The next Military Affairs Council breakfast in Junction City will be May 28 at the convention center.

Retired Command Sergeant Major Jim Champagne, Business Director for Corvias Military Living, will be the guest speaker.

The deadline to register for the breakfast will be Friday, May 22 at 5 p.m.

The cost of the breakfast is $12 per person, payable by check or cash at the door, or prior to the event at the Chamber of Commerce office. The breakfast on the 28th begins at 7:30 a.m.

To make a reservation contact Kaitlin at the Chamber, junctioncitychamber@junctioncitychamber.org, or 785-762-2632. If you wish to be invoiced  make sure the Chamber has your email.

There have been traffic backups reported at the entrance gates to Fort Riley this morning.

The Kansas Highway Patrol confirmed it is due to the new security measures put in place on post.

According to the Fort Riley facebook page late last week, in accordance with U.S. Northern Command directive, Fort Riley has increased security measures across the installation. There is no specific threat to Fort Riley. This is a prudent measure to establish a proactive actions to mitigate threats to the installation and protect personnel, assets, resources and infrastructure.

The Kansas Highway Patrol is working with KDOT on additional traffic messages and placement of sign boards to alert traffic of backups for the remainder of the week.

 

Today will be sunny yet unseasonably cool with northwest wind gusts up to 30 mph in the afternoon. Highs are generally in the 60s. Areas of patchy frost are possible Tuesday morning, especially in low lying areas over north central Kansas. Elsewhere lows will be in the lower 40s. Periods of moderate to heavy rainfall is likely on Wednesday evening as a strong, progressive system moves through. Periods of thunderstorms are then possible Thursday through the weekend. At this time, there could be a few severe storms Saturday afternoon, however forecast changes are likely this far out.

Today: Mostly sunny. Highs around 63. West winds 15 to 20 mph with gusts to around 30 mph.

Tonight: Clear. Lows around 39. West winds up to 10 mph. Gusts up to 20 mph in the evening.

Tuesday: Sunny. Highs around 71. West winds up to 5 mph shifting to the southeast in the afternoon.

Tuesday Night: Mostly clear. Lows in the upper 40s. Southeast winds 5 to 10 mph.

Wednesday: Partly sunny with a 20 percent chance of thunderstorms. Highs in the lower 70s. Southeast winds 5 to 15 mph with gusts to around 25 mph.

Wednesday Night: Thunderstorms likely. Lows in the upper 50s. Chance of rain 70 percent.

Thursday: Mostly cloudy with a 50 percent chance of thunderstorms. Highs in the lower 70s.

Thursday Night: Mostly cloudy with a 30 percent chance of thunderstorms. Lows in the upper 50s.

Friday Through Saturday: Mostly cloudy with a 40 percent chance of thunderstorms. Highs in the upper 70s. Lows in the lower 60s.

Saturday Night: Mostly cloudy with a 50 percent chance of thunderstorms. Lows in the mid 60s.

Sunday: Partly sunny with a 40 percent chance of thunderstorms. Highs in the upper 70s.

The Director of Municipal Services for the City of Junction City, Gregory  McCaffery, was recently named one of the American Public Works Association 2015 Top Ten Public Works Leaders of the Year.

Each national Top Ten Public Works Leader will be honored during the awards ceremony of the APWA 2015 International Public Works Congress & Exposition in Phoenix, Arizona during the Augusut 30-September 2 at the Phoenix Convention Center. McCaffery will also be presented the award locally by APWA National President Larry Stevens on Thursday May 14 at the APWA Kansas Chapter Spring Conference at the Four Points by Sheraton in Manhattan, KS.

The program honors excellence and dedication in public service by recognizing career service achievements of individual public works professionals and officials from both the public and private sectors. The Top Ten Public Works Leader award honors the public works professional’s career, in which he or she has demonstrated excellence in public works, services and infrastructure in his community through advancement of public works services and technology.

As Director of Municipal Services of Junction City, McCaffery manages and supervises the Municipal Service Operations which include the Engineering Department, Public Works Department and Water / Wastewater operations with three department heads and 38 employees. he is part of the City Senior Management Team that is charged with oversight of approximately 53% of the City’s general fund operations, staff mentoring, policies and standards, and right-sizing  the various departments.

McCaffery heads the City’s Public Works operations, which includes streets, water, sanitary, stormwater and sanitation, through the creation of a new fully operational Department of Public Works after many years of being privatized. This process reduced overall public works operational costs by $1 million annually. He also oversaw the restructuring of the water and wastewater treatment private operational contracts, both of which involved the recruiting and hiring, equipment, materials bidding and purchasing, development of various programs, activities and departmental fund budgets.

McCaffery has also developed an annual street maintenance program.

The Top Ten Leader award recognized McCaffery for his exemplary contributions to not only the City of Junction City, but also his contributions to the many other communities in which had worked over 25+ within the field of public works administration and engineering, water and wastewater.

According to the National Weather Service of Topeka, thunderstorms are expected to develop across southwest Kansas and track into the area late this afternoon into the evening hours. Severe storms are possible for all of northeast Kansas with large hail, damaging winds, and localized flooding. An isolated tornado or two cannot be ruled out. These storms will exit early Sunday morning. As the strong system progresses eastward, another chance for severe storms exists on Sunday afternoon. All severe weather hazards are possible (yellow shaded area). Stay weather alert this weekend, and have a plan in place to shelter in case a warning is issued for your area!

Today: Cloudy. Chance of thunderstorms in the morning…then thunderstorms likely in the afternoon. Highs around 72. East winds 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 70 percent.

Tonight: Cloudy. Thunderstorms in the evening…then chance of thunderstorms after midnight. Lows around 62. Southeast winds around 15 mph with gusts to around 25 mph.

Sunday: Breezy. Mostly sunny with a 30 percent chance of thunderstorms. Highs around 76. Southwest winds 15 to 25 mph.

Sunday Night: Cooler. Mostly clear. Lows in the mid 40s. West winds 10 to 15 mph with gusts to around 25 mph.

Monday: Cooler. Mostly sunny. Highs in the lower 60s. West winds 10 to 15 mph with gusts to around 25 mph.

Monday Night And Tuesday: Mostly clear. Lows in the lower 40s. Highs in the upper 60s.

Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy in the evening then becoming mostly cloudy. Lows around 50.

Wednesday: Partly sunny with a 30 percent chance of thunderstorms. Highs around 70.

Wednesday Night: Mostly cloudy with a 40 percent chance of thunderstorms. Lows in the mid 50s.

Thursday Through Friday: Mostly cloudy with a 30 percent chance of thunderstorms. Highs in the lower 70s. Lows in the mid 50s

 

SAN ANTONIO (AP) – A Kansas doctor who formerly worked at a San Antonio military medical center has been sentenced to six years in prison for Army contract fraud.

A warrant has been issued for ex-Army physician Heidi L. Webster of Manhattan, Kansas.

Webster failed to show up for sentencing Friday in federal court in San Antonio. A judge also ordered Webster to repay nearly $614,000.

Webster and retired Army Master Sgt. Lawrence Peter Fenti of New Braunfels (BRAHN’-felz) pleaded guilty in 2014 to conspiracy and bribery counts.

Fenti formerly was chief administrator for Brooke Army Medical Center’s radiology department, where Webster worked. Prosecutors say the pair provided false information to fraudulently secure military contracts for two Kansas companies run by Webster.

Fenti last September was sentenced to four years in prison.

The post-wide yard sale at Fort Riley scheduled for Saturday ( May 9 ) has been postponed. The announcement was carried on the Fort Riley Facebook page.

The possibility of inclement weather Saturday is the reason cited for the postponement.

The announcement stated that Fort Riley would publicize a new date for the post-wide yard sale once it is confirmed with all community calendars.

The popular even typically draws a large turnout.

Two forensic scientists with the KBI testified Friday in the Geary County jury trial of Christopher Lyman of Junction City who is charged in a September 2013 case involving the death of a eight month old boy.

During day five of the two week jury trial Prosecutor Chris Biggs called two KBI Forensic Scientists to the stand.

During his testimony Matthew Watters, KBI Forensic Scientist explained that he tested a number of items for bodily fluid including two paper towels and a yellow cloth found at the crime scene. He described how he tested the items and said that he was able to preserve pieces of the evidence for further DNA testing.

Amanda Misencik, KBI Forensic Scientist then took the stand and explained that she tested the evidence collected by Watters for DNA and was able to conclude that the there was DNA consistent with the DNA of Lyman and the infant on several pieces of the evidence.

During her cross examination of Misencik, Defense Attorney Linda Eckelman questioned Misencik about the possibility of any of the pieces of evidence being cross contaminated at any point. Misencik explained that she was not aware of, nor were there any reports of cross contamination of the evidence while it was in her possession at the KBI. She also could not speak about any possible cross contamination of the evidence while it was being collected at the crime scene.

Lyman faces charges including one count of premeditated murder, three counts felony murder based on an underlying felony of child abuse in three theories…torture, shaking, and cruelly beaten. He also faces three counts of child abuse, and one count each of aggravated battery and aggravated criminal sodomy.

The infant boy was taken to the Emergency Room at Geary Community Hospital on September 15th, 2013 and then transported to Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri with major injuries. On September 18th, 2013 police had learned the boy had died.

 

The Great Plains Theatre lineup in Abilene includes the performance of the  show Godspell. It is being presented by the Plain Great Players.

The show is scheduled at 7:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday evenings  at the Abilene High School Auditorium. Call 785-263-4574 for tickets.

With music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by John Michael Tebelak, Godspell is loosely based on the Gospel according to St. Matthew and follows Jesus and his followers as they act out the parables through music, dance and humor.

 

Due to the recent heavy rains in north central Kansas the lake elevation at Milford Lake is expected to go up over the weekend.

The Corps of Engineers Project Operations Manager at Milford Lake, R. J. Harms said the forecast is for the lake to rise between two and three feet. “The water coming our way is at Concordia right now.” He anticipates a big inflow of water Saturday night or Sunday. “Probably Saturday night or Sunday we’ll see a pretty big inflow of water and then we’ll end up a couple of feet high, depending on the weather obviously this weekend.”

Harms doesn’t expect any problems for the lake. He added Milford Lake stakeholders will be notified, and docks will be pulled up a couple of feet. Because the Missouri River is also getting Harms noted Milford Lake may not be making any releases for awhile, “But we’ll see how that goes.”