The Junction City Police Department has announced via social media that beginning February 25th through March 8th that the JCPD will join other agencies in Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma with increased enforcement near high schools to raise awareness on roadway safety. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for teens ( 15-18 years old ) in the United States.

Officers will issue citations to any person who refuses to obey the traffic laws, whether it is for speeding, texting or failing to buckle up. Remind teens that driving is a privilege and encourage them to learn about the importance of driving safely.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The failing Payless ShoeSource chain will honor gift cards and store credit until March 11 as the company liquidates all operations.

The Topeka, Kansas, company, which filed for bankruptcy protection this week, will allow returns and exchanges of non-final sale items through the end of this month for goods bought before Feb. 17.

Payless said Wednesday that it received court approval to support the orderly closing of about 2,500 stores in the U.S., Puerto Rico and Canada, as well as its e-commerce business. It also received authorization to pay employee wages and benefits, as well as claims from critical vendors.

Retail operations outside of North America, including company-owned stores in Latin America, are separate entities and are not included in the bankruptcy filing.

On their Wednesday morning tour log report The Junction City Police Department has reported one injury accident at the intersection of U.S. 77 and Goldenbelt Boulevard,  and since 5:20 p.m. Tuesday three non-injury accidents.

—

Geary County Extension Agent Chuck Otte has reported that 2.1 inches of snow fell in Junction City.

The Peterson Farm Brothers Live program will be held on Friday, March 22nd at the C.L. Hoover Opera House. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. and feature an opportunity to meet and greet the performers before the show begins at 7:30 p.m.

The Director of the Dorothy Bramlage Public Library Susan Moyer said tickets for the program are available and new student pricing has been added. Individual adult tickets are $40 each, those for currently enrolled college students are $20 each and primary and secondary school student tickets are $10 each. Fifty dollar ticket packages featuring a $25 gift card to Munson’s Prime and one ticket to the performance are also still available.

In addition to in-store purchases at the library and restaurant, buyers will also soon be able to purchase tickets online from the library web page at 2www.jclib.org ( “New Make Payments Online” link ). Tickets for online purchases will be available for pick up from a will call table at the event. All tickets are general admission.

Tickets purchased for the original show date of January 18th will be honored for the March 22nd rescheduled date. The proceeds from all tickets purchases will constitute a tax deductible donation to the Reimagining Your Public Library building campaign.

Those with questions regarding the program can contact Susan Moyer at the library at 785-238-4311 or susanm@jclib.org.

RILEY COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect in connection with a 2017 murder case.

Just before 4p.m. Tuesday authorities in Texas arrested Samantha Bland, 29, of Laredo, TX , according to the Laredo Police Department and the Webb County Sheriff’s Office.

Bland was arrested on a Riley County District Court warrant for aggravated intimidation of a witness in connection with a report filed by the Riley County Police Department for murder in the 1st degree on October 28, 2017.

Bland was issued a total bond of $125,000.00 and remains in custody.

Early childhood education was up for the USD 475 Board of Education Monday evening.

Board President Tom Brungardt said it involved whether or not the district wants to expand their early childhood program or do a head start program. “From the discussion last night I think financially it would be better for us to do our own program rather than do Head Start for two reasons.

Brungardt stated, “Number one when we do our program it’s our curriculum. Head Start has a different curriculum than we do. The other thing is if it’s our curriculum and our program those students count toward heavy impact aid ( funding ).” Head Start students would not count toward that federal heavy impact aid.

No final action was taken by the Board Monday evening. But the early childhood program issue will be on their agenda in March.

The Geary USD 475 Board of Education has accepted the guaranteed maximum price of $3,497,000 for the earthwork at the site of the new Junction City High School project. BOE President Tom Brungardt explained the cost will include earthwork, erosion control, overhead expenses and supervision.”It’s a start. We’re going to start seeing some actual movement out there.”

The new high school will be located a site on the west side of Junction City, north of K-18 Highway.

Officials are hopeful the earthwork can begin in early March, weather permitting.

The Geary County Sheriff’s Department has reported that Deputies responded Monday at 7:49 a.m. to the intersection of Old Milford Road and Weaver for a single vehicle accident. Kathryn A. Matate, Milford, lost control of her 2013 Ford Explorer and struck mailboxes at 7323 and 7325 Old Milford Road. There were no injuries.

—

Deputies responded at 4:59 p.m.Saturday to I-70 mile marker 316 westbound for a single vehicle rollover accident. Trey Fink, Wilson, Kansas, was traveling westbound in his 2001 Ford Mustang when he hit a patch of ice, and lost control of the vehicle which went into a ditch where it overturned on its roof. Fink was attended to on scene by Junction City Fire and EMS. He did not report any injuries while on scene.

—

Deputies located a single vehicle non-injury accident on I-70 at mile marker 301 at 10:42 p.m. Saturday. Austin Hewitt, Junction City, was traveling east in a 2007 Ford Fusion when he lost control, hit a marker post and came to rest in the median.