Patchy drizzle is possible this morning, otherwise expect highs to reach the 70s under mostly cloudy skies. There is a slight chance for thunderstorms late this evening across locations near Marysville to Holton, Lawrence, andOttawa. Any storms that develop may produce hail up to the size of a quarter. Severe Weather is still anticipated late Wednesday afternoon and Evening. While most of northeast Kansas is not guaranteed severe storms, areas shaded in yellow have a risk for severe storms to develop and produce large hail, damaging winds, and a few tornadoes. Stay weather aware this week as details become more certain.

Hazardous Weather Outlook

Today: Cloudy in the morning then becoming mostly sunny. Patchy drizzle in the morning. Highs around 77. South winds 10 to 15 mph with gusts to around 25 mph.

Tonight: Partly cloudy in the evening then becoming mostly cloudy. A 20 percent chance of showers. Lows around 59. Southeast winds 5 to 10 mph.

Tuesday: Mostly sunny. A 20 percent chance of thunderstorms in the morning. Highs around 71. Southwest winds 5 to 10 mph shifting to the northwest in the afternoon.

Tuesday Night: Cooler. Partly cloudy in the evening then becoming mostly cloudy. Lows in the upper 40s. Northeast winds around 10 mph.

Wednesday: Mostly cloudy with a 50 percent chance of thunderstorms. Highs in the upper 60s. East winds 10 to 15 mph with gusts to around 25 mph.

Wednesday Night: Mostly cloudy with thunderstorms likely. Lows in the mid 50s. Chance of rain 60 percent.

Thursday: Mostly sunny with a 30 percent chance of thunderstorms. Highs in the lower 70s.

Thursday Night: Colder. Partly cloudy with a 20 percent chance of thunderstorms. Lows around 40.

Friday: Cooler. Mostly sunny. Highs in the lower 60s.

Friday Night: Mostly clear. Lows in the upper 30s.

Saturday: Mostly sunny. Highs in the upper 60s.

Saturday Night: Not as cool. Mostly cloudy with a 30 percent chance of thunderstorms. Lows in the upper 40s.

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

 

City and school board elections are Tuesday.

In Junction City the contested race involves the city commission where seven candidates are vying for three seats on the governing body.

The candidates include Pat Landes, Heinrich Biggs, Phyllis Fitzgerald, George Marcus, James Sands, Tyler Dupy, and David Alexander.

Scott Johnson’s name will be on the ballot, even though he recently announced he was withdrawing from the race.

Polls will be open Tuesday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

KJCK AM, The Talk of JC, and JC Post will provide election night returns.

The gap between revenues and expenses  in the proposed fiscal year 2016 budget for Kansas  could be in the vicinity of $650  to $657 million dollar range.

That was a rough estimate by legislators during a Chamber of Commerce legislative coffee in Junction City on Saturday.

State Representative Tom Moxley noted a large hole remains in the spending plan, leaving three options. They would include spending cuts, revenue increase, or a blend of both.

State Senator Jeff Longbine does not feel a proposed cigarette and alcohol tax will pass this year. He also noted that $350 million has been transferred out of the Kansas Department of Transportation into the General Fund, but  that’s not sustainable in the future.

State Senator Tom Hawk reported that Kansas State University took some cuts, but some of those may be restored, and said input doesn’t seem to matter in this legislature. Hawk added that bothers him.

State Representative Lonnie Clark said he voted no on the proposed budget and on the school block

grant funding proposal.   Longbine indicated he feels the courts will rule the school block grant unconstitutional.

The Legislature is currently on spring break. The budget and school finance issues are not yet resolved.

The Geary County Historical Society will open the gates of the Spring Valley Historical Site to the public during the annual Celebrating Past Times event April 25 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.   The site is located at the corner of K-18 Highway and Spring Valley Road.  Admission will be free.

The Commanding General’s Mounted Color Guard from Fort Riley will set up a cavalry encampment exhibit.

There will be an open house as well, from 10 a.m. until noon that day at the St. Joseph Catholic Church and Cemetery off McDowell Creek Road south of Interstate 70, and a classic car show on the Historical Museum grounds at Sixth and Adams Streets in Junction City from 1-4 p.m. Sunday, April 26. Visitor admission to both is free.

During the open house at the Spring Valley Historical Site on the 25th there will be docents and programs in the one-room school house, one-room log cabin and the Wetzel Cabin. Demonstators will show how basket-making, spinning, and wood splitting were done, how early farm tools were used, and how historic children’s games were played.

Food and drinks will be available for a nominal price at the Spring Valley site, and during the car show.

Junction City police have reported drug related arrests in separate cases.

They included:

–Brianna Barker, 20, and Emanuel Stevens, 20, both of Junction City, on suspicion of Endangering a Child, Possession of Marijuana, and Minor in Possession of Alcohol. They were arrested on Friday at the Knight’s Inn at 1024 South Washington Street after police responeed for a report of alleged narcotics activity.

–Emily Gail Hoffman, 18, Camden, Tennessee, on suspicion of Possession of Marijuana and Other Hallucinogenic Drugs, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Minor in Possession of Alcohol, and Transport of an Open Container.  Hoffman was arrested just after 3 a.m. Saturday at 300 West 8th Street.

 

It’s a concern at this point.

Will a school finance block grant bill that locks in funding for school districts for two years be implemented? If USD 475 received less or no federal miltitary impact aid funding during that time could the school district still  have to turn over funds to the State as they do now under impact aid requirements in Kansas?

Those are unanswered questions at this point, but school district officials are having to take that into account in their future financial planning.

Superintendent Dr. Corbin Witt reported on Saturday that the federal government caught up on back impact aid payments owed this year. “We got more money this year than we normally have received. “The state gets 70 percent of that money and the district keeps the remaining 30 percent to educate military impacted students.

When the state took 70 percent of those funds this year ( approximately $10.4 million out of $15.9 million received by the school district  )  they informed USD 475  that’s the total they’re locking  in for the next two years.

Witt said, “The state, though,  since they’ve  locked it in has said that they’re taking that no matter what. So if your impact aid goes back to what it normally has done ( in the $12.5 to $13.1 million range ) then we’re no longer taking 70 percent, we’re taking 85 or 90 percent.”  Witt added, “If we get a huge cut and we get less than $10 million, they’re still going to take ten million. So essentially our district would have to pay the state because we didn’t get impact aid funds.”

Witt noted the District has to be proactive and have plans in place for how they would would deal with that, “and just pray that cooler heads will prevail, and there will be something that comes out that helps us to avoid that.”

It is possible the school block grant funding plan will not be implemented at all , if it is overruled in court. There is a May 7 court hearing in Shawnee County dealing with the block grant system. A ruling is expected to come out later at a later date.

The block grant system was proposed for two years, while the current Kansas school finance formula is being rewritten.

South to southwest winds will increase Saturday and further Sunday and provide near to above normal temperatures. Humidity levels will be on the low side Saturday afternoon to create very high to extreme fire dangerconditions, with somewhat higher humidity likely keeping conditions slightly less volatile Sunday afternoon despite stronger wind speeds.

Today: Sunny. Highs around 65. Southwest winds 5 to 15 mph shifting to the south 15 to 20 mph in the afternoon.

Tonight: Mostly clear. Lows around 42. South winds 10 to 15 mph. Gusts up to 30 mph after midnight.

Sunday: Breezy. Mostly sunny. Highs around 70. South winds 15 to 25 mph.

Sunday Night: Partly cloudy in the evening…then mostly cloudy with a 20 percent chance of thunderstorms after midnight. Lows around 50. South winds 10 to 15 mph.

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

Monday Night: Partly cloudy in the evening then becoming mostly cloudy. A 30 percent chance of thunderstorms. Lows in the mid 50s.

Tuesday: Mostly sunny with a 30 percent chance of thunderstorms. Highs around 70.

Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy in the evening then becoming mostly cloudy. A 20 percent chance of thunderstorms. Lows in the mid 40s.

Wednesday And Wednesday Night: Mostly cloudy. A 40 percent chance of thunderstorms. Highs in the upper 60s. Lows around 50.

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

Thursday Night: Mostly cloudy with a 40 percent chance of showers. Lows in the mid 40s.

Friday: Partly sunny with a 20 percent chance of showers. Highs in the mid 60s.

DARLENE SUPERVILLE, Associated Press

HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah (AP) — President Barack Obama is announcing a new initiative to help job-seeking military veterans and the environment at the same time.

The Energy and Defense departments are extending to a total of 10 military bases nationwide a pilot program that teaches exiting service members how to install solar panels.

Hill Air Force Base in Utah, where Obama made the announcement Friday, is one of the 10.

The Energy Department is also pledging to train 75,000 people, including veterans, for jobs in the fast-growing solar industry by 2020.

That’s an update from a goal of 50,000 workers the department set last May.

Obama says veterans make good employees.

Three outstanding Geary County 4-H members have recently been selected to receive scholarships available through the Geary County 4-H program.  The recipients were selected based on involvement in the 4-H program and outstanding leadership and citizenship shown to 4-H, school, and the community.  Kyler Langvardt from the Blue Line 4-H Club and Marissa Muto from the Humboldt 4-H Club were selected as recipients of the $1,000 Ray and Nellie Smith 4-H Scholarship.  Katharine Kellogg was selected as the recipient of the $800 Paul B. and Clara B. Gwin 4-H Scholarship.  Langvardt is the son of Mitch and Jenna Langvardt, Muto is the daughter of Mark and Resia Muto, and Kellogg is the daughter of Scott and Noel Kellogg.

 

Ginger Kopfer

Geary County Extension Agent

4-H Youth Development

 

MANHATTAN – The Kansas Department of Labor and the city of Manhattan have completed an initial investigation into the death of a city water services employee in February.

William Albert Wiske, 30, Wamego, was repairing a water main at the intersection of Scenic Drive and Fossilridge when a trench — approximately 9 feet deep, 12 feet wide and 14 feet long — collapsed on him.

Based upon interviews, a review of emergency personnel reports and personal observations, Kansas Department of Labor concluded adequate safety precautions were not in place at the time of the accident.

After the finding, the city revoked certifications of two employees, according to the report.

The report also indicated the city was obligated to cover $5,000 for funeral expenses, but elected to cover all expenses.

The city and Kansas Department of Labor continue to look at a number of potential corrective actions.