The Geary County Sheriff’s Department reported that an injury accident occurred at 1:40 a.m. Tuesday on K-18 Highway near mile marker 163. Aaron Merrill, Ft. Riley, was traveling eastbound in a 2011 Jeep Patriot when he fell asleep. The vehicle left the roadway and struck a power pole.
Merrill was transported to Geary Community Hospital in Junction City with non-life threatening injuries.
Today: Breezy…cooler. Partly sunny with slight chance of rain showers and isolated thunderstorms. Highs in the mid 60s. Northwest winds 10 to 25 mph. Chance of precipitation 20 percent.
Tonight: Colder. Partly cloudy. Slight chance of rain showers and isolated thunderstorms in the evening. Lows in the mid 30s. West winds 5 to 15 mph. Gusts up to 30 mph in the evening.
Wednesday: Mostly sunny. Highs in the lower 60s. West winds 5 to 15 mph increasing to 15 to 20 mph with gusts to around 30 mph in the afternoon.
Wednesday Night: Mostly clear. Lows in the mid 30s. West winds 5 to 10 mph. Gusts up to 20 mph in the evening.
Thursday: Sunny. Highs around 60. Northwest winds 10 to 20 mph with gusts to around 30 mph.
Thursday Night: Partly cloudy in the evening then becoming mostly cloudy. Lows in the mid 30s.
Friday: Cooler. Partly sunny with slight chance of rain. Highs in the mid 40s.
Friday Night: Mostly cloudy. Lows around 30.
Saturday: Mostly sunny. Highs in the upper 40s.
Saturday Night: Mostly clear. Lows in the upper 20s.
Sunday: Not as cool. Sunny. Highs in the upper 50s.
Sunday Night: Mostly clear. Lows in the mid 30s.
Monday: Mostly sunny. Highs in the mid 60s.
UPDATE:
Junction City police confirm the arrests occurred after a female victim was beaten twice, and threatened once with a hammer. It stemmed from an alleged domestic case.
—
Junction City police have reported the arrest of two people at 948 Grant Avenue Lot 171 ( Regency Trailer Court ) Monday morning.
They included:
–Laquisha C. Carradine, 30, Junction City, on suspicion of Aggravated Battery, Aggravated Burglary, Criminal Damage to Property, Criminal Threat, Kidnapping, and Interference with Law Enforcement.
–James Moore II, 23, Junction City, on suspicion of Aggravated Assault with Deadly Weapon, Battery, Aggravated Burglary, Criminal Damage to Property, Kidnapping, Assault on Law Enforcement, and Obstruction of Legal Process or Official Duty.
MANHATTAN- A Kansas man, awaiting a trial for arson, was sentenced in Riley County Court for drug distribution on Monday.
According to the prosecutor, Donnie Hill, 43, Manhattan, was on parole for the distribution of narcotics when he was arrested in June of 2015 for the distribution of marijuana.
Hill’s attorney submitted a motion for downward departure in order to try to reduce the possible sentence time but was denied.
Judge Stutzman stated there was not sufficient reason for the departure, and Hill had a criminal history with 12 felonies, as well as a recent arrest for arson since he had entered a plea in the distribution case.
Hill was was arrested on February 20, 2016 on the offense of arson and theft in connection to a house fire at 615 Yuma street that occurred on February 12.
He was found at the scene of the fire with a significant cut to his arm and was transported to Via Christi Hospital.
The Manhattan Fire Department responded to the fire, but the house was a total loss and was listed at $95,000.
Judge Stutzman sentenced Hill for 46 months for distribution of marijuana.
The arson hearing is still pending in Riley County Court.
CLOUD-CLAY-RILEY-OTTAWA-DICKINSON-GEARY-MORRIS-WABAUNSEE-LYON- OSAGE-FRANKLIN-COFFEY-ANDERSON-
338 PM CDT MON MAR 14 2016
…RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM TO 7 PM CDT TUESDAY FOR GUSTY WINDS…LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITIES AND CRITICAL FUELS
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TOPEKA HAS ISSUED A RED FLAG
WARNING…WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM TO 7 PM CDT TUESDAY. THE FIRE WEATHER WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.
* AFFECTED AREA…FIRE WEATHER ZONES 020…021…022…034…
035…036…037…038…054…055…056…058 AND 059.
* WIND…WINDS OUT OF THE NORTHWEST BETWEEN 20 TO 30 MPH…
GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH. THE WINDS WILL DIMINISH DURING THE
EVENING.
* HUMIDITY…MINIMUM RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES IN THE 20 TO 25 PERCENT RANGE.
* IMPACTS…ANY FIRES THAT DEVELOP WILL LIKELY SPREAD RAPIDLY.
OUTDOOR BURNING IS NOT RECOMMENDED.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
A RED FLAG WARNING MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EITHER OCCURRING NOW…OR WILL SHORTLY. A COMBINATION OF STRONG WINDS…LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY…AND WARM TEMPERATURES MAY LEAD TO EXTREME FIRE BEHAVIOR.
The monthly Milford Lake bird walk will be Saturday, march 19 at 8 a.m.
The coordinator of the walks, Chuck Otte said participants will meet at the parking lot on the south end of Milford Lake Dam, just across the highway from the Corps of Engineers Office.
This month’s walk will focus on early migrants as well as wintering songbirds and waterbirds that haven’t left yet. The walks usually last about two to three hours and involve moderate walking. If you have binoculars or a bird book you can bring them.
For more information contact Chuck Otte at 238-4161 or 238-8800.
The next American Red Cross blood drive in Junction City will be next week, March 21-22 at the Junction City Municipal Auditorium.
The hours on the 21st will be 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., and on the 22nd, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Blood drive spokesperson Joyce McCrae said if you can make an appointment to donate blood. “Red Cross has been instructed to take appointments first, so we encourage walk-ins, we like walk-ins, but for your sake make an appointment so you don’t have to wait.”
Call 1-800 Red Cross to make an appointment.
The Geary County Sheriff’s Department worked a rollover accident on I-70 Saturday morning.
Christina Sanchez, Highland Ranch, Colorado was westbound four miles west of Junction City when she lost control of her 2001 Jeep Cherokee, causing it to cross over east bound lanes and then rolling over on the south side of the interstate. Minor injuries were reported.
—
Deputies responded to I-70 westbound off ramp five miles east of Junction City Friday night for a two vehicle non-injury accident.
Serena Kitchuck, Junction City, was driving a Nissan Rogue and Shelby Whitlock was driving a Hyundai Sonata, when Whitlock’s vehicle ran into the back of Kitchuck’s vehicle.
—
Deputies responded to U.S. 77 Highway for a single vehicle non-injury accident just before 1 a.m. on Saturday.
Barbara Hancock, Junction City, was driving a Jeep Wrangler when the vehicle left the roadway striking a sign. Deputies arrested Hancock on suspicion of Driving under the influence of Alcohol, Suspended Driver’s License, No Proof of Liability Insurance, Improper Turn and Refusal of Preliminary Breath Test.
MANHATTAN – A Riley County man was sentenced on Monday for his participation in an aggravated robbery that temporarily shut down the Kansas State University campus on September 4, 2015.
Sean Johnson, 20, Manhattan, appeared in Riley County Court. He was arrested on September 9, after an investigation into several robberies near the KSU campus.
Johnson’s attorney argued that his participation in the robbery spree in which three others were arrested was mitigated and that his only criminal background was a possession of marijuana charge from 2013 and that he has successfully completed probation.
Barry Disney, Senior Deputy County Attorney for Riley County, represented the State of Kansas and argued that the victims of the robbery spree were terrorized by the events and that no departure in sentencing should be granted.
“The victims of the crimes wanted those charged to serve jail time, and that preying on innocent people while they were just walking home was a serious crime deserving punishment, regardless of previous criminal history,” said Disney.
Judge Stutzman sentenced Johnson to 59 months with the Secretary of Corrections and 36 months post-incarceration supervision. He is also required to register as a violent offender since a firearm
State Representative said over the weekend that he made about $13,000 providing his services in the Kansas Legislature in 2015.
Legislators do not receive a big salary, but Moxley told a Junction City legislative coffee audience most people think they’re making a couple hundred thousand dollars a year. “I would be truly okay if none of us got paid anything, because we have got a good number of people who don’t have a job and not have had a job. A couple of them as long as I’ve been in the Legislature, this is the only job they got. And if they can live on $12,000 a year we need to find somebody else that’s got a life.” Moxley added, “God bless them for doing it, but they’re doing that because it’s the only job they can get.”
Moxley is the owner of a management company and ranching operation, and also serves in the Legislature.
He told the legislative coffee audience that Kansas is also one of the lowest paid legislative states. The issue of legislator salaries surfaced during a question and anwer session during the coffee.