There were no new filings before the noon filing deadline Friday in one Geary County Commission race and two State Representative races.
Incumbent Ben Bennett has filed for reelection to the 1st District seat on the county commission. Incumbent Lonnie Clark has filed for reelection in the 65th District House race, as has incumbent Dave Baker in the 68th District House race.
There will be no other candidates on the August primary election ballot in those races.
Law enforcement officers and officials from Junction City and Geary County carried the Special Olympics Kansas Flame of Hope Thursday from Grant Avenue to Heritage Park.
Junction City Police Chief Dan Breci said they do it for the Special Olympics kids. The runners took the torch from the Fort Riley contingent that brought it across post to Grant Park in Junction City. ” It’s always fun to see the Soldiers coming over the bridge, carrying the torch and then meeting with Special Olympics kids led by John Hagerty.” There were about seven law enforcement officers and approximately 10 Special Olympics youth participated in the 1.5 mile run that ended in Heritage Park.
Junction City Commissioner Phyllis Fitzgerald participated in the run. “I think it’s important that we definitely support our Special Olympics kids and all of us are setting an example for all of these kids as well as our community.”
The run was part of a 1,600 mile journey for the Flame of Hope across Kansas as part of the ceremonial 2018 Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics Kansas.
Torch runs are held in Kansas leading up to the annual summer games at Maize South High School in the Wichita area.
Three applicants for a vacancy on the Geary USD 475 Board of Education will be interviewed by the Board at their June 4th meeting at the Devin Center.
A check at the Devin Center with the Clerk of the Board, Tina Kausler revealed the applicants include Heinrich Biggs, Jim Schmidt and Keith Brian Brown. They are seeking to fill the seat left vacant by the recent resignation of Board member Dr. Ferrell Miller.
The Board indicated earlier they hope to fill the seat in time for their annual reorganization meeting in July.
An applicant who is appointed to the BOE must receive a minimum of four Board member votes. There are currently six Board members, meaning must get a majority of four votes to join the panel. Any less number and the position will remain unfilled at this time.
The Loving Arms Learning Center Head Start Program of Junction City has entered into an agreement with Region VII’s office of Head Start in Kansas to release its administrative services back to them. The action will conclude educational services to low income families in Junction City and Geary County at the end of this year’s school session.
Board Chair Patricia Hunter stated that she met with representatives of the federal office and discussed the program not resuming services to families who met the income criteria for the upcoming 2018-19 school year. Hunter also stated that the magnitude of running the program was beginning to exceed the resources and capabilities of the organization to keep pace with many of the requirements outlined by federal regulations.
Hunter said that there have been preliminary discussions with USD 475, who previously ran the program in 2016, to consider continuing service to families. Head Start will work with USD 475 for placement of students, as space permits.
The executive director, LaFarris Risby, the grantee for the program, said she is grateful to have been selected to bring Head Start back, and that she learned a great deal over the last two years. Risby said that she will return to her business and remain an active participant in the city and the region.
The Junction City Police Department Community Involvement Unit will conduct a 2018 Law Enforcement Summer Camp. It will be June 11th through the 15th for youth entering the 7th grade or 8th grade this fall.
There are 25 available spots, and at this point six remain.
During the morning sessions at the camp activities will focus on law enforcement and emergency management related topics such as a SWAT demonstration and a tour of the Police Department. In the afternoon activities will range from a visit to the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center in Hutchinson to Spin City in Junction City.
Memorial Day was observed in Junction City and at Fort Riley in a number of ways ranging from the playing of taps, a 21-gun salute and the laying of wreaths to solemn comments by federal, state and local leaders.
At Fort Riley Kansas Governor Jeff Colyer said those attending the ceremony at the Post Cemetery would all be a part of the Memorial Day memory. “We will be remembering and thanking your families, your loved ones and all of those who have sacrificed to make America the greatest land on earth.” Colyer went on to say, “We see these tombstones. We’re humbled, we’re gratified, but we also know their meaning. Their meaning is that we may live and they expect us to do better every single day. They loved this country and
they loved this family and that is why they are so special.”
Fort Riley Garrison Commander Colonel John Lawrence stated the words loss, sacrifice, valor, bravery, and selfless were a few words being said at ceremonies around the country to describe Memorial Day. “They represent the actions of our heroic men and women of the armed services that gave their lives while defending our nation and our freedoms.”
Congressman Roger Marshall, and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue also spoke during the ceremony.
In Junction City there were two Memorial Day observances, including one sponsored by the Geary County Veterans Alliance at the C.L. Hoover Opera house and another sponsored by the Grand Commandery Knights Templar of Kansas in Heritage Park.
At the Opera House the Chairman of the Geary County Commission, Charles Stimatze, told the audience a famous
philosopher once stated that the bravest are those with the clearest vision of what is before them. “Glory and danger alike and yet notwithstanding go out and meet it. You’re here today to honor our heroes, to remember their achievements, their courage and their dedication, and to say thank you for their sacrifices.” Stimatze asked service members and veterans plus the family members of any service member to stand for recognition as they received a round of applause from the audience.
In Heritage Park the Sir Knight Clarence E. Arens, U.S. Navy ( Retired ) said those present were there to honor and respect the men whose names are on the Kansas Vietnam Veterans Memorial in the park but also all brothers in arms and shipmates from the entire nation that shared their fate.
Speaking about the Vietnam war he stated, “There was a total of over 2,100,000 military men and women who served in Vietnam over the course of the war. ” The U.S. Army lost 38,179 Soldiers, the U.S. Marine Corps lost 14,836 men, 25% of all deaths but it was five percent of their total force. U.S. Navy lost 2,556 killed and the U.S. Air Force lost a similar number with 2,580 combat losses.”
Arens said in War in Vietnam 766 Americans are known to have been prisoners of war, with 114 of those dying in captivity. Some POW’s were held for more than seven years.
Arens also reported that more than 1,800 men are still unaccounted for from the Vietnam War.
He stated that we should always remember those who perished, respect the unselfish and noble sacrifices of those men and women in the cause against the spread of Communism, and reverence to the men whose names are inscribed on the Kansas Vietnam Veterans Memorial and what it means. “May the spirits of these fine men dwell where no bullets fly and where peace eternally prevails.”
( Information and photos contributed by Fort Riley Facebook and Nita Miller )
U.S. Senator Jerry Moran spoke this week on the floor of the U.S. Senate congratulating Major General Joseph M. Martin on his military career which includes his recent nomination to the rank of Lieutenant General.
Martin is the commanding general of the 1st Infantry Division and Fort Riley. Shortly after assuming command of the division in October 2016 he deployed with his division headquarters to Iraq and assumed leadership of the Joint Forces Land Component in Iraq in support of Operation Inherent Resolve. Moran stated, “Major General Martin’s combat leadership was remarkable in Iraq. During the nine-month deployment he led the fight alongside the government of Iraq against the Islamic state in Iraq and Syria in Mosul. His efforts and the efforts of the brave soldiers of the U.S. Army and all of our troops led to the defeat of Isis in Mosul and the destruction of their territorial hold.”
Moran said when Martin returned to the United States he demonstrated his leadership on Fort Riley and led the 100th anniversary of the division. “He has been an outstanding partner to me and fellow Kansans on a number of initiatives to support the Big Red One. He’s been involved in the communities of Manhattan and Junction City, and those other communities that surround Fort Riley. It is no surprise to me that he has been selected for promotion to Lieutenant General. He is a proven leader capable of completing the most complex challenges under the most stressful situations. The Army has made the right move with his promotion and furthermore by placing him in a position of greater responsibility. I am confident that Kansans will join me in congratulating soon-to-be confirmed Lieutenant General Martin on his promotion.”
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MANHATTAN — Investigators from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, the Kansas Office of the State Fire Marshal, and the Manhattan Fire Department are continuing their work to determine the cause of Tuesday’s fire at Hale Library.
According to Ryan Almes with the Manhattan Fire Department, at 4:10 p.m, Fire crews were dispatched to 1117 Mid-Campus Drive, Hale Library, on the Kansas State University campus for a report of smoke on the fourth floor. Upon arrival, crews found a four-story section of the building with smoke showing from the roof. The fire reached a third alarm before it was contained in approximately two hours and controlled in four hours. A total of 70 firefighters responded on 12 fire apparatus with the last units still on scene Wednesday morning. No injuries were reported to occupants or firefighters. Hale Library will be closed until further notice.
Hale Library is the main Kansas State University library. It was dedicated in 1997 after a multiyear renovation and expansion project of the original campus library building, Farrell Library, which opened in 1927. Hale Library has more than 400,000 square feet of space and has more than two million books in its collection. The fire occurred in the roof of the original Farrell Library, in an area containing several large air handling units and proved very difficult for firefighters to gain access to extinguish the fire. Damage estimates are not available at this time. Fire damage was limited to a portion of the roof, with extensive water and smoke damage throughout the structure.
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UPDATE:
Firefighters were called to Hale Library at K-State about 4:10 p.m.Tuesday after receiving a report of smoke in the top floors of the library and the alarms had sounded. The building was evacuated and no one was injured.
That information was provided by Jeff Morris, Vice President for Communication and Marketing at KSU, who said the Manhattan Fire Department and Riley County Police Department initially responded to the scene. “Started to fight the fire and then as the evening progressed they brought in additional forces. At the peak we’ve had about 70 people fighting the fire.” Other Departments sending assistance included the Fort Riley Fire Department, Blue Township, Riley County EMS and the Red Cross also provided support for the firefighters.
Morris said the fire occurred in the old Farrell portion of the library. “It was in the top floor somewhere between the top floor and the roof.” Authorities believe the fire occurred in the attic area, and Morris confirmed there was a lot of smoke and water damage. “We saw a lot of smoke. They had to fight the fire from the roof. They had to go to the roof and come in from the outside. They were not effective trying to do it from inside.” Seven fire department ladder trucks to help firefighters get up to the roof area to battle the blaze.
The fire was contained and the building will remain closed until further notice. No one was injured. “We have notified the employees they do not need to report to work tomorrow. Once we get into the building we’ll be able to ascertain the damage, start the rescue operation for a lot of materials. We store a lot of valuable things in our library, so we’re going to go through and ascertain what we can save and what we need to do and then what we need to do next in terms of mitigation for the damage.”
The cause of the blaze and the damage estimate are still unknown. Morris noted they were fortunate that the fire was mostly contained to one part of the building.
Morris said officials were glad that classes were not in session so campus is not highly populated at the present time….a good thing in terms of the safety of people. “It was a very orderly evacuation and the systems worked as they were supposed to, which is a good thing.”
The Farrell Library portion of the building was built in 1927.
( Photos courtesy of Ashley Warren and Scott Olesky )
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MANHATTAN —Crews have contained the fire at Hale Library on the Kansas State University campus. The building will remain closed until further notice.
Seventy firefighters and emergency personnel combined were on the scene from multiple departments battling the fire at library Tuesday.
They include Fort Riley, and Manhattan Fire Department. No injuries have been reported. The building was evacauted.
Firefighters were focused on extinguishing the top of the blaze at the northeast corner of the building.
There is no word on what caused the fire.
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Fire crews from Manhattan and Fort Riley responded to the scene of a fire at Hale Library on the K-State campus in Manhattan.
No injuries were reported. The building was evacuated late Tuesday afternoon.
Posted By: USD 475
JUNCTION CITY, KAN. – Geary County Schools USD 475 officials announced several changes for the Ware Elementary School and District which will begin this summer. Following the direction of the Board of Education, USD 475 Administration created a “District Leadership Mentor” position to provide support and mentorship to USD 475 principals.
This new position will assist building and district leaders in working with staff, students, and parents to achieve the mission and vision of Geary County Schools USD 475. The mentor will provide guidance and assistance for setting up and managing systems, provide support for organizing, administering, supervising, and evaluating programs and initiatives, provide feedback and guidance for professional development initiatives, and more.
Dr. Deb Gustafson, principal of Ware Elementary School, will take on the role of mentor on July 31, 2018. Alicia Scofield, the current assistant principal for Ware Elementary School, will become the acting principal with support from Dr. Gustafson as needed for the 2018/2019 school year.
The Geary USD 475 Board of Education has voted 5-0 to approve the schematic design and the authorization to proceed with construction plans for the new Junction City High School.
The Board vote followed a full presentation by district staff and staff members at Junction City High School that touched on subjects ranging from the history of the academy structure at JCHS to programs, design timeline and redesign vision for the school.
Board member Rina Neal expressed her appreciation to the staff for putting together the presentation. “It was long overdue. They really did a good job of explaining how we got to this point. So talking about the history of the academy structure, and why we have gone about that, and how we are trend setters and role models in the state. I think that is good for the public to know and understand, and the direction we are going.”
Board member Sara Talley felt the Board wanted a lot of clarification on the new school project. “I think
that was offered for us this evening. And I think that’s a good thing. We definitely want to be on top of the types of decisions that we make, and the clarification that was afforded us by the high school allowed us to be able to have some questions answered. I think we were able to also offer the public some more information.”
JCHS Principal Melissa Sharp said the staff gave the Board background on the academy timeline and bond timeline, and that the staff has been working on this project for awhile, ” and just understanding what goes on between the walls of Junction City High School every day.” By the end of the meeting it appeared those in attendance were all on the same page on understanding the project and where it’s heading.
Architect Troy Hertel said the design of the new school will now be taken a lot further into development. “Over the summer months we want to spend that time to really take this schematic design, take it into what we call design development, and really enhance the design and come back to them in the fall and review this again with them.”
The new Junction City High School project is moving forward.
