For the third straight month the Junction City, Geary County area was warmer and wetter than normal. Unlike the previous two months we weren´t as warm and certainly not as wet, but still above average in both respects!

The average daily high for January was 38.2, which was 1.3 degrees below normal. Average overnight low, however, was 23.2, 4.9 degrees above normal. This gave us a monthly mean temperature of 30.7, 1.8 degrees above normal. The highest temperature for the month was 66 degrees on the 29th. The coldest temperature during January was the morning low of 1 degree on the 9th. The high of 66 on the 29th tied the record high for that date. The record was set just two years ago in 2013. The warmest January on record was in 2006 with an astounding monthly mean temperature of 43.9 degrees. The coldest January on record was in 1979, during what has become known as the mini ice age, when we had a frigid monthly mean
temperature of 12.1. The second and third coldest Januarys were 1978 and 1977 with monthly mean temperatures of 14.4 and 17.0.

January is our driest month of the year yet one of our snowiest months of the year. Average monthly precipitation is 0.65 inches of liquid equivalent. A rain event earlier in January and a snow event later in January gave us total precipitation for the month of 0.73 inches at Milford Lake and 0.76 inches for Junction City. The wettest January on record was January 1949 when 4.28 inches was recorded. The driest January was the very dry and dusty January of 1986 when no precipitation was recorded for the month. January and
February are our snowiest months of the season with 4.7 inches of snow falling on average. We were slightly over that with 5.7 inches of snow recorded during January. Season to date we have had 6.4 inches of snow, somewhat below the seasonal average of 9.4 inches through the end of Janaury.

February starts to bring us warmer weather as the sun is staying up longer. Average daily highs start the month at 39 and by leap day on the 29th we should be near 50. Overnight lows don´t show quite as impressive of an increase ranging from 17 on the 1st to 26 on the 29th. Average snowfall in February is 4.7 inches and precipitation average for the month is 1.12 inches.

–
Chuck Otte
County Extension Agent, Ag & Natural Resources
Geary County Extension Office, PO BOX 28

The Junction City Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors has accepted nominations from its nominating committee to fill three at-large director vacancies.

The board accepted nominations for Theresa Bramlage, R2 B4 Bramlage Family Foundation, Karen Jameson, Jameson State Farm Insurance, and Dr. Corbin Witt, USD 475 to fill the vacancies.

According to the Chamber the members have the right to make other nominations via petition of other either employed by or are members of the Chamber in good standing. The petition must be delivered to the office of the Chamber no later than 5 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 13.

If any petitions are received from membership are received in a timely manner, the nominee will be added to the slate of candidates, and a general election of the membership will be held. If no such petitions are timely received, then the three nominees mentioned shall be seated to three-year terms.

The Junction City Little Theater production of Jake’s Women is scheduled Feb. 12, 13, and 14 at the C. L. Hoover Opera House. Show times are 7:30 p.m. on the 12th and 13th, and 2 p.m. on Sunday the 14th.

Tickets are $18 for adults, $16 military ( 65 and up ), and $11 for stsudents ( 18 and under ).

The play written by Neil Simon is a comic look at the world of modern relationships. jake, a novelist more successful with fiction than life, must face his bygone and current relationships with women.

You can purchase tickets at the C. L. Hoover Opera House by calling 238-3906.

MANHATTAN, KAN. – Congressman Tim Huelskamp announced that a staff representative from his Kansas office will be available in Junction City on Thursday, February 11, 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. at Dorothy Bramlage Library. During these office hours, Huelskamp’s staff representative will be available to meet individually with Kansans to learn about their concerns and to serve as a resource for constituents struggling to navigate bureaucratic red tape.

Constituents seeking assistance are encouraged to schedule an appointment by Congressman Huelskamp’s Manhattan office at 785-785. 309. 0572.

Congressman Huelskamp said of the office hours:

“The federal government doesn’t make it easy on us – in fact an estimated 4,000 regulations will be working their way through the federal bureaucracy in the last year of Barack Obama’s presidency. Whether you have questions on working with the EPA, IRS, OSHA, VA or other agency, my staff will be available to help. I hope our office can be of service to you.”

The Junction City Police Depsartment is requesting help from the public in locating a runaway juvenile that’s been missing since January 31 at approximately 10 p.m.

The person missing is Allison Y. Blanco, 16, Hispanic female. If you have seen her or know where she may be located contact the JCPD at 785-762-5912 or the Junction City / Geary County Crime Stoppers TIPS line at 785-762-TIPS ( 8477 ).

The former branch manager of a bank in Manhattan was sentenced Wednesday to 27 months in federal prison for embezzlement, according to U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom. In addition, she was ordered to pay $277,000 in restitution.

Melissa Vinsonhaler, 34, Manhattan, pleaded guilty to one count of embezzlement from a bank. In her plea she admitted the crime occurred while she was branch manager of Kansas State Bank on East Highway 24 in Manhattan.  She embezzled $277,000 from the bank and made false entries in the bank’s ledger to cover up the crime.

DICKINSON COUNTY – First responders were on the scene of a vehicle fire on Eastbound Interstate 70 just east of the Kansas 43 in Dickinson County.

Vehicle Fire: Eastbound I-70 mp 283, Dickinson County. Drive with caution, watch for slick spots. pic.twitter.com/kbLDzU7NX4

— Trooper Riedel (@TrooperRiedel) February 3, 2016

Check the post for additional details as they become available.

Quiet weather returns for the end of the week, according to the National Weather Service of Topeka. Expect cooler temperatures and breezy winds today, and a slight warming trend into the weekend.

Tonight: Mostly clear. Lows around 17. West winds 5 to 10 mph.

Thursday: Sunny. Highs in the upper 30s. West winds 5 to 15 mph.

Thursday Night: Partly cloudy. Lows around 19. Southwest winds up to 5 mph.

Friday: Partly sunny. Highs in the lower 40s. Southwest winds up to 10 mph.

Friday Night: Mostly cloudy in the evening then becoming partly cloudy. Lows in the mid 20s.

Saturday: Sunny. Highs in the mid 40s.

Saturday Night: Partly cloudy. Lows in the upper 20s.

Sunday: Mostly sunny. Highs in the mid 40s.

Sunday Night: Partly cloudy. Lows in the mid 20s.

Monday: Partly sunny. Highs in the upper 30s.

Monday Night: Mostly cloudy. Lows around 19.

Tuesday: Mostly sunny. Highs in the lower 30s.