The Junction City Area Chamber of Commerce will begin Out to Lunch sessions.
Bella’s Italian Restaurant at 605 North Washington will be the site for Out to Lunch on Thursday, May 7, at noon.
These sessions are designed to allow Chamber members to network over lunch. Those who attend will be responsible for their own meal cost.
The 11th annual Geary Community Schools Foundation Celebration of Teaching Banquet will be held at the Marriott Convention Center beginning at 6 p.m. Monday.
The keynote speaker will be Devin Scillian, a 1981 JCHS graduate and now successful author, and news anchor for WDIV in Detroit.
MANHATTAN – Law enforcement authorities in Manhattan are investigating a shooting incident that injured one person.
Riley County police reported that at approximately 1:20 a.m. on Sunday officers assigned to foot patrol in the Aggieville Business District heard and responded to the sound of gunshots near the 600 block of N. 12th Street.
Officers immediately gave chase to a suspect who was found to be in possession of a handgun. After a single deployment of an electronic control device (TASER) an adult male suspect was taken into custody.
One adult male victim was transported to Via Christi Hospital after sustaining a gunshot wound. His injuries were not considered to be life-threatening and he has since been released from the hospital.
According to witness statements, an Aggieville doorman ran outside thinking someone was lighting off fireworks after shots were fired.
Police say one black male with a very dark shirt and shorts could be seen in the alley between Auntie Maes and Fuzzy’s Taco by the witness.
He was allegedly putting something in his pants, which the doorman thought was odd, because everyone else was running at that moment while he was stationary. As police approached the suspect attempted to walk away slowly, and as they neared he took off running around a corner.
Police do not anticipate any further arrests associated with this incident.
The first Geary Community Hospital Chase for a Cause on Saturday raised $3,200 for charities.
That number was provided by one of the coordinators for the brand new 5K walk / run Nikki Davies. “But I think for the first year we set our expectations to be at probably 100 runners, and we came out with 162 today.” The initial fundraising goal was to raise approximately $1,500 to $2,000 but that mark was easily topped.
Twenty dollars from a participant’s registration fee was designated by that participant to a local charity organization. The top recipients included $620 for Delivering Change, and $580 for both the Friends of Animals and the Luke David Memorial Scholarship Fund.
The first place finisher in the 5K was Samuel Kotei, Fort Riley, in 16:59.79. The top female finisher was Susan Kanoui, Fort Riley, in 18:55.86. Master’s category champions included Alex Murray, Fort Riley for the men in 19:18.53 and Alice Stuckey for the women in 24:33.85.
Cool weather and a light rain greeted the runners on Saturday morning.
Cash prizes and trophies were presented to the top finishers during a ceremony at the conclusion of the 5K event which started and ended at Geary Community Hospital. After the event was completed more donations were till expected to be received.
Heather Oentrich, current Assistant Principal at Fort Riley Middle school will take over for retiring principal, Joe Handlos on August 3.
Oentrich has been an assistant principal at Fort Riley Middle School since 2011. Prior to that she served as a FRMS science teacher for eight years. She received her Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education in 2002 and her Master of Science in Educational Leadership in 2007.
While at Fort Riley Middle School Oentrich has facilitated a variety of professional development opportunities in order to improve instruction. Current principal Joe Handlos stated, “After 38 years at Fort Riley Middle School, I am extremely invested in this building and care deeply about its success. I’m confident that Mrs. Oentrich will embrace this opportunity and lead Fort Riley Middle School in a manner which will prepare its students to succeed in the future.”
“Heather Oentrich ahs been instrumental to the success at FRMS. Her innovative approach and ability to work well with others will serve her well in her role as principal, ” stated Dr. Beth Hudson USD 475 Associated Superintendent.
For the fifth time in seven years, Fort Riley has earned a Chief of Staff of the Army Combined Logistics Excellence award. The Logistics Readiness Center at Fort Riley has been named No. 1 in the “All-Army Installation” category for the continental United States.
According to an internal Army memo, Fort Riley has provided the Army and the nation with “first-class support. Your selection…is an achievement that should make you rightfully proud. Your selection indicates that you are the best in the Army. The outstanding logistics program resident in your organization has significantly improved readiness. Keep up these outstanding efforts and continue to excel.”
Kansas Senator Jerry Moran posted his congratulations on Facebook: “the recognition is well-deserved and yet again demonstrates the ‘Big Red One’s incredible capability to deploy quickly anywhere in the world.”
Fort Riley prides itself on its ability to reach the “global fight” faster than any peer Army installation. With its location in the center of the U.S., access to the Union Pacific main rail-line and three nearby airfields available for simultaneous use, soldiers and equipment can get to any coast and deploy quickly when called for duty.
Geary County Treasurer Kathy Tremont says second half real and personal property taxes are due May 10. After that date interest will accrue daily, and will be added to the tax.
There are options available to make payments.
1. A person can come to the Geary County Office Building at 8th & Franklin. Tax payments can be made during the hours of 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. A drop box is also located outside of the office if one chooses, and a receipt will be mailed when indicated. The box is located on the south side of the building.
2. Payment can be mailed to the Geary County Treasurer, 200 E. 8th St., Junction City, KS 66441.
3. Online payments, go to www.kansastreasurers.org.
Rebekah Helget has been named the new ESS Director for USD 475 Schools beginning August 3. She will succeed Katina Brenn who has been selected as the new Superintendent of Schools in Colby.
Helget received her Bachelor of Science degree from Kansas Wesleyan in Salina in 1998, her M.S. in Special Education at Emporia State University in 2003, an M.S. in Building Leadership & Administration at Fort Hays State in 2013.
Her most recent position was as Special Education director for USD 320 Special Services Cooperative – Wamego Schools for the past three years. Prior to that she was the Central Kansas Cooperative Autism Consultant for three years. She is actively involved in the Kansas Association of Special Education Administrators, and will be the President of the organization during the 2015-16 school year.
Geary County Research and Extension along with members of Geary county 4-H Club’s put on the annual Third Grade Ag Day Friday at the Geary County 4-H/Senior Citizens building and Fairgrounds.
Ginger Kopfer, Extensions Agent explained that Ag Day provides them the opportunity to teach younger kids about where their food comes and the importance of agriculture.
“I think it’s good for them to know that we have all of these cattle producers and sheep producers and everything all across the state, as well as, people who produce crops and then they eat all of those things from the grocery store,” said Kopfer.
Over 700 third graders from all across Geary USD 475 participated in the annual event.
Robert M. Edsel, Founder and Chairman of the Monuments Men Foundation for the Preservation of Art, will be the keynote speaker at the Victory in Europe ( VE-Day ) 70th Anniversary Commemoration marking the end of World War II in Europe. The program is set for May 8, 7 p.m. at the Eisenhower Presidential Library Visitors Center Auditorium.
Edsel is the number one New York Times bestselling author of three non-fiction books, Saving Italy: the Race to Rescue a Nation’s Treasures from the Nazis, Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History, and “rescuing Da Vinci. A film based on Edsel’s book, The Monuments Men, directed by and starring Academy Award winner George Clooney, was released in February 2014.
Edsel’s remarks will provide perspective on the lessons learned about the preservation of cultural treasures during World War II under the leadership of Supreme Allied Commander Dwight D. Eisenhower. He will also discuss the challenges confronting us today as we bear witness to the destruction of cultural treasurers in Syria and Iraq by the Islamic State.
In addition, Edsel will unveil a major initiative to engage the public in the hunt for some of the hundreds of thousands of works of art and other cultural treasures still missing since World War II.