POTTAWATOMIE COUNTY— A Kansas man avoided injury during a rough landing just after 11:30 a.m. Sunday in Pottawatomie County
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1972 Bellanca single-engine airplane piloted by Robert Davies, 57, Wamego, was airborne and attempting a landing at the city of Wamego airport.
The landing gear did not come down. The pilot was forced to make a belly landing. He was not injured.
RILEY COUNTY — A Kansas man died in an accident just before 4a.m. Sunday in Riley County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2013 Jeep Wrangler driven by Cyrus A. Renfrow, 23, Greenwood, SC, was eastbound on Interstate 70 just east of the Deep Creek Road exit in the left lane.
The jeep hit Matthew J. Bailey, 21, Mayetta, who had walked into the roadway. Bailey was pronounced dead at the scene and transported to Yorgensen-Meloan-Londeen in Manhattan. Renfrow and a passenger were not injured.
The accident investigation closed eastbound lanes of the Interstate between Kansas 177 in Geary County and Kansas 99 in Wabaunsee County for several hours Sunday morning, according to the Kansas Department of Transportation.
DICKINSON COUNTY — One person was injured in an accident just after 8:30p.m. in Dickinson County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1982 Harley Davidson motorcycle driven by Jeffrey Lee Underhill, 57, Junction City, was eastbound on Old 40 Highway three miles east of Chapman. The rider failed to negotiate a curve, entered the south ditch and crashed.
Underhill was transported to Wesley Medical Center. He was not wearing helmet, according to the KHP.
A check with the family revealed Underhill will recover from his injuries. He is the father of Junction City Commissioner Jeff Underhill.
Junction City – Geary County United Way has announced that they will run their annual Stuff the Bus Program July 14th through August 3rd.
More than 74% of Geary County public school students come from low-income families who often struggle to provide the supplies they need in school. United Way will gather school supplies to help send children back to school equipped to learn.
You can donate school supplies or money to purchase supplies through this program. Supplies may be brought to collection points including Walmart at 521 East Chestnut and Dillons at 618 West 6th Street on Saturday’s July 14th and 28th from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. and to Walmart at 521 East Chestnut on Saturday’s July 21st and 28th during the same hours.
Supplies may also be brought to United Way, 139 East 8th Street. That office is open from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. Monday through Friday.
You can volunteer to help sort and / or deliver the donated school supplies. Contact the United Way at 238-2117 or director@united wayjcgc.org
The sorting and packing of supplies will begin on July 16th from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday’s at the United Way office. The delivery of supplies will occur Monday and Tuesday August 6-7 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. You will need the ability to access Fort Riley.
The new Junction City High School project will be on the agenda for the Metropolitan Planning Commission Thursday evening. There will be a public hearing on the request by USD 475 for a Special Use Permit to allow for a School on Property zoned “RM” Multi-family Residential District.
The new school site is located on a tract of land that has been acquired by the school district just west of Junction City and north of K-18 Highway.
The board meets at 5:15 p.m. Thursday at the Emergency Management Building, 236 East 8th Street.
The Junction City Rodeo will be July 20th and 21st, followed by the Geary County Free Fair July 23rd through the 26th.
The rodeo will be at the fairgrounds arena just off South Spring Valley Road on the west side of Junction City. Tickets are avialable at Orscheln’s Farm and Home Supply in Junction City, and at Country Floral & Gift in Junction City.
Advance tickets are $9 for adults and $4 for children. They will be $10 at the gate for adults and $5 for children.
Friday night, July 20th, will be Tough Enough to Wear Pink night at the rodeo.
There will also be a special needs rodeo on Saturday the 21st at 10 a.m.
Prior to the main fair schedule there are some pre-fair events on Thursday, July 19th at the 4-H / Senior Center building on South Spring Valley Road. The 4-H public revue will begin at 7 p.m. followed by the announcement of the 4-H king & queen.
There will be something new this year sponsored by the Geary County Free Fair Board. A Ranch Rodeo will be held on Friday, July 27th at 7 p.m. Teams of cowboys or cowgirls will compete in various ranch timed events. A portion of the proceeds will be put back into the fair’s fund to help with improvements and expenses for next year.
An update on the new Junction City High School project released by USD 475 this week reported that the District has received vouchers reflecting an incoming federal heavy impact aid payment of more than $1.3 million dollars.
The payout is higher than expected due to the federal release of a higher percentage than the traditional withold.
Once received the District will have nesarly $58 milliion of the targeted $67 million in federal heavy impact aid required for the new JCHS project. Officials believe the District will hit the fundraising target. The new high school will be financed by a combination of federal heavy impact aid and state aid.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas has expanded the number of counties classified as having a drought emergency so that nearly half are covered.
Gov. Jeff Colyer issued an executive order Friday listing 50 of the state’s 105 counties, including Geary, as having a drought emergency.
His new order replaces one in March listing 28 counties as having an emergency. That status allows counties to use water from some state fishing lakes and federal reservoirs.
The entire state is under some stage of drought.
The least serious stage is a drought watch. Under Colyer’s new order, that status applies to 28 counties, down from 48 in March.
Twenty-seven counties are covered by a drought warning, down from 29 in March.
Twelve counties jumped from a warning to an emergency, and 10 from a watch to an emergency.
MANHATTAN, KAN. – U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister will open the 2018 Human Trafficking Conference July 10 in Manhattan, Kan.
McAllister will speak at 8 a.m. Tuesday at the Manhattan Conference Center, 410 S. 3rd Street in Manhattan, to begin the two-day event. About 200 victim service providers, prosecutors, healthcare professionals, educators and law enforcement officers from across the state are registered to attend. The U.S. Attorney’s office is co-sponsoring the event with the Kansas Attorney General’s Office, the Riley County Attorney’s Office, the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center and the Wichita State Midwest Criminal Justice Institute.
“What we all have in common is our desire to prevent human trafficking, to prosecute traffickers and to help survivors reclaim their lives and their freedom,” McAllister said.
The keynote speaker on Tuesday morning will be Peter Qualliotine of King County, Washington, where he is director of Men’s Accountability, Organization for Prostitution Services. He will describe his work with men who buy sex in a 10-week sex-buyer intervention program called Stopping Sexual Exploitation: A Program for Men.
In a presentation on the federal response to human trafficking, speakers from the Human Trafficking Unit of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division will discuss working with trafficking victims.
There is a $50 charge to attend, but participants must register in advance. For more information, call Kim Reese at 316-617-2734.
UPDATE:
The water main break has been repaired, and service has been restored.
—
The Junction City Public Works Department has announced that customers will experience periods of low water pressure or no water in the Regency Trailor Park (948 Grant Ave.) due to a water main break. Repairs will take 4 – 6 hours.
The water main break was reported just after nine a.m. Friday.
