Wednesday into Wednesday night still has potential to bring severe weather to the region. There are uncertainties in this forecast, and many atmospheric details will play a large role in how the severe threat evolves. What we doknow is that the potential exists for one round of strong to severe storms in the morning…mainly in southern parts of the forecast area. This round of storms, if it develops, will play a large role in how another round of storms evolves by mid to late afternoon. With the afternoon and evening storms, be prepared for very large hail, damaging winds, and tornadoes if any of these storms impact your area. Keep an eye on the latest forecast for this evolving weather situation.

Today: Patchy fog in the morning. Cloudy with a 50 percent chance of thunderstorms. Highs around 69. East winds 5 to 10 mph.

Tonight: Mostly cloudy with a 50 percent chance of thunderstorms. Lows around 52. Southeast winds 5 to 10 mph shifting to the southwest 10 to 15 mph after midnight. Gusts up to 25 mph.

Thursday: Breezy. Mostly cloudy. A 20 percent chance of showers in the morning. Highs around 62. West winds 10 to 20 mph shifting to the northwest 20 to 25 mph in the afternoon.

Thursday Night: Colder. Mostly clear. Lows in the mid 30s. West winds 5 to 10 mph. Gusts up to 30 mph in the evening.

Friday: Sunny. Highs in the mid 60s. West winds up to 5 mph.

Friday Night: Partly cloudy. Lows in the lower 40s.

Saturday: Partly sunny with a 20 percent chance of thunderstorms. Highs around 70.

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

Sunday Through Monday: Mostly cloudy with a 40 percent chance of thunderstorms. Highs in the lower 70s. Lows in the lower 50s.

Monday Night: Partly cloudy with a 30 percent chance of thunderstorms. Lows in the upper 40s.

Tuesday: Mostly sunny with a 20 percent chance of thunderstorms. Highs in the mid 70s.

 

GEARY COUNTY

Junction City Commission (FINAL)

(Elect 3)

(Elect 4)

Tom Brungardt 904
Anwar Khoury 909
Ferrell Miller 929
Kimberly Milleson 1,008

Grandview Plaza City Council (All 3 will be elected) (FINAL)

(Elect 3)

Honey Grant 30
Robert Rodney Jr. 24
Gary Sacher 31

Milford City Council (All 3 will be elected)  (FINAL)

( Elect 3 )

Dennis Bolte 27
William Draper 25
William Noveroske 26

DICKINSON COUNTY

Chapman City Council (FINAL)

(Elect 3)

Mike Brown 127
Lenora Fleck 116
Tim Jury 188 – WINNER
Luan Sparks 180 – WINNER
Lee Wolf 153 – WINNER

USD 473 Board of Education

District Three Position 1 (FINAL)

Mitch Langvardt 892

District Three Position 2 (FINAL)

Judd Liebau 817

District Three Position 3 (FINAL)

Brian Rock 499 – WINNER
Rodney Anderson 483

At Large Position 7 (FINAL)

Kevin Harris 449
Todd Frieze 599 – WINNER

CLAY COUNTY

USD 379 Board of Education (FINAL)

Position 1

John Reardon 447
Andy Contreras 732 – WINNER

Clay Center City Council

Mayor (FINAL)

James Thatcher, Jr. 675 – WINNER
Butch Hess 250

Third Ward Position 2 (FINAL)

Daton Hess 97
Patrick “Mike” Ramsey 112 – WINNER

Wakefield City Council

Mayor (FINAL)

Jeffery Riffel 123 – WINNER
Audie McMurtrey 8

City Council Position 1 (FINAL)

James ( Dwight ) Tilley 77 – WINNER
Paula Krueger 27

City Council Position 2 (FINAL)

Shara Boman 46 – WINNER
Kasey McMurtrey 19

RILEY COUNTY

Manhattan City Commission (FINAL)

(Elect 3)

Mike Dodson 2,306 – WINNER
Jerred McKee 1,349
Wynn Butler 2,088 – WINNER
Linda Morse 2,643 – WINNER
John Ball 1,717
Kaleb James 917

USD 383 School Board (Manhattan, KS)(Elect 4) (FINAL)

Nicholas Dyer 1,560
Curt Herrman 2,849 – WINNER
Darell Edie 2,680 – WINNER
Leah Fliter 3,278 – WINNER
David Colburn 2,816 – WINNER

USD 378 Board of Education (Riley, KS) 

Position 1 (FINAL)

Position 3 (FINAL)

Dennis Tegtmeier 352
Randy O’Boyle 577 – WINNER

At Large Position (FINAL)

Jared Larson 667 – WINNER
Vinton Visser 40
Michael McCoy 227

Ogden City Council (FINAL)

(Elect 5)

Ed Burch 124
Felecia Zeedyk 41
Kenneth Carroll 81 – WINNER
Jim Arp 69 – WINNER
Brian Still 59 – WINNER
Roger Graham 60 – WINNER
Eladio Reid Jr. 103 – WINNER

Mayor (Will be elected) (FINAL)

Robert Pence 112

FORT RILEY, Kansas – Two battalions and one squadron assigned to the 4th
Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, are set to case their
colors in ceremonies this month at the post’s Cavalry Parade Field.

The casing ceremony for the “Black Lions” of the 1st Battalion, 28th
Infantry Regiment, is scheduled for 10 a.m., April 9.

The 1st Bn., 28th Inf. Regt., is being reorganized and assigned to
Headquarters, United States Army Forces Command, with a future standup date
to be determined.

Soldiers assigned to the 1st Bn., 28th Inf. Regt., earned the “Lions of the
Cantigny” moniker during the first American offensive operation of World War
I. Under the 1st Expeditionary Division – later to become the 1st Inf. Div.
– Soldiers of the 28th Inf. Regt. were the first American combat troops to
land in France. Known today as the Black Lions, the 1st Bn., 28th Inf.
Regt., has served with distinction throughout its history, most recently in
the Paktika Province in eastern Afghanistan during its support of Operation
Enduring Freedom 12-13.

The casing ceremony for the “Proud Americans” of the 2nd Battalion, 32nd
Field Artillery Regiment, is set for 10 a.m., April 10.

The battalion is reorganizing and will be assigned to the 1st Brigade Combat
Team, 101st Airborne Division, at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, in June.

The 32nd FA Regt. was constituted at Camp Meade, Maryland, in 1918. The 2nd
Bn., although existing off and on in its history, has participated in World
War II, Vietnam and the Global War on Terrorism.

The casing ceremony for the “Quarterhorse” troopers of 1st Squadron, 4th
Cavalry Regiment, is set for 10 a.m., April 15.

The 1st Sqdn., 4th Cav. Regt., will be reorganized on Fort Riley. The 4th
Sqdn., 4th Cav. Regt. will be re-designated as the 1st Sqdn., 4th Cav.
Regt., 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Inf. Div.

The 4th Cav. Regt.’s lineage began on March 3, 1885, at Jefferson Barracks,
Missouri. The regiment’s first mission was to maintain security on the
Western Frontier, which its troopers continued for more than half of a
century. The squadron’s most recent combat deployment was from 2012-2013 to
the Paktika Province of Afghanistan.

These battalions and squadron stood up in January 2006 when the 4th IBCT was
activated at Fort Riley. The brigade’s colors were cased April 2 during a
ceremony on Cavalry Parade Field ahead of the “Dragon” brigade’s June
inactivation. The inactivation was first announced in July 2013 and was part
of the Army’s ongoing restructuring process.

A casing ceremony for the 4th IBCT’s 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment,
is set for May 1; Special Troops Battalion for May 12 and the 701st Brigade
Support Battalion for June 2.

Pat Landes, Phyllis Fitzgerald, and James Sands had the top three totals in the Junction City Commission election. Landes and Fitzgerald were elected to four-year terms on the commission, while Sands was elected to a two-year term.

Pat Landes is excited about returning to another four-year term on the governing body. “You learn so much when you get on here, and we’ve done so many good things. It’s very rewarding to see those seeds that you planted really starting to grow.”

For Fitzgerald, this will be her first term on the city commission. “I feel fantastic, and I can’t wait to start working that job of being a city commissioner.

James Sands said he wanted to continue the job he has been doing. ‘I’ve only continued to get better. It may not be seen by everyone, but by me getting better makes the City better and that’s my whole number one priority, is make our city better but it’s going to cost. And we have to understand that it’s going to cost, but we’re on the right track. ”

The vote totals in the city commission race were: Pat Landes 772, Phyllis Fitzgerald 762, James Sands 682, David Alexander 246, George Marcus 178, Scott Johnson 172, Tyler Dupy 166, and Heinrich Biggs 88.  The percentage of registered voters that went to the polls was calculated by the Geary County Clerk’s Office at 9.78 percent.

The Junction City Area Chamber of Commerce has issued a reminder that it’s time to make your reservations for the Military Affairs Council breakfast. It is scheduled April 23 at Riley’s Conference Center at Fort Riley. Colonel John Reynolds, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, will be the guest speaker.

According to the Chamber because of the access control changes at Fort Riley, reservations are important. The deadline to register for the breakfast is Friday, April 17 at 5 p.m. If you do not hold a DOD ID or Access Pass you are being asked by the Chamber to register by that date to gain event access, and have access to the post through the Henry Gate. If you already hold a DOD ID / Pass, please RSVP as well for an accurate food count.

Cost of the breakfast is $12 per person, payable by check or cash at the door, or prior to the event at the Chamber Office. Breakfast begins at 7:30 a.m.

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

Gregory Miller, 58,  is the new economic development director for Junction City and Geary County.

Miller’s hiring was approved at a Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors meeting Tuesday.

Miller, a native of Wisconsin, is coming to Junction City from Ironton, Missouri, a community about 90 miles southwest of St. Louis.

On the attraction to the Junction City job Miller said it’s a strong board and the city has many amenities. that can be leveraged into being a job producing area. “Plus the Fort Riley there, it’s a great asset. They’ve got their foundation set. They’ve got infrastructure set. I think the key is that the Board, at least from talking to the board, interviewing with the Board, that they’re ready to take the community to a next level, which means they embrace change. That’s important.”

The head of the search committee and Chamber Board member, Ty Arneson, said Miller has experience in communities the size of Junction City, and a lot of experience in marketing. “When we talked to him he pointed out a lot of the good points of Junction City.”

Chamber Board Chair Mark Ediger, said thought Miller was “a very common sense person.” Ediger noted Miller understands what the city and county have to offer, and is excited about it. “I think in the interview he was very down to earth.”

Miller will begin work in Junction City May 4.

All the details about this years Smoky Hill River Festival at Oakdale Park in Salina were released Tuesday morning.

With just over two months until the festival you may want to begin planning your food menu now as there will be 33 food vendors on site for the four day festival.

“We have Cajun chicken on a stick, the popular Indian tacos, and of course a lot of fun drinks like ices and lemonades,” said Kay Quinn, Media Relations Coordinator. “We have several kinds of ice cream, one is homemade right on site. I think some of the newer vendors will include maybe a new type of cooked ear of corn, the garlic chicken burritos and the rib eye steak sandwiches.”

The festival is open to all types of age groups and does feature a children’s area called Artyopolis where kids can participate in arts and craft activities.

“In Creation Crossing, which is our big craft tent this year, they will make a tote bag, they’ll do scratch art on color cards and make a whirligig which is one of those cool things you can put out the car window.”

All projects are made to be safe and are safe for all kids from toddlers on up.

Other Artyopolis activities include the Paintchoo Plaza, where free face painting is provided by Big Brothers Big Sisters of Salina, Game Street will have pay to play games including some favorites of years past as well as new and exciting additions.

This years musical entertainment features a number of bands from across the country as well as local bands from across Kansas.

Brad Anderson, Entertainment Coordinator explained that this years performers offer up a wide variety of music and entertainment.

“We have a group called Jakubi that is on a United States tour from Australia. They do everything from sing hip-hop to a more contemporary rock type sounds,” said Anderson. “We have the Boxley Brothers from Kansas City and we have The Band of Heathens, an Austin (Texas) based good old southern rock band that is coming up to play a set on each stage on Friday and they will be our Saturday night closer”

Other bands include Twelve Against Nature who is the Friday night headliner, the Bon Ton Soul Accordion Band who is the Sunday closer, along with the Acoustic Eidolon, David Basse Orchestra and Beto and the Fairlanes.

The Festival will also feature it’s three art shows featuring about 130 artists from all across the nation.

The Four Rivers Craft Show that runs June 12-14th, will feature artists who work in folk art, leather, clothing, metal, herbal/soaps, basketry, wood, and fiber.

The Fine Art Show that runs Saturday and Sunday will feature exhibitors who offer gallery-quality original work in ceramics, fiber, jewelry, painting, drawing, graphics/printmaking, sculpture, photography and more.

“We have over 30 states represented this year in the lineup for the fine art and fine craft show,” said Grace Peterson, Visual Arts Coordinator. “We have a large application pool which are jury chose, so they have to apply to get in.”

Admission buttons for the festival go on sale May 1st and are $10 in advance, $15 at the gate, children 11 and under are free. Buttons are good for the entire weekend. You can purchase your button as well as find any additional information at www.riverfestival.com.

There should be an ATM near the front entrance of the Geary County Office Building at some point in the future.

 

County Commissioners confirmed they have given County Treasurer Kathy Tremont authorization to proceed with installing an ATM in the building.

Chairman Ben Bennett stated, “It will be at the front door, and so she will be making arrangements to have that taken care of in the near future. ”

Why is an ATM needed at the Geary County Office Building?

Bennett replied, “The biggest reason is that the VIN inspectors that are here can’t take credit cards and they don’t have the facilities to do that. People have to go out and get money to do that. ” Now there will be an ATM to meet that need, with Bennett also noting that the VIN inspectors don’t take checks either.

The progress on the new Junction City High School drug testing policy has been updated for school district leaders including the Board of Education.

The update showed that 113 students participating in extracurricular activities have been randomly tested and only four tests came back positive.

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Corbin Witt said, “We hope that we get to the point where there’s zero positives. We just have to keep working and continue to educate students, and hopefully we’ll be to the point where there’s no positive results.”

JCHS Principal Melissa Sharp feels there has been some positives that have occurred as a result of the drug testing policy. “I think the educational component that we’re mandated to visit with parents at orientation, parent meetings, band meetings, debate meetings that we try to strike at the conversation with parents and their students so that we can all team together to help students make better choices.”