There will be a reception for the outgoing superintendent of schools in Chapman Lacee Sell, Wednesday May 18th, at Chapman Elementary School.
Sell is stepping down effective at the end of June after five years in that position in Chapman.
She will become the Executive Director of Teaching and Learning in the USD 383 Manhattan / Ogden school district.
Beginning Monday, May 23, and continuing through Sunday, June 5, drivers can expect increased police presence in Junction City as the Junction City Police Department joins almost 150 other law enforcement agencies in aggressively enforcing Kansas occupant restraint and other traffic laws. It’s part of the 2016 Kansas Click It or Ticket campaign.
The activity is supported by a grant from the Kansas Department of Transportation. Enforcement will occur around the clock. Officers will be especially vigilant at night because the likelihood of seatbelt use at night is much lower than during the day, and the percentage of unrestrained crash deaths soars much higher at night.
Drivers can expect strict enforcement of both the Safety Belt use Act and the Child Pasenger Safety Act. those require that all vehicle occupants must be appropriately restrained.
Law enforcement officers can stop vehicles and issue tickets when they observe front seat occupants, teens in any position, or children under the age of 14, riding without being properly restrained. Occupants, ages 14 and over, are cited individually. In the event that a passenger under the age of 14 is observed to be unrestrained the driver will be cited. The fine an adult violation is $10. The fine for a youth ( 14-17 ) violation is $60, ( no court costs ) , while the driver’s fine for a child ( 0-13 ) restraint violation is $60 plus a court cost charge of $117.
Children under the age of four must be correctly secured in an approved child safety seat. CHildren, ages 4-7, must be securely belted into an approved booster seat unless they are taller than 4 feet nine inches or heavier than 80 pounds, in which case the ooster may be removed and the child belted in without it. Children, ages 8-13 must be safety-belted.
The aim of Click It or Ticket is to drastically reduce the number of preventable deaths and injuries that occur when unbelted drivers and passengers are involved in traffic crashes.
The Junction City / Geary County Drug Operations Group executed a search warrant May 11 at 7130 Rockwood Drive in Milford following a two-week long investigation into the alleged distribution of marijuana, methamphetamine, cocaine and prescription pills.
Authorities reported that Christopher Alton Obregon, 28 Milford and Katelin M. Silovsky, 20, of Milford were arrested on multiple drug related allegations. For Obregon he was arrested on 14 allegations ranging from two counts Sale of Marijuana to one each of Sale of Cocaine, Sale of Methamphetamine, and Sale of Controlled Substances.
Silovsky was arrested on nine counts ranging from one count each of Sale of Marijuana to Conspiracy to Distribute Marijuana.
Bond for Obregon was set at $500,000 and for Silovsky at $50,000.
The Drug Operations Group seized approximately 2.5 pounds of marijuana, 10 grams of cocaine, 57 ecstasy pills, 1.8 grams of psilocybin mushrooms, 148 pills and 16 ( 2ml. ) bottles of anabolic steroids, 2 grams of methamphetamine, 3 dosage units of LSD, hundreds of various prescription narcotic pills, U.S. currency, 3 handguns, and a 2003 Chevrolet Silverado.
The Drug Operations Group is a joint task force composed of members of the Junction City Police Department, Geary County Sheriff’s Department, and Grandview Plaza Police Department.
Three students at Junction City High School have been awarded the Silver and Bronze Medals, and special recognition on the Presidential Honor Roll for outstanding performance on the 2016 National German Exam for High School students.
Christopher Donald and Brian Kylman, both German III received the award after scoring in the top 11 of the State’s participants on the level 3, 2016 National German Exam sponsored by the American Association of Teachers of German. Tiara Floyd, German III, received the Bronze Medal for her performance in the top 12 of the State’s participants on Level 3.
More than 21,000 students participated in the exam this year.
Christopher, Brian, and Tiara are students of Daniela Thrasher, German teacher at Junction City High School.
“A Heart for Caregiving,” a free seminar for caregivers and families of older Kansans, will be held Tuesday, May 24 from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Wamego Senior Center, 501 Ash Street.
The event is being sponsored by the North Central-Flint Hills Area Agency on Aging. Call Marsha Rogers at the Area Agency on Aging toll-free at ( 800 ) 432-2703.
The seminar will focus on financial and legal issues that are issues for many caregivers, said Julie Govert Walter, Executive Director of the North Central-Flint Hills Area Agency on Aging.
Caregivers who would like to attend, but can’t pay for the care their loved one needs on the day of the seminar, may apply for respite scholarships. Those are available through the Agency. Call ( 800 ) 432-2703 for details.
ABILENE — The Abilene Area Chamber of Commerce is hosting a “Lunch and Learn” session on Digital and Social Media Marketing.
Jeremy Coulter of Eagle Communications will be the presenter. He will discuss the value and process of digital marketing on platforms including from Google, Facebook and other social media outlets.
Eagle Communications is the only Google Partner in western Kansas and the only Google Partner All Star in a four-state region. Eagle’s Google marketing campaigns perform in the top 3 percent of all Google Partners in North America.
The Lunch and Learn is scheduled for noon Tuesday at the Abilene Civic Center, 201 NW Second.
The session if free of charge, and beverages will be provided. Bring your own lunch.
For more information, call (785) 263-1770.
For more information on Eagle’s array of digital marketing tools, call (785) 628-0467 or click HERE.
The Flint Hills Regional Leadership Program partnered with the 12th Street Community Center in Junction City to bring a new community garden.
Community center manager Donna Swihart says this isn’t just a “for the moment project; it’s a year long ‘let’s do this together’, ‘let’s build a community’,” type of project.
Swihart says this is an opportunity for kids to learn “leadership, agriculture and cooperation” skills. 
Kaitlin McGuire, part of the 2015-2016 Flint Hills Leadership Program says one of the goals is to “educate and bring the community together.”
“We want people to be able to have fun with [it] and to be able to plant and come in and meet each other and work together to build the community,” says McGuire.
The 12th Street Community Center Garden held a ribbon cutting ceremony this afternoon where they were joined by National Honor Society high school students.
The project was supported by the Junction City Chamber of Commerce.
GEARY COUNTY – Two people were injured in an accident just after 4 p.m. on Friday in Geary County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported 7 vehicles were westbound on Interstate 70 near two miles west of U.S. 77.
The visibility was minimal due to a dust storm. A 1998 Dodge Dakota driven by Alejandro Espinoza, 18, Abilene, and a 2008 Chevy Silverado driven by Tanner Hassell, 21, Leoti, collided causing a chain reaction.
Also involved in the accident a 2001 GMC Sonoma driven by David Geist 54, Hoxie.
A 2015 Dodge Dart driven by Casey Scott, 77, Santa Barbara, California.
A 2011 Ford F-150 driven by Terrance Huelsman, 55, Wichita.
A 2006 Chevy Trailblazer driven by Jordan Davies, 28, Abilene.
A 2015 Jeep Cherokee driven by David Rupp, 78, Moundridge.
Geist was transported to Geary Community Hospital.
Davies was transported to the hospital in Abilene.
All were properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.
UPDATE:
Geary County Sheriff Tony Wolf has reported that traffic is flowing again on I-70 after approximately half dozen accidents occurred near mile marker 293 west of Junction City late Friday afternoon. Dust blowing off of a farm field caused extremely poor visibility at the scene and that led to the accidents.
Deputies in patrol cars are currently watching the area and trying to slow down motorists.
Wolf reported that one person suffered neck pain and another a broken ankle. One of the injured was taken to Geary Community Hospital in Junction City, and the other to Abilene Memorial Hospital. The sheriff noted the Kansas Highway Patrol worked the accidents, and the Geary County Sheriff’s Department assisted with traffic control. “Which was quite a nightmare out here. There was a farm field on the north side of I-70 that is dry, and the wind was blowing dust across the roadway, cutting down visibility to almost zero in most places out there in that about one-half mile stretch.”
Wolf noted there was a traffic pileup because of zero visibility, “and we had quite a mess out there for a short amount of time.”
The names of those involved in the accidents are not yet available.
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I-70 westbound has been reopened near mile marker 293 and traffic is flowing again. The westbound lanes had been closed since about 4:20 due to wind related accidents.
A series of accidents have occurred on I-70 westbound near mile marker 293 approximately two miles west of Junction City. Geary County Sheriff Tony Wolf reports that there have been approximately five to six accidents caused by dirt from a farm field blowing across the interstate. Traffic is backed up a considerable distance, and the westbound lane has been closed to traffic. It is still moving in the eastbound lane. Avoid this area if possible.
Outgoing Kansas State University President Kirk Schulz, recently named president of Washington State University, says Kansas State and the University of Kansas have recently become “a potential target for larger budget cuts by the state.”
The Kansas Legislature has authorized Governor Sam Brownback to make disproportionate cuts to the state’s two research
universities – Kansas State and the University of Kansas.
Schulz doesn’t think the Governor should have that
authority. “None of the presidents of any of the higher education institutions in the state are supportive of this disproportionate cutting scheme that has been proposed by the legislature,” he says.
In order to cover the budget reductions already made by the state, Schulz says the university has submitted a proposal to the Kansas Board of Regents asking for a five percent tuition and fee increase for the fall.
Schulz says, “Ultimately at the end of the day, that means that a few more families can’t afford to send their son or daughter, grandson or granddaughter to get a four year degree; and I think that hurts in the long run economically in the state.”
At this point, the enrollment projection for Kansas State is flat, but Schulz believes that with a five percent increase in tuition and fees, that can ultimately change.
“There may be some people who are planning to come and said…well now because of that I won’t be able to make it work financially.”
Schulz officially begins duties as Washington State University in June. The Kansas Board of Regents has appointed retired U.S. Air Force General Richard B. Myers as interim president of Kansas State University.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Public defenders have withdrawn from representing a Topeka man who pleaded guilty to federal criminal charges and admitted to plotting to bomb a northeast Kansas military installation.
Defense attorney Melody Brannon said Friday during a brief federal court hearing that a potential conflict of interest had developed with 21-year-old John T. Booker Jr.
U.S. District Judge Carlos Murguia granted a request from Brannon and fellow public defender Kirk Redmond to withdraw and plans to appoint a private attorney.
Booker was arrested last year outside Fort Riley trying to arm what he thought was a 1,000-pound bomb and later acknowledged attempting to help the Islamic State group. His February plea agreement with prosecutors calls for a 30-year prison sentence.
Murguia has yet to schedule a sentencing hearing for Booker.
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TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A 21-year-old Topeka man is due in federal court more than three months after admitting to plotting to bomb a northeast Kansas military installation.
U.S. District Judge Carlos Murguia was holding a hearing Friday on the status of John T. Booker Jr.’s case.
Booker pleaded guilty in February to two charges arising from his arrest in April 2015 outside Fort Riley as he tried to arm what he thought was a 1,000-pound bomb.
Booker acknowledged in court that he was trying to help the Islamic State group. He signed a plea agreement with prosecutors that would have him serve 30 years in prison.
But Murguia has yet to schedule a sentencing hearing for Booker.
Booker initially faced three felony charges and a sentence of life in prison.