There was a concerted effort to beautify and restore the flower beds on Saturday downtown on Washington Street between 6th and 10th Streets.

City Commissioner Phyllis Fitzgerald credited volunteers with helping with the project, “Heidi Morgan and a bunch of her crew, and a bunch of my normal Saturday folks that help me volunteer. ” Flower beds were cleaned out, trimmed, weeds were pulled out, new mulch applied and some new flowers were put in place.

Amanda Rempe with Keller-Williams Hometown Professionals in Wichita called it Red Day. “That is a national thing that our whole entire franchise does where the agents in our company give back to the community that they serve.” Keller-Williams Hometown Professionals is a realty

Heidi Morgan, Robin Martino, Missy Blacketer and Alex Lewis were among agents helping with the project.

An annual tradition continued Saturday night in the Bradley Gym at St. Xavier School. Principal Shawn Augustine said the money all goes toward the school. “So anything that we need here at the school, even just ordinary operations of the school, anything that we need to do with repairs and continued improvements that’s what this all about tonight.” Augustine noted the auction typically raises close to $100,000.

One of the popular auction items was dinner with Father Kyle Berens.

Money was also raised to support lighting upgrades this summer in Buildings A and B, the facilities by the office and those running from the gym down to the preschool.

Numerous community members attend the auction. One of those was Theresa Gatza, who attends every year. “Kay, my sister-in-law always gets a table and invites family members, and it’s kind of a family affair that we do every year.”

City Manager Allen Dinkel noted he and his wife Paula are supporters of the school. He noted two of his daughters went to a parochial Catholic school in western Kansas and they want to give back. “I think it’s important because as city manager I see the need for having multiple education routes, and I think it’s great that we have a private school for those that want to use that route.”

Junction City firefighters responded to the 900 block of West 11th Street late Saturday morning for a fire which destroyed a mobile home, and caused some exposure damage to a second one.  There were no injuries.

A check with the Fire Department revealed the cause of the blaze is under investigation.

The Fire Department responded with three fire trucks, two ambulances and 12 firefighters. They were on scene for about two hours.

Approximately 35 people attended the information session on Rock Steady Boxing at the Junction City Athletic Training Center this past week.

The program is designed to help people with Parkinson’s Disease and is being brought to the Center by Meadowlark of Manhattan.

Rick Bazan with the Athletic Center, said the weekly sessions will involve a lot of circuit training with approximately 15 minutes of boxing. “It’s real boxing but we’re not punching each other. They’re learning the footwork, they’re learning the jabs, they’re learning punch combinations and it really gets the neurons firing in the brain.” Bazan noted people with Parkinson’s often have a problem with their gait, shuffling feet and stooped posture so it gets them to stand up straight.” He added it gets the participants moving better.

Those attending the information session were not only from Junction City, but from multiple communities. The weekly Rock Steady Boxing sessions will begin in late May, with one per week. Later that will increase to two times per week.

The annual auction to support Saint Xavier School is Saturday night at the Bradley Gym.

Doors open at 5 p.m. The cost of admission is $40, and that covers dinner drinks and an opportunity if you are 21 or over to bid on items.

A total of 170 items are listed for the live auction. They will range from a Kansas City Royals gift set and Texas Roadhouse Gift Card to a two-month family membership at the Family YMCA and a four-hour Boat Cruise for eight around Milford Lake.

Some of the other auction items include Dinner for eight with Father Kyle Berens, St. Xavier Catholic School Tuition for One Year and four rounds of golf and a cart at Great life Golf & Fitness.

This is the biggest fundraiser for the Saint Xavier School every year.

 

UPDATE:

U.S. 77 and Old Highway 77 northwest of Junction City reopened to traffic about 10:30 p.m. following an accident about 7 o’clock Friday evening. No one was injured, but traffic lights and three of four power poles that housed the lights and wiring for that intersection were knocked down by an oversized load that caught one of the overhead wires and pulled them all down. A semi-truck traveling northbound had been transporting a large generator.

Geary County Emergency Management Director Garry Berges said motorists coming off Old Highway 77, from Estes Gate at Fort Riley, will have a stop sign controlling that intersection for approximately the next 30 days until repairs are made. An entirely new system will have to be brought in.

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An oversize load involving the transport of a generator went through the intersection of U.S. 77 and Old 77 about 7 p.m., heading northbound. Geary County Emergency Management Director Garry Berges confirmed there was an accident. “Something caught the wires up above and pulled down and ripped out the traffic signals, and three of the four poles.” No one was injured, but traffic is being impacted.

Berges said the area is blocked off. “Anybody that wants to try to get north has to go around the face of the dam.” A west-side entrance to Fort Riley, Estes Gate, has been closed. “So they’ll need to find a different way….go in off of Washington Street, probably for the next three to four hours.”

Berges said a lot of wires and electrical wires are down so you should avoid the area. U.S. 77 in both directions from K-57 north to Old Milford Road, which is about a three-mile stretch of highway.

The Kansas Highway Patrol, Geary County Sheriff’s Department, Geary County Emergency Management and KDOT officials have responded to the site where the accident occurred.