The U. S. Department of Agriculture will host a Career Fair for applicants seeking job opportunities at the USDA National Bio and Agro-Defense facility on June 4th from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and June 5th from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Kansas State University Office Park, 1880 Kimball Avenue in Manhattan.
During the Career Fair, USDA will be accepting resumes and conducting interviews to fill NBAF positions. USDA will be recruiting for IT professionals, facility maintenance personnel and administrative support positions. A full list of positions will be available upon arrive. In addition to the job fair, USDA will be recruiting highly technical, select agent specialist, containment operation and veterinary medical officer positions through USAJOBS, various scientific associations, and other sources.
Onsite training will be provided on “How to Navigate USAJOBS” to assist applicants and educate the community regarding how to apply for federal careers–as hiring for NBAF will continue for the next two to three years before full operating capacity is reached. Eventually, approximately 400 personnel will staff the facility.
NBAF is designed to help protect the United States against the threat of foreign animal diseases and will support global health and food security. Safeguarding agricultural interests and livestock also protects the economy because agriculture, food and food processing contribute more than $3.9 trillion to the U.S> economy each yeasr–22 percent of the domestic economy.
You can register for the fair at https://bit.ly/2LYKPbR.
You can meet the members of the Junction City Brigade baseball team this evening at Rathert Field. A meet and greet event is scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m.
The Brigade said fans can watch practice, meet the 2019 season players, see the new playing field and enjoy the beer garden. The BBQ team from Smithfield Foods will be present. There will be free hot dogs.
Special guest Dennis Leonard, former pitcher for the Kansas City Royals, will have a baseball signing. Leonard is a member of the Royals Hall of Fame.
Junction City Commissioner Phyllis Fitzgerald has decided not to seek reelection to another term on the governing body.
She cites the need to spend more time with her family as the reason. “There are some changes in my family. One of my children is moving really closer to me and expecting a child later in the year. Family would like me to be a little more available for them, so family is my main reason.”
Fitzgerald said she loved being a city commissioner and the community. “All of the things I’m very passionate about I will continue to do those things whether I’m an elected official or a citizen here in Junction City, Kansas.” Fitzgerald is well known for her cleanup and beautification efforts in the community.
She was elected to the city commission in 2015 and served as mayor in 2017.
The filing deadline for candidates seeking election to the commission is noon next Monday, June 3rd.
The Geary Community Healthcare Foundation will host their 17th annual country and western fundraising event, Boots, Chaps and Cowboy Hats on Friday, June 14th at Acorn’s Resort and Conference Center. Tickets to the fundraiser are $50 each, and the deadline for reservations is Friday, June 7th.
All proceeds from the event will support improvements to Medical Arts Building I suites at Geary Community Hospital.
There will be a BBQ meal, live and silent auctions, and those attending can dance to the music of the Rusty Laffoon Band from Kansas City. Some of the items for purchase during the actions will range from a canvass picture of Union Station after the Royals won the World Series, a one-half day, four hour fishing trip for up to six people and lunch at the Cove Bar & Grill. There will be a wooden KSU flag custom made from purple heart wood, Baskin Robbins ice cream, May Kay gift basket, galvanized ferris wheel organizer, premium bourbons basket, two tickets to a KSU football game, and a Brigade VIP package.
Milford Lake is currently at 1170.39 elevation, approximately 26 feet over normal conservation pool. At 1173 permission could possibly be granted to allow the Corps of Engineers to release water through the tubes equal to the amount of water coming in. At 1176.2 feet water could escape the lake through the emergency spillway. Right now the reservoir is in Phase Two out of three possible phases for flood control, and is at 78% of its flood storage capacity.
Milford Lake has been at low flow, releasing only 25 cubic feet per second since March 12th. The reservoir currently has a 29,000 acre lake surface area, considerably above the normal 17.500 surface acres. The inflow as of Wednesday totaled 7,900 cubic feet per second but that amount goes up and down. Corps has been required to hold water in Milford and other reservoirs to prevent downstream flooding. The bottleneck is at Waverly, Missouri where the water flow must dip below 130,000 cubic feet per second before there can be any releases, but that has not happened at Waverly since March.
Bill Whitworth addresses a meeting on Milford Lake Wednesday evening.
Approximately 110 people attended a public meeting at the Geary County 4-H / Senior Center Wednesday evening to hear the explanation from the Corps about the water management in the Missouri River basin and what to expect at Milford Lake. Obviously concern about potential flooding was on their minds.
The Operations Manager for the Corps at Milford Lake, Bill Whitworth, confirmed right now officials are in increased surveillance mode. “Which means we pay extra attention to the gauges below the dam to make sure that the dam is functioning properly. When the water level reaches 1173, which isn’t too far away, probably next week at some point, we go into critical surveillance mode which means 24-hours a day somebody will be monitoring gauges and just keeping an eye on things.” Whitworth added no problems are expected, but that’s the measure taken at that level.
Whitworth said at 1176.2, which is the uncontrolled spillway, that’s when releases are going to happen ( out of the spillway ). “Yet to be determined if we can discharge any additional ( through the tubes ). ” He also noted, “When space opens up downstream we will get an allocation of that space, Milford, and release when we can.”
There was extensive flooding in 1993 with water from Milford Lake winding up on Grant Avenue in Junction City, and when the Republican River running out of the reservoir met the Smoky Hill River looping around the south and east sides of Junction City water topped the levees and ended up in what was farm ground area on the east side of the city. Whitworth believes some of the1993 conditions are not replicated today. “When we release water out of Milford through the tubes the intent is to keep it within the banks at least for the short term to just match what is coming in so we have an easy managed flow.” He is optimistic flooding of businesses on the north end of the city will not occur. “Right now the opinion is that we’re not looking at 1993. What we can’t predict is what’s going to happen with the Smoky Hill.
If the Republican and Smoky Hill Rivers meet and water backs up there was some concern about impact of that on the Milford Nature Center near the dam. But Whitworth noted that if the Smoky Hill River levels go down that would relieve a lot of the pressure on the river system.
So it’s unknown if flooding will occur, but Geary County Emergency Management Director Garry Berges stated, “The main thing is going to be the effect with the Smoky Hill, how much that water’s going to go down and then start backing up.”He added authorities will just have to monitor that to see how it affects the Grant Avenue and Hoover Road areas.
Funding totaling $67 million is in escrow to help for the new Junction City High School. Heavy Impact Aid money received by the school district along with state aid are ensuring the local property tax levy will not have to be increased to pay for the project.
The $67 million in escrow was one of the topics touched on by David Wild, the Chief Operations Officer for USD 475, when he spoke to the JC Breakfast Optimist Club on Wednesday. Wild said the money in escrow,” honors the commitment to the taxpayers that there will be no further need beyond that which was voted on ( November 17, 2017 ) from the taxpayers pockets to pay for that bulding.”
Wild was asked about the future of the current Freshman Success Academy building at 200 West 9th street. He told Club members that “the building is being called the Karnes Building,” which it was called following the opening of the Junction City Middle School at 700 Wildcat Lane. “The Boys and Girls Club is in the process of moving into the Karnes Building and the new Superintendent, Dr. Reginald Eggleston, has a vision for using the building as an educational enrichment center with multiple purposes.”
When asked about the future of the current JCHS building, Wild said “the District is currently involved in informal discussions regarding salvaging and repurposing of the green space on which current JCHS facilities are located.”
He went on to tell Club members that “the District website provides opportunity for people to see pictures of what is being done on the “New JCHS ” site by viewing pictures taken every 20 minutes and drone video footage shown in a time lapse video taken every 30 days.” ( www.usd475.org/the-new-JCHS-construction-project/ )
The dedication for the new Kenny Langdon Memorial Shade Shelter will be Monday ( June 3rd ) at 5 p.m. at the Heritage Park Band Stand.
Langdon was a longtime building and maintenance supervisor for the City of Junction City. He passed away in February of 2016. His primary responsibility was for cleaning and maintaining the downtown area.
The Junction City Chamber of Commerce announced the dedication for the new shelter.
The Corps of Engineers has released data showing the latest water level information for Milford Lake, which is nearly 26 feet above normal pool elevation.
The Corps has a meeting at 6 p.m. Wednesday at the 4-H / Senior Citizens Center to discuss Milford Lake specifically, and the overall water management of the reservoirs in the region. The meeting is open to the public.
RILEY COUNTY —To ensure dam safety, the Kansas City District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will begin to increase the water release from Tuttle Creek Dam in Manhattan Wednesday as runoff from rains over Memorial weekend are expected to fill the reservoir’s remaining flood storage capacity.
photo courtesy RCPD
According to a media release from the city of Manhattan, based on water already in the Little and Big Blue Rivers, releases are expected to be set at 15,000 cubic feet per second. Tuttle Creek Dam will slowly increase water through the outlet works starting at 7:00 a.m. and continuing into the afternoon.
Sirens near the dam and Rocky Ford Fishing Area will he sounded with each increase in release. These are not flood warnings. Flood warning sirens are spoken words, not tones.
This amount of water is not expected to cause any flooding downstream and no evacuation notices have been issued. If any announced releases are expected to cause flooding downstream, evacuation notices will be issued for impacted areas. The release will be managed from the outlet works (the tubes) and is expected to stay within the river channel. Additional rainfall is forecast and USACE staff are monitoring the situation 24 hours a day.
“This release will help slow down the rise of the lake. We’re definitely not out of the woods yet, but this release is a positive development for our community,” said Scott French, Manhattan Fire Chief and current Incident Commander.
Officials in Riley County, Pottawatomie County, and the City of Manhattan will continue to prepare for potential flooding throughout the area. Credentialed personnel will be visiting flood prone neighborhoods in Manhattan and in rural areas, going door-to-door to make sure residents are aware of the flood risks. These personnel will also be gathering information from residents including how many people are in the household, asking if the occupants have flood insurance, and also asking if there are any people in the home with medical needs that would make evacuation difficult if that time comes.
Knowing the existing medical needs will help emergency personnel plan for safe evacuation appropriate shelter environments for people with medical conditions. Residents are encouraged to ask for credentials from people who visit their home. A Flood Evacuation Special Needs form is also available for both counties.
Aerial View of Geary Community Hospital. Children’s Mercy operates pediatric clinics at GCH.
Children’s Mercy Hospital will open an urgent care clinic for pediatrics at Geary Community Hospital in early August.
Geary Community Hospital CEO Joe Stratton said it will run on Saturday and Sunday afternoons in the Children’s Mercy clinic space at GCH. “We in some way will partner with them. We’ll support them with our lab and our radiology department particularly, for those services that they can’t provide down at their urgent care clinic on the weekend.”
Stratton said Geary Community Hospital would pick that up for them, “and interface with the patients, and families and their staff.”
The plan was outlined at the Geary Community Hospital Board of Trustees meeting Tuesday.
The U. S. Department of Agriculture will host a Career Fair for applicants seeking job opportunities at the USDA National Bio and Agro-Defense facility on June 4th from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and June 5th from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Kansas State University Office Park, 1880 Kimball Avenue in Manhattan.
