Walk Kansas will be held a bit earlier in 2017.
At the weekly Geary County Commission meeting the chair of the governing body Florence Whitebread announced the new dates would be March 10th to May 13th. “And they’re hoping to be able to get better participation since it won’t be over that….end of May you get into graduation and so many events,and so it has been moved up to start March 10th.
In this program participants walk on a regular basis and keep track of food intake.
Look forward to the military heavily impact aid to keep flowing from the federal government – that’s according to U.S. Senator Jerry Moran.
With USD 475 receiving millions in recent years and preparing to use that money to help pay for a possible new Junction City High School, Senator Moran said it’s a stable source of revenue.
“We battle in the budget every year to make certain that those aid payments occur, we’ve had some success in modest increases in the total amount available for impact aid in the time that I’ve been in the Senate, and those efforts will continue. Just like every federal appropriation, there’s always some uncertainty, but this has been a pretty stable source of income for school districts that are affected by lots of federal property,” said Moran.
Moran adds that the support in Congress for the heavily military impact aid is strong. “A lot of districts and a lot of states are impacted, so there is strong political support for impact aid and I would think that the chances of its continuance at least at its current level with modest increases is pretty good.”
A possible new high school project is currently under study with the latest focus on a new location west of Junction City.
In addition to the federal money, state aid would be targeted to help pay for the school as well. State aid requires voter approval of a possible bond issue in the late Spring 2017 time frame.
For more information on Impact Aid and Heavily Impacted Aid visit: https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/oese/impactaid/whatisia.html or https://www.aasa.org/content.aspx?id=9000
MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State will host Lego Day at Bramlage Coliseum when the Wildcats host nationally-ranked Baylor at 3:30 p.m., on Saturday, January 14.
Activities begin when the doors open at 2:30 p.m., including multiple LEGO stations from Play-Well Teknologies. There will be a replica of the K-State campus made entirely of LEGO, an interactive LEGO basketball free throw catapult, a LEGO motorized block shot challenge and K-State vs. Baylor LEGO jousting monorail.
Fans can also sign up to win a miniature Bill Snyder Family Stadium made entirely of LEGO.
The Bramlage Bundle ticket option is available for the contest, which includes a game ticket, $10 concessions voucher and a souvenir from the K-State Super Store for just $30 per package. A minimum order of two Bramlage Bundles is required. Tickets also start at less than $20 with a Wildcat 4 Pack or just $15 for groups of 12 or more.
Lego Day is just one of a number of promotions schedule for the 2016-17 season, including Junior Wildcat Day set for the next home against Gardner-Webb on Wednesday, December 21 at Bramlage Coliseum. Tickets are available starting at $10, while fans can take advantage of the Bramlage Bundle for just $20. The Gardner-Webb game is part of a the three-game $30 Holiday Mini Plan, which also includes the Texas matchup on Friday, December 30, the women’s basketball Big 12 home opener against West Virginia on Sunday, January 1 and an exclusive K-State stocking cap.
Work is progressing on compiling data and a business plan for a possible sports complex project in Junction City/Geary County.
Eddie Reeder, Sports Complex Project Manager, has been studying other sports facilities and how they function. “What the projected revenues or expenditures are going to be for a facility the size that we’re wanting to create, also looking a lot at the economic impact of it and what that’s going to bring to our hotels and restaurants and retail shops, and gas stations…the next step is to look at how are we going to fund it; the numbers do indicate that if a facility was built it would be self-sustaining, it would be successful.”
Different land sites have been explored but no final decisions have been made.
“We’ve also been out in the community talking with different land owners, and we’ve even communicated with the high school and the possibilities of a new high school and maybe some partnerships in that area – all preliminary conversation, nothing set in stone – but we’re working hard toward that,” said Dennis Beson, Chamber of Commerce CEO.
Beson said that sometimes people are scared of new projects in a pressed economy.
“The big thing we’ve been looking at since the beginning of the Sports Complex talk is not raising any taxes for this particular project…so that’s one of the things we’re very focused on, to try to even find out the feasibility, can we even do this,” said Beson.
No final decisions on any project have been made at this point.
(Manhattan, Kan., Dec. 19, 2016) — Eric Cattell has been named Director of Community Development for the City of Manhattan, effective today. Cattell has been the assistant director for planning for the city for the last 18 years.
“Eric has been a valuable asset to our organization for many years helping to guide growth, development, and redevelopment along with all the processes and parameters that help make a community thrive. I am pleased to promote Eric to lead the community development department going forward,” said City Manager Ron R. Fehr.
As director, Cattell will be responsible for directing all long-range and current land use planning efforts for the city including the preparation of comprehensive plans, neighborhood, corridor and district plans and plan updates, and the implementation of these plans and policies through the zoning and subdivision regulations and other city ordinances. He will also direct administration of grant programs from various sources including U.S. Housing and Urban Development and other state and federal agencies. The community development department works closely with the Manhattan Urban Area Planning Board, Board of Zoning Appeals and the City Commission.
“I am honored to be given this opportunity to continue serving our great community and to work with such talented and professional staff, advisory boards and elected officials to help improve the quality of life of Manhattan,” Cattell said.
Cattell will lead a number of upcoming planning projects including:
Cattell began his professional career with the city in 1983 as a project planner. He has a master’s degree in regional and community planning from Kansas State University and is certified by the American Institute of Certified Planners. He replaces Karen Davis, who retired from the position Dec. 16 after more than 35 years with the city and the last 20 as director of community development.
Junction City Area Chamber of Commerce Dennis Beson issued an announcement Monday on the hiring of a new economic development director:
The Junction City Area Chamber of Commerce has hired Michelle “Mickey” Fornaro-Dean as the Director of Economic Development to begin on January 3, 2017.
Mickey Dean comes to Junction City after a long career in Economic Development with The Harvey County Economic Development Council Inc. in Newton, KS. Mickey has also spent a number of years with The Winfield Area Chamber of Commerce. She held the title of Executive Director in both positions.
Mickey Dean has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Marketing/Public Relations from Kansas State University.
She has also completed the following specialized courses:
– Institute for Organizational Management a course aligned with The U.S. Chamber of Commerce (IOM)
– Economic Development Institute (EDI) – Accredited course through the International Economic Development Council and the University of Oklahoma, College of Continuing Education
– National Development Council Economic Finance Professional Certification (EDFP) with an average test score of 98% in 2004
Mickey Dean has also:
– Served as President of Kansas Economic Development Alliance (KEDA)
– Served as Vice-Chair of Local Workforce Investment Board (KWIB) Area 1 representing 62 counties in Kansas for 6 years
– Appointed by KEDA to serve on Governor’s Technical Education Task Force
– Member and Fellow of Industrial Asset Management Council (IAMC)
– Board Member Kansas Economic Progress Council (KEPC)
– Board Member Team Kansas, public/private business development recruitment organization. Appointed by the Governor
– Co-Chair for 3 years of WIRED (Workforce Initiative for Regional Economic Growth) for 10 county region
“We are excited to have such a long tenured economic development professional join our team here at the Junction City Area Chamber of Commerce.” said, President and CEO Dennis Beson. “This is a professional that can connect Junction City to projects stemming at the regional, state, and national level.”
Cadets from the Junction City Blue Jay Battalion JROTC honored fallen veterans during Wreaths Across America on Saturday.
The cadets braved the low temperatures and wind to participate in a ceremony at the Kansas National Veterans Cemetery and lay a wreath for every fallen soldier.
The participation by the cadets was voluntary. The Public Relations Coordinator for the JROTC Blue Jay Battalion, Michele Brown, wrote, ” We are very proud of our cadets and the fortitude they demonstrated on this day. They could just as easily not showed up, because of weather. Instead they understood the importance of the day and wanted to honor those that have given all for the country.”
Bitter cold below zero temperatures greeted Junction City residents on Sunday morning.
In the 7 a.m. hour the WeatherTap radar system thermometer reading was -6 below zero. The forecast high for Sunday was 14 degrees above zero. The cold weather followed the approximate inch and a half snowfall on Saturday and freezing drizzle received on Friday.
There were no power outages reported by Westar Energy in Junction City Sunday morning.
SALINE COUNTY – A Salina man died in an accident just before 8p.m. Saturday in Saline County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2012 Volvo passenger car driven by Jose A. Torres-Rodriguez, Junction City, was eastbound on Interstate 70 three miles west of Solomon.
The driver was attempting to avoid an accident that was in the left hand lane and struck a 1993 Jeep SUV from behind.
The Jeep was unoccupied and disabled in the right lane. The owner Kelly J. Turner, 61, Salina, was outside of the vehicle when it was hit.
Turner died at the scene and was transported Carlson-Geisendorf Funeral Home.
Torres-Rodriguez and a passenger Victoria G. Torres, 59, Junction City, were transported to Salina Regional Medical Center.
Junction City received some measurable snowfall on Saturday, estimated by Geary County Emergency Management and Geary County Extension at about one to one and a half inches.
Junction City Police Dispatch confirmed there were no accidents on Saturday between the early morning and late afternoon hours, but the 100 block of East Chestnut Street had become slick and crews were responding to treat that area.
The temperature dopped into the single digits, six degrees above zero at five p.m.
