Another beautiful and mild spring day is in store for the region as mostly sunny skies prevail with highs in the mid 70s. While temperatures will remain in the 70s to low 80s for the next week, there will be slight chances for somescattered showers and thunderstorms Fri. through Sat. night with better chances for more widespread thunderstorms expected Sun. night through Wednesday.

Today: Sunny. Highs around 75. East winds 5 to 10 mph.

Tonight: Mostly clear. Lows around 48. Southeast winds 5 to 10 mph.

Friday: Partly sunny. Slight chance of showers and isolated thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs around 74. South winds 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.

Friday Night: Mostly cloudy with a 30 percent chance of thunderstorms. Lows in the mid 50s. South winds 5 to 10 mph.

Saturday: Partly sunny. A 20 percent chance of thunderstorms in the morning. Highs around 80. South winds 10 to 15 mph with gusts to around 25 mph.

Saturday Night And Sunday: Partly cloudy. Lows in the lower 60s. Highs in the lower 80s.

Sunday Night And Monday: Mostly cloudy with a 50 percent chance of thunderstorms. Lows in the lower 60s. Highs in the upper 70s.

Monday Night: Thunderstorms likely. Lows in the upper 50s. Chance of rain 60 percent.

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

Tuesday Night: Thunderstorms likely. Lows in the upper 50s. Chance of rain 60 percent.

Wednesday: Thunderstorms likely. Highs in the mid 70s. Chance of rain 60 percent.

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas group tasked with preparing a plan to increase locally grown food production plans to get together this week.

The Kansas Department of Agriculture says in a press release that the Local Food and Farm Task Force it has scheduled a public meeting at 9 a.m. on May 8. It is meeting at the Kansas State Capitol in Room 142S.

The group was established in the 2014 session of the Kansas Legislature.

Its purpose is to prepare a plan containing policy and funding recommendations to boost local foods.

BRETT ZONGKER, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Kansas Sen. Pat Roberts has been elected chairman of the commission working to build a memorial honoring President Dwight D. Eisenhower near the National Mall.

Roberts, a Republican from Eisenhower’s home state, was elected Wednesday during a meeting of the Eisenhower Memorial Commission at the Capitol. California Democratic Rep. Mike Thompson was elected vice chairman.
Former chairman Rocco Siciliano led the effort for 15 years and oversaw hiring Frank Gehry as the designer.

Now it falls to Roberts to build support to complete the memorial. The project has been delayed for years over objections to the design by Eisenhower’s family and some groups.

Roberts says it hasn’t been easy to advance the project. But he says Eisenhower never stopped in the face of adversity and the commission won’t either.

Crews began preparing the future site of a Walmart Neighborhood Market Wednesday in Junction City.

The site is located on the southeast corner of Highway 77 and McFarland Road. The proposed 41,000 square-foot Neighborhood Market will include a pharmacy and fueling station.

On April 30th, 2014, Jerry Hinson, Campaign Director, told the Junction City Chamber of Commerce that he felt a Capital Campaign held in Junction City had the potential to raise between $1 million and $1.2 million in investments within a years time.

Fast forward a year later and the Campaign has raised $1.12 million worth of investments over the next five years.

“I can tell you today we’ve done what we said we were going to do, to this point in time,” said Hinson.

Even though the formal part of the campaign is complete and Hinson will be leaving after Thursday, work is still being done on the campaign.

“On May 5th the investors will elect the board. That board will be the group that on a fairly routine basis moves this thing forward.”

The board will be responsible for deciding how the money raised during the campaign can be used. They will also continue to target other potential investors in hopes of exceeding $1.2 million.

About two dozen single soldiers traveled from Fort Riley to Bandera, Texas, in mid-march to hone their leadership, mentoring, and resiliency skills. But it wasn’t a military directed exercise. It was voluntary trip led by the Better Opportunity for Single Soldiers, or B.O.S.S. program.

The group spend a weekend at the Rancho Cortez “Cowboy Fitness Ranch” with activities ranging from horseback riding and roping contests to a campfire. Their first day at the ranch the group was up early for a 7 a.m. workout, which was followed by a healthy eating demonstration, a yoga class, water aerobics, high-intensity interval training and a mind-body class.

The Cortez Ranch is known for offering visitors a range of programs that revolve around moving, fueling the body.  The B.O.S.S. participants chose the location and the program as part of an Army-wide initiative aimed at growing soldier leaders.

“The Life Skills Training Events are part of a new pilot program within B.O.S.S.,” said Sgt. Adam Hughes, Department of the Army B.O.S.S. Representative at Installation Management Command in San Antonio. “This is not a free trip or recreation event, it’s quite simply a leadership and mentoring program designed to give soldiers skills that they can use the rest of their lives. It ties in nicely with the Army’s Soldier for Life principles.”

If the B.O.S.S. program succeeds–it’s currently being tested across 18 Army installations–it could be expanded. Single soldiers at other posts have opted to engage in life skills programs like auto skills training, wilderness survival skills classes and basic cooking courses. According to Hughes, the possibilities are endless.

In what has become an annual pilgrimmage of sorts, the public is invited to the post-wide yard sale May 9 from 8 a.m. to noon at Fort Riley.

The Army said due to new access control procedures, visitors are reminded to prepare for and follow these instructions:

–During this special event, visitors may enter Fort Riley without stopping at the Visitor Control Center.

–All vehicles with a visitor ( any occupant who dos not have a Department of Defense ID card or Fort Riley access badge or pass ) must enter through Henry Gate, Exit 301 of Interstate 70.

–All visitors 16 years or older must have a government-issued photo ID ( driver’s license, state ID card, passport ) or DoD credentials. No exceptions are granted.

–Visitors must inform the gate guards of the reason for their visit.

–Drivers entering Fort Riley must have a valid vehicle registration and proof of insurance and be prepared to show to law enforcement if requested.

–All vehicles entering Fort Riley may be subject to a random vehicle search upon entering the installation.

Little Apple Toyota of Manhattan will honor the teaching profession by giving away a brand new Toyota Yaris to a local teacher.  The date is May 5.

Any Kansas certified full time teacher at a public or private school system building in either Riley, Geary, Pottawatomie, Clay, or Wabaunsee counties can attend and enter to win.

Following a reception to honor the teachers and their profession, one name will be drawn to win the car.

The car giveaway will take place on National Teachers Day. The deadline to register is 6 p.m. on May 5, and the drawing will take place at 6:30 p.m.

For further details and to pre-register contact the dealership at 2828 Amherst Avenue in Manhattan. The telephone numbers are 785-539-7441 or 800-365-0017. Email is www.littleapplecars.com.  Jim Gaidos is the general manager of Little Apple Toyota.

On Tuesday May 12, Geary USD 475 will celebrate more than 240 years of service to education during the 2015 Retirement Recognition Ceremony.

The annual event will be held in the auditorium of the Junction City Middle School.

Participants in the ceremony will include:

–Carol Arjona, Director of Secondary Education

–Donald Haffner, District Hearing Officer

–Louise Jahnke, English IV Teacher & Department Chair at Junction City High School

–Margaret Kilpatrick, Academic Resource Teacher at Junction City Middle School

–Jorja Poppe, Library Clerk at Eisenhower Elementary School

–Connie Ronnebaum, Physical Education Teacher at Custer Hill and Ware Elementary Schools

–Patti Smith, 1st Grade Teacher at Jefferson Elementary School

In all, 17 employees of USD 475 will be retiring at the conclusion of this school year.

Junction City police worked multiple accidents on I-70 near the 296 exit on the south side of the city Wednesday morning.

Police Chief Tim Brown reported that about 7:20 a.m. authorities responded to the 296 eastbound exit of I-70 for an accident involving a pickup truck and semi-truck. The pickup ran into the rear end of the semi.

“The accident caused the exit 296 eastbound to be closed. The driver of the pickup truck was taken to the hospital and treated for minor injuries.”

A short time later there was another nearby accident on the interstate.

“A second vehicle attempting a lane change, eastbound I-70, was struck from behind causing a pileup involving four more vehicles. EMS was still on scene at that time and quickly checked out all the occupants involved, and no injuries reported at this time. Two of the vehicles involved in that accident were towed from the scene.” Brown added information received from the drivers indicated that inattentive driving and glare from the sun may have contributed to the accident.

Brown noted I-70 was closed for about 10 minutes until vehicles were removed, and there was only single lane traffic during that period.

Names of those involved in the accidents are not yet available.