The Land Bank Board of Trustees in Junction City has approved an agreement with Kansas Gas Service that will allow the company to relocate a high pressure natural gas line on the east side of U.S. 77 and north of K-18. It’s part of the project to reconstruct the K-18 – U.S. 77 interchange.

City / County Planning and Zoning Director David Yearout said Kansas Gas Service agreed to pay “$80,000 to the Land Bank for the permanent right-of-way for this gas line.” Yearout added Kansas Gas Service was also given temporary construction easements for the project. “They intend on the two angles to bore rather than open cut the trenches to do that, and so that was what was granted today ( Monday ).”

The relocation of the gas line will affect four undeveloped lots in the south end of the Patriot Pointe housing area. The city will still own the lots.

Work on the natural gas line project is expected to begin next week.

Geary County sales tax revenues are up slightly this year for the month of September compared to September of 2014.

The total revenue for September 2015 has been calculated at $180,460.89, compared with $178,484.06 one year ago.

Year to date sales tax revenue collections total $1,481,250, which is $169,954 over budget.

The numbers were released at the weekly Geary County Commission meeting.

Geary County employees are planning a bake sale and basket silent auction to raise fund for the 2015 Junction City / Geary County United Way campaign.

The bake sale will be in the hallway of the Geary County Office Building on Thursday and Friday ( Oct. 29-30 ).  The silent auction will begin on Thursday, 29th and run through Friday, November 6th.

Information on the fundraising plans was released at the weekly County Commission meeting.

Approximately 120 soldiers with Company F, 1st Attack Reconnaissance battalion, 1st Aviation Regiment, 1st Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, are set to return this week to Fort Riley following a nine-month deployment to Afghanistan in support of Operation Freedom’s Sentinel.

While they were deployed, the Soldiers of “Fenix” company operated the Gray Eagle unmanned aircraft system. They provided reconnaissance, surveillance and air power to support the ground forces of the United States and its allies. During the deployment, Fenix Soldiers  conducted more than 1,000 combat missions resulting in more than 8,000 flight hours.

It was a deployment of firsts for the company – first to conduct split-based operations, first to conduct support operatiions and training in several partner countries, first to fully deploy and redeploy from Kuwait and first to conduct a Gray Eagle-to-Gray Eagle remote engagement.

The Gray Eagle is a medium-altitude long-endurance system designed to perform better at higher altitudes, sees better and listen better than its predecessors. New targeting systems and a new engine also allow the aircraft to fly longer and higher and carry more weight than many of the Army’s previous unmanned systems.

MANHATTAN – Authorities in Riley County are investigating an unauthorized visitor at a school in Manhattan on Monday.

Officials at the High School’s West Campus were notified according to a media release from principal Greg Hoyt that a white male, late 20’s to early 30’s, entered a door open for student entry along with students as they arrived to school.

This individual made entry and engaged a student in conversation in a locker room before classes began, and then exited the building.

No threats of any kind were made in the verbal interaction, according to Hoyt.

Officials are gathering video evidence and narrative statements on the incident.

The school asked all students, staff members, and parents to please keep them informed of incidents that “don’t feel right” in a timely fashion.

With Halloween coming up this Saturday there are a few safety tips to be aware of.

Junction City Police Chief Tim Brown explained that youth out trick or treating should be under adult supervision, wearing light-colored clothing, and have a flashlight with them.

“And then obviously whenever the children get home at night, parents if they’re not with them, in which some cases they are not, they should inspect that candy to make sure that it hasn’t been tampered with or altered in any way, that something hasn’t been put in there,” said Brown.

Other tips include simple things such as abiding by all the rules and laws, and using sidewalks when available.

“Most of all I think it’s supervision by the parents, I think that’s probably primary. I would hope that they monitor the children out there very carefully.

Trick or treating will begin at 6 pm and end at 8 pm with the activation of the “Witches Wail” ( storm sirens ) signaling the end of Trick or Treating.

Extra police will be out in force monitoring the City throughout the evening.

Geary County Sheriff’s Deputies worked four vehicle – deer accidents over the weekend. None of the drivers involved in the accidents were injured.

–One occurred at 1:40 a.m. Sunday when Austin Dupuis, Junction City, driving an Acura swerved to miss a deer and struck a ditch in East Rolling Hills Park.

–A second accident occurred at 7:21 a.m. Sunday on U.S. Highway 77. Patrick Thompson, Junction City, was southbound in a Ford F250 when he struck a deer.

–Deputies responded to a U.S. 77 location at 1:04 a.m. Monday for a single vehicle accident. Tyrone Bates, Clay Center, was southbound in a Ford F150 when the vehicle struck a deer.

–Deputies also responded to the 1200 block of West 6th Street for a one vehicle accident at 5 a.m. Monday. Ignalio Montanez, Manhattan, was westbound in a Nissan Titan when the vehicle struck a deer.

According to the National Weather Service of Topeka, there will be frost this morning with increasing clouds later today. Rain moves into southeast KS late tonight and through eastern KS during the day. Most locations dry out during the evening hours. Rain will return later in the week and possibly on Halloween.

Tonight: Mostly cloudy. Lows in the mid 40s. East winds up to 5 mph.

Tuesday: Mostly cloudy with chance of rain showers and slight chance of thunderstorms. Highs in the lower 60s. Northeast winds up to 5 mph. Chance of precipitation 30 percent.

Tuesday Night: Mostly cloudy with slight chance of rain showers. Lows in the lower 40s. North winds up to 5 mph shifting to the west after midnight.

Wednesday: Sunny. Highs in the lower 60s. Northwest winds 10 to 15 mph with gusts to around 25 mph.

Wednesday Night: Mostly clear. Lows in the mid 30s.

Thursday: Sunny. Highs in the upper 50s.

Thursday Night: Partly cloudy. Lows in the mid 30s.

Friday: Partly sunny with slight chance of rain showers. Highs in the upper 50s.

Friday Night: Mostly cloudy with a 30 percent chance of rain showers. Lows in the lower 40s.

Saturday: Mostly cloudy with a 40 percent chance of rain showers. Highs in the lower 60s.

Saturday Night: Mostly cloudy with a 30 percent chance of rain showers. Lows in the mid 40s.

Sunday: Partly sunny with slight chance of rain showers. Highs in the mid 60s.

The Junction City Police Department report released Monday morning includes information that police are conducting a death investigation. They responded at 2:43 a.m. Sunday to the 500 block of West Walnut Street. No more information has been released.

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In a seperate case the JCPD is reporting the arrest of Lazaro Jose Rodriguez, 21, Fort Riley on suspicion of Conspiracy to Commit Rape. The arrest occurred at 1304 North Adams at 11:50 a.m. on Sunday.