The schedule of public meetings on Monday finds:

–includes a report from Geary County Sheriff Tony Wolf to the Geary County Commission, and updates from Human Resource Director Lisa Eickholt, CVB Director Connie Hall, Public Works Administrator Dennis Cox, and Health Department Director Pat Hunter.

The Commission will be in session from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the County Office Building.

–There will be a joint Junction City – Geary County Commission meeting at 5 p.m. at the C. L. Hoover Opera House.

–Teacher contract negotiations in Geary USD 475 continue from noon to 5 p.m. at the Devin Center.

The wheat harvest should begin in earnest sometime this coming week in Geary County.

JC Post talked with the owner / manager of Geary Grain Elevator Joe Hund on Saturday. “Two months ago the wheat looked poor. Then we had the nice rains and it really healed the wheat a bunch. And then we got excessive rain and it brought disease, and drowning and stuff like that. I think there’s still going to be a decent wheat crop in Geary County.”

Some test cutting has been done.

One of the issues has been letting the ground dry after all the rains so combines can get in the fields. “That’s one of the things holding them up right now. So it’s just getting close to where they can get out there.”

The annual wheat harvest is about to begin.

 

 

The Junction City Police Department Sunday Tour Log Report included arrests.

–Tyrone J. Cleveland, 39, Junction City, suspicion of Felony Kidnapping, Failure to Report Accident, Driving While License Suspended. Cleveland was arrested following a report of an accident that occurred at the 500 block of East Chestnut Street. Cleveland was also arrested on an Outside Agency Warrant from Jackson County, Kansas alleging Failure to Appear.

 

 

According to the National Weather Service of Topeka, on the first day of summer it will be mostly sunny across much of the area. A weak front will keep temperatures in the upper 80s along the Nebraska border. Most areas should another hot day with lower to mid 90s. There will be a chance for isolated thunderstorms across northeast Kansas late this afternoon. Some of these storms may be severe with the primary hazards being large hail and damaging wind gusts.

If storms were to develop across east central and northeast Kansas they could be severe. However it looks as if storms will not develop across east central or north central Kansas this afternoon. The remainder of the week looks warm. Monday Highs will reach the mid 90s to around 100 degrees. Heat indices of 102 to 107 are expected across the area Monday Afternoon. Tuesday will be slightly cooler with a slight chance of thunderstorms north of I-70.

Today: Mostly sunny, with a high near 92. South wind 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 74. South wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

Monday: Sunny and hot, with a high near 98. Heat index values as high as 105. Breezy, with a southwest wind 15 to 25 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.

Monday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 72. West wind 5 to 10 mph becoming northeast after midnight.

Tuesday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 93. Southeast wind 5 to 15 mph.

Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 74.

Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 95.

Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 72.

Thursday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 90.

Thursday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 69.

Friday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 88.

Friday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 69.

Saturday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 86.

 

The Luke Nelson Community Baby Shower exceeded expectations on turnout….by a wide margin!

Organizers were hopeful of attracting 25 expectant mothers to the event which was designed to give pregnant women and their support systems information on safe sleep and other available community resources.

Terra Stroda with Delivering Change was excited about the turnout for the event this past Saturday at the Larry Dixon Center in Junction City. “About 20 minutes before the doors opened we looked outside and the line had snaked all the way to essentially across the street.”There were people waiting to get in 7:45 a.m.,  two-hours-and 15 minutes before the event started. The parking lots near the facility were full of cars.

Stroda said 101 pregnant women and approximately of their support personnel attended the community baby shower.

Jill Nelon was one of those who worked hard to help bring this event to Junction City. The shower was named after her son, SIDS baby Luke Nelson, who passed away in 2006. It was an honor to have the community baby shower named after her son. “It is very much an honor. I am overwhelmed by the turnout. Out of a really tragic situation this is something positive, and amazing, and something so important for our community. And I can’t ask for anything more.”

A number of local organizations ranging from Pawnee Mental Health to Parents as Teachers were represented at the community baby shower to distribute information. Organizers indicated they will have another community baby shower next year.

There will be a Flint Hills Transportation Plan Open House events  in the region in the near future.

The first one will be from 4-6:30 p.m. Wednesday ( June 24 ) in the City Commission room at Manhattan City Hall.

The second open houe will be from 4-6:30 p.m. Thursday ( June 25 ) at the C. L. Hoover Opera House in Junction City.

The third one will be from 4:30 – 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 30, at the Green Valley Community Center at 3770 Green Valley Road.

During the open house events information will be shared with the public about the transportation projects and needs that have been identified so far in the process of developing the region’s first long-range transportation plan.

The Flint Hills Regional Council Executive Committee has re-organized and elected new Officers.

The Committee voted Friday to elect Robert Boyd, Riley County Commissioner the next President of the Committee. He told JCPost that the Regional Council does have a lot synergy and there are a lot of people that want to make it work, but there are some significant challenges ahead of them.

“We’ve got to find reoccuring funding for us, so that we’re not dependent on local tax payers to support this. This has got to be a self supporting 501 (c) (3). I think we have some opportunities to do that, Scott and I are going to work hard to get that done,” said Boyd.

Scott Briggs, Lyon County Commissioner was elected Vice President and Honey Grant, Grandview Plaza Vice Mayor was elected to serve as the Secretary. Stan Hartwich, Pottawatomie County Commissioner will serve as Treasurer.

Judge Michael F. Powers has been elected president of the Kansas District Judges Association. He is the chief judge in the 8th Judicial District composed of Geary, Dickinson, Morris, and Marion counties.

Powers has been a district court judge since 1991, and he has served as chief judge since 1994. Before his appointment to the bench, he served as Morris County attorney from 1980 to 1991. He also practiced law in Council Grove in the firm Bryant and Powers.

Powers is a graduate of Emporia State University, where he was president of the Student Government Association, and later president of the ESU Alumni Association. He graduated from the University of Kasas School of Law.

Powers is a member of the Kansas Bar Association, American Bar Association, and American Judicature Society. He has served on the executive committee of the Kansas District Judges Association since 2006.  He has received many awards for exemplary service from state and local organizations, and is active in the community. He and his wife, Judy, live in Marion, where he serves on multiple boards and is active in many local organizations.

Powers says his favorite local involvement is as play-by-play announcer for cable TV broadcasts of Marion High School football games, which he has done since 1994. He enjoys the energy and purity of high school sports and believes that staying connected to young people help him maintain his faith in the future.

 

GEARY COUNRY-   Two people including a Geary County Sheriff’s Deputy were injured in an accident just before 1:30 p.m. on Friday.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2008 Ford F 150 driven by Deputy Megan I. Landry, 30, Junction City, was northbound on U.S. 77 at the Interstate 70 exit attempting a traffic stop with lights and sirens activated.

A 2001 GMC 1500 driven by Derek L. Leis, 25, Manhattan, pulled out from a stop sign in front of the Ford and they collided.

Landry and Leis were transported to Geary County Hospital.

Landry was not wearing a seat belt according to the KHP.

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GEARY COUNTY -The Kansas Highway Patrol is responding to an accident at U.S.77 near the Interstate 70 exit. The accident involved a Geary County Sheriff’s Deputy and another car.

According to the Kansas Highway Patrol, the Deputy and another driver involved were transported  to Geary Community Hospital for non-life threatening injuries.

Check Hays Post for additional details as they become available.

A Geary County Sheriff’s Deputy has been transported to Geary Community Hospital following an accident on Highway 77 near the I-70 overpass.

Sheriff Tony Wolf confirmed the Deputy was traveling northbound on Hwy 77 just after 1 p.m. Friday when a vehicle exiting I-70 westbound pulled out in front causing the Deputy to t-bone the vehicle.

The Deputy was transported to Geary Community Hospital complaining of arm, leg and back pain. The driver of the other vehicle was also transported to GCH with unspecified injuries. Both injuries were considered non-life threatening.

Southbound Hwy 77 near the I-70 overpass has been blocked off, northbound traffic is still being let through.

JCPost will update this story as more information becomes available.

The anticipated announcement from the US Army on where they will make cuts as they look to draw down troop sizes from 490,000 to 450,000 is now expected after July 4th.

John Armbrust, Executive Director of Governors Military Council updated the Flint Hills Regional Council Friday morning.

“I thought that it would be next week, in midweek. I just got a message today that it will be after the 4th of July, I don’t know a date certain for that,” said Armbrust. “I think that what they found was there was one area that they have to do a little more analysis in, so we will just have to wait and see.”

Fort Riley is one base that could see cuts, how many remains uncertain. Armbrust along with Fort Riley leadership and local leaders have continualy met with Army officials and worked with the Kansas Congressional Delegation on trying to insure that if any cuts are made at Fort Riley they are only minimal.