A former member of the Geary County USD 475 Board of Education and well known community member, Sheila Roesler, has died.

According to Penwell Gabel Funeral Home & Crematory in Junction City funeral services are at 10 a.m. Friday at the Episcopal Church of the Covenant in Junction City. Visiting hours will be from 5-7 p.m. Thursday at Penwell Gabel Funeral Home & Crematory at 2013 North Washington Street.

Sheila Roesler passed away last Saturday in Garden City.

She served on the USD 475 Board of Education from 1989 through 1996.

PRESS RELEASE:  If you love the creepy-crawlies—the six-legged kind otherwise known as bugs—the Young People’s Department at Dorothy Bramlage Public Library has a perfect event for you. It is Bug Day!

Bug Day is a Saturday at the Library Laboratory STEAM event. It will be held Saturday, February 18, 2017, at the library at 10:00am and is a scientific, artistic, and just plain fun investigation of bugs. The event is geared toward elementary-aged children but is open to the whole family.

K-State’s Popenoe Entomology Club will be present to show off their bug and butterfly displays and introduce children to the scientific wonder of insects. Library staff will test kids’ (and adults’) knowledge of bugs with bug identification games. Children can put their creativity to use to make bug hats and crafty bug buddies. And tasty bug treats will be served!

It will be an event kids will be bugging you to attend (pun intended). So come bug out at the library on Bug Day on Saturday, February 18th. If you are not a bug lover when you arrive perhaps you will be by the time Bug Day ends.

The Director of Business Operations for Geary USD 475, William “Bill” Clark is resigning at the end of the school year.

Dr. Corbin Witt, Superintendent of Schools, said Clark will become the Coordinator of Saint John’s Military Academy in Salina.

“I think Bill is an incredible leader, and he provided a lot of expertise in working hand in hand with the military and Fort Riley on a lot of different projects, and he’s somebody who – we’re very much into ‘forward thinking’ and planning ahead and so he’s somebody that has done a great job with that and he will be missed,” said Witt.

Clark has been the Director of Business Operations for the District for nearly three years. Prior to coming to the District he served in the Army as the Garrison Commander for Fort Riley and after retiring from the military as the Executive Director of the Flint Hills Regional Council.

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The personnel report released ahead of today’s Board of Education meeting also includes the resignation of Bridget Seeman, the Executive Director of Human Resources, at the end of the current school year.

The Board of Education meets at 5:00 pm today at Junction City High School in the cafeteria.

The Junction City Police Department will host law enforcement training on Friday, February 17th from 1-5 p.m. It is called TOPS – Traffic Occupant Protection Strategies.

The four-hour course is designed for officers and supervisors to increase understanding of how law enforcement officers save lives and prevent injuries by enforcing traffic laws. The class will discuss special risks to law enforcement, the toll traffic crashes have on the community, occupant protection laws, crash dynamics, effective methods of issuing citations, selling traffic safety and effects of high visibility traffic enforcement on preventing and clearing other crimes.

Geary County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to Old Highway 40 Saturday for a juvenile who was allegedly damaging property. After a foot chase the juvenile boy from Junction City was arrested on suspicion of Damage to Property, Runaway juvenile and Interference with Law Enforcement.

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Sheriff’s Deputies responded to the 2400 block of Skiddy Road Saturday night for a single vehicle non-injury accident. Charles Beagen, Junction City, was traveling northbound in a 1996 GMS Sierra when the vehicle struck a deer.

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Deputies arrested Tara Sotkovski, Berryton, Kansas and William Weber, Herington, on US Highway 77 Saturday night. Sotkovski was arrested on suspicion of Possession of Heroin, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and Trafficking in Contraband. Weber was arrested on suspicion of Possession of Heroin and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

Geary County 4-H members were busy Saturday morning competing in the annual Geary County 4-H Day at the First Presbyterian Church.  Those 4-H members awarded top purple and 2^nd purple ribbons will be eligible to compete in Regional 4-H Club Day on March 25^th in Clay Center and are listed below.

 

Model Meetings

Humboldt 4-H Club – Top Purple

 

Project Talks

Macie Muto, Humboldt 4-H Club – Top Purple

Morgan Nabus, Humboldt 4-H Club – 2^nd Purple

 

Demonstrations and Illustrated Talks – Senior Division

Rylie Ellis, Humboldt 4-H Club – Top Purple

Mason Muto, Humboldt 4-H Club – 2^nd Purple

 

Demonstrations and Illustrated Talks – Junior Division

Clara Gfeller, Lyon Creek 4-H Club – Top Purple

Ava Oentrich, Humboldt 4-H Club – 2^nd Purple

 

Public Speaking – Senior Division

Lindsey Ascher, Brookside 4-H Club – Top Purple

 

Readings – Senior Division

Lauren Moon, Brookside 4-H Club – Top Purple

 

Readings – Junior Division

Ethan Goodyear, Humboldt 4-H Club – Top Purple

 

Skit

Yesterday’s News (Karley Kramer, Ava Oentrich, Grady Oentrich, Macie Muto), Humboldt 4-H Club – Top Purple

 

Other Dance – Senior Division

Rebekah Thomas, Lyon Creek 4-H Club – Top Purple

 

Instrumental Solo – Senior Division

Jordan Jenkins, Blue Line 4-H Club – Top Purple

 

Instrumental Solo – Junior Division

Emmy Gfeller, Blue Line 4-H Club – Top Purple

 

 

Ginger D. Kopfer

Geary County Extension Agent

4-H Youth Development

Move forward now on a possible new Junction City High School project.

That was a message from state legislators during a legislative coffee at the C. L. Hoover Opera House on Saturday.

State Senator Tom Hawk predicted in a school finance formula one thing that concerns legislators is that are pieces in the formula where no one can predict how much school districts will use equalization money. That includes capital improvements such as the construction of buildings.

The state pays a portion of the cost of new facilities based on an equalization formula, which right now is 48 percent of the cost. “I think the likelihood of the State being a partner or being as ambitious a partner in local school building projects is likely to diminish in the new finance formula, just strictly because the Legislature’s not been able to predict how much that might be.” The Senator added that could be a new wrinkle that communities have to deal with.

State Representative Lonnie Clark noted the new high school project needs to be expedited. ” I think if Junction City doesn’t move expeditiously with the school project, there’s going to be lost revenue that we won’t be able to obtain.” Clark added he’s for the new school, and there needs to be an effort to push for it while it’s possible.

State Representative Dave Baker said he thought, “It’s a situation that now is the time. I think after this it’s very unpredictable.”

During deliberations on a potential new high school, school officials advised the 48% funding share from the State is in effect now. That number to which that could possibly change  after July 1st is unknown, depending on any action by the legislature. That’s been one of the key points in considering placement of a bond issue before voters before July 1st so the 48% state aid could be obtained for a project. The idea has been to fund a new school through a combination of state aid and federal military heavily impacted aid received by USD 475 without increasing the local property tax levy.