We have a brand new updated website! Click here to check it out!

Category: Local

New Principal Named at Junction City Middle School

Posted on

Heather Oentrich, who has been serving as principal at Fort Riley Middle School.  has been named the new Junction City Middle School Principal. The Executive Director of Personnel Services for USD 475, Mona Manley, said Oentrich will begin her work at City Middle School on July 1.

Oentrich received her Bachelor’s Degree from Kansas State University in Education (2002) and her Master’s Degree from KSU in Educational Leadership (2007). She began her career in 2002 as an 8th Grade Science Teacher at  Fort Riley Middle School, and then moved to teach 7th Grade Science at Lakewood Middle School in Salina from 2008-2009. Oentrich returned to USD 475 to teach 7th Grade Science at Fort Riley Middle School from 2009-2011, and was then named the Assistant Principal at FRMS in 2011. She held that position until she was named the Fort Riley Middle School Principal in 2015.

Oentrich was a Member of the USD #475 Professional Leadership Academy (PELA)  from 2005-2007. She has presented at many local, regional and national conferences, and is a member of a variety of district level committees and task forces. She is a resident of Junction City, her husband Brad is a contractor, and they have three children, Ava, Grady, and Eliot who attend Geary County Schools.

Heather shared that she is “so excited to work with the students, staff and families of JCMS!”

Oentrich will succeed Mary Wright in the principal’s position at Junction City Middle School. The USD 475 Board of Education this week approved a motion to have Wright reassigned, but left it up to the school district administration to determine where Wright will be reassigned.

USD 475 will advertise the vacancy in the principal’s position at Fort Riley Middle School.

KU extends borrowing privileges to ‘Cats after K-State library fire

Posted on

MANHATTAN — Officials say Kansas State University’s Hale Library suffered significant damage during a fire.

Hundreds of thousands of books, journals, maps and other items were exposed to soot in the Hale Library fire. They won’t be available for the foreseeable future.
And so … our friends at KU Libraries are extending borrowing privileges to the K-State Family-photo courtesy K-State Libraries

Library dean Lori Goetsch said the university has contracted with an international disaster recovery business to restore the library following the May 22 blaze.

Goetsch says the library has extensive water and smoke damage. The fire was contained to the building’s roof, but hundreds of thousands of gallons of water were used to control the blaze.

The library also contained the university’s data center, and work remains to get the system fully back online.

Goetsch says about 250 library staff and students will be moved to temporary offices until repair work is complete.

Insurance adjusters will need about a month to assess the damage. It’s unclear when the library will reopen.

In the interim, KU Libraries extended borrowing privileges to the K-State Family, according to the K-State Libraries Facebook page. Wildcats simply need to visit one of their Lawrence campus library locations and use a Wildcat ID to check out materials.

-The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Community Band Concert Popular

Posted on
Memorial day performance by the band.

The next Junction City Community Band Concert will be Sunday evening at 7 p.m. at the C.L. Hoover Opera House.

According to Band Director Vic Wong, during the concert held last Sunday night attendance totaled about 200 people, which was the largest attendance ever for a community band summer concert.

During this weekend’s event the concert will feature directors and soloists from the 1st Infantry Division Band. There is no admission charge for the Band’s concerts.

ATA Bus Update

Posted on

There will be a change for riders of the public bus transportation service, ATA Bus, who will be traveling back and forth between Junction City and Manhattan.

According to Geary County Commission Chairman Charles Stimatze, the change will begin in August. “Instead of Junction City going to Manhattan to drop people off they’ll be taking them to Ogden and dropping off. ” Service will also be provided from Manhattan to Ogden as the other half of that arrangement.

Stimatze reported on a feature impacting Junction City High School students. “”She told us about a partnership with the school starting in August that all Junction City High School students will be able to use the (ATA )  bus with their pass, which will ride it for free. ” Stimatze added as long as they have a school ID the students will be able to ride the bus for free.

The Commission received an update Monday from ATA Bus Director Anne Smith.

Change of Command Scheduled at Fort Riley

Posted on

FORT RILEY, Kan. – The “Big Red One” will bid farewell to its senior leader
and welcome the newest commanding general to the 1st Infantry Division in a
Change of Command ceremony at 10 a.m. June 8 on Fort Riley’s Cavalry Parade
Field.

Maj. Gen. Joseph M. Martin assumed command of the 1st Inf. Div. in October
2016 and shortly thereafter deployed with the Big Red One headquarters to
Iraq, where the division took command of the Combined Joint Forces Land
Component Command – Operation Inherent Resolve in November 2016. While
deployed, the division headquarters provided command and control of
Coalition troops training, advising and assisting Iraqi Security Forces.

During that time, 1.8 million people were liberated in Mosul, Iraq, which
had been under ISIS control since June 2014. While the headquarters was
deployed, more than 350,000 children returned to school in Mosul, 320
schools reopened and 195,000 internally displaced persons returned to their
homes in Iraq’s second-largest city. Under the 1st Inf. Div.’s leadership,
30,000 Iraqi Security Forces Soldiers were trained.

The division’s next commanding general will be Maj. Gen. John S. Kolasheski.
Kolasheski most recently served as deputy chief of staff, G-3/5/7, for the
U.S. Army Forces Command at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He previously served
with the 1st Inf. Div. as the division’s deputy commanding general for
maneuver from June 2015 to May 2016, and in various positions with the
division from July 2001 to May 2005.

Civilian Dies on Post

Posted on

Fort Riley officials have reported that a civilian died Sunday on the installation.

Santos Hernandez was taken to Irwin Army Community Hospital and was declared deceased at 4:15 p.m. June 3rd by an Irwin Army Community Hospital doctor. Special agents from the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command are investigating Hernandez’s death. No foul play is suspected at this time.

Hernandez is the father in law of a 1st Infantry Division Soldier.

Kansas man dies after thrown from motorcycle

Posted on

CLAY COUNTY — A Kansas man died in an accident just before 8p.m. Monday in Clay County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2008 Harley Davidson motorcycle driven by Gary D. Riekeman, 60, Abilene, was Southbound on Kansas 15 eleven miles south of Clay Center.

The driver lost control of the motorcycle. It left the roadway to the west ditch and the driver was thrown from the bike.

Riekeman was pronounced dead at the scene and transported to Neal Swensen Funeral Home. He was not wearing a helmet, according to the KHP.

Dr. Beth Hudson Named Interim USD 475 Superintendent of Schools

Posted on

It’s a role in which she has some familiarity.

For the third time in recent years the Associate Superintendent of Schools for Geary USD 475, Dr. Beth Hudson, will serve as the Interim Superintendent of Schools.

The Board of Education approved a motion on a 6-0 vote authorizing the appointment of Hudson due to the short term disability of Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Corbin Witt. He has been dealing with a health related issue.

Hudson served as Interim Superintendent on two prior occasions when then Superintendent Ron Walker and later Witt were required to be absent while recovering from health related problems.

Hudson and USD 475 Board of Education President Tom Brungardt will be guests on the JC Now program at 7:20 and 7:48 a.m. Tuesday on 1420 KJCK AM. They will be able to discuss the action that occurred at the Monday night Board of Education meeting.

Board of Education Makes Decision on City Middle School Principal’s Status

Posted on

The longtime principal at Junction City Middle School, Mary Wright, will no longer be assigned at City Middle School. She will be reassigned as determined by the school district administration.

The Geary USD 475 Board of Education made that decision Monday evening. After a one hour and 15-minute executive session they voted 6-0 to approve a motion to have Wright reassigned. A small audience of members of the public including family members waited through the executive session to find out the decision by the Board. Wright has been on administrative leave.

Board President Tom Brungardt confirmed Wright will remain employed, but she won’t be the principal at the ( City ) Middle School. ” All decisions like that are tough. They don’t come easily. That’s why we spend a lot of time talking about it in executive session.”

 

 

 

Copyright Eagle Radio | FCC Public Files | EEO Public File