The Junction City High School homecoming parade will be Sept. 24 at 6 p.m.

Kate Harmison, Student Life Coordinator for events at JCHS, stated the parade will begin at the Freshman Success Academy at 9th and Madison, go south on Madison to 6th Street. Once on 6th Street, the procession will continue west to Eisenhower where it will head north to the JCHS parking lot.

Immediately following the parade will be a Community Pep Rally at Al Simpler Stadium sponsored by the Student Council, J-Steppers, JCHS Marching Band, and the Junction City High School Cheer Squad.

The Blue Jay football team will host Seaman in the annual Homecoming game Friday, Sept. 25, and the Homecoming Dance will be Saturday, Sept. 26 in the Fiffe Gym at JCHS.

The 1st Infantry Division has sent 27 Soldiers to Washington state to help fight a massive wildfire in the northeastern portion of that state.

The 2nd General Support Aviation Battalion, 1st Aviation Regiment, 1st Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division was called to assist in the fire on August 24th.

Major Jake Roper, Battalion Executive Office explained that currently they are providing,”airlift medical capabilities to individuals that are on the ground in support of those firefighting operations.”

The Forward Support Medical Platoon is utilizing three Blackhawk medevac helicopters.

“We’ve got the flight crews and paramedics that fly along in the helicopters that are able to respond at a moments notice to life threatening situations and airlift any individuals that are supporting firefighting operations to the nearest hospital, or nearest aid station.”

Wednesday Maj. Gen. Wayne W. Grigsby Jr., Commanding General of the 1st Infantry Division and Fort Riley commented on the battalions support.

“The 1st Inf. Div. and Fort Riley are once again on point for our nation,” said Grigsby. “Fort Riley’s central location in Kansas is key to the ‘Big Red One’s’ ability to provide ready Soldiers to support operations on either coast or around the world. Our brave and responsible Big Red One Soldiers are proud to support this interagency effort – they can and will accomplish any mission set in front of them.”

About 95 large wildfires are burning 1.1 million acres in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, California, Nevada and Colorado according to information from U.S. Northern Command.

The first day of fall semester classes at the Cloud County Community College Geary County Campus was Tuesday.

Brenda Edleston, Associate Vice President for the Geary County Campus informed JC Post that there is a good enrollment total.  The 374 total  is down 2 percent, meaning there are 10 less students than last fall. But the students that are enrolled are taking more courses that in the fall of 2014. So there are an additional 454 credit hours in which students are enrolled.

“And what it means for us is that more students are opting to go to full time status. And we’re very pleased with that because the research indicates that a student who goes full time is more likely to complete their degree.”

Edleston said additional students are expected to enroll in October when the school’s second eight-week series of classes begin.

 

Over the past year the Junction City Fire Department has taken delivery of two new fire apparatuses, with one more on the way.

The department received the first of the two pumper apparatuses in August of last year and the new aerial apparatus in November of last year. A third pumper apparatus is expected to be delivered around the first of the year.

Fire Chief Kevin Royse explained that there are numerous benefits to replacing the departments aging fleet.

“Obviously the first benefit is the technology that’s available. The newer pumps that are on these trucks operate at a more efficient fuel savings, they produce a higher gallons per minute for fire flow versus our older trucks, and again just basically the difference between a 25-year-old truck and a new truck,” said Royse.

The aerial apparatus was purchased using a firefighters assistance grant through FEMA which covered 90 percent of the cost of that apparatus. Overall the three new apparatuses have cost approximately $1.2 million, a substantial savings compared to if they would have had to pay full price.

“If we had to buy them outright we’re talking probably at least $2 million, probably $2.5 million, if we had to buy them without any help from the grant.”

All three apparatuses have been purchased from Rosenbauer LLC.

Royse added that they are also expecting a new ambulance that will be delivered sometime in October.

U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said a  federal jury on Thursday returned a guilty verdict in the case of a Junction City man who stole his father’s identity to apply for a loan to buy a $490,000 house.

Matthew Williams, 47, Junction City, was convicted on one count of bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. During trial, prosecutors presented evidence that Williams filled out a loan application with Pulaski Bank using his father’s name, social security number and other identifying information in an attempt to get a loan to purchase a house in Shawnee, Kansas. The defendant was in bankruptcy proceedings at the time.

The government presented evidence that Williams claimed to be an Army veteran and recipient of a Purple Heart award for valor in Vietnam. In fact, Williams’ father, Earl, fought in both Vietnam and Desert Storm and earned a Purple Heart, as well as other commendations.

Sentencing will be set for a later date.

 

MANHATTAN -Two schools in Kansas are open again after they were briefly placed on lockdown Thursday morning.

In Riley County, Manhattan High School’s West campus initiated a lockout at 11:10 a.m., according to a media release from Principal Greg Hoyt.

Administration and security addressed a student issue and a lockdown was initiated as a precautionary measure to ensure safety for everyone, according to Hoyt.

Students were requested to remain in their classroom until further notice. At approximately 11:20 a.m. the lockout was lifted and students were dismissed to lunch or their 5th period class.

In Butler County, USD 394 Rose Hill was placed on lockdown just after 9:20 a.m. Butler County Law enforcement officers responded and searched a home in the 300 Block of South Brentwood after a man reportedly attempted to break into the residence, according to a media release.

The suspect was described as a white male with short brown hair wearing a bright colored shirt, jean shorts and carrying a water bottle.

The suspect rang the home’s doorbell. The homeowner did not answer the door, according to police. A short time later the homeowner reported hearing a loud crash, believed someone was breaking into the home and called 911.

The search for the suspect continues.

The annual Fall Apple Day Festival at Fort Riley is fast approaching.

The Historical and Archaeological Society of Fort Riley began planning for the annual festival in April this year. This years goal is to make 1,500 apple pies according to Alison Kohtz, this years Co-Pie Queen.

“It is down from last year, about 500, due to the security measures on Fort Riley, and we’re unsure about the number of participants this year, but it is up from several years past,” said Kohtz.

According to Kohtz currently Fort Riley is at a level Bravo security level, which means all visitors without a DoD I.D. Card have to go to the visitors center located at the Henry Gate located off of I-70 to receive a day pass.

The Festival is held on the Artillery Parade Field, and there will be different military displays set up on the parade field including the MP’s with their dogs and the Commanding Generals Mounted Color Guard.

The pies are special to Fort Riley as they are made using Libby Custer’s personal recipe, and there for the recipe is kept a secret.

You can pre-order a pie up until September 17th. Forms can be found at the Historical and Archaeological Society of Fort Riley Facebook page or at the Junction City Area Chamber of Commerce, Military Affairs Council office. Pies can also be purchased on the day of the festival whole (frozen and unbaked), by the slice and or with ice cream.

The Kansas State University Army and Air Force ROTC programs were the focus of Thursday mornings Junction City/Geary County Military Affairs Council Breakfast.

Army LTC Ryan Miedema, Professor of Military Science at Kansas State University explained that the Army ROTC program at K-State has been around since the college first opened in 1863.

Last year the program commissioned 34 Officers at the end of the year, this year they’re expected to commission 21 Officers. In total there are 145 Army ROTC Cadets enrolled at K-State.

Being next door to Fort Riley does provide an added benefit for the Cadets according to Miedema,”I’ve got training area, I’ve got Units that really want to partner with us. They will help train the Cadets and help show them, not only the equipment, but I talked about the CTLT which is where they go be Lieutenants at a Unit for the Summer, being here at Fort Riley they get that opportunity all year around.”

He went on to say that Lieutenants with the 2nd Brigade Combat Team at Fort Riley partner with the Cadets and help mentor them through the program.

The Air Force ROTC program at K-State has been around since 1946 and regularly Commissions between seven and 2nd Lieutenants into the Active Duty Air Force each year.

Air Force Lt. Col Shawn Martin explained that most people may think that the K-State Air Force ROTC program would be mostly based out of K-State Salina due to the strong aviation programs at that campus, but K-State Salina is just a “feeder” school for the program on the main campus in Manhattan.

“K-State Salina is what we call a ‘Cross Town’ school. It is affiliated with K-State, and what the Cadets do is they can join the program out there, but they attend all of the academics and the leadership lab here at the main campus,” said Martin.

Scholarships are available through both programs and those interested can find more information at their websites by following the links below.

• K-State Army ROTC
• K-State Air Force ROTC

 

 

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