Geary Community Hospital will host a silent auction December 17th through 4 p.m. December 21st to benefit Junction City – Geary County United Way. Items will need to be paid for and picked up by December 24th.
If you would like to donate items or services contact the United Way office at 238-2117. Donated items are due by December 14th.
Silent auctions items will range from four 2019 Royals tickets a $350 gift certificate donated by Junction City Tattoo. other items will include a gift certificate to TymeOut Lounge, a one night’s stay at the Marriott, decorative office supply tower, and dog / cat gift baskets donated by Dorothy’s Pet Shop.
The United Way fundraising goal for the current campaign is $140,000. The current fundraising total is $50,579.26.
The JCNAZ Church will host their 18th annual Christmas Meal on Christmas Day, December 25th from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p-m.
This is a free event, open to the public. If you are in need of a ride, are homebound and need a delivery, orworking that day and would like a meal delivered to you contact the Church Office at 785-762-4402.
The Church is located at 1025 South Washington Street.
Officers with the Junction City Police Department executed a search warrant Wednesday at 1313 Johnson Drive.
The JCPD reported that William Hedgecock, 64, Junction City was arrested on suspicion of nine counts of Child Exploitation, and one count each of Possession of Methamphetamine, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and Animal Cruelty.
Junction City Public Works has announced that there has been a water main break on Sunshine Court. Customers may experience periods of low water pressure or no water due to the break.
They estimate repairs can be completed sometime Thursday afternoon.
MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Officials are making plans to restore the main Kansas State University library after a blaze caused extensive smoke and water damage.
Students were invited Tuesday to offer input on the renderings of the inside of Hale Library. The building was undergoing renovations in May when a fire broke out. Plans calls for renovating all four floors of the building.
The renderings call for an innovation lab on the first and second floors, connected by a staircase, expanded athlete tutoring space in the Student Success Center and new classroom spaces scattered throughout the building.
The dean of libraries, Lori Goetsch, says the biggest change students can expect is the innovation lab and maker space. Those areas will be full of virtual reality and artificial intelligence equipment.
The Central National Bank has presented a check for $29,065.56 to the United Way of Junction City – Geary County in support of their 2019 Campaign. Central National Bank staff spend the month of October raising funds for United Way.
“The staff at Central National Bank is very fortunate to work for an organization that strongly supports volunteering and fundraising efforts. We enjoy coming together and planning activities such as bake sales, a silent auction and bingo contests. And, as usual, we also have the opportunity to serve meals to community members who come out to eat and help contribute to our goals,” said Lindsey Snider, Commercial Loan Officer and captain of the United Way team at Central National Bank.
This is the twelfth year in a row that Central National Bank has been named a Platinum Pacesetter, a designation given to organizations who raise over $15,000 in funds for the campaign.
“As a community bank, we recognize the importance of giving back to our community,” said Robert Munson, Central National Bank, Junction City President. “Each year I am so pleased at the tremendous job that our staff does with the United Way campaign here at Central National Bank, Junction City. This year’s campaign total of $29,065.56 was an all-time record total for our internal campaign; our staff did an amazing job! While the bank itself makes a corporate donation, most of the total funds raised is directly attributable to the efforts and generosity of our staff, either from their contributions through our staff payroll deduction program, or from the special activities and events held during our internal United Way campaign.
The team who led the bank efforts this year consisted of Lindsey Snider, Scott Rock, Andrew Haynes, Joel Poole, Pam Dickmann, Amanda Rolfs, Paul Waters, Danielle Christensen and Crystal Sinnard.
The second of three finalists for the superintendent’s job in Geary USD 475, Dr. Paul Gordon, answered questions from the public during a forum Wednesday evening at Junction City Middle School.
Gordon said he is a standards based person but there is great value for educators to learn from one another. He noted when everybody is doing something different it’s hard to be on the same team. “So I’m a big believer in consistencies, especially when you think about some of the transitional nature of some of our students in their lives. We need to be really cognizant of that and making sure that we have that consistency there for our students.”
Shootings have occurred in different schools across the country in recent years. Gordon made it clear he does not favor arming teachers or staff to help deal with that type of crisis. “I don’t believe in it. It makes no sense to me that I would ask a teacher to carry a gun.”
Gordon believes in policy governance, and there are certain things that the Board of Education is responsible for. “Holding up that vision, holding up the policies that support this district, really making sure that they’re ones voting on the budget, that they’re the ones signing off on the personnel. ” Gordon added he also believes in staff work and there’s a line separating Board and staff work. “I’m not somebody who micromanages my employees because I believe in people.”
Gordon stated he doesn’t micromanage so he doesn’t want to be micromanaged. He wants to be held to standards and outcomes.”I’ll achieve those standards and outcomes. Board has one employee, that’s the superintendent. It’s really important there’s only one employee for the board. Not hundreds, not principals, not teachers, not custodians. They have one employee and if I’m fortunate enough it’s me. ”
Gordon added he’s a true process person and if the Board stays at the governance level and his cabinet brings recommendations to the them he’s okay with the board saying yes or no. “Any board that I’m a part of we will bring our best, most thoughtful recommendations to them.” He stated there’s a clear delineation between his work and the work done by the school board. “The board has huge responsibilities and that’s enough to keep them engaged. They have to trust that their one employee is doing the work with everybody else in the organization.”
The third finalist, Dr. David McGeHee will meet with the public from 5:30 to 6:30 this evening at Junction City Middle School.
Shopko announced Wednesday plans to close 39 stores across the country, including six in Kansas, according to a media release.
The retailer with headquarters in Green Bay, WI., is closing the locations, most of them Shopko Hometown stores, after a liquidation sale.
The sale starts on Dec. 7. The stores are expected to close at the end of the February include locations in Russell, Phillipsburg, Larned, Clay Center, Lyons and Anthony.
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) – chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies – has commended the announcement of a $745,000 grant from the Economic Development Administration’s (EDA) 2018 Regional Innovation Strategies program competition awarded to Kansas State University. The funds will launch the Global Food Systems Economic Prosperity Accelerator.
“This grant will grow the knowledge-based food systems economy of Kansas, produce more university-industry partnerships and create jobs in the region,” said Sen Moran. “Through my chairmanship of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies, I’ve been a staunch supporter of EDA’s Regional Innovation Strategies program and have proposed increased resources for this program in our FY2019 appropriations bill. Additionally, I’ve advocated for this program in my bipartisan Startup Act, which would modernize and increase its annual authorization level. I extend my congratulations to all those working at K-State on securing this grant and my thanks for all their efforts to increase the sustainability of our global food supply, as well as the economic success of the Manhattan region. I look forward to continuing this important work in partnership with K-State and the community.”
“The EDA grant will enable K-State to continue to advance our research, education, and outreach in global food systems,” said Kansas State University Vice President for Research Dr. Peter K. Dorhout. “Our land-grant heritage and agriculture expertise makes K-State uniquely suited to address global food needs while engaging our key stakeholders and enabling economic growth for Kansas.”
The Regional Innovation Strategies program competition through EDA and the Department of Commerce awards grants that build regional capacity to translate innovations into jobs through proof-of-concept and commercialization assistance to innovators and entrepreneurs. With this $745,000 award, K-State will launch the Global Food Systems (GFS) Economic Prosperity Accelerator to grow the knowledge-based food systems economy of Kansas and address challenges impacting growing global food demand.
The Accelerator will focus on strategic capacity building, industry partnerships, business expansion and entrepreneurship to create knowledge-based jobs in the region, and ultimately, advance the productivity and economic growth of GFS sectors in Kansas. The project will engage with faculty, staff, students, and industry representatives to explore and establish mutually-beneficial partnerships and collaborative science advancement efforts. K-State anticipates that this project will establish over 400 university-industry partnerships, build or expand 48 companies in northeast Kansas, and create 700 jobs.
RILEY COUNTY— A Kansas girl has died from her injuries in an accident just before 5:30p.m. Tuesday in Riley County. Five others were injured.
One of the vehicles involved in the 3 vehicle Riley County crash -photo courtesy WIBW TV
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2005 Nissan Pathfinder driven by Lauren Renea VenMeter, 25, Manhattan, was stopped on eastbound U.S. 24 at the U.S. 77 Junction five miles north of Manhattan. The driver failed to yield to oncoming traffic.
A southbound 2016 Ford passenger vehicle driven by Darrell J.Thompson, 59, Wamego, struck the left side of the Nissan. The Ford then crossed the center line and struck the left side of a 2016 GMC Sierra driven by Mason Edward Miller, 64, Manhattan.
A 9-year-old girl in the Nissan was transported to a Wichita hospital where she died Wednesday, according to the KHP.
VanMeter and other passengers in the Nissan including one juvenile girl and two juvenile boys were transported to Via Christi in Manhattan.
One other juvenile girl was airlifted to KU Medical Center.
Thompson and Miller were properly restrained at the time of the accident and not injured. The KHP did not have complete seat belt usage details of the occupants in the Nissan.
The KHP no longer releases names of juveniles under the age of 14 involved in accidents.
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RILEY COUNTY— Six people were injured in an accident just before 5:30p.m. Tuesday in Riley County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2005 Nissan Pathfinder driven by Lauren Renea VenMeter, 25, Manhattan, was stopped on eastbound U.S. 24 at the U.S. 77 Junction. The driver failed to yield to oncoming traffic.
A southbound 2016 Ford passenger vehicle driven by Darrell J.Thompson, 59, Wamego, struck the left side of the Nissan. The Ford then crossed the center line and struck the left side of a 2016 GMC Sierra driven by Mason Edward Miller, 64, Manhattan.
VanMeter and passengers in the Nissan including one juvenile girl and two juvenile boys were transported to Via Christi in Manhattan.
Two additional passengers in the Nissan, a juvenile girl was transported to Stormont Vail in Topeka and another juvenile girl was airlifted to KU Medical Center.
Thompson and Miller were properly restrained at the time of the accident and not injured. The KHP did not have complete seat belt usage details of the occupants in the Nissan.
Geary Community Hospital will host a silent auction December 17th through 4 p.m. December 21st to benefit Junction City – Geary County United Way. Items will need to be paid for and picked up by December 24th.
