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Category: Local

Work to begin on 8th Street Pedestrian/Bicycle Path

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The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) has awarded the City of Junction City the 8th Street Pedestrian/Bicycle Pathway project.

A $938,000 bid for the project has been awarded. KDOT will pay 80 percent of the cost, with the City being responsible for the other 20 percent.

The project will consist of a 10 foot concrete lighted walkway starting from the intersection of 8th Street and Rucker Road west to the new K-18 diamond interchange.

“Also there’s street improvements at the intersection of West 8th and Rucker Road; they’re going to flatten that hill  out for better vision angle and put a median to control traffic going through there,” said Public Works Director Ray Ibarra.

Ibarra noted that work for the street improvements will note be underway until the K-18 diamond interchange is near completion because that is currently the detour route.

Construction activity was scheduled to begin on July 5th, so it is important that motorists pay attention when entering the work zone area. Watch out for construction equipment and workers.

The project is expected to be complete by the end of the year.

If you have any questions, contact the City of Junction City Department of Public Works at 238-7142.

County considering $60,000 cut in operations to ATA bus

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The Geary County Commission is considering a proposed cut of $60,000 from ATA bus operations.

The cut is part of the 2018 proposed budget that will include an overall reduction in the property tax levy of 1.64 mils.

Charles Stimatze, County Commissioner, said that all County Departments were asked to make reductions to help with budget preparation. “We felt that the ATA bus ought to have a little reduction also, so [cuts] can be spread across everybody.”

The proposed budget is still several weeks from final approval so the amount of funding to any given department could change; however, commissioners have indicated that they do not “foresee major changes.”

If the cut to ATA bus operations is finalized in the 2018 budget, the loss will be more than the $60,000 from the County.

Anne Smith, Flint Hills ATA bus Director, said that proposed cut is disappointing. “We use the local funding dollars to leverage federal and state funds so it’s more in the line of over $120,000 reduction to our Geary County budget.”

Smith noted that ATA bus officials are studying their budget to see how this will impact services in Geary County. “These are tight financial times for everybody and we appreciate that the Commission is continuing to support ATA bus and support our services, and we will continue to provide the best quality of transit services to Geary County that we can.”

Florence Whitebread, ATA bus Board President, said that if this cut in operations is kept in the 2018 final budget, it will affect much more than ATA bus.

“If Junction City is to grow and employ people, they need this service,” said Whitebread. “If you have people employed then they’re buying their home, or paying their rent or they’re paying taxes.”

Whitebread noted that the employment issue is “a big one” in Junction City. “We do have a lot of people riding [the bus] for employment, but we also during the school year have a lot of students riding the ATA bus.” In addition to work, Whitebread noted that many use the bus to get to doctor’s appointments or to go shopping.

Most importantly, according to Whitebread, is that many officials “lose sight of the poverty factor in our towns; we are not a town that has a lot of people with two cars, there’s a lot of families with just one car.”

Whitbread noted that in order to keep people working, a community must provide public transportation.

The County 2018 budget is not yet final…it is a proposal at this point.

Junction City: July 11th is the last day to register to vote for August primary

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There will be a primary election in Junction City on August 1st.

Rebecca Bossemeyer, County Clerk, said that the last day to register for that primary – if you are not already registered – is Tuesday, July 11th.

“I will be open until 7:oo pm [Tuesday] night for late registration, and I’ll also stay open until 6:00 pm on July 10th,” said Bossemeyer.

The County Clerk’s offices are inside the Geary County Office Building at 200 E 8th Street in Junction City.

The August 1st primary election will be for candidates in the race for the Junction City Commission. Three vacancies are being contested by 10 candidates.

After the election on August 1st, the candidate list will be narrowed to the top six.

The election is only for Junction City residents.

‘Big Red One’ headquarters to return from Iraq

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FORT RILEY, Kan. – More than 300 Soldiers with the 1st Infantry Division headquarters are set to return this month from a nine-month deployment to Iraq and Kuwait. The first welcome-home ceremony is scheduled for 4 a.m. July 7 on Fort Riley’s Camp Funston.

The “Big Red One” headquarters deployed in October 2016 and assumed the role of Combined Joint Forces Land Component Command – Operation Inherent Resolve. In that role, the division headquarters provided command and control of Coalition troops training, advising and assisting Iraqi Security Forces.

While deployed, Maj. Gen. Joseph Martin, 1st Inf. Div. and Fort Riley commanding general, served as commanding general of CJFLCC. During that time, 1.8 million people were liberated in Mosul, Iraq, which has been under ISIS control since June 2014. Since October 2016, more than 350,000 children have returned to school in Mosul, 320 schools have reopened and 195,000 internally displaced persons have returned to their homes in Mosul.

Under the 1st Inf. Div.’s leadership, 30,000 Iraqi Security Forces Soldiers were trained and almost 5,000 square kilometers of ground was liberated in Mosul.

All members of Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion, 1st Inf. Div., are expected to return by the end of July.

**feature photo courtesy mortenson.com

Launch a Business Program concludes with Precision Microwave, Embruon taking grand prize honors

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MANHATTAN — After a night that saw 11 entrepreneurs pitching their companies to a panel of judges and the public at theLaunch Party for the Kansas State University Launch a Business, or LAB, program, two companies have walked away victorious as grand prize winners for 2017.

The judges chose Precision Microwave, Manhattan, as the grand prize winner in the open division, which came with a prize of $14,570 in funding. Embruon, Salina, was named the grand prize winner in the Global Food Systems division and received $11,300 in funding.

The Launch Party was the culmination of the five-week LAB program, which was sponsored by KS State Bank and the College of Business Administration’s Center for the Advancement of Entrepreneurship. The program provided the 11 selected startups with much-needed resources, including faculty-led courses, hands-on student research teams and access to the university’s world-class alumni mentor network.

At the event, the entrepreneurs had the opportunity to pitch their businesses to the public. Each person attending could cast his or her vote for the Crowd Favorite Award, which went to Pinnacle Performance, Manhattan.

 

 “One of our university’s goals is to support the economic development and growth in the state of Kansas,” said Chad Jackson, director of the Center for the Advancement of Entrepreneurship. “We developed K-State LAB as a way to reach out and support the entrepreneurs in the state. Our faculty, alumni mentors and students are incredible resources, and the LAB program allows us to share their expertise with the community.”

 Precision Microwave is a medical device company focused on the development of advanced thermal therapy applicators for minimally invasive cancer treatment.

 “The faculty seminars were great and solidified a lot of concepts for us,” said Austin Pfannenstiel, founder of Precision Microwave. “The mentor network was fantastic; everyone gave so much tremendous advice about refining my business plan.”

 Embruon aims to help cattle producers manage the challenging genomic world with technology, allowing producers to make informed genomic decisions before pregnancy has begun to maximize genetic improvement and minimize the cost of resources used.

 “The time set aside to visit and learn from the mentors is something you just can’t put a price on,” said Matt Barten, owner of Embruon. “We are excited to continue to scale the business in this growing market.”

 The grand prize winners weren’t the only ones to walk away with a prize following the Launch Party – each of the 11 companies were awarded funding that ranged from $2,000-$7,500. The other startups that participated in the 2017 Launch a Business program were: Rev-E3, Beloit; Double L Manufacturing, Clay Center; Flint Hills Lavender Farm, Council Grove; Heartland Heritage, Derby; Bridges, Manhattan; Pip’s Bake Shoppe, Manhattan; Salina; MperVus, Shawnee; and Print3 Technologies, Shawnee.

 More information on the Launch a Business program and the entrepreneurs is available at k-state.edu/lab.

Abilene contractor temporarily banned from doing business in Kansas

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TOPEKA – (July 5, 2017) – An Abilene contactor has been prohibited by temporary court order from doing business in Kansas for violating the Kansas Consumer Protection Act and Kansas Roofing Registration Act, Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt said today.

Jesse Howard, dba Jesse Howard Roofing, Abilene, is temporarily banned from doing business in Kansas. Dickinson County District Judge Ryan Rosauer entered a temporary restraining order last week prohibiting Howard from acting as a roofing contractor in the state.

Schmidt filed suit after the defendant failed to respond to correspondence from the attorney general’s office. The lawsuit alleges the defendant was paid for performing roofing work in September 2015 and did not provide the service. The suit also alleges the defendant failed to register as a roofing contractor as required by the Kansas Roofing Registration Act (KRRA). A separate, private lawsuit was brought against Howard by the homeowner, and a default judgment was granted after Howard failed to respond to the suit. Howard has therefore already been ordered to pay restitution to the consumer. Schmidt’s lawsuit against Howard is Dickinson County Case No. 2017-CV-73. A copy of the petition and temporary restraining order are available at https://bit.ly/2sqfpMh.

With the summer construction and storm season underway, Schmidt also announced he has entered into consent judgments with nine other roofing contractors for violations of the KRRA. The settlements require the companies to pay civil penalties for KRRA violations and, in some cases, restitution to consumers. They also require the companies to comply with the KRRA when providing roofing services in the future. The nine roofing contractors fined are:

  • Wiesen Roofing, LLC, Sedgwick County District Court, Case No. 2017-CV-1327
  • Branco Enterprises, Inc, Shawnee County District Court, Case No. 2017-CV-371
  • MSS Construction LLC, Johnson County District Court, Case No. 2017-CV-3226
  • Guestavo Zarate dba Modern Storm Solutions, Wyandotte County District Court, Case No. 2017-CV-420.
  • Nathan Reasons dba RHCC dba RHC Contracting, Wyandotte County District Court, Case No. 2017-CV-337
  • McDavis Exteriors, Inc., Jefferson County District Court, Case No. 2017-CV-956
  • Evan Meier dba Evan Meier Construction, Washington County District Court, Case No. 2017-CV-3
  • Expert Roofing, LLC, Shawnee County District Court, Case No. 2017-CV-180
  • Wendy Laurence d/b/a Endless Concepts Roofing & Contracting, Johnson County District Court, Case No. 2017-CV-1623

In each case, Schmidt alleged the defendants engaged in advertising, soliciting or performing roofing contractor services in Kansas without registering with the attorney general’s office as required by the KRRA. Copies of the consent judgments are available at www.ag.ks.gov/roofer-enforcement.

Schmidt reminded consumers to make sure roofing contractors are properly registered before signing any contract or having any work done. Consumers should request a copy of their roofer’s registration certificate and then should check the attorney general’s consumer protection website at www.InYourCornerKansas.org to confirm that the roofer’s registration is in good standing.

Deputies report two non-injury accidents

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The Geary County Sheriff’s Department reports two non-injury accidents involving deer.

On Tuesday, July 4th around 9:41 pm deputies responded to mile marker 159 on US Hwy 77 for a report of an accident. Sandra Lafontant, Junction City, was driving a 2008 Pontiac G6 northbound when she struck a deer that entered the roadway. No injuries were reported.

Deputies responded to mile marker 164 on US Hwy 77 where Staci Simpson, Wakefield, was driving a 1999 Cadillac southbound when she struck a deer that entered the roadway. The accident occurred just after 6:00 am on Wednesday, July 5th. No injuries were reported.

Chamber Night at the Ballpark

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Rathert FIeld

The Junction City Area Chamber of Commerce Night at the Ballpark is Thursday night when the Junction City Brigade host the Sabetha Lobos. Game time is 7 p.m.

Tickets are no cost for Chamber members and can be picked up at the Chamber office at 222 West 6th Street Wednesday or Thursday  between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. You can also reserve them by calling the Chamber at 762-2632 for will call pickup at the game.

Combat Aviation Brigade to Change Command

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FORT RILEY, Kan. – The 1st Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division,
will host a change of command ceremony at 10 a.m. July 7 at the post’s
Cavalry Parade Field.

Col. John M. Cyrulik will relinquish command to Col. Chris Black after two
years in command of the “Demon” brigade.

Cyrulik is slated to become the commandant at Citadel Military College in
Charleston, South Carolina.

Black comes from Duke University where he served as a fellow in National
Security, Strategy and Policy.

Brig. Gen. Patrick D. Frank, 1st Infantry Division and Fort Riley acting
senior commander, will preside over the ceremony.

Big Turnout for Sundown Salute Fireworks Show

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A lot of people arrived at Heritage Park in downtown Junction City for the Fireworks Extravaganza that capped off Sundown Salute Tuesday night. That was preceded by musical concerts by the 1st Infantry Division Rock Band and 1st Infantry Division Band on the final evening of the annual celebration.

Dennis Beson, Volunteer Executive Director for Sundown Salute, enjoyed the success of the five day celebration. “Well I think that we showed that we could pull something off, that maybe a lot of people didn’t think we could. So I think maybe that’s the best part.”

Organizers got a late start this year on preparing for Sundown Salute including fundraising but in the end it worked. Beson commented on the next step. “Well we’ve got to do our reevaluation on everything, we’ve got to count up all the numbers, see where we’re at, and then we’ve got to decided what worked and what didn’t work, and then maybe make a plan for next year.”

Beson noted there were good vendors this year at the celebration, and for the available budget there was “top notch talent.” The Director added, “I think that we established the fact we can run leaner and still get good talent, and then maybe we look at some things that are accessory things like during the daytime for kids and families, but ultimately we may change some things and maybe we look at just a weekend event versus five days.” All final decisions for the 2018 celebration are still in the future.

The activities on Tuesday also included the 41st annual Freedom Run, the Sundown Salute parade and the Veterans Ceremony.

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