The Fort Riley Outdoorsman Group hosts their annual youth mentorship spring turkey hunt April 1st and 2nd.

Experienced hunters from the group will guide youth ages 9 t0 15, who are disabled first-time hunters, or whose sponsor is deployed. The event is designed to give youth hunters an opportunity to hunt, improve skills and learn more about the outdoors. Guides will mentor youth by teaching safety and ethics and assisting in cleaning turkeys at the end of the hunt.

The deadline to register for the event is March 24th. to sign up, email fortrileyoutdoorsmengroup@yahoo.com.

Those registered must have a Unit 3 turkey permit and attend an orientation March 31st to learn about hunting turkeys, who to bring and wear and tips about firing a shotgun.

At 6:03 a.m. on Monday March 20, 2017, the Manhattan Fire Department was dispatched to 2155 Patricia Place for a report of a structure fire. Upon arrival crews found a mobile home with the porch on fire and fire extending into the house. The fire was contained within 15 minutes with a total of 16 firefighters responding on 6 fire apparatus.

Two occupants of the structure were home at the time of the fire and were able to exit without injury prior to arrival of fire crews. Firefighters found the occupant’s cat safe within the residence. The residence received an estimated loss of $20,000 to the structure and $10,000 to the contents, with an additional $1500 damage to a motorcycle parked outside. The owner is listed as Gary O’Brate of the same address. The cause of the fire was determined to be accidental from improperly disposed of smoking materials.

At 2:24 p.m., crews responded to the 400 block of McCall Road for a 4” natural gas line that had been struck by a construction company. Traffic was closed at the 400 block of McCall Road, and interrupted at the intersection of Hayes Drive and McCall Road for approximately 90 minutes while Kansas Gas Service stopped the leak.

At 5:34 p.m. on Monday March 20, 2017, the Manhattan Fire Department was dispatched to 1615 Cedar Crest Drive for a report of a structure fire. Upon arrival crews found a bi-level home with smoke showing. The fire was contained within 20 minutes with a total of 17 firefighters responding on 6 fire apparatus.

Five occupants and two pets were home at the time of the fire and were able to exit the home prior to the arrival of fire crews. Two occupants were evaluated by Riley County EMS for smoke inhalation and released. The residence received an estimated loss of $55,000 to the structure and $10,000 to the contents.

The owners are listed as John and Denise Morris of the same address. The cause of the fire was determined to be accidental from unattended cookin

The American Red Cross blood drive in Junction City continues Tuesday at the Junction City Municipal Building. The hours are 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Walk-in’s are welcome.

Fifty-five units of blood were received on Monday during the blood drive. The goal for that day had been 61 units.

 

The Dorothy Bramlage Public Library will hold an Open House on Wednesday, April 5 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.  Here attendees will be able to tour the public and some of the staff areas of the building and learn more about what the library does.  This will include making designated stops along a route where staff members will talk about library services, including assistance with technology, demonstrate databases, provide information on educational programs for both adults and children, and more.

 

The concept for the building expansion plan that was developed by Manhattan’s BBN Architects will also be on display so community members can see the plan as it currently exists and how the additional space could be used. 

 

The friends of the library will also be on hand to talk about the organization and the support it provides to the library.  At 6:30 p.m. the friends group will begin its annual meeting including review of the activities of the past year and the membership’s vote on a proposal to revise the group’s current dues structure. 

 

The open house will also see the launch of the friends’ annual Gift Basket Drawing.  Attendees will be able to purchase drawing tickets and add them to the baskets they hope to win when the drawing is held in mid-May. 

 

To prepare for the event, the library will close for the day to regular business at 4:00 p.m.  It will re-open to the public at 5:30 p.m. for the activities of the open house only.  The open house is scheduled to end at 7:30 p.m.  Regular services will resume on Thursday when the library opens at 9:00 a.m.

 

For more information about the open house or the building project, please call Library Director Susan Moyer at 785-238-4311.

A Topeka man was sentenced Monday to 47 months in federal prison for the sex trafficking of a 17-year-old girl, U. S. Attorney Tom Beall said.

Reginald Eugene Newman, 30, Topeka, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking. In his plea he admitted that on March 21st, 2015, he and his wife, co-defendant Tiara Jade Newman, took a 17-year-old girl from Topeka to Junction City for the purpose of prostitution.

The Newmans rented two rooms at a Value Place motel in Junction City. They used one room for performing commercial sex acts and slept in the other room. Tiara Newman and the victim met a soldier from Fort Riley at the Value Place motel. The soldier paid $250 to have sex with both of them.

On March 26th, 2015, Tiara Newman took the victim along on an “out call” to the Fairfield Inn in Manhattan. Tiara Newman told a customer there that the victim was new and she showing he business. The customer noticed that the victim was nervous and gave her a tip when he paid her.

The Newmans kept all the money from the commercial sex acts.

Tiara Newman was sentenced earlier this month to 34 months in federal prison.

Beall thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Kenney and multiple law enforcement agencies for their work on the case. They included the Topeka, Riley, Junction City, Fort Riley, and Ottawa Police Departments, Homeland Security Investigations, the Kansas Department of Revenue, the Shawnee County District Attorney’s Office, the Pottawatomie County Attorney, the Riley County Attorney and local human trafficking victim specialists.

 

Spring has officially begun, which means the start of consistently warmer weather and outdoor recreation opportunities.

Rick Dykstra, Milford Lake Outdoors Alliance, said that there’s an abundance of opportunities for outdoor recreation, right in Junction City.

“In Junction City, whether it’s trails, Homer’s Pond and the kids fishing, the Junction City wetlands, the Riverwalk area which is open to fishing too, and bicycling at the parks or just playing frisbee,” said Dykstra.

Beyond the City limits, the recreation opportunities double.

“When you get out in the County, you know there’s Milford Lake, and they’ve got the nature center and it’s outside trails and playground areas,” said Dykstra. “There’s numerous areas if you just wanted to overnight camp, set up a tent with your kids and have an evening under the stars; of course, there’s boating, there’s fishing, there’s sailing – we are just blessed with lots of things to do when it comes to the outdoors whether it be in the City limits of Junction City or out in the County.”

Dykstra suggests visiting the Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, located inside the Chamber offices in Junction City, for a complete tour guide of the parks and recreation areas in the community.

A few parks and their locations are listed below:

• Bramlage Park, 420 Grant Ave.
• Buffalo Soldier Park, 200 w. 18th st.
• Helland Park, Rucker Rd.
• Homer’s Pond, 100 S. Eisenhower Dr.
• Playground Park, 5th St. and Eisenhower Dr.
• Riverwalk Trail, North Washington St. (G Ave.)
• South Park, 1417 St. Mary’s Road
• Tallgrass Nature Trail, Milford Nature Center
• Wetland Trail, Frontage Rd.
• Milford Lake Trails, Milford State Park

A new weather record was set in Geary County on Sunday.

County Extension Agent Chuck Otte noted there was a high temperature mark set. “Sunday’s high temperature of 89 degrees did set a new record for the 19th of March. The old record was 80 set in 1976 and 1994.”

The official temperature was recorded by the Army Corps of Engineers.