The annual JCHS Homecoming parade was followed by a community pep rally Thursday evening at Al Simpler Stadium.

 

The annual blues and barbeque festival, Jammin In JC, is Friday and Saturday in Junction City.

Coordinator Bob Cevera points to a strong lineup of performers in this year’s festival. “We’ve got all star talent coming in. Friday night Samantha Fish will be our headliner. We’ve got Mr. Sipp, Nick Schnebelen from Trampled Under Foot, Noah Wotherspoon, lot of these guys are all international blues champion winners in Memphis. This lineup’s second to none in the state of Kansas.”

The festival will be in the downtown Junction City Heritage Park area with the performing stage set up on 6th Street. Food vendors will be located in the park. There is no charge to attend the concerts.

There will also be a state certified barbeque competition, with 25 teams entered.

Lance Custer has worked to help with the barbeque competition. He said teams are coming from four different states and 29 different cities. “We’ve got eight teams coming from Junction City this year.”

Custer said the event is sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbeque Society, which means that there are teams who follow that and they follow the sanctioning, because they know that there’s integrity and consistency in the application of the rules.”

 

Over 1,000 of the 1,500 apple pies have been prepped as of Thursday afternoon for Saturday’s Fall Apple Day Festival on Fort Riley.

The Historical and Archaeological Society of Fort Riley has been preparing for the annual festival for months now and with it just days away this years Pie Queen’s are glad it’s finally here.

“This has been a long time coming, since about April, and the fact that we can see all of the hard work being done and the smiles on people’s faces when they get those pies, it’s a good feeling,” said Alison Kohtz, Co-Pie Queen.

This year HASFR is preparing only 1,500 apple pies compared to the 2,000 from years past, and part of that is due to the heightened security measures to get on post. However, they are still expecting a good turnout according to Danielle Alch, Co-Pie Queen.

“The Officials here at Fort Riley are very hopeful with the numbers being quite high again. Our concern was the new security regulations for entering and leaving post, that we would have a lesser number in the crowds this year. That’s why we reduced our numbers slightly, just to compensate for reduction in crowds, because we would have hated to have extra pies that weren’t enjoyed,” said Alch.

All visitors without a DoD I.D. Card must go to the visitors center located at the Henry Gate located off of I-70 to receive a day pass.

The Festival is held on the Artillery Parade Field, and there will be different military displays set up on the parade field including the MP’s with their dogs and the Commanding Generals Mounted Color Guard.

The pies are special to Fort Riley as they are made using Libby Custer’s personal recipe, and there for the recipe is kept a secret.

Saturday’s event will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and is free and open to the public.

U.S. Senator Jerry Moran has announced that jhe will visit Hope as part of his Kansas Listening tour on Saturday ( Sept. 26 ). Area residents are encuraged to attend and share feedback with Sen. Moran on the critical issues facing Kansas and the nation.

The Listening Tour stop is scheduled from 9:45 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. Saturday at the First National Bank Annex /Community Center at 124 North Main Street in Hope.

The issues the Senator focuses on and the work he does in Washington D.C. are largely based on conversations he has with Kansans during these town hall meetings.

 

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas regulators have given final approval to a rate increase for the state’s largest electric company that will cost most households in its territory between $5 and $7 more a month.

The Kansas Corporation Commission approved an order Thursday raising Topeka-based Westar Energy’s rates by $78 million annually. It ratifies an agreement among the company, the commission’s staff, a state consumer advocacy agency and some of Westar’s largest customers.

Westar’s rates will rise about 4 percent and the increase will take effect for customers’ November bills. The utility has nearly 700,000 customers.

Westar initially proposed a $152 million increase in its annual rates, largely to cover costs it already has incurred for improvements at power plants. Other parties argued for a rate increase of less than $56 million.

The special speaker for Thursday’s Military Affairs Council Breakfast in Junction City was the new CEO of the Junction City Area Chamber of Commerce, Dennis Beson.

During his speech he outlined the duties of the Chamber of Commerce and explained that the Junction City Chamber is unique.

“We’re wide arranged. We’re Economic Development, Convention and Visitors Bureau, Military Affairs, but we’re also I think a community outreach type of organization were we want to bring the community together to make it the best place to live as possible,” said Beson.

As for his goals for the Chamber moving forward he explained there is a need to increase the chambers membership.

“Right now we have a 308 Chamber membership, which is good, but we’d love to get more. I’d ideally like to get to 500 by 2016, so we’re going to work a little bit harder on that.”

The second goal involves bringing the entire consolidated Chamber together into a more cohesive and tight unit.

“We have four different divisions that came together under consolidation, only three years ago, and so there’s still a few wrinkles that need to be worked out.”

The third and final goal is including the Chamber into the community and increasing the community outreach to improve the community as a whole.

You can join the Central National Bank Staff in the basement of the main bank at 8th & Washington for breakfast to benefit the Junction City / Geary County United Way. A  Biscuit & Gravy Feed has been scheduled September 30th from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m.

The cost will be $3 for one biscuit and $5 for two. Juice and coffee will be provided.

If you’re in a hurry you can get it to go. All proceeds will benefit the Junction City / Geary County United Way.

A November 18th preliminary hearing has been set in the case of Dr. Allan Holiday Jr., former Orthopedic Surgeon at Geary Community Hospital.

Holiday was arrested in late July, and in August was formally charged in Geary County District Court with one count of Aggravated Sexual Battery. At the time of his arrest police said they had received a complaint in the case on July 26 involving a 16-year old juvenile.

During Holiday’s status check hearing Thursday Judge Charles Zimmerman set the preliminary hearing for November 18th, at 9:30 am in Geary County District Court.

Holiday was released by Geary Community Hospital on September 16th. He had been employed through the Flint Hills Orthopedic and Sports Medicine clinic for the past five years.

 

The Junction City Area Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting for No. 105 Bliss Bistro was a downtown business highlight in the community on Wednesday.

Tammy Moritz owns the business at 105 West 7th Street.

She noted for another upscale restaurant downtown. “This is fresh, and I like to say it’s fine dining between bread.” Moritz also noted she grew up on 7th Street. “So to come full circle and now be on 7th Street again completes my life.”