There is a strong push on academics and student achievement in Geary USD 475. The superintendent of schools, Dr. Reginald Eggleston, said last week student achievement and student safety are his most important jobs.
On the latter subject involving safety, Eggleston noted that he does feel comfortable. “Last year when I first arrived we conducted a number of safety practices through out the district to ensure that everyone’s aware of their environment, that we all have the accountability piece in place as far as knowing where students are, and I believe the district is well prepared for that.”
Eggleston said throughout the school year there are a number of safety measures, “to ensure that fire drills, lock downs, different things of that nature occur, and that people know where to go, when to go, and how to perform in the case of an event.” The superintendent added they don’t hope for anything to occur but in the event that something does they are prepared. “And even on the note that of just making sure that teachers are connected to their students and students feel comfortable sharing information with them and trust the adults that are in front of them.”
The 2019-2020 school year is under way in Geary USD 475.
Monday ( Aug. 26 ) is the first day of the fall semester at Kansas State University.
On Sunday evening ( Aug. 25 ) there will be a new student convocation at Bramlage Coliseum from 5:45 – 6:45 p.m. and then a pep rally and activities at Bill Snyder Family Stadium from 6:45 – 9 p.m. The latter event will include a free dinner and an opportunity to learn many of the university’s game day traditions from the K-State Marching Band. There will also be live music and interactive games on the football field.
Heavy rain accompanied by the crack and sizzle of powerful lightning rolled across Geary County during the early morning hours on Sunday. Multiple waves of storms moved across the region.
Geary County Extension Agent Chuck Otte, who keep the local weather records, reported that 1.83 inches of rain fell in Junction City before 7 a.m. Sunday.
MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Students returning to Kansas State for fall classes next week will be greeted by a new Hale Library.
Collaboration space in the new Dave & Ellie Everetts Learning Center on Hale’s 1st floor photo Courtesy KSU
A fire in May 2018 damaged 85% of the library’s interior. The building was undergoing renovations when the fire started.
The first floor will reopen Wednesday, after renovations funded by $7 million in donations and $58 million from the university’s insurance policy.
Library dean Lori Goetsch says the floor now features 14 collaboration rooms for student study spaces. Library officials hope to begin 24-hour operations from Sunday to Friday later this semester.
Eventually, the library will house an innovation lab and a second cafe. It also has a new sprinkler system.
Renovations on the rest of the library are expected to be complete by the end of 2020.
Maintaining a strong focus on academics was a high priority cited by USD 475 Board of Education members and Superinendent Dr. Reginald Eggleston during discussions on the cost overrun and necessary reductions in the new Junction City High School construction project.
The new cost estimate after reductions of numerous alternate projects and an increase of 15.8% in the construction price index over the last three years, is $121.5 million.
On the project reductions that included more than 120 items ranging from the elimination of artificial turf on the baseball and softball fields to removal of some parking space, Board member Jim Schmidt said officials both internal and external to the district have been working on the list pretty hard. ‘We’ve got some opportunities to be smart about how we spend the taxpayer dollars to deliver the facility that we need from an academic and extracurricular activities standpoint. Ultimately I’m happy with where we’re coming together.”
Schmidt wishes the district didn’t have to deal with the increase in the construction price costs. “No but I think we’ve seen that from a federal standpoint all over. The economy is going well, we’re dealing with tariffs and a few other factors involved here. Ultimately we’re still going to get the job done without changing the mill levy and deliver a great facility to our community.”
BOE President Rina Neal expressed her appreciation to the staff and architectural and construction teams for providing the information. But the importance of academics also has to be considered when considering the costs for the school. “I think that what we need to continue to explain to the public is that we did say $105 million but we have all this extra money ( heavy federal impact aid ) that has come in and we’re trying to use that money to apply to the needs of the school. So we’re continuing to focus on our academic piece as well any other enhancements that we can provide to the school. ” Neal explained the first focus has to be on academics. “Most definitely. As long as we’re not comprising the education and academic piece of what we’re doing I think we’re in a good direction.”
During the discussion on the high school project Superintendent Dr. Reginald Eggleston told the Board that there needs to be the right balance because the rest of the district exists. JCHS is important but there are other costs for the district to address in the future such as salary, deferred maintenance at buildings and the academic focus.
The initial planning estimate for the new Junction City High School project was projected at a maximum of $105 million but that number is now $121.5 million. Despite that development USD 475 officials have made it clear there will not be any increase in the property tax levy for local residents.
The Board of Education received a report on the project Saturday during a retreat at Acorns Resort.
The Chief Operations Officer for USD 475, David Wild, noted that the initial planning estimate is now more than three years old, and the construction price index over the last three years reflect a 15.8% price hike. If that is added to the $105 million figure you get a $121.5 million adusted price. “So the Board is looking at, in order to cover those costs, putting some additional ( federal ) impact aid to the project. The take-away for the project is that there will still be no need to raise the mill levy with the school district. We’re on target, we’re within budget allowances and we’ve got the funds to make the project go.”
The Board of Education met in a retreat at Acorns Resort on Saturday and by consensus agreed to a four-page list of alternates, or more than 120 line items, that will have to be cut from the wish list for the project at this time. Wild said minimum needs of the project are still going to be met. “Enhancements, we will continue to look at critically, trim them, put them in the six-year master plan if applicable, to continue to build out and enhance the project over time.” Wild said officials want to ensure a school in August of 2021 as promised to the community with no increase in the mill levy. The six-year master plan is funded by regular capital outlay revenues.
Wild said since federal heavy impact aid is being used to help fund the project the district is required to follow the Davis-Bacon Act. ” Which are labor costs that are pretty high. We’re talking as high as $55 per hour for a trade discipline.”
Breaking down the funding for the project $105 million would come from a bond issue, $4.5 million from the bond premium. $3.5 million from interest realized to date, another $2 million from interest expected through the construction period and $9 million from federal heavy impact aid that was set aside earlier by the school district for this purpose.
For now, decisions on a possible BUILD transportation grant totaling $3.7 million that could potentially be awarded to the city to help with infrastructure costs, and an orchesta room, additional gym and fitness alternate bid will be delayed until possibly November. The Board and staff are deferring decisions at this time on furniture and equipment which could run from $0 up to $2.5 million, and on a safety and security system.
Some of the alternates being cut from the wish list include deleting brick pavers and landscape benches, removal of the west drive connection between both drives on to Munson Road, removal of some parking spaces, but 882 parking spaces remain in the project.
Other items deleted will include a loop drive at the main entry, plus there will be a reduction in the width of sidewalks, removal of concrete under the stadium bleachers and filling that area with rock, reduction in the concessions area, removal of operable partitions between classrooms and infilling with drywall.
Sloped locker tops at student lockers will be removed along with small conference rooms on both floors along the main corridor and three academy areas and there are a number of changes in equipment, mechanical, campus boiler, pipes, water heaters and softener, lab hoods, heat pump, ceiling tile, for the back stairs and athletic stairs, change of carpet brand, reduction in wood finish carpentry and a change of all corridor wall tile to paint – drywall will be exposed.
Other items being removed include removal of baseball and softball concessions, restrooms and ticket booth building and the baseball and softball announcer stand. A construction class will be tasked with building all of those items. Concrete dugouts, will be removed and fenced dugouts will be installed on those ballfields. Lighting will be removed from junior varsity baseball and softball fields, lighting levels will be reduced on the football field from 50 f.c. to 40 f.c. DIgital scoreboards for football, basketball, baseball, softball will be changed to standard LED, and there will be no scoreboard for soccer.
A total of 804 home seats and 198 sesats will be removed from the football stadium leaving home seating totaling 2,720 seats and 800 visitor seats. The varsity softball and baseball fields will be grass fields instead of turf at a savings of $1.5 million.
The audio visual system for broadcast will be removed although the district’s Tricaster can still be used. The audio system for music classrooms, the orchestra classroom, for the commons and for weights, wrestling, multipurpose and fitness are on the list to be removed.
The next major decision for the Board of Education will occur on Sept. 3 when they consider the guaranteed maximum price for the main school building itself. Wild said that cost will be in the vicinity of $99.5 million.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa-based grocery chain says it’s aware of reports that hacked customer account information is being sold online.
The Des Moines Register was the first to report that credit and debit card information of some Hy-Vee customers is being sold on an internet site for $17 to $35 apiece.
Hy-Vee issued a statement to station KCCI saying it is aware of reports of the stolen information being sold and is working with payment card networks to identify the cards and work with issuing banks.
Hy-Vee acknowledge earlier this month that it detected unauthorized activity on some of its payment processing systems linked to card payments at Hy-Vee restaurants, fuel pumps and drive-thru coffee shops. The company doesn’t believe the breach extended to payments systems used inside its grocery stores, drugstores and convenience stores.
Hy-Vee operates more than 240 retail stores across Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wisconsin.
The Junction City Blue Jays opened football practice on Monday and Tuesday when the temperatures soared into the upper 90s with heat index readings well above 100 degrees. On Saturday at the public scrimmage at Al Simpler Stadium there were some people wearing long sleeved shirts and jackets while they watched because of the chilly weather.
We asked Head Coach Randall Zimmerman if he had ever gone to one of the August scrimmages where it was cold and people were wearing coats. Laughing, he responded, “Never! Isn’t that amazing.”
The coach He that there was reduced outdoor practice time on Monday and Tuesday due to the heat, and there was a need to hold practice indoors on Wednesday due to thunderstorms. Zimmerman remembered the high heat index reading on Tuesday and the abrupt switch by Saturday. Still chuckling he stated, “And now we’re in long sleeves and jackets on Saturday.”
Zimmerman noted it really was funny. “In a six-day span of time we went from 100 degree weather to 60, overcast and mist.”
Highs are expected to be in the 80s with chances of showers and thunderstorms during the next week.
As for the football scrimmage it went well for the Blue Jays. The stated it was a good day and week. “Great group of kids. Lot of fun to be around them. They’re hungry to get better, they’re still learning how to practice, still learning how to do the little things, I guess, but very very pleased with this group of kids.”
The football team will hold their Blue – White scrimmage next Friday evening at Al Simpler Stadium. The season opener is Sept. 6 at Hays, and the home opener is Sept. 13 against Washburn Rural.
The late Dr. John Brinkley exhibit at the Historical Museum
There will be a Memories at the Museum session on Sunday at 3 p.m.at the Geary County Historical Museum. It will focus on the late Dr. John Brinkley, the goat gland doctor from Milford.
Brinkley operated a hospital in the 1920’s and a radio station in that community, and was an unsuccessful candidate for governor.
The discussions during the Memories sessions are recorded and retained by the Historical Society. The sessions are open to the public.
C.L. Hoover Opera House officials are organizing a “Broadway Adventure” trip to New York City March 19-22, 2020.
Opera House Co-Director Sheila Markley said they’re working with VIP Tours of New York City, and it’s an opportunity to see three Broadway shows. Those who attend can each select from different shows. ‘We’ll be staying in a four-star hotel right in the Times Square area. We are going to be able to have our own concert by current actors who are performing in those shows and tell us a little bit about life of an actor in New York City.” There is also an effort to try coordinate visits to such facilities as Carnegie Hall and the Amsterdam Theater.
Opera House Co-Director Joe Markley said the trip is customizable. If you want to go a day early or stay a day later that can be arranged. For example if you want to go to an off-Broadway show or something that may be playing that weekend in Carnegie Hall it can be worked out.
Sheila Markley said it is being made available to Friends of the Opera House, and if you would like to become a member of the Friends organization call her at the Opera House at 238-3906 where she will provide details. Those could range from cost to travel plans.
There is a strong push on academics and student achievement in Geary USD 475. The superintendent of schools, Dr. Reginald Eggleston, said last week student achievement and student safety are his most important jobs.
The Des Moines Register was the first to 
