One of the summer improvement projects planned in Geary USD 475 includes an addition to Sheridan Elementary School. District officials it will be a classroom / storm shelter addition.
Superintendent of Schools Dr. Corbin Witt said this week that is probably the biggest project, but there will be other work. “We’re adding a parking lot at Franklin, some secure entrances to a couple of our buildings. Those are the big types of projects.”
Witt responded to questions on the summer work during a briefing with the news media.
Fixed route public bus service from aTa Bus will begin in the near future.
Geary County Commissioner Florence Whitebread said the signs have been ordered. The new buses are in. Whitebread is hoping the service can begin in mid-May or soon after that.
The new signs are supposed to be in by the end of the week.
The parking lot at Dillons will serve as the main hub. There will be 90 other stops, including 18 principal stopping points for the buses.
Thousands of acres of grassland burned in Geary County this spring.
The burning occurs on an annual basis.
Geary County Commissioner Florence Whitebread reported on an update presented to the governing body on Monday by the Rural Fire Department. “They figured that we had a total of 48,500 acres included in our grass burns this year.”
Whitebread noted there were approximately 121 fire truck runs. One of the fires covered approximately 6,000 acres.
Kansas State coach Bruce Weber passes out custard March 9, 2012, (while coach at Univ. of Illinois ) taking everyone in his party to Jarling’s Custard Cup Photo by: Robin Scholz courtesy The News-Gazette
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) — Four years after he was fired by the University of Illinois, basketball coach Bruce Weber is making a comeback in Champaign. He’s bringing former Illini football coach Ron Turner with him, too.
According to The News-Gazette in Champaign Weber and Turner are part of a group that has bought local landmark Jarling’s Custard Cup. Weber now coaches Kansas State and Turner is football coach at Florida International.
The Jarling family had said last summer it was looking for a buyer for the seasonal dessert shop.
Tom Siegel was a 1980s Illini basketball and baseball player. He is part of the new buyers’ group and said the menu will essentially stay the same.
After he was fired in 2012, Weber and his family made a last stop at Custard Cup.
Patchy dense fog has developed across portions of east central Kansas according to the National Weather Service of Topeka. Visibility will drop below one quarter mile in areas of dense fog. The fog should lift by 8 AM. Motorist are urged to reduce driving speeds when encountering dense fog.
Today: Mostly sunny. Highs in the lower 70s. Southwest winds up to 10 mph.
Tonight: Mostly clear. Lows in the upper 40s. West winds 5 to 10 mph.
Wednesday: Sunny. Highs in the lower 70s. North winds 5 to 15 mph.
Wednesday Night: Clear. Lows in the mid 40s. Northwest winds up to 10 mph.
Thursday: Sunny. Highs in the mid 70s. Southwest winds up to 5 mph.
Thursday Night: Clear. Lows in the lower 50s.
Friday: Sunny. Highs in the lower 80s.
Friday Night: Mostly clear. Lows around 60.
Saturday: Mostly sunny. Highs in the lower 80s.
Saturday Night: Partly cloudy in the evening then becoming mostly cloudy. A 40 percent chance of rain showers and thunderstorms. Lows in the upper 50s.
Sunday: Rain showers and thunderstorms likely. Highs in the mid 70s. Chance of precipitation 60 percent.
Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy with a 50 percent chance of rain showers and thunderstorms. Lows in the upper 50s.
Monday: Partly sunny with a 50 percent chance of rain showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the mid 70s.
Teacher and Para scholarships were presented to numerous teachers in Geary USD 475 Monday evening during the Celebration of Teaching banquet in Junction City.
They included:
–The Devin Family Memorial Teacher Scholarship to Kristen Barker, Jennifer Garrison, and Stephanie Jo Sowell. The scholarship was given by the Devin Family in memory of Gary and Doug Devin.
–The Ron Shandy Memorial Teacher Scholarship to Charly Nichole Wilhelm
–Geary Community Schools Foundation Teacher / Para Scholarships were presented to Crystal Holzer, Christy L. Hood, Erica Howard, Kelsey Mann, Molly Elizabeth Mosher, Shawn Michael Ryan, Amanda Small, Ashtyn Wiese, and Heather Boland.
The USD 475 Retirement Recognition Program has been scheduled for May 17 at 7 p.m. at the Junction City Middle School.
Four educators will be honored. They include Anna Haffner, Morris Hill Elementary School; Gilbert Hall, Junction City High School; Sharon Houston, Junction City Middle School; and Susan Zimmerman, Junction City High School.
Kevin Willmott received a standing ovation Monday evening from a USD 475 audience at the Courtyard by Marriott convention center in Junction City.
Willmott served as the keynote speaker for the Celebration of Teaching banquet.
Kevin WIllmot speaking in Junction City Monday evening.
It was quite a return home for the former Junction City High School student who was expelled from the school during his teen years, but is now a full professor at the University of Kansas and a prominent film writer, director and producer.
Kevin went on to graduate from St. Xavier High School in 1976 and he holds a Bachelor’s degree from Marymount College in Salina, and a Master of Fine Arts from Tisch School of the Arts at New York University.
During his remarks Monday evening Willmott referred to the diversity in Junction City, the positive impact, and experiences with former teachers such as Pat Anderson at Junction City High School, and the help he received from Father Frank Coady at St. Xavier.
He told the story about being asked by a member of the Adult Education Department to teach a class at the University of Kansas. As it turns that person was the son of the man who was principal at the time that Kevin was expelled from Junction City High School. “So the man who kind of laughed in my face, made fun of me when they kicked me out. I remember walking home, we went to the school to ask if they would let me back into the school and they said no.” Willmott said 40 years later the son of that principal was sitting in front of him. “I had the opportunity to just lay him out but I didn’t do it, because he wasn’t guilty of the crime. And in the long run success is always the best revenge.” Those comments brought a standing ovation from the large audience at the convention center.
Then in a surprise move Willmott was presented with a Junction City High School diploma. It was an emotional moment for Kevin when he opened the package and saw it was a JCHS diploma. “I have to tell you this is the best thing I have ever received in my entire life. Thank you so much.”
Willmott has produced films such as C.S.A. The Confederate States of America, Jayhawkers, Ninth Street, and his most recent release Chi-Raq, which he has screenwritten with Spike Lee who also directs the movie.
Although the last few days of April may not have felt like it, April had above
average temperatures. Geary County Extension Agent Chuck Otte reported that this is the 8th consecutive month with above average temperatures. However, unlike the previous couple of months, April also had above average rainfall.
The average daily high during April was 67.6, 1.7 degrees above normal. The
average overnight low for the month was 47.0, 4.8 degrees above normal.
This gave us a monthly mean temperature for April of 57.3, 3.2 degrees
above normal. The highest temperature for the month was 85 degrees on the
5th. The lowest temperature for the month was 28 on April 1st. That reading
plus a morning low of 32 on the 8th were the only freezing temperatures we
had for April. Assuming we have no 32 degree or lower readings in May (it
can happen), April 8th will be our last freeze of the spring which would be a
week earlier than our average last frost date of April 15th. There were no
high or low temperature records set or tied for the month. The monthly mean
temperature of 57.3 while above normal, was well within our expected range
of April monthly mean temperatures. The hottest April on record was in 1955
when we had a monthly mean temperature of 63.2. The coldest April on
record was in 1983 when we had a nippy monthly mean temperature of 45.9
degrees.
The first half of April continued an ongoing dry period with one minor rainfall
event of less than a quarter of an inch on the 6th. The dry spell was broken
starting on April 18th with the next 12 days bringing us well above normal
April rainfall. Long term average April rainfall is 2.95 inches. Milford Lake
received 5.27 inches and Junction City 4.78 inches. However, heavy rainfall
events on the 26th brought over six inches of rain to some locations in
northeast Geary County. While those heavy rains helped to alleviate the dry
conditions, the area is still running just a little below normal for the year.
Average precipitation for the first four months of the year is 7.06 inches. Year
to date Milford Lake has received 7.00 inches and Junction City, 6.58 inches.
The wettest April on record was in 1944 when 12.59 inches of rain pelted the
region. The driest April was in 1989 when only 0.36 inches of rain could be
found in the rain gauges!
May brings us many things: our frost free date is around May 10th (time to
plant tomatoes and peppers then), one of our two wettest months of the year,
and the end of the school year for many area schools. Average daily highs in
May range from 72 on May Day to 81 by Memorial Day. Overnight lows range
from 48 on the 1st to 58 on the 31st. Average rainfall for May is 4.79 inches.
While long term average snowfall for May is one tenth of an inch, we rarely
see snow in May, although we did see some early May snow in 2013.
Chuck Otte
County Extension Agent, Ag & Natural Resources
The 12th annual Celebration of Teaching Banquet is Monday evening at the Courtyard by Marriott convention center in Junction City.
The keynote speaker will be Kevin Wilmott, who was raised in Junction City and attended elementary and second schools in USD 475 before graduating from Saint Xavier High School in 1976.
Willmott is currently a Professor of Film and Media Studies in the School of the Arts at the University of Kansas, and is an accomplished film writer and director.
One of the summer improvement projects planned in Geary USD 475 includes an addition to Sheridan Elementary School. District officials it will be a classroom / storm shelter addition.
