Chapman High School principal Kevin Suther has announced that the ACT scores at Chapman High School went up more than two points, breaking the barrier of a 22 average for the overall composite score. The area of reading had an even higher average of 23.6.

Suther stated this is higher than the state and national average. He noted many factors contribute to that, but havingan ACT focused class has helped the Chapman students along with excellent teachers who have taught standards in the classroom that are preparing them for life after high school which for many Chapman students, is college.

Suther added the focus in the state is about creating students who are college and career ready and one of those indicators is the improvement made in the Chapman ACT scores.

The Junction City Police Department now reports 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.

Trish Giordano,JCPD Detective Sergeant, noted reports began to come in on Sunday to the Police Department. “They started getting calls early Sunday morning on the north side of town up in Westwood area.”  There are no suspects at this time.

If you have information call the Junction City Police Department at 762-5912 or Junction City Geary County Crime Stoppers at 762-8477. You can also text your tip to 27463 (CRIMES) and start your tip off “tipjc”. You may be eligible for a cash reward of up to $1,000.

Update – WAMEGO-  The 45 year old woman who died in an accident in Pottawatomie County at Macy Place Drive and Elm Slough Road on Sunday has been identified as Shannon Chebultz.

Officials say her last known address was Blaine, Kansas.

The investigation of the accident continues, according to the Pottawatomie County Sheriff.

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WAMEGO – Law enforcement authorities in Pottawatomie County are investigating the death of woman in an accident on Sunday afternoon.

Sheriff Greg Riat reported that just after 4 p.m. the Pottawatomie County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call after of a woman was found lying in the road bleeding from the head.

The location given by the caller was Macy Place Drive and Elm Slough Road, in rural Wamego.

Sheriff Deputies along with Emergency Services responded and found the body of a woman near a pickup at the location who had been seriously injured.

Pottawatomie County EMS arrived and determined the female to be deceased.

The victim, a 45-year-old resident of Pottawatomie County had been riding in a 2007 Chevy Pickup with a male driver prior to this accident, according to the Sheriff.

The incident at this time is under investigation by the Pottawatomie County Sheriff’s Office and the Kansas Highway Patrol. The name of the victim is being held pending notification of next of kin.

Authorities in Dickinson County have begun damage assessment following the storms Monday evening.

Chancey Smith, Dickinson County Emergency Management Director, said in the 1700 and Eden Road area numerous power poles are down for approximately  two to three miles. They were snapped off at the ground. “So I’m sure of people in that area are without power. One farmstead I know, the structure was destroyed with the family inside. And we had one injury I know from there that needed stitches.” That was the four-member Travis Bartley farmstead.

Elsewhere, Smith noted a new horse barn closer to K-15 and 1700 was destroyed, and power lines broken over at Jeep Road and 200 Avenue.

“It’s kind of widespread so I’m excited for the National Weather Service to get here and tell me exactly what we did have go through here, because they keep saying they’re almost positive it wasn’t a tornado.”

There was also damage on the south side of Abilene. “They do have quite a bit of wind damage down there….trees, out buildings, sheds broke, an old shop down there got the roof lifted off it, and a bunch of installation was blown out in the field out there. “There was also some damage to a Westar Energy building, but no damage to living structures.

Smith indicated National Weather Service officials will be in to review what caused the storm.

Secretary of the Army John McHugh has announced that the garrison safety office at Fort Riley was selected as this year’s Exceptional Organization in Safety Award winner.

The award is the highest safety honor conferred on a garrison.

According to the Fort Riley Garrison Public Affairs office the nominees come from division, brigade, battalion and garrison-level safety programs.

Colonel Andrew Cole Jr., Fort Riley garrison commander, nominated the safety office for the award. The judges consisted of a panel of at least four safety managers or safety directors from different Army headquarters or installations.

Thunderstorms are expected to be scattered across the area today and tonight, gradually ending from northwest to southeast as a cold front passes. A few severe thunderstorms will be possible with wind gusts around 60 mph being the primary concern. Locally heavy amounts of rain could also occur. Wednesday brings dry conditions but thunderstorm chances return Thursday into Friday.

Tonight: Cooler. Mostly cloudy with a 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms in the evening…then partly cloudy after midnight. Lows around 60. North winds 5 to 10 mph.

Wednesday: Sunny. Highs in the lower 80s. Northeast winds 5 to 10 mph.

Wednesday Night: Mostly clear. Slight chance of rain showers and thunderstorms after midnight. Lows in the upper 50s. Southeast winds around 5 mph.

Thursday: Mostly sunny with a 30 percent chance of rain showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the lower 80s. South winds 5 to 10 mph.

Thursday Night: Mostly cloudy with a 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Lows in the lower 60s.

Friday: Partly sunny with slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the mid 70s.

Friday Night: Partly cloudy. Lows in the lower 50s.

Saturday: Mostly sunny. Highs in the mid 70s.

Saturday Night: Mostly clear. Lows in the mid 50s.

Sunday: Sunny. Highs in the upper 70s.

Sunday Night: Mostly clear. Lows in the upper 50s.

Monday: Sunny. Highs in the lower 80s.

GRANDVIEW PLAZA- Two people were injured in an accident just after 7 p.m. on Labor Day in Geary County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2008 Honda Civic driven by Katelyn M. Sanchez, 21, Inman was eastbound on Interstate 70 four miles east of U.S. 77

The driver lost control during heavy rain causing the vehicle to hydroplane.

The vehicle spun to the right and struck the bridge railing.

Sanchez and a passenger Nixon, Brenton J. Nixon, 23, Victorville, CA., were transported to Geary County Hospital.

They were properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.

The last storm cell Monday night resulted in storm damage in both Dickinson County and in Grandview Plaza.

In Dickinson County the emergency management director Chancey Smith reported just south of 1700 Avenue and Eden Road there were two miles of power lines snapped off, and trees down blocking roads.  The site is about eight miles south – southwest of Abilene.

A roof was torn off a house, a propane tank was leaking, and there were believed to be some minor injuries. Late Monday evening Smith stated, “Two deputies ended up having to go in on foot, had to go under power lines and zig zag around. It was pretty dangerous. But now we’ve got line crews out here that are cutting the lines and getting our rescue people down through there.”

Smith noted it was not really a super cell that swept through the area, but just a storm.  It hit about 9 p.m.

Smith noted police are telling him the south end of Abilene was also hit by a storm, with trees in houses, and the Westar yard had insulation blown over a couple of fields.

In Grandview Plaza as a thunderstorm cell moved through there was electrical system damage to a mobile home at 130 East Flint Hills Boulevard number 12.  Jerome Thomas, Grandview Plaza Fire Chief, stated, “Upon arrival had a lot of smoke coming out from underneath the mobile home and smoke inside. Once we pulled the skiring loose had fire going from the front to the back. Pulled two hoses, knocked it down pretty quick.”

The specific cause of the fire is not yet known but Thomas will be checking on an electrical surge as a possibility. He noted all the electrical systems inside were burned.

Thomas reported that the name of the homeowner is not yet available. That person is on vacation, but another individual who was house sitting got out of the residence safely and called 911 for assistance.

 Former Junction City Municipal Services Director Greg McCaffery has landed as the Director of Public Works for the City of Columbus, Nebraska.On his facebook page McCaffery reported that he will be appointed to the post Tuesday night, and will be in the office on Wednesday morning.

McCaffery left the Municipal Services Director job in Junction City in July.  This past May he was presented with a Top 10 Public Works Leader of the Year award from the American Public Works Association.

Heavy rain swept through Junction City Monday evening, but police are not reporting any problems connected to the storm.

A severe thunderstorm watch included Geary County until 9 p.m. Monday, but no severe storm warning was ever issued for Junction City or Geary County. There was an earlier severe thunderstorm warning for Dickinson county but was allowed to expire at 6:15 p.m. after the storm weakened.