OSAGE COUNTY – A Jewel County man was involved in a small plane accident just before 4p.m. on Thursday in Osage County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a single engine fixed wing Piper piloted by Brenden David Wirth, 38, Mankato, was northbound attempting a landing at the Osage City Municipal Airport.
After touchdown with 3 tires, the plane was hit by a wind gust and blown east off the runway into a field.
Wirth was not injured.
The accident remains under investigation.
Today: Cloudy. Slight chance of flurries. Highs in the lower 40s. Southwest winds up to 10 mph.
Tonight: Mostly cloudy in the evening then becoming partly cloudy. Lows in the lower 20s. West winds 5 to 10 mph.
Saturday: Sunny. Highs in the upper 40s. Southwest winds 5 to 15 mph.
Saturday Night: Partly cloudy. Lows around 30. West winds 5 to 10 mph.
Sunday: Breezy. Mostly sunny. Highs in the upper 40s. West winds 10 to 15 mph increasing to northwest 20 to 25 mph in the afternoon. Gusts up to 35 mph.
Sunday Night: Partly cloudy. Lows in the upper 20s.
Monday: Breezy…colder. Mostly sunny. Highs in the upper 30s.
Monday Night: Partly cloudy. Lows in the lower 20s.
Tuesday: Mostly sunny. Highs around 40.
Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy. Lows in the mid 20s.
Wednesday: Sunny. Highs in the mid 40s.
Wednesday Night: Mostly clear. Lows in the upper 20s.
Thursday: Sunny. Highs around 50.
The C. L. Hoover Opera House hosted the first ever “Trek to the Tower” last Sunday. The iconic clock tower at the top of the Opera House has always been a staple part of the Junction City community.
Opera House staff and volunteers provided tours of the building beginning in the lobby, and then moving upstairs to the balcony where historical facts and questions from the guests were answered. They had an opportunity to view the new art gallery in the balcony hallway.
The tour continued up to the tech room where tour members were able to walk the catwalk in the auditorium above the theater seats and stafe. Next the tour group was guided up to the attic. At that point, high ceilings and beams with dates marked as far back as 1909 were visible.
Continuing on, the group were led to the first of four ladders taking them to the top of the clock tower interior. At that point the large window displayed a bird’s eye view of the city.
Attendance was good for the event. Visitors came from not only Junction City, but Abilene, Manhattan, and Fort Riley.
Theresa Purnell is the February Employee of the Month at Geary Community Hospital.
Purnell is a Patient Account Representative in the Patient Financial Services department at GCH. She has been employed at Geary Community Hospital since 1999.
MANHATTAN –After a 4-day trial, a Riley County jury found a Manhattan man guilty for his involvement in a shooting in Aggieville.
Mark Self Jr., of Manhattan, 31, was found guilty of attempted voluntary manslaughter and of an aggravated weapons violation by a felon, according to the Riley County Clerk.
Self was originally charged with two counts of attempted first degree murder and one count of aggravated weapons violation by a convicted felon following a shooting that occurred in the early morning hours of May 3, 2015 in Aggieville.
After a brief foot chase, Self was tased by a Riley County Police officer and was taken into custody.
Police found an emptied Glock .40 handgun in Self’s boxer shorts that is believed to have been used during the shooting.
Both Kevin Green, of Manhattan, and Jeremy Caudill, of Ft. Riley, were injured from ricochet’s, according to testimony.
Sentencing for Self is scheduled for March 7.
Thirty-nine year old James Henning has been given a controlling term of two life prison sentences with the Kansas Department of Corrections.
Henning was sentenced Thursday in Geary County District Court on earlier convictions on multiple charges including two counts of Aggravated Indecent Liberties with a Child, three counts of Aggravated Criminal Sodomy, four counts of Sexual Exploitation of a Child, and one charge of Rape. The charges had stemmed from the September 2014 time frame. The victim was his eight-year old daughter.
In court a tearful Henning apologized for his actions. As to why he commited them he stated if he knew he didn’t think he would here ( in court ) now. Henning also stated,”I do not believe I am a bad person.” And he noted, “regardless of my sentence I will pay for the crims for the rest of my life.” He stated that words couldn’t describe his sorrow and regret.
The defense asked for a durational departure on the sentence, and sought a term of 155 months. The lengthy military service to the country by Henning and lack of any criminal history were cited in support of the motion. Henning served 19 years in the military, rising to the rank of Staff Sergeant, and had served as a military policeman. He served six overseas tours of duty. The standard 25-year to life sentence that applied on the charges in this case was described as essentially a cookie cutter approach.
Prosecutor Michelle Brown opposed any type of departure in sentencing, noting that life was the presumptive sentence on each count. She added letters written by Henning since his arrest showed no remorse, that he had blamed his eight-year old child for sexually provoking him, and still maintained he did nothing wrong. Brown said there was nothing to justify a departure. The court did not grant the departure request.
In announcing the sentence in the case the judge granted good time credit for time already served….in this case 436 days in jail. Henning does have a right to appeal in his case.
Henning was arrested on Nov. 25, 2014 by Junction City police at his 123 East 12th Street residence in Junction City.
After 12 years as the Executive Director of the Governors Military Council, John Armbrust is stepping aside.
Armbrust announced Thursday that he submitted his resignation on Wednesday and his last day will be April 30th. In an interview with JCPost he wanted to make it clear that his resignation has nothing to do with any health problems or any issues with people or things in his line of work.
“The real reason I’m doing it is, I’m 69 years old and this job requires a lot of time and energy, and I’m finding I’d like to back off a little bit,” said Armbrust.
He added that another round of base realignment and closure (BRAC) is looming within the next two to three years and that will take a lot of time and energy from someone in his position.
“It’s simply kind of a timing realization that what might be best for the state, the communities, the military installations and the council would be for me to step to the side and let somebody else come in and do this position.”
He said that he’s not completely ready to retire but does want to move to a more part-time, or even less position. He added that he hopes to stay involved in some type of Department of Defense related work,”but at a much lower intensity level.”
Two defendants charged in a January 24th shooting in Junction City had status check hearings in Geary County District Court Thursday.
Joseph “DoDa” Craig, 24, and Gabrielle “Gabby’ Williams, 19, were arrested last week in the shooting death of David Phillips, 23, Manhattan at an 827 West 12th Street, Apartment C location on charges ranging from suspicion of Felony 1st Degree Murder to Aggravated Robbery.
Geary County Attorney Steve Opat reported that in court Thursday that a public defender for Craig withdrew due to a conflict of interest and attorney Russ Roe was appointed to represent him. A new status hearing was for February 9, and bond was continued at one million dollars.
For Williams a motion to reduce bond was denied. It is also one million dollars. A February 18 status hearing was scheduled in her case.
USD 475 Geary County Schools have selected two teachers as nominees for the 2017 Kansas Teacher of the Year Award. A committee of past USD 475 KTOY nominees have chosen Ashley Reinert, Fort Riley Middle School 6th / 7th grade Social Studies teacher and Jennifer Farr, Lincoln Elementary 5th grade teacher as secondary and elementary nominees for the 2017 Kansas Teacher of the Year Award.
Both teachers will be recognized at a banquet in September where regional semi-finalists will be named.
The 2017 Kansas Teacher of the Year will be announced at the KTOY State Award Banquet in November, 2016. The program is sponsored by the Kansas State Department of Education and recognizes excellence in teaching in elementary and secondary classrooms across the State.
Today: Sunny. Highs around 40. West winds 5 to 15 mph.
Tonight: Mostly clear in the evening then becoming mostly cloudy. Lows around 20. Southwest winds up to 5 mph.
Friday: Mostly cloudy. Highs in the mid 40s. Southwest winds up to 10 mph.
Friday Night: Mostly cloudy. Lows in the mid 20s. Northwest winds around 5 mph.
Saturday: Sunny. Highs in the mid 40s. West winds 5 to 10 mph.
Saturday Night: Partly cloudy. Lows in the upper 20s.
Sunday: Mostly sunny. Highs in the upper 40s.
Sunday Night: Partly cloudy. Lows in the upper 20s.
Monday: Breezy. Mostly sunny. Highs in the upper 30s.
Monday Night: Partly cloudy. Lows in the lower 20s.
Tuesday: Mostly sunny. Highs in the lower 30s.
Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy. Lows around 19.
Wednesday: Sunny. Highs in the lower 40s.