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Category: Local
Law Enforcement to Host Block Party
The block party hosted by local law enforcement begins at 5:30 p.m. Friday in Heritage Park in Junction City.
Junction City Police Captain Chuck Leithoff said activities will range from music to static displays of the Swat truck. “The Sheriff’s Department will have some things out there. We’ll have some bounce games, the seat belt convincer, and some other groups will be doing some demonstrations. “Zumba, taser, K-9, and Swat team demonstrations are planned along with food and Movie in the Park.
Leithoff said this is to see what the law enforcement agencies in the area offer, their equipment and personnel that use that equipment.
The participating agencies include the Junction City and Grandview Plaza Police Departments, the Junction City Fire Department and the Geary County Sheriff’s Department. There is no charge to attend.
New U-Haul Dealer ‘The Storage Company’ Offers Trucks
OGDEN, Kan. (June 1, 2017) — U-Haul Company of Kansas, Inc. is pleased to announce that The Storage Company has signed on as a U-Haul neighborhood dealer to serve the Ogden community.
The Storage Company at 401 Riley Ave. will offer U-Haul trucks, towing equipment, support rental items, self-storage and in-store pick-up for boxes.
Hours of operation for U-Haul rentals are 10:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Tuesday and Thursday-Friday; 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Wednesday; and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday. After-hours drop-off is available for customer convenience.
Reserve U-Haul products at this dealer location by calling (785) 370-4053 or visiting https://www.uhaul.com/Locations/Truck-Rentals-near-Ogden-KS-66517/048704/ today.
The Storage Company partners Thad and Shannon Schneider are proud to team with the industry leader in do-it-yourself moving and self-storage to better meet the demands of Riley County.
U-Haul and The Storage Company are striving to benefit the environment through sustainability initiatives. Truck sharing is a core U-Haul sustainability business practice that allows individuals to access a fleet of trucks that is larger than what they could access on an individual basis.
Every U-Haul truck placed in a community helps keep 19 personally owned large-capacity vehicles, pickups, SUVs and vans off the road. Fewer vehicles means less traffic congestion, less pollution, less fuel burned and cleaner air.
The Storage Company is a great place to become U-Haul Famous®. Take your picture in front of a U-Haul product, send it in and your face could land on the side of a U-Haul truck. Upload your photo through Instagram using #uhaulfamous, or go to www.uhaulfamous.com to submit photos and learn more.
The race is on! – City Commission and School Board candidates
On your mark, get set…go! And prepare yourself for what will inevitably be two very interesting races in Geary County.
Candidate filings to the Junction City Commission and Geary County USD 475 Board of Education are complete; the deadline was today at noon.
In the race for the School Board, there are eight candidates seeking four seats:
- LaDonna Junghans
- Stephanie Holloway
- David Walker
- William “Bill” Brooks
- Sarah Talley
- Sammy Harris
- Rina Neal
- Lawrence “Larry” Young
There is one unexpired two year term up for grabs to which Junghans and Holloway are both seeking; the other candidates are all vying for one of three regular four year terms on the Board.
In the race for City Commission, the addition of a tenth candidate has prompted an August 1st primary election. Three seats are available on the Commission and if the candidate list grew to more than three times the available seats (10) then a primary is required by law.
Candidates for the City Commission include:
- Heinrich Biggs
- Tim Brown
- Michael Gray
- Michael A. Morris
- Larry Ruiz
- John-Charles Silva
- Jarrod Toothman
- Jeff Underhill
- Bob Henderson
- Nicholas Albritton
After the August primary, the candidate list will be reduced to six (according to v
ote totals) who will then go onto the general election ballot.
1420 KJCK will host live candidate forums ahead of the elections where each candidate will be able to express their full platform and answer community questions. Dates for the forums to be announced in the near future.
Note: JC Post has reached out to all candidates for comment/statements; we will update with statements as they are received.
Holloway challenges Junghans for election to unexpired term on BOE
Stephanie Holloway is challenging current USD 475 Board of Education President LaDonna Junghans for election to the unexpired two year term.
“I am passionate about working with children, families, educators and community members,” said Holloway. “I am committed to making USD 475 a place where every student is valued and successful, every staff member is supported and appreciated, and every family and community member can have a voice that is heard.”
Holloway, a resident of Junction City works as a social worker. She is married with two children and is a past Military spouse.
The two year unexpired term vacancy was created with the early departure of former Board member Kim Milleson upon her relocation to Florida. Bill Brooks was appointed to fill that seat in her absence. Brooks is now seeking a regular four year term.
Other candidates running for the Board of Education include Sarah Talley, Larry Young, David Walker and Rina Neal.
The filing deadline was noon today. All candidates will be on the November general election ballot.
Torch Run for Special Olympics emphasizes community support, involvement
The Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics Kansas is a series of statewide runs that will travel over 1300 miles throughout the state with the different agencies carrying and then passing the “Flame of Hope.”
Led by Mayor Phyllis Fitzgerald, the torch was carried through Junction City Thursday afternoon.
“It’s important because it’s all part of the partnerships [between agencies], the support of the Special Olympics and just the camaraderie to be able to run with the Special Olympians to show our support,” said Fitzgerald.
Junction City Police Officer Cynthia Tatum said it was “important to spread awareness about Special Olympics and let the community see what we’re doing.”
Yvonne Santa, KBI Special Agent, worked for the JCPD years ago and came back today to show support for the community. “[This run] gives the community a sense of involvement.”
And that sense of involvement was to support local Special Olympians from the Junction City Pacesetters like Daniel who loves the softball throw, or Theda who is an all-star in the long jump.
John Haggerty, JC Pacesetters Head Coach, said that his involvement with the team for over 25 years has kept him alive. “I don’t have the words for it, but I love doing it; I’ve done it since ’96 and I was in the Torch Run in ’89 with the MPs (military police).”
The Pacesetters club has about 27 people from Junction City, Fort Riley, and all over Geary County.
The torch run today began in Wamego before traveling to Manhattan, Ogden and then onto Fort Riley before handing the torch off at the Grant gate on Grant Avenue in Junction City.
Three Chapman FFA Members Win State Proficiency Awards
MANHATTAN, Kan. — Three members of the Chapman FFA chapter were recognized for having some of the best career development programs in the state at the 89th Kansas FFA Convention on the Kansas State University campus, May 31–June 2, 2017, on the Kansas State University campus.
Taylor Lexow, Rebekah Johnson and Natalie Harris earned State FFA Proficiency Awards for outstanding accomplishments they have made in developing programs that will prepare them for careers in agriculture. Their advisors are Johanna Rykert and Alex Jost.
Lexow received her award in Agricultural Processing, sponsored by Ag Processing, Inc. Johnson’s award is in Equine Science Entrepreneurship, sponsored by Zenger Management. Harris received her award in Sheep Production, sponsored by Harris Show Lambs.
The proficiency award program recognizes students for exceptional accomplishments and excellence in a Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) program. This program allows students to set goals and gain real-world experience in a chosen area of the agriculture industry.
What started as a part-time job has now helped Lexow better understand how a business runs and has developed her communication and customer relations skills. Her SAE involves working at her local grocery store, filling a variety of roles including customer service and keeping track of the store’s inventory. After graduation, she plans to obtain a degree in agribusiness from Kansas State University. Lexow is the daughter of Lynn and Vicki Lexow.
Johnson’s SAE consists of owning two geldings and one mare. With her mare, she competes in barrel races across Kansas. She uses one of the geldings help move cattle on her family’s farm, and uses her third horse to help others learn how to ride. Johnson greatly enjoys the mentoring component of her SAE and has learned about teaching others. After high school, she plans to attend a four-year university to obtain a degree in nursing. Johnson is the daughter of Steve and Sherry Johnson.
Harris owns 38 mature ewes and 10 replacement ewe lambs. She is responsible for weighing feed rations, administering vaccinations, assisting in the birthing process, and caring for newborn lambs. She said one of her greatest accomplishments is becoming more knowledgeable of the sheep industry, which has allowed her to both better care for her animals and grow her customer base. She plans to attend Kansas State University to major in agribusiness and agricultural communications. Harris is the daughter of Kevin and Rosemary Harris.
The Kansas FFA Association is a statewide organization of 9,076 agricultural education students in 186 chapters in every corner of Kansas. It is part of the National FFA Organization, a national youth organization of 649,355 student members preparing for leadership and careers in the science, business and technology of agriculture with 7,859 local chapters in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Our mission is to make a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education. Visit www.ksffa.org for more information.
Allbritton to Seek City Commission Seat
Nicholas Allbritton is running for a seat on the Junction City Commission.
Allbritton filed for election Thursday. “As a young person and growing a family in Junction City we need to make sure that Junction City is in a thriving state by the time my kids are at the adult age and able to have the jobs, and able to have the opportunities and everything, and be able to enjoy all that Junction City has to offer.”
Allbritton became the tenth candidate to file for city commission. He said he wants to ensure the city has a balanced budget and that the streets are clean. “That’s a big, big thing in my campaign is making sure when soldiers get here, when people get here they feel comfortable, they feel Junction City has an inviting feel.”
County Clerk Rebecca Bossemeyer confirmed that a primary election will be necessary where the list of ten candidates will be reduced down to six finalists for the November election. The primary election will be on August 1st.
May 2017 Weather Summary
Perhaps, fortunately, for us, May did not have the well above average
rainfall that we saw in March and April. In fact it was very close to
being normal! The average daily high for May was 74.6, one half degree below normal. The average overnight low was 57.1, 4.1 degrees above normal. This gave us a monthly mean temperature of 65.9, 1.9 degrees above normal. The warmest May on record was in 1962 with a mean temperature of 74.3 degrees. The coldest May was in 1995 with a chilly monthly mean temperature of 57.8.
The May averages continue an ongoing trend where overnight minimum
temperatures are more above average than the daytime average highs. This
is consistent with projections of climatologists that global warming will
result in noticeably warmer overnight temperatures. It is also consistent
with many cloudy days during a month. Clouds keep daytime temperatures
down, but they also trap heat under the cloud cover keeping night time
temperatures warmer. The highest temperature for the month was 89 degrees
on May 15th. This reading tied the record high for that date, originally
set in 2001. This was the only temperature record set or tied during May.
The coldest temperature for May was 45 degrees the morning of May 20th.
With no sub-freezing temperatures during May it is probably safe to say
that our last frost for the spring of 2017 was the 31 degree reading on
April 10th which was 5 days earlier than our long term average.
While May and June are normally our wettest months of the year, May 2017
fell just a little bit short of average which I think was okay with area
farmers and gardeners alike. Normal May rainfall is 4.79 inches. Milford
Lake recorded 4.72 inches of rain and Junction City 3.66 inches. Normal
rainfall through the first five months of the year is 11.85 inches. Year
to date Milford Lake has recorded 17.91 inches and Junction City 14.73
inches. The wettest May on record was in 1995 when 17.23 inches of rain
deluged the area. The driest May was in 2009 when only 0.86 inches of rain
fell.
June brings us the official start of summer (astronomical summer) and the
first real shot of 100 degree temperatures. June is the wettest month of
the year (by one one-hundredth of an inch) at 4.80 inches. Average daily
highs start the month at 80 and by month愀 end are at 90. Overnight low on
June 1st is expected to be 58 degrees and by the 30th it has risen to 67
degrees. July is statistically our hottest month of the year with August
being slightly (a degree and a half) cooler.
Chuck Otte
Field Decides not to Seek Reelection to School Board
Citing a desire to focus more time on his work in the insurance field and with his family, Brian Field has announced he will not seek reelection to the Geary USD 475 Board of Education.
Field is currently in his fourth year on the school board. “With some planned transition within our insurance agency and my increased responsibilities there that’s where I need to focus and want to focus right now, and also really want to spend more time with family. We’re not getting any younger.”
Field felt during his term there were positive accomplishments for the Board and school district. He pointed to the one-to-one computer initiative for students, increased technology in the classroom and more conducive learning environments plus an increased focus on safety and security. He noted facilities and accomplishments have been done without increasing the property tax mill levy.
As to whether he might run for the Board of Education again in the future, Field said, “I really think I will.” He confirmed the timing is not right at the present time and there are other things he needs to focus on. He added he was glad to see some quality candidates have filed for the Board.