The JC Breakfast Optimist Club has donated $200 to the Dorothy Bramlage Public Library’s summer reading program.

There are currently 718 children and 100 adults enrolled in the program. The intent of the program is to encourage readers to practice their reading skills.

Prizes are awarded to those who reach or exceed their reading goals. The program continues through August 4th.

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Kansas State officials say the university is planning to increase its recruiting efforts in response to a 4% budget reduction for the upcoming year.

Linda Cook is chief of staff and director of community relations at the university. She told community and Riley County representatives Monday that the university plans to invest in recruiting more students, particularly those from out of state.

The Manhattan Mercury reports the university has cut its operating budget by $37 million in the last five years. Kansas State has asked for a 3.1% tuition increase for next year but the Board of Regents last week decided all state universities should keep tuition flat.

Cook said the university needs to spend money on some programs that will help recruitment, which means cutbacks in other areas.

MANHATTAN — Authorities are investigating the cause of a Wednesday morning fire in Manhattan.

Just before 4:30a.m., fire crews were called to a blaze in the at the Colonial Gardens Mobile Home Park in the 3000 Block of Tuttle Creek Boulevard, according to a media release.

The fire in the park’s clubhouse was extinguished within 30 minutes despite limited access to fire hydrants, according to the release. Fire crews used a shuttle to bring water to fight the blaze.

There were no injuries.

Severe thunderstorm warnings accompanied a weather cell that swept northwest to southeast through multiple counties Tuesday evening and early Wednesday morning. There were two severe thunderstorm warnings for parts of Geary County. There was extensive lightning into the early morning hours. Extension Agent Chuck Otte, who tracks rainfall totals, reported one-half inch of rain was received.

Junction City police dispatch had not received any reports of damage as of early Wednesday morning.

The forecast for the next seven days does not include any rain.

By Dewey Terrill

JC Post

The Corps of Engineers began releasing water in increments up to 5,000 cubic feet per second from Milford Lake on Tuesday afternoon.

The Operations Project Manager for the Corps at Milford Reservoir, Bill Whitworth, said the water level is about 30 feet high at approximately 1178.38. He added that the release will halt the increase in the water level in about one or two days, “slowly drop us down a bit to about 80% of our flood pool.”

Whitworth confirmed the Corps will not have to let any water go through the emergency spillway on the south end of the lake. “We are a little over a foot and a half from that so I don’t anticipate getting that high.” The outflow from the lake could possibly be increased again on Wednesday. “So we expect as the inflows come down over the next day or two our releases will more than compensate for what’s coming in and will start dropping more. I don’t anticipate getting to the spillway.”

Low-interest federal disaster loans are available to certain private nonprofit organizations in Kansas following President Trump’s federal disaster declaration for Public Assistance as a result of severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes, flooding, landslides and mudslides that began April 28, announced acting Administrator Christopher Pilkerton of the U.S. Small Business Administration.  Private nonprofits that provide essential services of a governmental nature are eligible for assistance.

The low-interest federal disaster loans are available in numerous Kansas counties. Some of those include Geary, Clay, Morris, Pottawatomie and Wabaunsee counties.

SBA may lend private nonprofits up to $2 million to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory and other business assets. SBA can also lend additional funds to help with the cost of improvements to protect, prevent or minimize the same type of disaster damage from occurring in the future.

“Private nonprofit orgaizations should contact Public Assistance Officer Christina Flyntz of the Kansas Division of Emergency Management by calling ( 785 ) 646-2523 or emailing Christina. Flyntz.KDEM@gmail.com to obtain information about applicant briefings,” said Director Tanya N. Garfield of SBA’s Disaster Field Operations Center-West.

The Brigade baseball doubleheader scheduled Tuesday night at Rathert Field in Junction City has been postponed due to the possibility of inclement weather.

The Junction City Brigade were scheduled to host Sabetha, but that has been postponed to Wednesday evening with game times at 5 and 7 p.m.