The Geary County Sheriff’s Department has reported that a Junction City teen took Deputies on a vehicle pursuit through the city Saturday morning before bailing out of the pickup on foot, running into his residence and barricading himself in his room. The teen was later taken into custody.
At 7:07 a.m. the Sheriff’s Department received a call about an erratic driver traveling east on I-70 in a red pick-up that was all over the roadway and traveling up to 90 mph. A few minutes later Deputies located a vehicle matching the description in the roundabout on East Street and East Chestnut Street.
The vehicle circled the Walmart parking and then failed to stop at a stop sign before turning east on East Chestnut Street. The pick-up led Deputies on a pursuit through Junction City, north on U-S 77, then back through the city using various roads and alleys before coming to a stop in the 100 block of West 5th Street before the driver got out and fled on foot.
The teen ran into his residence in the 100 block of West 4th Street and barricaded himself in his room. Deputies with the assistance of the JCPD and the Kansas Highway Patrol set up a perimeter around the residence before later entering the residence where the teen surrendered to Deputies without incident.
The teen was arrested on suspicion of Felony Fleeing and Eluding by Engaging in Reckless Driving, Driving While Suspended, Obstruction of Legal Process, Failure to Stop at a Sign, Failure to Signal, Failure to Maintain Single Lane of Travel and Speeding.
The 5K Run / Walk “Run for THEIR Lives will be Saturday, Sept. 28 at 9 a.m. on the River Walk Trail on the north side of Junction City just off of Troop Drive. It is sponsored by the JC Pregnancy Center.
The entry fee is $30 before Sept. 27th and $35 day of the event. All participants will receive a free t-shirt.
Register online at register.chronotrack.com/r/53111.
The Geary County CVB Director Michelle Stimatze is on board with a proposal to establish a new Gastro Park in the 900 block of North Washington in downtown Junction City.
Stimatze noted that when long term groups such as contractors come into the city they want things to do. “Not only would it add a unique atmosphere to the downtown area, and I think we would defintely see some results from it.
Stimatze also sees the proposed project as a potential boost to the transient guest tax paid by visitors to the community using local lodging faciliies.
The Gastro Park proposed by business man Todd Godfrey would include a network of food trucks and shipping containers where food from different natonalities could be served. There would be outdoor seating and a stage for potential concerts.
The proposal was outlined for the Junction City Commission this past week. City staff will now investigate the idea to look at areas ranging from building codes to any noise issues.
The Junction City Blue Jays opened their 2019 football seaon with a 48-30 win over the Hays Indians in Hay.
Hays got on the scoreboard first to go up 7-0, but then the Blue Jays answered with three consecutive touchdowns on a one yard run by Russell Wilkey, 45-yard touchdown pass play from Andrew Khoury to Ethan Alcorn and another 12-yard touchdown pass play. Junction City never trailed again in the ballgame.
Chris Randolph turned in a big game for Junction City with two touchdown runs and multiple tackles on special teams.
The Blue Jays did struggle at times inside the Hays 20-yard line, failing on three possessions to put the ball in the end zone.
Junction City will host Washburn Rural next Friday night. The Junior Blues lost their opening game to Emporia 17-6.
Sec. of State Pompeo arrives in Manhattan Friday morning photo courtesy U.S. State Dept.
MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — The Latest on U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s Friday lecture in Manhattan, Kansas (all times local):
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo didn’t address speculation that he will run for an open Senate seat next year during a college lecture he gave in his home state of Kansas.
Pompeo’s speech Friday at Kansas State University came with three Democrats and four Republicans already actively running. Republican Sen. Pat Roberts is not seeking reelection.
Weeks after Pompeo said a run is “off the table,” though, he is still looming over the race, as only he has enough name recognition and support among Kansas conservatives to afford to wait until next June’s filing deadline to decide.
If he does run, Pompeo would enter the race as the favorite.
Pompeo’s speech didn’t touch on his political ambitions but instead focused on a pet project: refocusing American diplomacy on the promotion of core human rights.
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By JOHN HANNA
MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Many attending U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s college lecture Friday in his home state of Kansas will be listening for clues about whether he might run for the Senate next year, though it could be many months before anyone finds out.
Sec. of State Mike Pompeo with North Korean Leader Kim Jung Un in May of 2018 -photo courtesy White House
Three Democrats and four Republicans are already actively running for the seat held by Republican Sen. Pat Roberts, who isn’t seeking a fifth term, and several others are expected to join them. Weeks after Pompeo said a run is “off the table,” though, he is still creating a buzz and looming over the race, as only he has enough name recognition and support among Kansas conservatives to afford to wait until next June’s filing deadline to decide.
If he does run, Pompeo would enter the race as the favorite.
“It’s the Pompeo decision, and then everything else trickles down,” said Joe Kildea, a vice president for the conservative interest group Club for Growth.
Other candidates don’t have the luxury of waiting and the field is likely to grow even bigger, with GOP Rep. Roger Marshall of western Kansas expected to announce his candidacy Saturday at the state fair.
Pompeo isn’t expected to directly address the speculation about his interest in running during his speech Friday at Kansas State University, but that hasn’t stopped others from suggesting he’s the person for the job. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell identified Pompeo as his preferred candidate shortly after Roberts announced in January that he wasn’t seeking re-election.
The GOP hasn’t lost a Senate race in Kansas since 1932, but many Republicans worry about a repeat of the governor’s race last year. Kris Kobach, a nationally known advocate of tough immigration policies, narrowly won a crowded primary, alienated moderates and lost to Democrat Laura Kelly. He launched his Senate campaign in July.
For Kobach’s GOP detractors, Pompeo would solve their perceived problems. His entry would likely clear most of the Republican field, and GOP leaders believe Pompeo would have no trouble winning in November 2020, making it easier for Republicans to retain their Senate majority.
And WDAF-TV reports that Kansas’ other senator, Republican Jerry Moran, told reporters Wednesday at a Kansas City-area event that he doesn’t know Pompeo’s current thinking, “but I wouldn’t be surprised if he entered that race.”
Fellow Republicans concede that Pompeo, a former congressman and CIA director, has reasons not to run, including the prestige that comes with being the nation’s top diplomat. He’s currently dealing with weighty issues such as new sanctions on Iran from the Trump administration, a tariff war with China and questions about whether hopes for nuclear talks with North Korea are fading.
“I think he can’t say that he’s wanting to run for Senate now,” said Tim Shallenburger, a former two-term state treasurer and Kansas Republican Party chairman. “He’s got to wait, and I think he can afford to wait.”
Kobach, who served as Kansas’ secretary of state but first built his national profile on immigration issues, has argued that as a Senate nominee, he’d benefit from the higher turnout that normally comes with a presidential election year and a greater focus on issues such as immigration. Some local Republican leaders agree and feel less anxious about Kobach possibly winning the nomination.
Other GOP candidates include Kansas Senate President Susan Wagle, Dave Lindstrom, a Kansas City-area businessman and former Kansas City Chiefs player, and Bryan Pruitt, a conservative gay commentator. Also, Marshall has been flirting with running for months, and other potential Republican candidates include Alan Cobb, president and CEO of the Kansas Chamber of Commerce, and Matt Schlapp, the American Conservative Union’s president.
The Democratic candidates with active campaigns are former federal prosecutor Barry Grissom, and former Rep. Nancy Boyda and Usha Reddi, a city commissioner in the northeast Kansas city of Manhattan.
Don Alexander, a manufacturing firm owner who is the GOP chairman in Neosho County in southeastern Kansas, said it’s early to be trying to size up the race, almost 11 months before the August 2020 primary. He said he and other Republicans trust Pompeo to “know where he’s needed most.”
“I’m sure the president doesn’t want him to leave,” said Helen Van Etten, a Republican National Committee member from Topeka.
But Van Etten said comments from Pompeo that he’ll stay on as secretary of state as long as Trump will have him leave an “open door” for a Senate bid.
Some Republicans, such as Alexander, take Pompeo at his word that he won’t run. Others, including Shallenburger, read Pompeo’s statements as meaning he isn’t interested right now but that he may reconsider if he doesn’t like how the race develops.
“He can announce on the filing deadline and cause most of the people in there to get out,” Shallenburger said
The JC Breakfast Optimist Club donated $300.00 to Geary County Girls Softball on September 4. Presenting the check on the left is Don Manley, President of the JC Breakfast Optimist Club and Jeff Childs, with the Geary County Girls Softball, holding the check on the right.
Acting Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthy talked to the students and teachers at Seitz Elementary School during a visit on Thursday.
He said the kids are happy. “They like being here. They like their teachers. You could just feel it in the hallways.” McCarthy stated it’s difficult to quantify. “But when you see the teachers are excited, the facilities are clean, they’re well resourced, that’s what our Army families deserve.”
( All photos provided courtesy of Joshua Ferguson, USD 475 )
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will present the first Landon Lecture of the school year at Kansas State University on Friday. He will speak at 10:30 a.m. in McCain Auditorium.
The lecture is free and open to the public. Security measures will require that all of those attending pass through metal detectors when entering McCain Auditorium. The clear bag policy used at K-State sporting evens will be in effect for the lecture.
Doors to the auditorium will open at 9:30 a.m. Due to the additional security measures for the lecture, all the attendees are asked to allot sufficient time to be seated by 10:20 a.m.
Pompeo became the nation’s 70th secretary of state on April 26, 2018. He is a former three-term congressman for the 4th District in Kansas.
Geary County Convention and Visitor’s Bureau will be manning booths at the State Fair beginning Friday and continuing through the to the end of the Fair on September 15.
They will be promoting Geary County and Fort Riley attractions.
The Geary County Sheriff’s Department has reported that a Junction City teen took Deputies on a vehicle pursuit through the city Saturday morning before bailing out of the pickup on foot, running into his residence and barricading himself in his room. The teen was later taken into custody.
