The Junction City Brigade needs host families for the upcoming summer.

The summer collegiate team begins play on May 31st. Brigade Board Member Jeff Underhill is seeking host family help. “Our host families have been used over the past four or five years. They just kind of want to take a break. So we’re looking for some new host families and people willing to open their homes up and let the players come stay with them for a couple of months.”

Host family responsibilities can include some meals and laundry. The Brigade baseball season runs through July.

The Junction City Community Band has had two practices to prepare for their June concerts. There will be five concerts this year and five or six program slots for the June 30 concert. If the public wants to request a favorite march or other musical selectiion, notify Band Director Vic Wong and he’ll determine if your request can be accomodated.

The Community Band will also perform on Memorial Day, May 27th at 10:02 a.m.

Ten JCHS students earned their IRS Certificates for volunteering their time preparing tax returns at JCHS this year.

Back Row: Aaron Reutzel, Caleb Baer, Migel Gonzalez, Jonah Peters, Morgan Goodwin

Front Row: Alexus Messer, Conor Rom, Aungoli Boykin, Jonathan Bell

Not Pictured: Jaylynne Lechuga

Photo supplied by Junction City High School

A group of local citizens gathered at noon in front of the C.L. Hoover Opera House on West 7th to celebrate the completion of repairs to the clock and the bell in the tower of the building.

The bell tolled 12 times at noon. Opera House Co-Director Joe Markley said Friends of the Opera House and other people attended the celebration. The bell tolls on the hour during the day, but is off at night.

Markley said as part of the project the clock faces were removed and cleaned. “The black was all repainted. All the works driving the hands are brand new in there as well as the digital machinery that drives it. We also connected the bell which hasn’t worked for decades at least, depending on who you talk to.”

The entire $26,750 cost of the project was paid by donors to the project.

As of Monday Geary County had received delinquent tax payments totaling $756,542.50.

The numbers were provided by Geary County Commission Chair Charles Stimatze during the commission’s weekly press briefing.

Stimatze estimated a tax sale on properties where delinquent taxes are still owed could be held in the September time frame.

The Junction City Fire Department will continue hydrant testing from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday in the northeast corridor of the city. . The hydrants will be tested to ensure they’re operable and able to produce the required water pressure when needed to supply water for firefighting purposes.

Because the testing must be done during normal operating hours, it is impossible to know in advance just where or when exactly the testing will take place in any specific area.

Opening hydrants can sometimes cause a temporary discoloration of water in nearby homes. The discoloration is not harmful in any way and can be cleared up by running the water for a few minutes.

This kind of testing not only ensures the protection of Junction City residents, but is also an evaluation indicator used by the Insurance Services Organization which rates cities according to the fire protection they offer.

There is a Red Cross blood drive under way at Fort Riley Tuesday and Wednesday. It is scheduled until 3 p.m. today ( Tuesday ) at the In Processing, Building 208 and from 9-3 on Wednesday at Division Headquarters, Building 580.

There will also be a blood drive in Junction City next week on Tuesday and Wednesday, May 21st and 22nd at the Junction City Municipal Building. The hours on the 21st will be 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on the 22nd from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m.

Both drives will offer $5 Amazon E-Gift cards to everyone who comes in to donate.

Call 1-800-RedCross or visit www.redcrossblood.org to make a blood donation appointment.