MANHATTAN -After the announcement that Kansas State University has agreed to sanctions following Saturday’s controversial band performance, KSU Band director Dr. Frank Tracz is answering questions about the band’s performance and his one game suspension.
Click here to view the live chat on the K-State Collegian’s website and go the bottom of the page.
The conversation is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. Wednesday.
Junction City Public Works has issued a release stating that the 600 block of West 7th Street, westbound, will be closed today and tomorrow ( Wednesday and Thursday ) due to asphalt repairs.
period. Dry conditions return by late Friday afternoon with highs mainly in the lower 70s Friday and Saturday.Tonight: Partly cloudy. A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after midnight. Lows in the lower 60s. South winds up to 5 mph.
Thursday: Partly sunny with a 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the mid 80s. South winds 5 to 10 mph shifting to the southeast in the afternoon.
Thursday Night: Rain showers and thunderstorms likely. Lows around 60. Northeast winds 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation 60 percent.
Friday: Cooler. Mostly sunny. Slight chance of rain showers and thunderstorms in the morning. Highs in the lower 70s. North winds 10 to 15 mph.
Friday Night: Cooler. Mostly clear. Lows in the upper 40s.
Saturday: Sunny. Highs in the lower 70s.
Saturday Night: Mostly clear. Lows in the lower 50s.
Sunday: Sunny. Highs in the upper 70s.
Sunday Night: Mostly clear. Lows around 60.
Monday: Sunny. Highs in the lower 80s.
Monday Night: Mostly clear. Lows in the lower 60s.
Tuesday: Sunny. Highs in the mid 80s
A five-year $1.5 million grant awarded by the Department of Defense Education Activity Partnership will allow Geary USD 475 to improve learning through STEM related activities in science and mathematics.
The grant will promote and improve STEM-related student achievement in science and mathematics in the three secondary schools: Junction City High School, Junction City Middle School, and Fort Riley Middle School. The project will continue to focus on a foundation implemented with a previous DODEA project, “STEAM into STEM.”
Funding from the award will enhance in class supports through tools such as tablets, TI Nspire calculators, additiional Green STEM modules, robotics supplies, and professional development for educators. In addition, the grant will provide for Technology Coaching to support teachers.
This is the fifth grant that USD 475 has received from the Department of Defense Education Activity Partnership. The new grant will be spread over a five-year period at $300,000 per year.
Geary USD 475 is considering offering financial incentives to attract employees for hard-to-fill positions.
Up first will be speech language pathologists. The bonuses would not total more than $3,000 if approved by the Board of Education.
Bridget Seemann, Director of Human Services, noted she would like to offer an amount shown by the district’s research for hard-to-fill positions. “For instance right now it’s our speech language pathologists so that we can offer them a signing bonus so that we can bring them into the district and get rid of our contracts.”
When the school district can’t fill the position they have to contract out for the service.
The use of these bonuses could begin in November when district staff attend a speech language pathologist conference in November.
It may not be easy to find all the desired candidates. Two Board members noted that other states such as Texas are already paying bonuses of $10,000 or more. But USD 475 will not exceed $3,000.
Seeman assured the Board that with this effort officials are trying to attract people to USD 475 and live in Junction City. The proposal for the bonuses will be brought to the board for final consideration at their October meeting.
The Culpepper and Merriweather Circus returned to Grandview Plaza Tuesday as part of a fundraiser for the Grandview Plaza Fire Department.
Two years ago the Circus raised approximately $4,000 that went towards the purchase of a thermal imaging camera. This year the Fire Department is raising funds in order to help pay increased insurance fee’s according to Jerome Thomas, GVP Fire Chief.
“Through the Kansas State Firefighters Association we get so much money, but we decided we’d add a little more life insurance for the firemen, and so in return we have fundraisers it helps with the fire grants but it also helps them pay for their insurance,” said Thomas.
The Circus put on two shows Tuesday evening, one at 5 pm and another at 7:30 pm, and according to Thomas he felt that mother nature’s threat of rain may have prevented some people from coming out, but he was still happy with the crowd on hand.
The following is an electronic letter that Kansas State University President Kirk Schulz issued to members of the K-State Marching Band on Tuesday, Sept. 8. 
Sept. 8, 2015
Dear K-State Pride of Wildcat Land Members:
Let me offer my congratulations on receiving the Sudler Trophy as recognition for many years of sustained excellence as one of the best bands in the nation. I look forward to celebrating together as a Wildcat Family during Band Day on Sept. 19 as you are recognized for your hard work and dedication to excellence as national band champions.
All of you worked very hard to put on a spectacular show for our home football opener against the University of South Dakota. As a longtime band parent, I appreciate the technical requirements and practice time to do the live animation while performing. It is unfortunate that the band has been criticized on social media for a portion of the show which was taken completely out of context. As many of you know, I love social media; however, it is also an opportunity for people to post hurtful and uninformed comments. I appreciate your dedication to excellence and ask that you simply ignore these comments.
I also very much appreciate the continued leadership of Dr. Frank Tracz as our director of bands. Dr. Tracz brings a passion for the K-State Marching Band to everything he does — which is what makes him such an integral and meaningful part of the K-State experience. The Sudler Trophy honor truly stands on his shoulders.
The Big 12 Conference has a clear policy on sportsmanship, and our conference commissioner felt that the use of another university’s mascot was inappropriate and did not uphold the spirit of sportsmanship that we strive for in our conference. Because of this, I have put in place several self-imposed sanctions, including a $5,000 fine, a review of all band programs by members of K-State Athletics and the Office of Student Life, and a game-day suspension of the director of bands for our game on Nov. 28 against the University of Kansas.
Ultimately, as president, I am responsible for setting the tone for sportsmanship at K-State. As we continue to rise in national prominence we must be more mindful of how we speak of others, including our longtime rivals. In the future, my public speaking — and that of my fellow administrators — will be focused entirely around the successes we have at K-State and will not include comments or jokes about any other Big 12 schools.
I am sure that you have questions and concerns — and welcome your comments at any time. Please feel free to email me at kirks@k-state.eduand I will be happy to answer any question. I also will meet with you this week after practice to answer any questions that you may have in person.
I ask each of you — as members of the Wildcat Family — to put these issues behind us and do what all of you do best: Showcasing the excellence and proud tradition that are part of the Wildcat Way.
Go Cats!
Kirk
The Junction City Police Department is reporting the arrest of three juveniles on alleged charges including 121 counts of Damage to Property and Conspiracy to commit damage to property.
According to the press release after developing a lead from a 
patrol officer, two 17 year olds and a 16-year-old were arrested. After executing search warrants, four BB guns, BBs and air canisters were located and collected.
A preliminary estimate of total damage on these charges is around $30,000.
The Juveniles are being detained at the Juvenile Detention Center pending first appearance. Possible additional charges may be pending.
Earlier Tuesday the JCPD reported that they responded to more than 100 cases of vehicle windows being shot out with a BB gun over the weekend.
The cases were located all over Junction City, and Grandview Plaza also had 22 reported cases with the same type of damage. This type of damage has also been occurring over the last couple of weeks at residences as well as businesses.
Seitz Elementary School, Fort Riley, was evacuated for about one hour Tuesday due to a fire in a bathroom. No one was injured. Students and faculty returned to the building about 12:30 p.m.
According to the Executive Director of Communication for Geary USD 475, Hugh Davis, a small fire occurred in a bathroom at the school. There was damage to a toilet.
Students and faculty returned inside the building after the Fort Riley Fire Department cleared it.
 MANHATTAN — Following notification from the Big 12 Conference of potential violations of its sportsmanship and ethical conduct policies, Kansas State University has agreed to sanctions with the conference office. The potential violations occurred during the first home football game Sept. 5 against South Dakota with the band’s halftime depiction of a mascot from a team other than the day’s opponent.“At Saturday’s home football opener Kansas State University fell short of its obligation to conduct itself in a consistent manner with the principles of sportsmanship,” said President Kirk Schulz. “Good sportsmanship is part of the Wildcat way; we do not want to do anything that takes away from the tremendous efforts of our student athletes and the award-winning Pride of Wildcat Land marching band.” After Saturday’s game, the administration formally apologized to the chancellor and athletic director at the University of Kansas, which was the mascot depicted by the band. K-State students previously signed a sportsmanship pledge as a way to increase awareness of good sportsmanship. The sanctions proposed by President Schulz demonstrate the university’s commitment to provide additional leadership in this area: • A self-imposed $5,000 fine to be paid to the Big 12 Conference for violation of the league sportsmanship policy. • A single-game suspension for the university director of bands. The suspension will take place Nov. 28 at the game against the University of Kansas. • Prior approval for the content of all band halftime shows by representatives from the Office of Student Life and the Athletic Department. “We look forward to our upcoming athletic contests with the expectation of sportsmanlike conduct from the entire K-State family,” Schulz said. |