1st Infantry Division anniversary events at Fort Riley this year will include a Vietnam veterans welcome home ceremony, but with a new twist.

Members of the Flint Hills Regional Council were briefed on the plan Friday by Fort Riley officials.  Council member Mike Ryan of Junction City said the plan outlined for them, “is to have returning heroes from the current wars along with the Vietnam vets…have them walking shoulder to shoulder, and have them march in to a welcome home ceremony.”

Other anniversary events will range from Victory Week August 15th through the 26th to a Victory Park Wreath Laying Ceremony on August 22nd. A Victory Fest and fireworks are scheduled on August 19th.

The Junction City Police Department has reported the arrest of Matthew Albert May, 33, Junction City, on suspicion of Robbery, Domestic Battery, Violation of a No Contact Order and Damage to Property.

May was arrested Friday afternoon at 203 South Washington in connection with the charges that allegedly occurred at 1209 North Perry.

In separate cases police arrests also included:

–Nathan Allen Hall, 27, Junction City on suspicion of Aggravated Battery and Intentional Great Bodily Harm. The arrest occurred Friday afternoon at 224 South Madison Street.

–Jose Manuel Bustamante, 20 and Jonathan Joel Orellana, 20, both of Junction City, on suspicion of Theft. The arrest occurred Friday evening in the 600 block of West 11th Street.

Valley View Senior Life will host their annual Easter Egg Hunt and Carnival on Saturday, April 15th.

There will be 15,000 eggs hidden for children up to age 12.

This event is free and open to the public.

Sponsors are needed for the event. Donations must be received by March 24th. Checks can be written out to Valley View Senior Life, ATTN Easter Carnival.

For more information call 762-2162, ext. 223.

The decision by the Superintendent of Schools Dr. Corbin Witt to recommend a delay in the USD 475 high school bond election from May 9th to a tentative date of August 1st meant a change of plans for the Geary County Clerk’s office…for now.

County Clerk Rebecca Bossemeyer said a variety of steps to prepare for a May 9th election had been completed or were slated to happen next week. “And so we’ve just had to stop all of those things. For instance we had our programmer coming to program that election next Tuesday and we were going to do our logic and accuracy testing because we have a requirement to get ballots out 45 days to our overseas citizens.”

The Clerk’s office worked Friday to cancel that. Also, officials at the local polling places were contacted to notify them that the facilities will not be needed for a May 9th election.

The notification from federal officials that a heavy impact aid payment is not expected to arrive in USD 475 until summer instead of this month will lead to a recommendation to the Board of Education to delay the election. With the federal funds in the bank voters could then be asked in the bond election to consider approval of a bond issue that would make the school district eligible for additional state aid to help pay for a new high school project.

The County Clerk has a plan to eventually acquire new voting equipment. As to whether it might be obtained and used in an August election, Bossemeyer was unsure at this time.

A possible change for Military Affairs Council breakfasts in Junction City was the topic of a discussion at the monthly MAC Committee meeting. There was a suggestion that consideration be given to shared podium time between a commander or soldier and a local business person. The belief is that could provide an improved two-way communication about the importance of both the military and business communities.

Also, according to the minutes of the committee meeting:

–MAC Director John Seitz reported that a Victory Fest will be held August 19th with a prediction of 10,000 people attending the event.

–A planning meeting was being arranged to work on tours of the area for Fort Riley personnel.

–Big Red One 100th anniversary pins will be produced and will be sold for $2 each. This is the 100th year for the 1st Infantry Division.

–Staffers Day activities at Fort Riley will be April 19 and 20. That is where staffers from the offices of the congressional delegation visit the post and learn about the activities and programs at the installation.

Kansas Supreme Court Justices are trying to persuade legislators to increase salaries for judges and pay for Judicial Branch employees.

Supreme Court Justice Lawton Nuss addressed a joint session of the legislature about increasing the court system’s annual budget by about $22 million – a 16% increase.

Lonnie Clark, 65th District State Representative, said that it’s ironic to ask for a pay increase when the State is in need of money.

“It seems kind of ironic to me that the Supreme Court would overrule the new school bill/the formula, and want more money there and then turn and want more money for judges knowing fully well how desperately the State is looking for income,” said Clark.

2008 was the last time that the state’s judges and employees received a cost of living increase or pay raise.

“We were losing good judges to other states,” said Clark who noted that this is a similar argument made by those in education. “[Nuss] spent quite a bit of time talking about how we were losing judges and whether or not we could give judges more money.”

Kansas has also struggled with the recruitment and retention of teachers, especially in the western part of the state.

Nuss argued that judicial branch jobs in the state pay as much as 22% below market rates in some cases.