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Category: Local
Longtime Geary County Employees Honored
Employees with years of service to Geary County were honored Monday at the Geary County Office Building.
County Treasurer Kathy Tremont and longtime Public Works employee Randall Knudson were honored for 40 years of service.
Knudson stated, “That place has been food to me.” He did a number of different jobs. “Pushing snow, dragging roads, building roads, asphalting, everything down there. It’s been fun, frustrating in the wintertime, but it’s been fun.” Knudson recently retired, and said he plans to spend time with his children and granddaughter.
Tremont was hired in the county treasurer’s office shortly after high school and has been employed there ever since.. “The first week I thought that I wouldn’t last until the next month. Once I got into it and started understanding it a little bit more, you just kind of get involved with the people in the community. You just start to enjoy the job and enjoy seeing the people each day. ” Tremont took office as the county treasurer in 1993.
Numerous other county employees were recognized including Charles Moore of the Public Works Department for 30 years of service and Florence Ibarra of the Public Works Department for 25 years.
The rest of those honored included 20-year old employees Cathy Bibbs from the Register of Deeds Office, Meredith Butler – Community Corrections, Thomas Goudey – Public Works, Rebecca Bossemeyer – County Clerk and Antonio Cruz – County Attorney’s Office.
Fifteen year employees included Shy Bryant, Rick Parsons, Mark Maschmeier and Angela Weeks all from the Sheriff’s Department.
Ten year employees included county commissioner Ben Bennett, John Garrett – Public Works, Dorothy Kell – CVB, John Orona Jr., Jessie Champ-Batten and Lindsay Orona all from the Sheriff’s Department, Tiffany Havener – County Clerk’s Office, Colleen Taylor – Register of Deeds Office, and Jennifer Reever from County Clerk / Human Resources.
Five year employees that were recognized included Pamela Anders, Nathan Clement, Charles Prather and Christopher Ricard all from the Sheriff’s Department, Vanessa Haslouer from the Appraiser’s office, Emily Powers and Lisa Richards from the Treasurer’s Office and Troy Livingston – GIS.
Pilot Club and Freddy’s Teaming Up
The Pilot Club of Junction City will host a fundraiser at Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers Tuesday evening from 5 – 8 p.m.
Ten percent of the proceeds from the sale of food will be used for various projects in the community.
Some past projects supported by the Pilot Club have included raising $8,000 to support community needs, Pawnee Mental health STARS Camp for Kids, Christmas for Kids and the Open Door Project to help renovate a room for guests with disabilities.
Fall Classic Raises $40,000
The Fall Classic golf tournament coordinated by the Geary Community Healthcare Foundation at Rolling Meadows Golf Course last Friday raised $40,000. That announcement was received from the Foundation on Monday.
The funds will be used to help support the children’s pediatric clinic being undertaken at Geary Community Hospital by both GCH and Children’s Mercy Hospital.
Sheriff identifies Kansas teen who died in 3-vehicle crash
POTTAWATOMIE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities have identified the teen who died in a weekend 3-vehicle accident.
Just before 5p.m. Saturday, a Volkswagen Jetta driven by Daniel McDonald, 18, Wamego, was eastbound on Highway 24 just east of Schoeman Road, according to Sheriff Greg Riat.
The vehicle crossed the center line and was then struck by 2 west bound vehicles including 2006 Volvo V50 driven by Corey Swisher, 44, St. Mary’s and 1997 Ford Expedition driven by Joshua Asbury, 35, St. George.
McDonald was pronounced dead at the scene, according to Riat. Asbury was transported to the hospital in Manhattan. Swisher was not injured.
JCHS Student Internship Program Moving Forward
Students can sometimes determine their future career path through a student internship program at Junction City High School.
The school’s Director of Secondary Education, Vern Steffens, oversees the program, which has 62 students enrolled in it this fall. “My very first intern that I dealt with when I first took the job, put her at the Sheriff’s Department, she was an early graduate. She graduated in December and then a week later she started work at the Sheriff’s Department. She continues to work there now as a jailer and is doing a great job.”
Student interns are placed in different businesses in the community for a semester, ranging from positions in the medical field to teaching internships. Steffens feels the program needs to grow. “We need to pick up some more business partners. Since I’ve held the job enrollment just about doubled. This semester I have 62 interns out in the community, and we used to average about 25 to 30 in the first semester. “In the second semester during the past school year there were 75 student interns and 42 have submitted applications for the second semester for this school year, “and we haven’t even started looking at second semester for our seniors yet.”
RCPD DUI Checkpoint Results
Ten drivers were evaluated for impaired driving and two were arrested for DUI during a DUI Checkpoint early Sunday morning in the 300 block of Bluemont Avenue in Manhattan.
According to the Riley County Police Department the checkpoint was conducted by the RCPD, Kansas Highway Patrol and Kansas State University Police Department between the hours of 12:45 a.m. and 2:40 a.m. Two hundred and forty vehicles were stopped at the checkpoint during that time.
RCPD reported that one person was arrested for Minor in Consumption of Alcohol and two were cited for Possession of Marijuana and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.
Funding for the checkpoint was provided by the Kansas Department of Transportation’s Highway Safety Project.
Fall Apple Day Festival at Fort Riley Scheduled Saturday
Fall Apple Day Festival returns to Fort Riley from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sept.
23. The festival, which is free and open to the public, is the largest
annual event at Fort Riley, averaging approximately 7,000 attendees.
Community members are invited to meet their Army through various attractions
including Commanding General’s Mounted Color Guard demonstrations,
helicopter and tank displays, military working dog demonstrations, an ATV
rodeo, kid-friendly activities and apple pie sales from the Historical and
Archeological Society of Fort Riley. A number of food and information
booths will also be available.
History will abound at the festival with reenactors and antique military
vehicles on display. The Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism
will also have their 40-foot long, 3,200-gallon mobile aquarium on hand.
Parking is free and a shuttle bus will run from Riley’s Conference Center to
the festival grounds throughout the day. No pets or alcohol are allowed at
the festival.
The event is open to the public. Visitors who don’t have a Department of
Defense ID card should go to https://www.riley.army.mil and click on the
yellow “Accessing Fort Riley” tab on the right-hand side of the page for
installation entry requirements. Passes for the day can be obtained prior
to Sept. 23.
UPDATE: Police investigate death of 60-year-old Manhattan man
RILEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating the death of a man in Manhattan. Just after 5 a.m. Sunday, police filed a report for involuntary manslaughter, according to Monday’s Riley County Police Activity Report.
Just after 11:50 p.m. Saturday, the Riley County Police Department was dispatched to 2220 Green Avenue in response to a 911 call, according to a media release.
When officers arrived on scene, they found an unconscious man identified as 60-year-old Randy Jay Abarr of that address.
EMS transported Abarr to Via Christi Hospital in Manhattan where he was pronounced dead.
In Monday’s activity report, police indicated there is no danger to the public. Police did not report any arrest in the case.
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RILEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating the death of a man in Manhattan.
Just after 11:50 p.m. Saturday, the Riley County Police Department was dispatched to 2220 Green Avenue in response to a 911 call, according to a media release.
When officers arrived on scene, they found an unconscious man identied as 60-year-old Randy Jay Abarr of that address.
EMS transported Abarr to Via Christi Hospital in Manhattan where he was pronounced dead.
Police released no additional details early Sunday.
Ice Cream Social Raises Funds for Historical Society
Call Hall ice cream, pies and cakes were on sale and the sounds of music filled the air Sunday afternoon at the Geary County Historical Society Ice Cream social.
The annual event, now in its 27th year, included performances by the 1st Infantry Division Band Brass Quintet, Junction City High School Jazz Band and the JCHS Orchestra.
The event also raised money for a variety of purposes ranging from support for Historical Museum operations and maintenance of artifacts to an improvement project at the St. Joseph Church in eastern Geary County.
Historical Board Member Dr. Ferrell Miller explained the church is located along McDowell Creek Road one-half mile south of I-70 in the eastern part of the county. “We’re raising money for replacing the doors and some work that needs to be done on the roof. ”
St. Joseph Historic Church and Cemetery joined the Geary County Historical Society’s Museums in 2008.
Miller enjoyed the camaraderie of the annual event to hear the musical performances and to get people to go inside the Museum at Fifth and Adams for a visit. “There are people who come to this event that don’t come to the museum very often, and it’s good to get them here to get them inside our building and see all the marvelous displays that we have in place.”
