Despite playing in class 4A, the Topeka Hayden Lady Wildcats are a top team in the state of Kansas. The Lady Wildcats beat the Junction City Lady Jays 76-23 Tuesday night in Topeka.

Hayden held Junction City scoreless in the first quarter and led 25-0 at the end of one. The Lady Wildcats extended their lead before the half, but in the second quarter, the Lady Jays got on the board, knocking in three three-pointers. Hayden led at the half 41-9.

In the third quarter, both teams caught fire shooting the ball, but Hayden just continued growing their lead to 69-20 at the end of three. In the fourth quarter, it was a running clock, and the Lady Wildcats won the game 76-23.

Following the game, Hayden celebrated being the Centennial League champions with a 9-1 record in league play. The Lady Wildcats are 17-2 on the season.

Junction City falls to 1-18 with the loss and has their regular season finale on Friday night at Emporia High.

The Junction City Blue Jays entered Tuesday’s game with a two-game winning streak, their first multi-game winning streak in over a month.

The game started out with both teams turning the ball over and struggling to set in their half-court offense. Junction City sophomore Brody Boeckman caught an out-of-bounds lob pass and scored to end the first quarter, and the Blue Jays led 12-11.

The second quarter was similar to the first, with both teams playing well defensively. Junction City led 26-25 at the half.

In the third quarter, the offense picked up, and Hayden jumped ahead after three, leading 51-46.

Despite many opportunities and cutting the lead to two points early in the fourth, JC never could regain the lead and lost 75-63.

Topeka Hayden secured the season sweep over the Blue Jays.

Junction City was led in scoring by senior Ja’Twaan Williams with 15 points, junior Lovell Autry had 13 points, and senior Jackson Austin added 10.

With the loss, the Blue Jays fall to 12-7 on the year and 5-4 in league play.

Junction City will play at Emporia on Friday night to wrap up their regular season.

By Anthony GorgesJC PostGirls recapDespite playing in class 4A, the Topeka Hayden Lady Wildcats are a top team in the state of Kansas. The Lady Wildcats beat the Junction City Lady Jays 76-23 Tuesday night in Topeka.Hayden held Junction City scoreless in the first quarter and led 25-0 at the end of one. The Lady Wildcats extended their lead before the half, but in the second quarter, the Lady Jays got on the board, knocking in three three-pointers. Hayden led at the half 41-9.In the third quarter, both teams caught fire shooting the ball, but Hayden just continued growing their lead to 69-20 at the end of three. In the fourth quarter, it was a running clock, and the Lady Wildcats won the game 76-23.Following the game, Hayden celebrated being the Centennial League champions with a 9-1 record in league play. The Lady Wildcats are 17-2 on the season.Junction City falls to 1-18 with the loss and has their regular season finale on Friday night at Emporia High.Boys recapThe Junction City Blue Jays entered Tuesday’s game with a two-game winning streak, their first multi-game winning streak in over a month.The game started out with both teams turning the ball over and struggling to set in their half-court offense. Junction City sophomore Brody Boeckman caught an out-of-bounds lob pass and scored to end the first quarter, and the Blue Jays led 12-11.The second quarter was similar to the first, with both teams playing well defensively. Junction City led 26-25 at the half.In the third quarter, the offense picked up, and Hayden jumped ahead after three, leading 51-46.Despite many opportunities and cutting the lead to two points early in the fourth, JC never could regain the lead and lost 75-63.Topeka Hayden secured the season sweep over the Blue Jays.Junction City was led in scoring by senior Ja’Twaan Williams with 15 points, junior Lovell Autry had 13 points, and senior Jackson Austin added 10.With the loss, the Blue Jays fall to 12-7 on the year and 5-4 in league play.Junction City will play at Emporia on Friday night to wrap up their regular season.

Topeka Hayden secures season sweep over JC basketball

Junction City Commissioners all represent the entire community but they are expected to also consider representation by quadrants. In the past each commissioner also represented one sector of the community such as the northeast or southwest sectors.

Commissioner Richard Pinaire would like tto see the practice resurrected.

The topic was ssuggested for the next city commission meeting agenda.

New city commissioner Ricardo Gutierrez has been appointed to serve on the Chamber of Commerce board, and as an alternate for the MPO and Miltary Affairs Council committees.

Junction City Commissioners all represent the entire community but they are expected to also consider representation by quadrants. In the past each commissioner also represented one sector of the community such as the northeast or southwest sectors.Commissioner Richard Pinaire would like tto see the practice resurrected.The topic was ssuggested for the next city commission meeting agenda.---New city commissioner Ricardo Gutierrez has been appointed to serve on the Chamber of Commerce board, and as an alternate for the MPO and Miltary Affairs Council committees.

Junction City Commission news notes

JUNCTION CITY, Kan. –&nbsp;The USD 475 Parents as Teachers program, which is made up of six total Parent Educators from the district and YMCA in Junction City, has been working with USD 475 families for over 20 years.The program, which encourages parents to be an advocate for their child and focus on families who have children newborn to kindergarten within the district’s boundaries, helps parents not only gain a voice in their child’s life, but also be able to have the knowledge and foundation to be able to promote their children’s wellness, while empowering themselves to advocate for the overall needs of each family member.&nbsp;

“Our Parents as Teachers program provides support to our community’s families with young children in a variety of ways. Parent educators are trained professionals that empower families with information about their child’s development and research-based strategies in which parents can use to support their child’s learning through home visits. PAT offers group connection events that allow for families with young children to meet and interact with other families of similar aged children, while providing a network of potential support to them,” said Stephanie Waterman, USD 475 Early Childhood Program Coordinator.&nbsp;

The USD 475 Parents as Teachers program has adopted curriculum that is grounded on the latest evidence-based research. Each parent educator is professionally trained to deliver curriculum that is individualized to each child based on their developmental milestones. Support is also established by home visits, group connections, resource networks, and providing child and caregiver screenings.&nbsp;

JUNCTION CITY, Kan. –&nbsp;The USD 475 Parents as Teachers program, which is made up of six total Parent Educators from the district and YMCA in Junction City, has been working with USD 475 families for over 20 years.The program, which encourages parents to be an advocate for their child and focus on families who have children newborn to kindergarten within the district’s boundaries, helps parents not only gain a voice in their child’s life, but also be able to have the knowledge and foundation to be able to promote their children’s wellness, while empowering themselves to advocate for the overall needs of each family member.&nbsp;“Our Parents as Teachers program provides support to our community’s families with young children in a variety of ways. Parent educators are trained professionals that empower families with information about their child’s development and research-based strategies in which parents can use to support their child’s learning through home visits. PAT offers group connection events that allow for families with young children to meet and interact with other families of similar aged children, while providing a network of potential support to them,” said Stephanie Waterman, USD 475 Early Childhood Program Coordinator.&nbsp;The USD 475 Parents as Teachers program has adopted curriculum that is grounded on the latest evidence-based research. Each parent educator is professionally trained to deliver curriculum that is individualized to each child based on their developmental milestones. Support is also established by home visits, group connections, resource networks, and providing child and caregiver screenings.&nbsp;

USD 475 Parents as Teachers Program is a Success 

Riley and Geary County emergency management officials have issued a no burning requirement for Wednesday due to weather conditions.

Riley and Geary County emergency management officials have issued a no burning requirement for Wednesday due to weather conditions.

Burn bans issued in Riley and Geary counties

MORRIS COUNTY—One person was injured in an accident just before 9:30a.m. Tuesday in Morris County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2006 Peterbilt semi driven by Robert Leroy Dauer, 74, Marquette, was eastbound on U.S. 56 approximately six miles east of Herington.

The vehicle crossed the center lane into the westbound lane. The driver was&nbsp;unable to gain control of the semi and rolled and came to rest on its side across both eastbound and westbound lanes of U.S. 56.

EMS transported Dauer to the Marion County Hospital. He was properly restrained, according to the KHP.

MORRIS COUNTY—One person was injured in an accident just before 9:30a.m. Tuesday in Morris County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2006 Peterbilt semi driven by Robert Leroy Dauer, 74, Marquette, was eastbound on U.S. 56 approximately six miles east of Herington.The vehicle crossed the center lane into the westbound lane. The driver was&nbsp;unable to gain control of the semi and rolled and came to rest on its side across both eastbound and westbound lanes of U.S. 56.EMS transported Dauer to the Marion County Hospital. He was properly restrained, according to the KHP.

Kansas man hospitalized after semi rolls

The Junction City Commission has approved an addendum to an original&nbsp; purchase agreement for the the former call center building on South Spring Valley Road. Highland Enterprises would pay $3,250,000 instead of an earlier original price of $3,750,000 to acquire the property if a VA grant is awarded to them.

Highland Enterprises does plan to improve the property. Needed repairs and renovations are estimated in the $1.5 to $2.3 million dollar range. Some of those repairs would include the HVAC system, parking lot, storm sewer and to the roof.

It could be several months before a grant is awarded.

The City has also moved to support the use of Industrial Revenue Bonds in an amount not to exceed” an estimated cost of the project and a $40,000 payment in lieu of taxes for ten years&nbsp;if the federal Veterans Administration offers the project to Highlands Enterprises and the 2031 South Spring Valley Road location. The City would not be liable for repayment of the IRB's.

The Junction City Commission has approved an addendum to an original&nbsp; purchase agreement for the the former call center building on South Spring Valley Road. Highland Enterprises would pay $3,250,000 instead of an earlier original price of $3,750,000 to acquire the property if a VA grant is awarded to them.Highland Enterprises does plan to improve the property. Needed repairs and renovations are estimated in the $1.5 to $2.3 million dollar range. Some of those repairs would include the HVAC system, parking lot, storm sewer and to the roof.It could be several months before a grant is awarded.The City has also moved to support the use of Industrial Revenue Bonds in an amount not to exceed” an estimated cost of the project and a $40,000 payment in lieu of taxes for ten years&nbsp;if the federal Veterans Administration offers the project to Highlands Enterprises and the 2031 South Spring Valley Road location. The City would not be liable for repayment of the IRB's.

City addresses proposed call center project

Geary County reminds us that less than two weeks away - Sunday, March 9, 2025, we "spring ahead" an hour to signal the start of Daylight Savings Time. 

This is a good opportunity to change the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors too.  Maybe change out your car's emergency gear from winter to spring as well.

Geary County reminds us that less than two weeks away - Sunday, March 9, 2025, we "spring ahead" an hour to signal the start of Daylight Savings Time. This is a good opportunity to change the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors too. Maybe change out your car's emergency gear from winter to spring as well.

Daylight Savings Time begins March 9

<a>On Monday, March 3, the final phase, Phase Three, of the I-70 pavement replacement project at Junction City is scheduled to begin.</a>

<a></a><a>KDOT said during the initial work, pavement grinding on westbound I-70 from mile markers 301 to 299, traffic will be reduced to one lane at the location of work.</a>

As work progresses, about March 17, median crossovers will carry all traffic at a reduced speed to the westbound lanes while deteriorated pavement is replaced in the eastbound lanes from mile markers 296 to 301.

Phase Three is scheduled to be completed by December, weather permitting. Wildcat Construction Co. Inc. and Subsidiaries, of Wichita, is the prime contractor of this $30 million project.

<a>On Monday, March 3, the final phase, Phase Three, of the I-70 pavement replacement project at Junction City is scheduled to begin.</a><a></a><a>KDOT said during the initial work, pavement grinding on westbound I-70 from mile markers 301 to 299, traffic will be reduced to one lane at the location of work.</a>As work progresses, about March 17, median crossovers will carry all traffic at a reduced speed to the westbound lanes while deteriorated pavement is replaced in the eastbound lanes from mile markers 296 to 301.Phase Three is scheduled to be completed by December, weather permitting. Wildcat Construction Co. Inc. and Subsidiaries, of Wichita, is the prime contractor of this $30 million project.

I-70 pavement replacement resumes at Junction City

On Wednesday, March 5, the Kansas Department of Transportation will close the J-Hill Road bridge over I-70 in Junction City, pending bridge replacement.

<a>KDOT said that they have been monitoring and performing regular inspections of the bridge, and a load rating was set in August 2024. Findings from these inspections have resulted in the decision to close the structure until the bridge replacement has been completed.</a>

There will be no signed detour, motorists will need to find an alternate route.

Replacement for the J-Hill Road bridge has been accelerated and is expected to occur during 2025 in tandem with the current I-70 improvements in this area.

On Wednesday, March 5, the Kansas Department of Transportation will close the J-Hill Road bridge over I-70 in Junction City, pending bridge replacement.<a>KDOT said that they have been monitoring and performing regular inspections of the bridge, and a load rating was set in August 2024. Findings from these inspections have resulted in the decision to close the structure until the bridge replacement has been completed.</a>There will be no signed detour, motorists will need to find an alternate route.Replacement for the J-Hill Road bridge has been accelerated and is expected to occur during 2025 in tandem with the current I-70 improvements in this area.

J-Hill Road bridge to close over I-70 in Junction City

By&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcur.org/people/sam-zeff">SAM ZEFF</a> <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2025-02-24/if-trumps-layoffs-hit-the-kansas-city-fbi-office-job-cuts-are-only-going-to-make-us-less-safe">KCUR</a>

President Trump’s pick for FBI Director, Kash Patel, has been confirmed — prompting fears of possible layoffs in the bureau. Some local officials worry that a diminished FBI presence in Kansas and Missouri could harm local law enforcement.

The FBI Kansas City Field Office has more than a hundred agents (the actual number is classified) but chances are you’ve never seen one. Unlike the police, they aren’t driving around in marked vehicles with lights on top. But they are there working on cases and assisting local police.

“We depend on them, and they depend on us to make America safe. There is no question of that,” Johnson County Sheriff Byron Roberson said.

As sweeping layoffs are announced at federal agencies under the new Trump administration, former FBI agents and top law enforcement officials worry about what will happen to the 56 field offices around the country, including Kansas City’s.

The Bureau has already&nbsp;<a href="https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2025/01/30/politics/senior-fbi-leaders-demoted-wray" target="_blank">fired or forced six top officials to retire</a>. The administration has also gone on a binge firing federal probationary employees — something that would have a huge impact on the FBI. The F.B.I. Agents Association says 10% of the workforce is still in their probationary period.

Department of Justice leadership also demanded a list of all employeeswho participated in January 6th investigations, prompting fear that those FBI employees would be targeted for firing. That would certainly include veteran agents assigned to Kansas City.

“My concern is, if we lose the institutional knowledge that those individuals have in their jobs through this process of eliminating federal employees, it's only going to make us less safe,” said former Kansas U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom.

The FBI Kansas City Field Office has investigators spread across Kansas and western Missouri in eight offices called resident agencies. These small offices — often just two agents — work especially closely with local law enforcement.

Grissom was appointed U.S. Attorney by President Barack Obama and served from 2010 to 2016. He is now in private practice. He says even losing a few agents could be a big problem. An agent may be working 15 to 20 cases at a time. Many of those investigations involve intense coordination between FBI agents and local law enforcement.

“(Local agencies) are the eyes and ears on the ground,” Grissom told KCUR.

That includes counterterrorism, even in Kansas and Missouri.

“The counterterrorism problem is not just a national problem, but it's also a local problem,” said retired FBI agent Greg Vecchi, who now runs a security consulting firm in Olathe.

The local field office runs several task forces that include local and state law enforcement. The most important, Vecchi said, is the Joint Terrorism Task Force.

“The FBI has got to be able to have relationships with the various jurisdictions when and where the actual attacks are planned,” he said.

That was the case in 2018 when resident agents in Garden City, Kansas, worked with police and sheriff’s deputies to stop a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/2018/03/20/595163065/mosque-bombing-plot-rattles-immigrants-in-kansas-meat-triangle" target="_blank">plot to bomb a mosque and apartment complex</a>&nbsp;to kill Somali immigrants.

“During my time as the U.S. attorney, we had two acts, I should say, potential acts of terrorism that the FBI was intimately involved in,” Grissom said. One stopped a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2015/08/31/436414417/wichita-man-sentenced-to-20-years-in-airport-bomb-plot" target="_blank">suicide car bombing at the Wichita airport&nbsp;</a>in December 2013 the other stopped another suicide car bombing in 2015&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/2019/09/23/763544037/kansas-soldier-charged-with-teaching-bomb-making-to-far-right-extremists" target="_blank">targeting Fort Riley</a>, home to the Army’s 1st Infantry Division.

In addition, the Kansas City office runs the Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force and the Safe Streets Task Force, which targets gangs and drug cartels.

The office also provides training to local police and sheriff’s departments. Vecchi said when he ran the FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit in Quantico, Virginia, his agents would often train local police on interrogation.

“That is a huge benefit to law enforcement,” he said. The office also offers training to local SWAT teams.

All of that, plus access to the FBI’s Washington lab and the Regional Computer Forensic Laboratory in Kansas City all comes at no additional cost to local governments or police departments.

Vecchi believes if local field agents are fired, those working in administration will be reassigned to the street. But if the cuts go deeper, that’s a huge problem. If there are mass layoffs or firings, Vecchi said, “It's going to absolutely cripple” training and investigating counterterrorism.

Roberson, who was police chief in Prairie Village before being elected sheriff, said any cuts at the Kansas City Field Office will damage local law enforcement.

“There is great leadership that could be lost in that organization that you can't just go out and reinvent and just pick that up off the street,” Roberson said.

Patel is also now in line to take over another agency in jeopardy — the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fbi-director-kash-patel-atf-justice-department-e57250b2ac883af1c2fa7b4bf46ad876" target="_blank">according to the Associated Press</a>.

Missouri Rep. Eric Burlison from Springfield has filed a bill to abolish the agency. On social media, Burlison has said the ATF "consistently violates Second Amendment rights" and claims its functions are duplicative.

“The state of Missouri has all of the agencies that we need to regulate everything that the ATF does,”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.missourinet.com/2024/12/13/missouri-congressman-burlison-wants-to-get-rid-of-atf-calls-social-security-a-forced-pension/" target="_blank">he told MissouriNet in December</a>.

Rep. Mark Alford, who represents much of suburban Kansas City and mid-Missouri, has joined as a co-sponsor.

"Proud to be a cosponsor of Rep. Eric Burlison's bill, H.R. 221 — ABOLISH THE ATF!" he&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile/100089595940547/search/?q=abolish%20atf" target="_blank">wrote on Facebook</a>.

The ATF investigates gun crimes and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2023-04-08/a-missouri-county-wont-work-with-the-atf-claiming-the-federal-agency-is-unconstitutional" target="_blank">regulates federal firearms dealers</a>. It also looks into arsons, including an arson at the Waldo Heights apartments on 81st Street and Holmes in 2021 and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article260238435.html" target="_blank">one at Stonegate Meadows apartments</a>&nbsp;in 2022 that injured 15 people, including nine children.

“The idea that you would just do away with that agency for political partisanship reasons only I think is incredibly shortsighted by the congressmen,” Grissom told KCUR. “I'm really surprised that Congressman Alford would take that position.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740494555747.png" alt="The Kansas City FBI office in Kansas City north has 300 employees and covers all of Kansas and western Missouri. Photo by Sam Zeff/KCUR" />
 <figcaption>The Kansas City FBI office in Kansas City north has 300 employees and covers all of Kansas and western Missouri. Photo by Sam Zeff/KCUR</figcaption>
 </figure>By&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcur.org/people/sam-zeff">SAM ZEFF</a> <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2025-02-24/if-trumps-layoffs-hit-the-kansas-city-fbi-office-job-cuts-are-only-going-to-make-us-less-safe">KCUR</a><h2>President Trump’s pick for FBI Director, Kash Patel, has been confirmed — prompting fears of possible layoffs in the bureau. Some local officials worry that a diminished FBI presence in Kansas and Missouri could harm local law enforcement.</h2>The FBI Kansas City Field Office has more than a hundred agents (the actual number is classified) but chances are you’ve never seen one. Unlike the police, they aren’t driving around in marked vehicles with lights on top. But they are there working on cases and assisting local police.“We depend on them, and they depend on us to make America safe. There is no question of that,” Johnson County Sheriff Byron Roberson said.As sweeping layoffs are announced at federal agencies under the new Trump administration, former FBI agents and top law enforcement officials worry about what will happen to the 56 field offices around the country, including Kansas City’s.The Bureau has already&nbsp;<a href="https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2025/01/30/politics/senior-fbi-leaders-demoted-wray" target="_blank">fired or forced six top officials to retire</a>. The administration has also gone on a binge firing federal probationary employees — something that would have a huge impact on the FBI. The F.B.I. Agents Association says 10% of the workforce is still in their probationary period.Department of Justice leadership also demanded a list of all employeeswho participated in January 6th investigations, prompting fear that those FBI employees would be targeted for firing. That would certainly include veteran agents assigned to Kansas City.“My concern is, if we lose the institutional knowledge that those individuals have in their jobs through this process of eliminating federal employees, it's only going to make us less safe,” said former Kansas U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom.<h2>Why have FBI field offices?</h2>The FBI Kansas City Field Office has investigators spread across Kansas and western Missouri in eight offices called resident agencies. These small offices — often just two agents — work especially closely with local law enforcement.Grissom was appointed U.S. Attorney by President Barack Obama and served from 2010 to 2016. He is now in private practice. He says even losing a few agents could be a big problem. An agent may be working 15 to 20 cases at a time. Many of those investigations involve intense coordination between FBI agents and local law enforcement.“(Local agencies) are the eyes and ears on the ground,” Grissom told KCUR.That includes counterterrorism, even in Kansas and Missouri.“The counterterrorism problem is not just a national problem, but it's also a local problem,” said retired FBI agent Greg Vecchi, who now runs a security consulting firm in Olathe.The local field office runs several task forces that include local and state law enforcement. The most important, Vecchi said, is the Joint Terrorism Task Force.“The FBI has got to be able to have relationships with the various jurisdictions when and where the actual attacks are planned,” he said.That was the case in 2018 when resident agents in Garden City, Kansas, worked with police and sheriff’s deputies to stop a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/2018/03/20/595163065/mosque-bombing-plot-rattles-immigrants-in-kansas-meat-triangle" target="_blank">plot to bomb a mosque and apartment complex</a>&nbsp;to kill Somali immigrants.“During my time as the U.S. attorney, we had two acts, I should say, potential acts of terrorism that the FBI was intimately involved in,” Grissom said. One stopped a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2015/08/31/436414417/wichita-man-sentenced-to-20-years-in-airport-bomb-plot" target="_blank">suicide car bombing at the Wichita airport&nbsp;</a>in December 2013 the other stopped another suicide car bombing in 2015&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/2019/09/23/763544037/kansas-soldier-charged-with-teaching-bomb-making-to-far-right-extremists" target="_blank">targeting Fort Riley</a>, home to the Army’s 1st Infantry Division.In addition, the Kansas City office runs the Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force and the Safe Streets Task Force, which targets gangs and drug cartels.The office also provides training to local police and sheriff’s departments. Vecchi said when he ran the FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit in Quantico, Virginia, his agents would often train local police on interrogation.“That is a huge benefit to law enforcement,” he said. The office also offers training to local SWAT teams.All of that, plus access to the FBI’s Washington lab and the Regional Computer Forensic Laboratory in Kansas City all comes at no additional cost to local governments or police departments.Vecchi believes if local field agents are fired, those working in administration will be reassigned to the street. But if the cuts go deeper, that’s a huge problem. If there are mass layoffs or firings, Vecchi said, “It's going to absolutely cripple” training and investigating counterterrorism.Roberson, who was police chief in Prairie Village before being elected sheriff, said any cuts at the Kansas City Field Office will damage local law enforcement.“There is great leadership that could be lost in that organization that you can't just go out and reinvent and just pick that up off the street,” Roberson said.<h2>The ATF also at risk</h2>Patel is also now in line to take over another agency in jeopardy — the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fbi-director-kash-patel-atf-justice-department-e57250b2ac883af1c2fa7b4bf46ad876" target="_blank">according to the Associated Press</a>.Missouri Rep. Eric Burlison from Springfield has filed a bill to abolish the agency. On social media, Burlison has said the ATF "consistently violates Second Amendment rights" and claims its functions are duplicative.“The state of Missouri has all of the agencies that we need to regulate everything that the ATF does,”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.missourinet.com/2024/12/13/missouri-congressman-burlison-wants-to-get-rid-of-atf-calls-social-security-a-forced-pension/" target="_blank">he told MissouriNet in December</a>.Rep. Mark Alford, who represents much of suburban Kansas City and mid-Missouri, has joined as a co-sponsor."Proud to be a cosponsor of Rep. Eric Burlison's bill, H.R. 221 — ABOLISH THE ATF!" he&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile/100089595940547/search/?q=abolish%20atf" target="_blank">wrote on Facebook</a>.The ATF investigates gun crimes and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2023-04-08/a-missouri-county-wont-work-with-the-atf-claiming-the-federal-agency-is-unconstitutional" target="_blank">regulates federal firearms dealers</a>. It also looks into arsons, including an arson at the Waldo Heights apartments on 81st Street and Holmes in 2021 and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article260238435.html" target="_blank">one at Stonegate Meadows apartments</a>&nbsp;in 2022 that injured 15 people, including nine children.“The idea that you would just do away with that agency for political partisanship reasons only I think is incredibly shortsighted by the congressmen,” Grissom told KCUR. “I'm really surprised that Congressman Alford would take that position.”

If Trump's layoffs hit the Kansas City FBI office, job cuts are 'only going to make us less safe'

MANHATTAN— There were no injuries after construction crews struck a gas line in Manhattan.

At 4:17 p.m. on Monday, the Manhattan Fire Department was dispatched to 1812 Fair Lane. for a report of a gas line that had been hit.

Crews found an 8 inch natural gas line that a utility crew backhoe struck while jackhammering concrete.&nbsp; Crews evacuated two people from a nearby business, and the other employees at adjacent businesses had already evacuated.&nbsp; 

Fort Riley Blvd. was closed in both directions at Martin Luther King Blvd., as well as the 1800 block of Fair Lane, until the leak was stopped.&nbsp; 

Kansas Gas Service responded to the scene and brought in a crew to isolate the leak.&nbsp; The leak was stopped around 1:00 a.m.&nbsp;&nbsp;The Union Pacific railroad tracks were also shut down until around 10:00 p.m.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740491550258.png" alt="Photo Manhattan Fire Department" />
 <figcaption>Photo Manhattan Fire Department</figcaption>
 </figure>MANHATTAN— There were no injuries after construction crews struck a gas line in Manhattan.At 4:17 p.m. on Monday, the Manhattan Fire Department was dispatched to 1812 Fair Lane. for a report of a gas line that had been hit.Crews found an 8 inch natural gas line that a utility crew backhoe struck while jackhammering concrete.&nbsp; Crews evacuated two people from a nearby business, and the other employees at adjacent businesses had already evacuated.&nbsp; Fort Riley Blvd. was closed in both directions at Martin Luther King Blvd., as well as the 1800 block of Fair Lane, until the leak was stopped.&nbsp; Kansas Gas Service responded to the scene and brought in a crew to isolate the leak.&nbsp; The leak was stopped around 1:00 a.m.&nbsp;&nbsp;The Union Pacific railroad tracks were also shut down until around 10:00 p.m.There were no injuries reported.

Natural gas line struck causing evacuations in Manhattan

An idea to seek a request for proposals on a feasibility study for a sports complex came before the Geary Couny Commisssion Monday. No final action was taken.

Commission Chairman Keith Ascher noted that Rick Dykstra with the Convention and Visitor's was directed to talk to City manager Kim Zimmerman about the topic. Potential sports mentioned for a complex included pickleball, softball, baseball and soccer.

An idea to seek a request for proposals on a feasibility study for a sports complex came before the Geary Couny Commisssion Monday. No final action was taken.Commission Chairman Keith Ascher noted that Rick Dykstra with the Convention and Visitor's was directed to talk to City manager Kim Zimmerman about the topic. Potential sports mentioned for a complex included pickleball, softball, baseball and soccer.

Sports complex topic surfaces at the Geary County Commission meeting

USD 475 announced that all <a href="https://www.facebook.com/JCHSUSD475?__cft__[0]=AZXWjqHEZTVwvhCPtHIapbUA7nuno7QVnv54Xf2EQOPCl0DtqQm51Dw9mOkFZfIigVYoVM-G3HJI3LolGusLzbyBdOdFKrgOAqlLbuIbzRF6FE1XD-LzjREwYELEXJYjbgaiWdyI_UyFhnf8Inyxg1yQGSjWWZVodFqB7yR6uTcd1T3CpXV3enQY4iG8IrR52FY&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">Junction City High School</a>&nbsp;juniors will participate in ACT testing on Tuesday, Feb. 25. Freshman, sophomore and senior class students will NOT have school on Tuesday. Please note that buses will begin to run at 1:35 p.m. after testing is completed.&nbsp;

USD 475 announced that all <a href="https://www.facebook.com/JCHSUSD475?__cft__[0]=AZXWjqHEZTVwvhCPtHIapbUA7nuno7QVnv54Xf2EQOPCl0DtqQm51Dw9mOkFZfIigVYoVM-G3HJI3LolGusLzbyBdOdFKrgOAqlLbuIbzRF6FE1XD-LzjREwYELEXJYjbgaiWdyI_UyFhnf8Inyxg1yQGSjWWZVodFqB7yR6uTcd1T3CpXV3enQY4iG8IrR52FY&amp;__tn__=-]K-R">Junction City High School</a>&nbsp;juniors will participate in ACT testing on Tuesday, Feb. 25. Freshman, sophomore and senior class students will NOT have school on Tuesday. Please note that buses will begin to run at 1:35 p.m. after testing is completed.&nbsp;

JCHS juniors will take ACT tests Tuesday

Recent Booking Activity for the Geary County Detention Center. All persons included in this post are innocent of crimes until proven guilty in a court of law.

Bonds have been posted. Photos are unavailable.

Gabriel Trejo, Operate a motor vehicle without a valid license, Use/possess with intent to use drug paraphernalia into human body, Possession of marijuana, Failure to appear, arrested 02/20

Derrick Workman, Failure to appear, arrested 02/20

Melvin Sanford, Theft-All other, arrested 02/20

Jessie Bailey, Cancelled/suspended/revoked driver's license, arrested 02/20

Franklin Swaim, Criminal trespass, arrested 02/20

Rafael Nieves Sanchez, Failure to appear, arrested 02/20

Sivoria Swinson,&nbsp;Transporting an open container; Use/possess with intent to use drug paraphernalia into human body; Possession of marijuana; Driving while license cancelled/suspended/revoked, Failure to appear, arrested 02/21

Jordan Poff, Failure to appear, arrested 02/21

Gerardo Campillo, Assault, arrested 02/22

Luisa Alejandro, Prohibiting drug paraphernalia, Possession of marijuana, DUI-Liquor or drugs, arrested 02/22

Terence Dixon, Failure to appear, arrested 02/22

Joel Nieves-Matos, Cancelled/suspended/revoked drivers license, arrested 02/23

Jonathan Van Boven,&nbsp;Cancelled/suspended/revoked drivers license, arrested 02/23

Recent Booking Activity for the Geary County Detention Center. All persons included in this post are innocent of crimes until proven guilty in a court of law.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740437800585.jpeg" alt="Fred Morgan, Interference with LEO, Knowingly flee by means other than motor vehicle for misdemeanor case; Battery on LEO, Physical contact with county or city officer on duty, Failure to appear, arrested 02/20" />
 <figcaption>Fred Morgan, Interference with LEO, Knowingly flee by means other than motor vehicle for misdemeanor case; Battery on LEO, Physical contact with county or city officer on duty, Failure to appear, arrested 02/20</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740437852474.jpeg" alt="Adrian Noisette, Aggravated domestic battery; Choke in rude manner; Family member/dating relationship, arrested 02/21" />
 <figcaption>Adrian Noisette, Aggravated domestic battery; Choke in rude manner; Family member/dating relationship, arrested 02/21</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740438009146.jpeg" alt="Erick Washington, Failure to appear; Aggravated violate offender registration act; Failure to appear, arrested 02/21" />
 <figcaption>Erick Washington, Failure to appear; Aggravated violate offender registration act; Failure to appear, arrested 02/21</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740438451028.jpeg" alt="Kelly Carlson, Use/possess with intent to use drug paraphernalia into human body; Failure to appear; Possession of stimulant, arrested 02/23&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Kelly Carlson, Use/possess with intent to use drug paraphernalia into human body; Failure to appear; Possession of stimulant, arrested 02/23&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740438460868.jpeg" alt="Natascha Jones,&nbsp;Use/possess with intent to use drug paraphernalia into human body; Failure to appear; Possession of stimulant, arrested 02/23 " />
 <figcaption>Natascha Jones,&nbsp;Use/possess with intent to use drug paraphernalia into human body; Failure to appear; Possession of stimulant, arrested 02/23 </figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740438470981.jpeg" alt="Alejandra Salas,&nbsp;Use/possess with intent to use drug paraphernalia into human body; Failure to appear; Possession of stimulant, arrested 02/23 " />
 <figcaption>Alejandra Salas,&nbsp;Use/possess with intent to use drug paraphernalia into human body; Failure to appear; Possession of stimulant, arrested 02/23 </figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740438591770.jpeg" alt="Austin Rowzer, Probation violation; Operate a motor vehicle without a valid license; Use/possess with intent to use drug paraphernalia into human body; Possession of stimulant, Interference with LEO, Obstruct/resist/oppose felony warrant service or execution, arrested 02/23" />
 <figcaption>Austin Rowzer, Probation violation; Operate a motor vehicle without a valid license; Use/possess with intent to use drug paraphernalia into human body; Possession of stimulant, Interference with LEO, Obstruct/resist/oppose felony warrant service or execution, arrested 02/23</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740438602109.jpeg" alt="Fabian Baez Calderon, Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, arrested 02/23" />
 <figcaption>Fabian Baez Calderon, Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, arrested 02/23</figcaption>
 </figure>Bonds have been posted. Photos are unavailable.Gabriel Trejo, Operate a motor vehicle without a valid license, Use/possess with intent to use drug paraphernalia into human body, Possession of marijuana, Failure to appear, arrested 02/20Derrick Workman, Failure to appear, arrested 02/20Melvin Sanford, Theft-All other, arrested 02/20Jessie Bailey, Cancelled/suspended/revoked driver's license, arrested 02/20Franklin Swaim, Criminal trespass, arrested 02/20Rafael Nieves Sanchez, Failure to appear, arrested 02/20Sivoria Swinson,&nbsp;Transporting an open container; Use/possess with intent to use drug paraphernalia into human body; Possession of marijuana; Driving while license cancelled/suspended/revoked, Failure to appear, arrested 02/21Jordan Poff, Failure to appear, arrested 02/21Gerardo Campillo, Assault, arrested 02/22Luisa Alejandro, Prohibiting drug paraphernalia, Possession of marijuana, DUI-Liquor or drugs, arrested 02/22Terence Dixon, Failure to appear, arrested 02/22Joel Nieves-Matos, Cancelled/suspended/revoked drivers license, arrested 02/23Jonathan Van Boven,&nbsp;Cancelled/suspended/revoked drivers license, arrested 02/23Recent Booking Activity for the Geary County Detention Center. All persons included in this post are innocent of crimes until proven guilty in a court of law.

Geary County Booking Photos Feb. 21-24

RILEY COUNTY —Law enforcement in Manhattan are investigating the theft of a store sign.

Just after 11:30a.m. Saturday, police&nbsp;filed a report of theft in the 500 block of McCall Road, according to the Riley County Police Department activity report.

Pizza Ranch reported a large Pizza Ranch store sign was stolen by an unknown subject. Total loss associated with this report is approximately $2,000. 

Anyone with information can contact&nbsp;<a href="https://ks-rileycountypolice.civicplus.com/287/Crime-Stoppers">Crime Stoppers</a>. Using Crime Stoppers allows you to remain anonymous and could qualify you for a cash reward of up to $1,000.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740411306129.png" alt="Google image" />
 <figcaption>Google image</figcaption>
 </figure>RILEY COUNTY —Law enforcement in Manhattan are investigating the theft of a store sign.Just after 11:30a.m. Saturday, police&nbsp;filed a report of theft in the 500 block of McCall Road, according to the Riley County Police Department activity report.Pizza Ranch reported a large Pizza Ranch store sign was stolen by an unknown subject. Total loss associated with this report is approximately $2,000. Anyone with information can contact&nbsp;<a href="https://ks-rileycountypolice.civicplus.com/287/Crime-Stoppers">Crime Stoppers</a>. Using Crime Stoppers allows you to remain anonymous and could qualify you for a cash reward of up to $1,000.

RCPD: Restaurant sign stolen in Manhattan

RILEY COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect for alleged sex crimes.&nbsp;

Just after 5p.m. Saturday, police arrested 18-year-old Matthew Klingforth of Haysville on a Riley County District Court warrant for rape, aggravated sexual battery, and sexual battery.

He is being held on a $50,000 bond, according to the Riley County Police Department Activity report.

RILEY COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect for alleged sex crimes.&nbsp;Just after 5p.m. Saturday, police arrested 18-year-old Matthew Klingforth of Haysville on a Riley County District Court warrant for rape, aggravated sexual battery, and sexual battery.He is being held on a $50,000 bond, according to the Riley County Police Department Activity report.

RCPD: Kansas teen accused of rape

The Junction City Main Street Program is designed to assist business and property owners with improvements to their existing commercial buildings located in the Main Street district. In May of 2022 the Main Street Program in partnership with the City of Junction City and Geary County implemented a grant program to assist with façade and exterior improvements that will impact perception and contribute to the overall experience for residents and tourists to the downtown area.

The program will provide a rebate of up to 50 % on eligible project costs up to a maximum grant of $1,000.00 for small projects, $3,000.00 for medium sized projects and $5,000.00 for larger projects. Eligible projects include and are not limited to:

Design and Permit Fees associated with façade improvements

Removal/Replacement of incompatible exterior finishes or materials

Signs (repairs, replacement, removal, must be approved)

Window Replacement or repair to enhance appearance

Awning repair, replacement, installation.&nbsp;

To receive a grant, property owners or business operators must be current on property taxes. No grants will be awarded to projects that begin or are completed prior to application and projects awarded must be completed no later than December 31, 2025. A grant will only be awarded to projects that are of high quality and meet Kansas Main Street Design Guidelines that are available at the Junction City Main Street office. Pictures need to be submitted before and after the project is completed.

If interested in applying for a grant, application guidelines and the grant application form are available from the Main Street office at 129 West 7th St. Junction City, KS. director@junctioncitymainstreet.org or 517-974-8665/785-209-3775 or the Main Street website: <a href="http://www.JunctionCityMainStreet.org">www.JunctionCityMainStreet.org</a>

Applications received by March 1, 2025 will be reviewed by a volunteer sub-committee of the Main Street Design Committee whose members are experienced in construction, building rehabilitation, public improvements and design.

Questions in writing may be submitted to the Main Street office. Applications will be addressed in the order received and announced within 15 days of the application deadline.

The Junction City Main Street Program is designed to assist business and property owners with improvements to their existing commercial buildings located in the Main Street district. In May of 2022 the Main Street Program in partnership with the City of Junction City and Geary County implemented a grant program to assist with façade and exterior improvements that will impact perception and contribute to the overall experience for residents and tourists to the downtown area.The program will provide a rebate of up to 50 % on eligible project costs up to a maximum grant of $1,000.00 for small projects, $3,000.00 for medium sized projects and $5,000.00 for larger projects. Eligible projects include and are not limited to:Concrete workDesign and Permit Fees associated with façade improvementsDoor ReplacementExterior CleaningExterior LightingExterior PaintingRemoval/Replacement of incompatible exterior finishes or materialsSigns (repairs, replacement, removal, must be approved)Window Replacement or repair to enhance appearanceAwning repair, replacement, installation.&nbsp;To receive a grant, property owners or business operators must be current on property taxes. No grants will be awarded to projects that begin or are completed prior to application and projects awarded must be completed no later than December 31, 2025. A grant will only be awarded to projects that are of high quality and meet Kansas Main Street Design Guidelines that are available at the Junction City Main Street office. Pictures need to be submitted before and after the project is completed.If interested in applying for a grant, application guidelines and the grant application form are available from the Main Street office at 129 West 7th St. Junction City, KS. director@junctioncitymainstreet.org or 517-974-8665/785-209-3775 or the Main Street website: <a href="http://www.JunctionCityMainStreet.org">www.JunctionCityMainStreet.org</a>Applications received by March 1, 2025 will be reviewed by a volunteer sub-committee of the Main Street Design Committee whose members are experienced in construction, building rehabilitation, public improvements and design.Questions in writing may be submitted to the Main Street office. Applications will be addressed in the order received and announced within 15 days of the application deadline.

 Junction City Main Street announces Grant Program 2025

By LESLIE MANNING <a href="https://www.facebook.com/southeastspotlight/">The Spotlight</a> “We’ve never really been a one size fits all,” Mason Winter said. “In the sale barn industry, you get a taste of it all, and make due with what you’ve got.”

In December, Winter came on board at Farmers and Ranchers Livestock, Salina, representing the new ownership, Winter Livestock.

“We are going to keep everything the same,” Winter said. “Salina is the largest sale barn in Kansas, so whatever they were doing is working really well for them.”

Winter was born and raised in Dodge City, where his family owns and operates a sale barn, Winter Livestock, that began with his great-grandpa.

“I’m the fourth generation,” Winter said. “My family came to Dodge in 1936. My great-grandpa, Karl, bought stock yards from the railroads, and turned it into the local sale barn. It’s treated us pretty well ever since.”

Winter Livestock expanded throughout the generations, to its current capacity of three sale barns in Kansas, one in Colorado and one in Wyoming. Winter, one of four siblings, earned a degree in ag business from Oklahoma State, while returning home on weekends and for Wednesday sales to help operate the Dodge City sale barn. Upon graduation, Winter ran the Dodge City location.

“(Growing up) I was around the sale barn as much as possible,” Winter said. “I tried to dive in as much as I could. Once I got to high school, I started helping and not being in the way of everybody.”

Since December, Winter has dove in at Farmers and Ranchers Livestock, learning everything he can from sale barn manager, Mike Samples.

“It’s no secret in the state of Kansas that this is Mike Samples’ sale barn,” Winter said. “This place was built on his shoulders. We are happy to build off of what he has built.”

Samples will stay on as manager for two more years, to teach Winter the ropes of the structures in place at Farmers and Ranchers Livestock.

“There’s not really a secret formula,” Winter said. “You work really hard and treat people well, and they seem to do the same back to you. (Sale barns) all kind of follow the same plan, and the same systems, with their own personal touches on them.”

Farmers and Ranchers Livestock will continue to operate with a flat rate commission per head. Preparing cattle for the auctions on Mondays and Thursdays, with special auctions for vaccinated calves on Tuesdays, will remain a priority.

“The feeding, the watering and the facilitating of the cattle is a job in and of itself,” Winter said. “We’re trying to get as close to what they weighed at home. We want the smallest amount of shrink as possible. Through grass hay and pellets, we try to mitigate that shrink as much as possible.”

Kyle Elwood, will remain the assistant manager at Farmers and Ranchers Livestock, preparing the cattle for sale days. Elwood has been the assistant manager and an auctioneer for Farmers and Ranchers Livestock for over 30 years.

“Kyle has about as good of eye as anyone I’ve met,” Winter said. “He knows what is going to sell each week, and what the buyers are looking for. It’s impressive how in tune he is with where the cattle need to be and how they need to be sorted.”

Packaging the producer’s cattle, by characteristics like color, weight and sex, will remain the same.

“Each producer’s cattle is represented in categories in and of themselves,” Winter said. “Buyers are looking for the biggest bunch of like cattle that they can put together. As long as there’s something for them to buy, they make our job really easy. They are competing against each other, so their competitive spirits drive up the costs.”

Buyers will continue to see a selection of bottle calves, weaned calves, cow/calf pairs, cows and bred cows.

“We’ve got every facet covered and the buyers make our job really easy,” Winter said.

According to Winter, the hardest part of the job is unloading and loading and keeping everything straight.

“Everything that comes in has to go back out to its new home with low stress and no injuries,” Winter said. “It’s a lot of thankless jobs, that we wouldn’t be able to do without. It’s a lot of getting cattle in and getting cattle out.”

Horse sales will also continue at Farmers and Ranchers Livestock, with the 2025 sales scheduled for May 17 and one in October. Hog sales will continue on the second and fourth Mondays of the month. A buffalo sale is planned for December.

“I am here to learn as much as I can from Mike and Kyle,” Winter said.

Mike Samples began managing Farmers and Ranchers Livestock on August 31, 1987. Raised on an 80-acre farm north of Erie, he joined the FFA chapter in high school under the direction of vo-ag teacher, Ken Nuntin. Samples’ first FFA project was raising six pigs, leading him into raising hogs and cattle.

Also, while in high school, Samples went to the sale barn in Parsons as often as he could. Wanting to be a part of the auction world, he started driving and traveling with famous cattleman, E.J. Peck, learning about the cattle industry.

Samples worked for the Fredonia market, later running the Chanute Sale Barn for a short while before becoming the manager of the Parsons Livestock Market for Russell and Mark McKee. He had been running the sale barn in Parsons, when he left to take over Farmers and Ranchers Livestock in Salina.

“It was in pretty sad shape when I got here,” Samples said. “I’ve never had a lot of give up in me. I just went to driving around the country and meeting people. A lot of places I went to, people actually ran me off their property, because they didn’t like Farmers and Ranchers. I just kept coming back. Most of those people made really good customers of mine.”

In 1987, Farmers and Ranchers Livestock was owned by Joe Clemence, John Clemence, Chris Hoffman and Bill Hoffman. Joe Clemence was the son of an original owner, Laurence Clemence. Laurence Clemence started Farmers and Ranchers Livestock with Merrill Christiansen and Bob Muir in 1966.

“There were two sale barns already in Salina,” Samples said. “They shut the other two barns down. They got all the cattle and the other barns just went away.”

According to the Kansas State Department of Agriculture, by 1987, numbers were down, with Farmers and Ranchers Livestock running 88,606 head of cattle across the auction block during the year. By building relationships with producers and buyers, Samples increased those numbers to over 200,000 head each year.

“They didn’t have buyers and they didn’t have an active market,” Samples said. “Roger Johnson told me when I got here, ‘You’ll never be able to fill this barn back up, because you don’t have the buyers.' I got the buyers, I got the cattle and I got the market and all is good.”

Samples knew buyers, and began calling people. Now, every major feeding group in the Midwest is represented in the buyers’ seats at Farmers and Ranchers Livestock.

“When I got here, Junction City was getting a lot of cattle,” Samples said. “I just, slowly but surely, got the farmers to bring their cattle to us. It was not an easy task and it was not a quick task. It took time. After I got the thing going and started, then we became the largest livestock auction in Kansas.”

Winter Livestock owned the two largest sale barns in Kansas, Dodge City and Pratt. According to Samples, Dodge City had the biggest sale barn in Kansas for 50 years. Mike Lewis, a friend of Samples, ran the Winter Livestock sale barn in Pratt.

“When I started getting the business going, Mike Lewis was trying to pass Dodge,” Samples said. “Nobody had every passed Dodge. We joked with each other that I was going to pass them both after Pratt passed Dodge.”

Samples attributes the success of Farmers and Ranchers Livestock to several factors, including the location. With Salina at the junction of I-135 and I-70, the sale barn was easily accessible to both buyers and sellers. In addition, Samples notes, the conditions of the region allows for good livestock production.

“I like this part of the world, because there’s grass,” Samples said. “There are cattle and crops to feed the cattle.”

The success is also rooted in Samples’ drive and motivation.

"I had always wanted to run a big successful sale barn,” Samples said. “You gotta love what you do, people have to know that you like what you do and enjoy what you are doing.”

In 2021, Samples was inducted into the Cattle Marketing Hall of Fame. The honor recognizes individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to competitive marketing, as the backbone of true price discovery.

“Farmers and Ranchers is very highly respected in the auction business in Kansas and the Midwest,” Samples said. “We get sellers from Western Kansas, from Oklahoma, from Missouri and all over the state of Kansas.”

Samples intends to manage the barn for the next two years, and introduce Mason to the network of buyers and producers composing the business of Farmers and Ranchers Livestock.

“The main thing, I have a very tight relationship with my customers,” Samples said. “I thought when I first met Mason he would fit in. He’s met the people well, and they like him. People were looking for a home. They were going other places, and we give them a home.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740163753293.jpeg" alt="Mason Winter Photos Courtesy Leslie Manning" />
 <figcaption>Mason Winter Photos Courtesy Leslie Manning</figcaption>
 </figure>By LESLIE MANNING <a href="https://www.facebook.com/southeastspotlight/">The Spotlight</a> “We’ve never really been a one size fits all,” Mason Winter said. “In the sale barn industry, you get a taste of it all, and make due with what you’ve got.”In December, Winter came on board at Farmers and Ranchers Livestock, Salina, representing the new ownership, Winter Livestock.“We are going to keep everything the same,” Winter said. “Salina is the largest sale barn in Kansas, so whatever they were doing is working really well for them.”<h2>Under new ownership</h2>Winter was born and raised in Dodge City, where his family owns and operates a sale barn, Winter Livestock, that began with his great-grandpa.“I’m the fourth generation,” Winter said. “My family came to Dodge in 1936. My great-grandpa, Karl, bought stock yards from the railroads, and turned it into the local sale barn. It’s treated us pretty well ever since.”Winter Livestock expanded throughout the generations, to its current capacity of three sale barns in Kansas, one in Colorado and one in Wyoming. Winter, one of four siblings, earned a degree in ag business from Oklahoma State, while returning home on weekends and for Wednesday sales to help operate the Dodge City sale barn. Upon graduation, Winter ran the Dodge City location.“(Growing up) I was around the sale barn as much as possible,” Winter said. “I tried to dive in as much as I could. Once I got to high school, I started helping and not being in the way of everybody.”Since December, Winter has dove in at Farmers and Ranchers Livestock, learning everything he can from sale barn manager, Mike Samples.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740163646969.jpeg" alt="Mike Samples" />
 <figcaption>Mike Samples</figcaption>
 </figure>“It’s no secret in the state of Kansas that this is Mike Samples’ sale barn,” Winter said. “This place was built on his shoulders. We are happy to build off of what he has built.”Samples will stay on as manager for two more years, to teach Winter the ropes of the structures in place at Farmers and Ranchers Livestock.“There’s not really a secret formula,” Winter said. “You work really hard and treat people well, and they seem to do the same back to you. (Sale barns) all kind of follow the same plan, and the same systems, with their own personal touches on them.”Farmers and Ranchers Livestock will continue to operate with a flat rate commission per head. Preparing cattle for the auctions on Mondays and Thursdays, with special auctions for vaccinated calves on Tuesdays, will remain a priority.“The feeding, the watering and the facilitating of the cattle is a job in and of itself,” Winter said. “We’re trying to get as close to what they weighed at home. We want the smallest amount of shrink as possible. Through grass hay and pellets, we try to mitigate that shrink as much as possible.”Kyle Elwood, will remain the assistant manager at Farmers and Ranchers Livestock, preparing the cattle for sale days. Elwood has been the assistant manager and an auctioneer for Farmers and Ranchers Livestock for over 30 years.“Kyle has about as good of eye as anyone I’ve met,” Winter said. “He knows what is going to sell each week, and what the buyers are looking for. It’s impressive how in tune he is with where the cattle need to be and how they need to be sorted.”Packaging the producer’s cattle, by characteristics like color, weight and sex, will remain the same.“Each producer’s cattle is represented in categories in and of themselves,” Winter said. “Buyers are looking for the biggest bunch of like cattle that they can put together. As long as there’s something for them to buy, they make our job really easy. They are competing against each other, so their competitive spirits drive up the costs.”Buyers will continue to see a selection of bottle calves, weaned calves, cow/calf pairs, cows and bred cows.“We’ve got every facet covered and the buyers make our job really easy,” Winter said.According to Winter, the hardest part of the job is unloading and loading and keeping everything straight.“Everything that comes in has to go back out to its new home with low stress and no injuries,” Winter said. “It’s a lot of thankless jobs, that we wouldn’t be able to do without. It’s a lot of getting cattle in and getting cattle out.”Horse sales will also continue at Farmers and Ranchers Livestock, with the 2025 sales scheduled for May 17 and one in October. Hog sales will continue on the second and fourth Mondays of the month. A buffalo sale is planned for December.“I am here to learn as much as I can from Mike and Kyle,” Winter said.<h2>Building a sale barn</h2>Mike Samples began managing Farmers and Ranchers Livestock on August 31, 1987. Raised on an 80-acre farm north of Erie, he joined the FFA chapter in high school under the direction of vo-ag teacher, Ken Nuntin. Samples’ first FFA project was raising six pigs, leading him into raising hogs and cattle.Also, while in high school, Samples went to the sale barn in Parsons as often as he could. Wanting to be a part of the auction world, he started driving and traveling with famous cattleman, E.J. Peck, learning about the cattle industry.Samples worked for the Fredonia market, later running the Chanute Sale Barn for a short while before becoming the manager of the Parsons Livestock Market for Russell and Mark McKee. He had been running the sale barn in Parsons, when he left to take over Farmers and Ranchers Livestock in Salina.“It was in pretty sad shape when I got here,” Samples said. “I’ve never had a lot of give up in me. I just went to driving around the country and meeting people. A lot of places I went to, people actually ran me off their property, because they didn’t like Farmers and Ranchers. I just kept coming back. Most of those people made really good customers of mine.”In 1987, Farmers and Ranchers Livestock was owned by Joe Clemence, John Clemence, Chris Hoffman and Bill Hoffman. Joe Clemence was the son of an original owner, Laurence Clemence. Laurence Clemence started Farmers and Ranchers Livestock with Merrill Christiansen and Bob Muir in 1966.“There were two sale barns already in Salina,” Samples said. “They shut the other two barns down. They got all the cattle and the other barns just went away.”According to the Kansas State Department of Agriculture, by 1987, numbers were down, with Farmers and Ranchers Livestock running 88,606 head of cattle across the auction block during the year. By building relationships with producers and buyers, Samples increased those numbers to over 200,000 head each year.“They didn’t have buyers and they didn’t have an active market,” Samples said. “Roger Johnson told me when I got here, ‘You’ll never be able to fill this barn back up, because you don’t have the buyers.' I got the buyers, I got the cattle and I got the market and all is good.”Samples knew buyers, and began calling people. Now, every major feeding group in the Midwest is represented in the buyers’ seats at Farmers and Ranchers Livestock.“When I got here, Junction City was getting a lot of cattle,” Samples said. “I just, slowly but surely, got the farmers to bring their cattle to us. It was not an easy task and it was not a quick task. It took time. After I got the thing going and started, then we became the largest livestock auction in Kansas.”Winter Livestock owned the two largest sale barns in Kansas, Dodge City and Pratt. According to Samples, Dodge City had the biggest sale barn in Kansas for 50 years. Mike Lewis, a friend of Samples, ran the Winter Livestock sale barn in Pratt.“When I started getting the business going, Mike Lewis was trying to pass Dodge,” Samples said. “Nobody had every passed Dodge. We joked with each other that I was going to pass them both after Pratt passed Dodge.”That is exactly what happened.Samples attributes the success of Farmers and Ranchers Livestock to several factors, including the location. With Salina at the junction of I-135 and I-70, the sale barn was easily accessible to both buyers and sellers. In addition, Samples notes, the conditions of the region allows for good livestock production.“I like this part of the world, because there’s grass,” Samples said. “There are cattle and crops to feed the cattle.”The success is also rooted in Samples’ drive and motivation."I had always wanted to run a big successful sale barn,” Samples said. “You gotta love what you do, people have to know that you like what you do and enjoy what you are doing.”In 2021, Samples was inducted into the Cattle Marketing Hall of Fame. The honor recognizes individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to competitive marketing, as the backbone of true price discovery.“Farmers and Ranchers is very highly respected in the auction business in Kansas and the Midwest,” Samples said. “We get sellers from Western Kansas, from Oklahoma, from Missouri and all over the state of Kansas.”Samples intends to manage the barn for the next two years, and introduce Mason to the network of buyers and producers composing the business of Farmers and Ranchers Livestock.“The main thing, I have a very tight relationship with my customers,” Samples said. “I thought when I first met Mason he would fit in. He’s met the people well, and they like him. People were looking for a home. They were going other places, and we give them a home.”

'Winter Livestock' takes ownership of 'Farmers and Ranchers Livestock'

&nbsp; The JCHS boy's wrestling team successfully qualified seven wrestlers at the 6A Regionals in Garden City, with all advancing to the State Championships next week at the AdventHealth Sports Park in Overland Park.&nbsp;

Coach Rick Bazan said Josh Brookshire (30-7) secured third place at 175lbs, while Chris Coy (30-8) earned fourth place at 215lbs. Riley Luckenbill (29-10) finished sixth at 106lbs, Jayden Melton (25-14) secured eighth place at 113lbs, Ka'Yun Herring (18-14) placed sixth at 160lbs, Billy Dee (22-15) also finished sixth at 157lbs, and Avery Florence (23-12) secured sixth place at 285lbs.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Blue Jays finished 7th out of 18 teams at the regional meet.

&nbsp; The JCHS boy's wrestling team successfully qualified seven wrestlers at the 6A Regionals in Garden City, with all advancing to the State Championships next week at the AdventHealth Sports Park in Overland Park.&nbsp;Coach Rick Bazan said Josh Brookshire (30-7) secured third place at 175lbs, while Chris Coy (30-8) earned fourth place at 215lbs. Riley Luckenbill (29-10) finished sixth at 106lbs, Jayden Melton (25-14) secured eighth place at 113lbs, Ka'Yun Herring (18-14) placed sixth at 160lbs, Billy Dee (22-15) also finished sixth at 157lbs, and Avery Florence (23-12) secured sixth place at 285lbs.&nbsp;&nbsp;The Blue Jays finished 7th out of 18 teams at the regional meet.

Blue Jays compete at Regional Wrestling

Dwight Rural Water District is under a BOIL WATER ADVISORY from W of HWY 57 to the Morris County Line until further notice. More information will be forth coming when we know more information and posted on the Facebook page of Geary County Emergency Management

Dwight Rural Water District is under a BOIL WATER ADVISORY from W of HWY 57 to the Morris County Line until further notice. More information will be forth coming when we know more information and posted on the Facebook page of Geary County Emergency Management

Boil water advisory issued for Dwight Rural Water District

BY&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/aj-dome/">AJ DOME</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/09/21/kansas-board-of-regents-sculpts-plan-for-boosting-state-aid-to-public-higher-education/?emci=78717300-c858-ee11-9937-00224832eb73&amp;emdi=fc107f78-2659-ee11-9937-00224832eb73&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflector</a>

OVERLAND PARK — Weather enthusiasts across the Plains are concerned about&nbsp;<a href="https://oklahomavoice.com/2025/02/04/oklahoma-house-advances-controversial-bill-giving-some-storm-chasers-emergency-vehicle-status/" target="_blank">a proposed Oklahoma bill</a>&nbsp;that they fear could empower some storm chasers over others.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/2/1740152975847.png" alt=" Storm chasers watch rotating clouds hovering over in May 2024 in Gove and Ness counties in western Kansas. (AJ Dome for Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Storm chasers watch rotating clouds hovering over in May 2024 in Gove and Ness counties in western Kansas. (AJ Dome for Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/aj-dome/">AJ DOME</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/09/21/kansas-board-of-regents-sculpts-plan-for-boosting-state-aid-to-public-higher-education/?emci=78717300-c858-ee11-9937-00224832eb73&amp;emdi=fc107f78-2659-ee11-9937-00224832eb73&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflector</a>OVERLAND PARK — Weather enthusiasts across the Plains are concerned about&nbsp;<a href="https://oklahomavoice.com/2025/02/04/oklahoma-house-advances-controversial-bill-giving-some-storm-chasers-emergency-vehicle-status/" target="_blank">a proposed Oklahoma bill</a>&nbsp;that they fear could empower some storm chasers over others.Oklahoma Rep. Scott Fetgatter introduced&nbsp;<a href="https://www.oklegislature.gov/BillInfo.aspx?Bill=hb2426&amp;Session=2500" target="_blank">House Bill 2426</a>&nbsp;last month to create a special license that would allow personnel from legacy TV stations and weather researchers affiliated with specified universities operating around severe thunderstorms, to act as emergency responders in the immediate aftermath of a tornado.The Oklahoma House Business Committee passed the bill on Feb. 4. If it becomes law, the measure would allow licensed storm chasers to affix flashing lights on their vehicles, giving them right-of-way through red lights and on closed roads. The storm tracker license would cost about $500 with a renewal fee of $250. In a statement, Fetgatter, a Republican from Okmulgee, Oklahoma, said the bill is still a work in progress.WeatherNation meteorologist and storm chaser Erik Fox said he is actively trying to kill the bill because it could potentially create “some constitutional issues” from people simply watching the weather, although he understands the need for enhanced road safety measures as more people pursue storms.“When I started chasing, I was lucky to see maybe five chasers on any storm,” Fox said. “Now it’s more like 20 to 30.”Roughly 5,000 people across the country and internationally come to the Great Plains every year to chase storms. Alongside the growing number of chasers is the higher likelihood of them encountering damaged structures and injured people because of their proximity to a storm.Nemaha County emergency management director and storm chaser Eddie Aldrine said anybody who wants to learn about storm chasing should also take a CPR class and “get to know your first aid kit.”“Having the knowledge to save your life or someone else’s life is paramount because you may be the only help for miles around, due to the rural environments storm chasers normally operate in,” Aldrine said.Aldrine taught a first aid class at the National Storm Chaser Summit, which took place Feb. 14-16 in Overland Park. Previous storm chaser conventions were held in Dallas, Denver, and Oklahoma City.The event was originally called ChaserCon and was created in 2002 by storm chasers Tim Samaras and Roger Hill to provide an opportunity for weather enthusiasts to gather and share stories about their chases. Fox went to his first ChaserCon in 2008 and said he made some lifelong friends there.Severe weather researcher Tim Samaras, along with his son, Paul, and their friend, Carl Young, were killed in 2013 by a 2.6-mile-wide multi-vortex tornado near El Reno, Oklahoma. Following their deaths, the convention morphed from a loosely organized social party with a couple of speakers into a professional education and networking-focused event with two days of presentations.Fox is now president and founder of the chaser summit.“I vowed when I took it over I was going to move it around to give everybody a chance to attend,” Fox said. “The Overland Park area has a very, very huge chaser contingent.”This is the second year the summit has sold out of tickets, as interest in both severe weather and storm chasing continues to grow following the 2024 release of “Twisters,” a sequel to the 1996 Hollywood film “Twister,” which popularized storm chasing and studying tornadoes.Kansans have other opportunities to learn more about severe weather this spring. National Weather Service meteorologists across the state are preparing for storm spotter talks, which are held annually in all 105 Kansas counties.Spotter presentations began earlier in February in Labette and Neosho counties. Schedules for the spotter talks can be found on individual National Weather Service sites for<a href="https://www.weather.gov/ddc/2025spottertalks" target="_blank">&nbsp;Dodge City</a>,<a href="https://www.weather.gov/gld/2025StormSpotterTrainingSchedule" target="_blank">&nbsp;Goodland</a>,<a href="https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/c82156f248964163b87ff425aad288d1" target="_blank">&nbsp;Topeka</a>&nbsp;and<a href="https://www.weather.gov/ict/spottertalks" target="_blank">&nbsp;Wichita</a>.A virtual spotter training program is also offered through the NWS Topeka office. It will take place March 17. People interested in the virtual program<a href="https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/4811465527032641113" target="_blank">&nbsp;can register online</a>.