McDowell Creek Community Center’s monthly potlick was hosted by Rod Moyer and Dara Green in the restored barn on the Moyer Ranch on August 13th.

The first floor of the restored barn held the potluck spread while the second floor was the spot for music, tables and chairs.

The “TGI Saturday” event included a music jam with local musicians.

It was reported that the man in the apartment had a shotgun and had threatened to harm himself and others. Contact was made by telephone but he refused to leave the apartment to speak with the investigating officers. Members of the Junction City – Geary County Swat Team were called in to assist with the standoff. Assistance was also received from the Geary County Sheriff’s Department.

After negotiating for approximately two hours the suspect, identified as Scott W. Robinson, 49, surrendered and was taken into custody without incident. Robinson was arrested on suspicion of Criminal Threat and Interference with Law Enforcement. He was escorted to the Geary County Detention Center where he was booked, processed and confined without bond pending a first appearance in Geary County District Court.

The Geary USD 475 Board of Education has approved the school district’s 2016-17 budget.

The property tax levy will remain flat….the same as the past year at 43.525 mills.

Superintendent Dr. Corbin Witt stated, “I think our budget is okay. We’ve been with the block grant pretty flat for the last three years. Looking at everything it’s probably the best case scenario. We’ve lost some enrollment so we’re really kind of pleased at where we’re at just by being flat.”

The Board of Education voted 7-0 to approve the spending plan.

Stuff the Bus school supply donations collected over 5000 items for Geary USD 475 students in need.

“It went amazing, we really saw an outpour of support from the community,” said Nichole Mader, Executive Director of the United Way.

Mader said there were some cases “where we got large packs of pencils, where there were 72 in one box, but that still counts as one item” toward the over 5000 collected.

The majority of the school supplies were delivered last week, but Mader said she still has some left.

“There is a few last minute pieces….what I will do is if the schools call and say ‘hey we’re short on this’ then I will run that down to them if I have it,” said Mader.

Stuff the Bus donated school supplies will benefit nearly two-thirds of Geary County USD 475 students.

In a show of support to the countless volunteers, the United Way is hosting a Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon and Annual Meeting.

Nichole Mader, United Way Executive Director, said “this is our way of saying thank you to the volunteers.”

“We have members from some of the local agencies that will be there, that will be present, so that way when people support United Way they’ll actually be able to see where that money is going to…and see how we impact the community; but it is definetly our way to shine a light on who has supported us not only with time or financial, but who has also really lead a ‘United’ life,” said Mader.

This year’s event will take place in the Medical Arts II Conference Room on the 3rd floor of Geary Community Hospital on Wednesday, August 17th at noon.

Boil Water Advisory Update for Manhattan:

The City of Manhattan Water Treatment Plant is now fully operational following an early morning power outage and subsequent issues with communication systems.

All water towers, with the exception of the northwest tower near Colbert Hills, are at normal levels. The issues at the northwest tower are indicative of continued high water demands in the area. The pump station that supplies this tower is fully operational and currently maintaining adequate pressures. Residents in this area are urged to continue to conserve water. Use water for essential matters only and discontinue irrigation practices until further notice.

All required bacteriological samples have been taken and are being delivered to the KDHE laboratory in Topeka. City staff has monitored the system and taken additional samples at various locations in the water distribution system. City staff is confident the results of the samples will result in zero contamination; however, the boil water advisory remains in effect. Only KDHE can lift the boil water advisory after results from the city’s samples become available. Those results are expected within 24 hours.

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MANHATTAN- A power outage at the water treatment plant on Monday led to temporary emergency water conservation in Manhattan.

City staff restored power just before 8 a.m. and now personnel are checking the systems and monitoring them to ensure there is enough water in the towers, according to Assistant Director of Public Works Water & Wastewater Randy DeWitt.

Since the outage, The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) issued a boil water advisory for City of Manhattan public water supply located in Riley County.

The power outage resulted in a loss of pressure, according to KDHE and the low pressure may result in a loss of chlorine residuals and bacterial contamination.

A two boat accident on Milford Lake late Saturday night sent one woman to Geary Community Hospital with a possible broken arm.

According to Geary County Sheriff Tony Wolf a man and woman from Wichita were fishing about 11:45 p.m. Saturday at a location about one half to three quarters of a mile south of the City of Milford boat ramp. A second boat then came up from behind the initial boat and struck it. “They never saw that boat and went from the rear end of the boat over the top to the front end of the boat, went completely over it when it struck it.”

Names have not been released yet, but Wolf confirmed the woman transported to Geary Community Hospital was on the initial boat which had been stationary while the occupants were fishing.

The boat that was struck was disabled. “It hit the motor, on the right side of the boat…the railing along the side of the boat and the center console, it hit that a little bit. But looking at it that night they came out of this very lucky. It could have been a whole lot worse.” Wolf added the people on the initial boat that got hit were fishing in a catfish tournament, and those on the second boat were not. The people on the second boat were from Delia, Kansas in Jackson County.

The accident is under investigation by Kansas Wildlife Parks & Tourism.

GEARY COUNTY – A Kansas man was injured in an accident just before 5p.m. on Sunday in Geary County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1997 Nissan pickup driven by Jesus James Martin, 24, Wakefield, westbound on Kansas 18 four miles west of Junction City.

The pickup traveled off the north edge of the road into a ravine coming to rest in a creek bed.

Martin was transported to Geary Community Hospital.

He was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

Two hours were set aside Sunday evening for dog owners to take their dogs for a swim at the Junction City Municipal Swimming Pool.

The Chair of the City Employees Benevolent Fund, Dawn Van Horn, said they chose the Geary County Animal Shelter as one of their charity funds this year. “Every year for the past couple of years now we’ve opened the city pools to the area dogs, and we thought what a great idea to marry the shelter and the Puppy Plunge together, so we got with the animal shelter and asked if they would be willing to participate. They of course, were super excited.”

The public attending the Puppy Plunge were able to donate items for the shelter such as dried food, chews, paper towels, and laundry detergents.