The smell of apple pie returns to Fort Riley on Sept. 26 during the annual Fall Apple Day Festival from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The festival is free and open to the public.

Attractions at this year’s festival include Commanding General’s Mounted Color Guard demonstrations, helicopter and tank displays, military working dog demonstrations, a petting zoo, museum gift shop, an ATV rodeo and apple pies.

Entertainment will include live music by the Spouse Choir and 1st Infantry Division. There will be demonstrations by the members of the American Taekwondo Association, and performances by the School of Knowledge, Inspiration and Exploration. A number of food and information booths will also be available.

There will be historical reenactors from the Territorial Capital, Civil War, World War I, World War II, and vietnam time-periods. Antique military vehicles will be on display, as well as rope and candle making demonstrations.

Dueto increased security measures, visitors who do not have a Department of Defense ID card should apply early for a visitor’s pass by visiting https://www.riley.army.mil/Units/GarrisonCommand/EmergencyServices/AccessInformation/aspx.

Parking during Apple Days will be free, and golf carts will be available to transport people with walking difficulties from the parking area to the festival grounds. No pets or alcohol are allowed at the festival.

MANHATTAN -It’s official, the Kicker Country Stampede 2016 headliners will be Tim McGraw, Jake Owen, Dierks Bentley and Sam Hunt!

Stampede officials made the announcement on Tuesday morning at 8 a.m., and have updated their website to show the new headliners!

There’s a big change this year, however! The festival is cutting out the Sunday shows, so the event will only be three days instead of four. On their twitter account, Country Stampede said that the reason for shortening the festival was so that they could spend the money they would have normally allotted for the Sunday acts to Thurs-Saturday.

Haven’t snagged your tickets yet? Three day admission is $120, VIP is $510 and reserved is $250 until November 30. Camp is available again this year and will cost ya $135 bucks.

ATTN ALL COUNTRY FANS⇒ Big news for Country Stampede 2016 – See photos! 😝👏🏼🔥🎉🎵🎤 Purchase at https://t.co/To2ZXyoqQK pic.twitter.com/lb4uE0TTKD

— Country Stampede (@Countrystampede) September 15, 2015

According to the National Weather Service of Topeka, a few isolated showers and storms are possible this morning from Lawrence to Garnett, otherwise a windy day is expected across the area.

Wednesday will be warm and breezy, but the end of the week looks to end on a wet note. Thunderstorms are expected to increase late Thursday and continue through Friday.

Today: Breezy. Mostly sunny. Highs in the upper 80s. South winds 15 to 25 mph.

Tonight: Breezy. Partly cloudy. Lows around 70. South winds 15 to 25 mph.

Wednesday: Breezy. Mostly sunny. Highs around 90. South winds 15 to 25 mph.

Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy. Lows in the mid 70s. South winds 15 to 20 mph.

Thursday: Mostly sunny. Slight chance of showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs in the lower 90s. Southwest winds 10 to 20 mph.

Thursday Night: Showers and thunderstorms likely. Lows in the upper 60s. Chance of precipitation 60 percent.

Friday: Partly sunny with a 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the lower 80s.

Friday Night: Cooler. Partly cloudy with slight chance of rain showers and thunderstorms. Lows in the lower 50s.

Saturday: Sunny. Highs in the mid 70s.

Saturday Night: Partly cloudy. Lows in the mid 50s.

Sunday: Mostly sunny. Highs in the mid 70s.

Sunday Night: Partly cloudy. Lows in the mid 50s.

Monday: Mostly sunny. Highs in the upper 70s.

The Geary County Commission has approved a lease agreement for the Konza Prairie Community Health Center on Grant Avenue in Junction City.

Chairman Ben Bennett said three employees will be located there to handle the WIC program.  “Women, Infant and Children program that we get a grant that we get a grant from KDHE each year to fund and operate that. It’s a nutrition program. There was a location on Fort Riley. Riley County Health Department had operated that, and they’re no longer going to do that.  They decided to move it into town.”

Bennett added most of the clients that need the WIC service come from the north side of Junction City, and off of Fort Riley.

The cost of the rent is $1,551 per month, with the funding from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment grant.

Anthony Nichols of Kansas City, MO, appeared in front of Judge Wilson in Riley County Court on Monday for sentencing, after being found guilty by jury of attempted first degree murder. Anthony Nichols was originally charged with suspicion of First Degree Murder in the September 7, 2013 death of John Burroughs, 68, Manhattan.

The state has been represented by Barry Wilkerson and Barry Disney throughout the case and Jeffrey Wicks acted as Nichols’ defense attorney.

The sentencing began as Judge Wilson read letters presented by Wicks from friends and family of Nichols. On behalf of Nichols, Wicks requested a motion for a new trial and request for acquittal. After this was denied by Judge Wilson, Wicks made a motion for a depart of duration (which can lower the amount of possible jail time) from the 620 months that Nichols was facing. This request was based on the results of James McKennith no contest plea on the  first degree felony murder of John Burroughs, who will serve 20-25 years before being eligible for parole.

Judge Wilson also denied this motion, based on Nichols’ criminal history score of ‘A’ (at least 3 person felonies). After a back and forth between Wilkerson and Wicks on the terms of the sentencing, Judge Wilson gave Nichols 620 months with the Department of Corrections to be served concurrent (at the same time) as his sentence for the September 7, 2013 shooting death of Anthony Nixon of Junction City.

Wicks told Judge Wilson there would be an appeal to the sentencing, and to appoint a public defender for Nichols.

Cowboy poetry will fill the C.L. Hoover Opera House tonight as they present ‘Trey Allen: An Evening in the Bunkhouse’.

Local Cowboy Poet Trey Allen will be joined on stage by fellow Cowboy Poet Jessica Hedges of Paisley, OR, and Cowboy Singer Justin Reichert of McPherson tonight starting at 7 pm.

Allen explained that Cowboy Poetry has been around as long as the Cowboy,”but theirs been a renewed interest in it since the mid ’80s.”

“Every so often, you know, things will kind of taper off, but there will be another resurgence, if you will. Folks get interested in it, another generation picks it up. It’s just something that once you get involved in it, it’s kind of like an illness. It’s kind of hard to shake I guess,” said Allen.

Allen has brought in Jessica Hedges to perform some of her own Cowboy Poetry. She gave JCPost.com a sneak preview.

“Their Buckarooing out across this great mason land,
  Their punching them high headed cattle in the southwest,
  Their dodging timber through the hills in hot pursuit,
  While putting the tradition of their discipline to the test.”

Tickets for tonight’s show can be purchased at the Opera House Box Office. They are $12 a piece and children 12 and under are free.

Fort Riley officials early Saturday morning confirmed a teenage family member died of a gunshot wound Friday evening. They said it was an isolated incident and there was no active shooter.

Fort Riley leaders are providing support to the affected families.

The incident is under investigation by the Criminal Investigation Division of the U.S. Army.

Garrison Commander Andrew Cole stated, “Fort Riley is a close-knit family and the loss of one of our own affects us all. A tragedy of this type is felt by each and every member. Together, we can make it through and we will provide the necessary resources available to help all those involved, like our chaplains, counselors and resources within the Army Community Services.”

Officials Monday were unable to release any further information until the investigation is complete.

Crews have begun demolition of the old terminal at Manhattan Regional Airport as part of Phase Two of the Terminal Expansion project.

Jesse Romo, Airport Executive Director updated the Airports Advisory Board Monday and explained crews have been mostly working on demolishing the inside of the old terminal.

“Even though the outside looks the same, it’s still standing, inside does not. It’s been torn apart, completely gutted, it’s looking great in there to see progress going,” said Romo.

The outside walls of the old terminal are expected to come down in the next day or two.

Once the old structure is demolished and everything is cleared, crews will begin constructing the new terminal building which will be similar to the new terminal that was completed as a part of phase one.

“It’s going to almost double the square footage. You’ll have the actual baggage claim with the turn style, rental car locations, a meet and greet area, and retail space.”

Phase two is scheduled for a 300 day construction period, and is expected to be open sometime in June of 2016.