesy of Geary County Sheriff’s Department )
Jessica Thompson’s mother, Michelle Martin, testified that family was everything for her daughter and everything was family. ” They’re gone, they’re never coming back. No parents should have to bury their loved ones one day before Thanksgiving.”
The husband and father of the three victims, Joey Thompson, was among those who testified, and remembered his son telling him when he grew up he wanted to play for the Dallas Cowboys. Joe Meador, the victim’s father and grandfather, remembered his daughter telling him she would always love him and asking him what he wanted for Christmas the last time he saw her. He added looking back, he knows what he wants for Christmas but can never have it.
Members of Steven Johnson’s family testified in support of him and also expressed sincere condolences to the victim’s families. Steven Johnson, in his comments before the court offered his condolences and apologized to the victims’ family, and “everyone affected by this terrible tragedy.” He stated, ” My actions were inexcusable.” He added he was sincerely sorry for the pain he had caused. Facing the family of the Jessica, Leah and Jaydon Thompson he concluded by saying “I can never apologize enough to you all. Sorry!”
