November continued an ongoing trend of above average, well above average, temperatures but unlike the several previous months, precipitation was well below average. In fact, November wasn´t just warm, it was near record warmth with the second highest all time November temperature.

The average daily high during November was 60.9, 7.1 degrees above normal. The average overnight low was 39.9, 7.9 degrees above normal. This gave us a monthly mean temperature of 50.4, 7.5 degrees above
normal. This makes November the second warmest November on record surpassed only by November 1999 and its 51.8 degree monthly average temperature. The average overnight low of 39.9 is also the highest average
low temperature for November on record. This continues a trend going back
for over a year of average overnight lows being above normal. The coldest
November on record was in 1985 with a chilly monthly mean temperature of
35.2, fifteen degrees colder than November this year! The high of 83 on the
16th broke the record high for that date. The old record was 76 set in 1958.
The reading of 83 ties the second highest November temperature ever.
November 8, 2002 had a reading of 84. November 6, 1980 also had a high of
83. It was the latest that we have ever had an 80 degree reading in the year.
The old record was November 13, 1999’s high of 82. The overnight low of 62
on the 1st broke the record high low temperature. The previous record was
60 set in 1990. The low of 62 on the 16th also broke the record high low for
that date. The old record was also 60 set in 1958. November also finally
brought us our first official killing freeze. After flirting with light frosts but once
in October, we finally had an overnight low of 32 or below on the 10th when
the morning low dipped to 30. This tied the latest that we have had our first
fall freeze. The record was originally set in 1998. Our long term average first
fall freeze is October 19th. Our last freeze in the spring (April 4th) was nearly
ten days earlier than average (April 15th). This meant that our growing
season for 2016 was 216 days long, almost a full month longer than our
average 188 day growing season!

What did change in November was rainfall. There was a noted change in
nationwide weather patterns and after four consecutive months of above
normal precipitation, the area fell well short of average. Average November
rainfall is 1.55 inches. Milford Lake received 0.25 inches and Junction City
received 0.40 inches. While it was dry, it was not record dry. The driest
November on record was in 1966 and again in 1989 when no precipitation
was recorded. The wettest November on record goes back to 1931 when
5.88 inches was recorded. Very little snow fell in November 1931 so that was
virtually all rain. Keep in mind also that while November was dry this year,
last year we had the Thanksgiving ice storm and we ended the month with
over 4 inches of precipitation! Normal year to date precipitation through
November is 32.13 inches. So far this year Milford Lake has received 38.19
inches and Junction City has received 38.95 inches. If we were to receive no
precipitation in December, we´d still be over five inches above normal for the
year! With the well above average temperatures it´s no surprise that there
was no snow recorded in November!

December brings us the official start of winter, our shortest day of the year
and truly the arrival of winter temperatures and often our first good snowfall.
Only the first two items are guaranteed in any December! Average daily
highs start the month at 46 and by the end of the month are down to 38.
Overnight lows should range from 25 on the 1st to 18 on New Year´s Eve.
December is our second driest month of the year. Long term average
December precipitation is 1.02 inches. Long term average snowfall for
December is 3.7 inches and the odds for a white Christmas are generally felt
to be under 20% probability.

The Junction City Breakfast Optimist Club will be having a fundraiser on Thursday, December 8 from 5:00 until 8:00 PM at the Cox Brother’s Barbecue on East Chestnut Street in Junction City.

A portion of each customer’s purchase and all donations will go to the Club for supporting youth activities in Geary County.

Some of the activities include the Saint Francis Community Services “Christmas For Kids” and the Christmas Toys For The Children”.

Come to Cox Brother’s Barbecue and enjoy delicious barbecue and at the same time help support the youth in Geary County with the Optimist Club.

The Grand Army of the Republic Memorial Arch in Heritage Park, Junction City, is now listed in the Register of Historic Kansas Places, the state register.

“Not only does [this] safeguard the arch and cement it’s place as a symbol of our community, but it also makes the arch eligible for state funds to restore it and take care of it,” said Katie Goerl, Director Geary County Historical Society.

The Kansas Historic Sites Board has approved the nomination of the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) Memorial Arch in Heritage Park, Junction City, to the National Register of Historic Places.

A draft of the nomination is on the Kansas Historical Society’s website at: kshs.org/14633.

The nomination will now be forwarded to the office of the Keeper of the National Register in Washington, D.C. where it will be evaluated by their professional staff. If they concur with the findings of the Kansas Historic Sites Board of Review, the property will be included in the National Register of Historic Places.

The listing of the Arch will provide recognition of the community’s historic importance and assures protective review of federal projects that might adversely affect the character of the historic property. This property is now subject to review under the Kansas Historic Preservation Act (K.S.A. 75-2715 through 75-2725).

“Being on the National Register means that anybody can look it up and find out more about it, and hopefully that will bring people to the community,” said Goerl.

The Arch has not yet been added to the National Register since the submission nomination on November 19th.

This project was spearheaded by the local Rotary Club.

For more information about state and federal preservation law, please visit www.kshs.org/14658.

UPDATE:

Junction City Police Investigations Captain Chuck Leithoff provided an update Thursday morning on the death investigation that commenced Wednesday when officers responded to the area of 8th Street and Rucker Road in reference to a body located in the wood line.

Upon arrival officers located a 21-year old white man deceased. While no foul play is suspected at this time the case is being investigated by detectives. An autopsy is scheduled later on Thursday.

—

Junction City police report that a death investigation is under way.

Officers responded Wednesday afternoon at 1:15 to the area of 8th Street and Rucker Road for a report of a deceased subject. No other information has been released at this time.

Dorothy Bramlage Public Library officials are seeking to raise money to expand or build a new library.

One idea arose during discussion at the Junction City Area Chamber of Commerce meeting. It involved the possible combination of a new library at the same location as a new Junction City High School project.

A member of the Chamber Board of Directors, Gary Schoenrock, feels it might make sense to explore a co-location for both of them. “I think it’s an opportunity that deserves some exploration in the sense that this community is being asked to seriously consider a new high school, and possibly an expansion or a new increased library. So maybe there might be some synergies and cost savings to put the two together in some form or fashion.

Perhaps the general public area could be separated from the student area. Susan Moyer, noted in response to the idea, that the library service works better with a central location, and that the library has a lot of walking traffic.

Another idea suggested at the Chamber board meeting involved possibly converting the Freshman Success Library building into a library if that FSA facility is vacated by the school district. Moyer noted no architectural work had been looked at. “I know that they are looking at some possible community partnerships that would go along with that building should they be successful and move that grade out.”

The FSA currently houses ninth grade students. Among the options being considered for a new high school is the possibility of moving ninth grade students into the same building with tenth through twelfth grade students. No final decisions have been made at this point.

The annual Junction City Area Chamber of Commerce event, Junction Function, raised a net of $23,281.88 for the Chamber. It was held this fall at the Courtyard by Marriott Convention Center.

The numbers were released during the monthly Chamber Board of Directors meeting.