Junction City High School social studies teacher Reina Cruz ( center in photo ) has been named the recipient of the Sanford Teacher Award for Kansas from the National University System. She received a $10,000 cash prize and will be considered for the national prize of $50,000. ( Photo courtesy of Reina Cruz Facebook page )
This Saturday, December 8th, there will be a Santa’s helpers Workshop from 1-3 p.m. at the 12th Street Community Center. This activity is for children 3-10 years of age. Those 6 and under must be accompanied by an adult.
The children can go on a shopping spree for their loved ones. This is where they will be able to choose a gift item that isn’t complete until after they add more creativity to it.
The crafting items will range anywhere from $2 to $5. Children will complete their projects and get it wrapped for free before they go home. Parental supervision is recommended but not required or those who are 7 and older.
Many of the craft projects will involve paint so children should be dressed accordingly.
Geary County Schools’ third Superintendent candidate, Dr. David McGehee, will be available at the Junction City Middle School, 700 Wildcat Lane, Junction City, Kansas 66441, on Thursday, December 6, 2018, from 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM for a meet and greet.
Dr. David McGehee has more than 30 years of experience serving education. His ability to foster continuous improvement and focus on consensus building aimed at meeting the needs of each student are hallmarks of his successful career in education.
It is his unwavering emphasis on meeting the needs of each child and unwillingness to settle for the success of the majority that has resulted in Dr. McGehee’s proven track record in education. His experience in educational leadership includes a combined 18 years as superintendent in the Sparta School District (650 students), the Raymore-Peculiar School District (6,000 students), and the Lee’s Summit School District (18,000 students).
Prior to serving as superintendent, Dr. McGehee was a classroom teacher (8 years) and a high school principal (3 years). He has worked with school districts for the past 2 years as an education consultant assisting schools in ways to improve practices that lead to more efficient operations and new revenue sources.
Under Dr. McGehee’s leadership, his advocacy for students and encouragement of innovative practices earned him the Missouri New Superintendent of the Year in 2000 and the Missouri Superintendent of the Year in 2013. Other accolades include being named one of the “Fifty Faces of Head Start” (2005) and an “Icon of Education” (2016) by Ingram’s Magazine. He co-founded the nationally acclaimed Missouri Innovation Campus, which was proclaimed a “model for the nation” by the President of the United States.
Dr. McGehee earned his bachelor’s degree from Missouri Valley College, both a master’s degree and specialist degree from Missouri State University, and his doctorate from St. Louis University. He has two daughters, Laura who is a senior at the University of Arkansas and Megan, a graduate of Stanford University and in her last year at UMKC School of Law.
The other finalists for the superintendent’s position are Dr. Reginald Eggleston and Dr. Paul Gordon.
By Dewey Terrill
JC Post
The first of three finalists for the superintendent’s position in Geary USD 475, Dr. Reginald Eggleston, met with the public Tuesday evening at Junction City Middle School.
A superintendent has many responsibilities. Eggleston was asked how he would engage with individual schools, staff, families and students. He responded by saying he has to be visible and in the schools. “My last position in Mobile ( Alabama ), I was an area superintendent. I supervised 29 schools and evaluated all 29 principals. I was in all of my schools at least once a month. And the reason why I was in there is because when people say things about the school the only way I’m going to know it’s true or not is that I’ve been in the school.”
Eggleston wants to put a focus on all students. He wants to bring collaboration to the process. “Will allow all of the members of the community to be involved. I think we have to be concerned with the military community because based on what I’ve read 60% of our students have some association to the military. But we also want to make sure that the 40% of students who live here in Junction City and the surrounding area feel that they are a part of the district and that they have a voice as well.”
The second of three finalists for the superintendent’s position, Dr. Paul Gordon, will meet the public Wednesday night and respond to questions from 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. at Junction City Middle School.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers office at Milford Lake will be closed on Wednesday for the federal holiday in honor of the late President George H.W. Bush.
The Corps office will reopen on Thursday.
The Corps also reported that they were able to begin releasing 1,000 cubic feet of water per second from Milford Lake on Tuesday. They are hoping to release 3,000 cfs on Thursday and 5,000 cfs on Friday, but that is tentative at this point.
Administrative offices at Fort Riley will be closed on Wednesday, Dec. 5, in observance of the National Day of Mourning for President George H. W. Bush declared by President Trump in an Executive Order.Irwin Army Community Hospital, along with medical and dental clinics on post will keep all patient appointments, as scheduled. The Warrior Zone will be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Fitness centers will operate on holiday hours, as follows: Craig Fitness Center remains 24 hour; Leonard Physical Fitness Center 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Long Physical Fitness Center 8 a.m.-4 p.m.; King Physical Fitness Center 8 a.m. – 8 p.m.; Robinson Physical Fitness Center noon – 7 p.m.; and Whitside Physical Fitness Center 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
Riley’s Conference Center, Custer Hill Bowling Center, Outdoor Recreation and Leisure Travel will be closed. Facilities that will be open during their normal hours include the commissary, post exchange stores, the USO Fort Riley and Corvias.
MANHATTAN —Law enforcement authorities investigating a shooting that injured a teenager believe it was accidental.
Just after 4:15p. Tuesday, the Riley County Police Department Dispatch Center received a 911 call from the 7500 block of Crooked Creek road indicating a 16-year-old girl had suffered a non-life threatening gunshot wound.
Police have released no additional details.
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MANHATTAN —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting that injured a teenager.
Just after 4:15p. Tuesday, the Riley County Police Department Dispatch Center received a 911 call from the 7500 block of Crooked Creek road indicating a 16-year-old girl had suffered a non-life threatening gunshot wound.
Police have released no additional details.
MANHATTAN — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a hit and run accident and have identified the driver who left the scene.
Just after 5:15 p.m. November 30. the Riley County Police Department responded to a vehicle vs. pedestrian accident near the intersection of Hunting and Denison, according to a media release.
The pedestrian, Susan Keller, 61, of Manhattan, was seriously injured. The vehicle involved left the scene.
Investigators have located the vehicle involved in the accident and would like to speak to the registered owner, Hassan Rueda, 23, of Manhattan.
Anyone with information on Rueda’s whereabouts, please contact the Riley County Police Department at (785) 537-2112 or Crime Stoppers at (785) 539-7777. Using the Crime Stoppers service allows you to remain anonymous and could qualify you for a cash reward of up to $1,000.00
The Geary County Children’s Choir is working to raise funds for the members of the choir to go on a four-day performance tour in St. Louis. A total of $30,000 is needed to finance the trip. They are half way toward their goal and continue seeking opportunities to raise money and awareness of their program.
According to the Fundraising Chair for the choir, Cristiana Lake they are hosting a chili feed on Wednesday at the Eagles Lodge in Junction City. Tickets are a suggested donation of $5. That will include chili, a cinnamon roll, cornbread and drinks. There will be a raffle for a handmade quilt made by the mother of a choir member plus some paintings from GEM Studios.
Those who want to give the gift of warmth this season will be welcome to make a donation to the Cap and Mitten Tree at the Dorothy Bramlage Public Library.
This has become a library tradition. You can donate never-worn homemade or purchased winter hats, gloves, mittens and scarves for grade school-aged children. The items will be distributed to local elementary schools to ensure that their students make it to and from school with warm heads and hands.
Donations to the Cap and Mitten Tree are being accepted now and will continue through January 16th. they can be made any time during regular library hours, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, 1-5 p.m.
