Wednesday will be a busy day for weather. It will be the warmest day of the week with highs well in the 80s. Unfortunately it will also be quite windy, which will lead to very high fire danger. By late afternoon, there will be a slight chance for thunderstorms in 2 areas…south of Interstate 35 in east central KS and west of Highway 81 in north central KS. If storms are able to develop in these areas through early evening, they could be strong to severe with hail and damaging wind possible. A much better chance for storms is expected overnight as a cold front crosses the area. A few of these storms may produce hail or damaging wind as well…mainly west of a line from Hiawatha to Manhattan to Herington. Pockets of heavy rain are also possible through tonight.

Today: Breezy. Mostly sunny. A 20 percent chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs around 85. South winds 10 to 15 mph increasing to 20 to 25 mph in the afternoon. Gusts up to 35 mph.

Tonight: Breezy. Mostly cloudy. Chance of thunderstorms in the evening…then thunderstorms likely after midnight. Lows around 52. South winds 15 to 25 mph with gusts to around 35 mph shifting to the northwest 10 to 15 mph with gusts to around 25 mph after midnight. Chance of rain 70 percent.

Thursday: Cooler. Partly sunny. A 20 percent chance of showers in the morning. Highs around 66. Northeast winds 10 to 15 mph.

Thursday Night: Colder. Mostly cloudy with a 30 percent chance of showers. Lows around 40. North winds 10 to 20 mph. Gusts up to 30 mph after midnight.

Friday: Cooler. Mostly sunny. A 30 percent chance of showers in the morning. Highs in the mid 50s. North winds 15 to 20 mph with gusts to around 30 mph.

Friday Night And Saturday: Warmer. Mostly clear. Lows in the lower 30s. Highs in the mid 60s.

Saturday Night: Mostly clear. Lows in the lower 40s.

Sunday: Mostly sunny. Highs around 70.

Sunday Night: Partly cloudy in the evening then becoming mostly cloudy. Lows in the upper 40s.

Monday And Monday Night: Partly cloudy. A 20 percent chance of thunderstorms. Highs in the mid 70s. Lows around 50.

Tuesday: Mostly sunny. Highs around 70.

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Researchers from Kansas State University and Iowa State University are using a $2.8 million grant to research a school-based program that combats childhood obesity.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced last month that the grant had been awarded to evaluate a program called SWITCH. It focuses on decreasing children’s screen time, increasing fruit and vegetable consumption and increasing physical activity. The motto is that children need to “switch what they do, view and chew.”

Efforts involve helping to create healthier school environments.

Delivering Change Healthy Moms Healthy Babies has enjoyed a successful run in Geary County where it has helped reduce the infant mortality rate, and provided access to women who can’t afford prenatal care.

Tuesday Riley and Geary County partners announced a coalition.

Kimberly Cox is chair of the Riley County perinatal coalition. “We are going to officially announce that Delivering Change is here in Riley County.”

Cox said during the past 18 months all the partners dealing with moms and babies were brought together in Riley County to address the issue. “We also facilitated the process of connecting pregnant women to the appropriate resources to gain Kancare insurance so that they can access prenatal care earlier in the process because we know that that helps make healthy moms healthy babies. We also have assisted the Riley County Health department in securing a grant from the March of Dimes to start the becoming a mom, perinatal education classes.”

Geary County Perinatal Coalition received a federal grant totaling $84,955 to strengthen the rural health system by developing a cross county network. That will include identifying community and regional resources, and development of a cross county referral process.

During a press conference Terra Stroda of Junction City said since the program began in Geary County in July of 2011 Delivering Change had made strides in improving health of mothers and babies there. “Recent vital statistics from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment revealed that the infant mortality rate in Geary County has declined significantly to 7.5 per a thousand live births.” Stroda also added, “that the access to quality prenatal care and women achieving adequate prenatal care has increased for the fourth straight year to 76.4%.”

Stroda said since 2012 more than 150 Geary County women have access prenatal care earlier in their pregnancy and were helped in achieving health insurance or locating financial help.

Warmer weather has allowed the crews working on the Municipal Court project in Junction City to gain some ground.

Tyler Ficken, City Clerk explained that crews were able to pour more cement on the addition to the current building located at 701 N. Jefferson across from the Municipal Building. He added that the building system which was delayed is also expected to be delivered this week.

“It was delayed approximately 30 days in the front end but we’re expecting it this week and the project is expected to be completed by July,” said Ficken.

Currently the Municipal Court is located in the basement of the Municipal Building. The the city is preparing to send out request for proposals for demolition of the former Municipal Court building located at 725 W 7th Street. It is still undecided what will happen to that lot once the building has been cleared.

Geary County rural firefighters were on the scene of a grass fire for about four hours Tuesday northwest of Junction City near K-244 Highway south of Milford Lake.

Assistant Geary County Rural Fire Chief Curt Janke estimated 50 to 60 acres burned, with seven fire trucks, three trucks each from Dickinson County’s Fragrant Hill Township and Sherman Hill Township.

Janke said the site of the blaze was between Gfeller Road and Crider Road.  “The landowner to the east of Gfeller Road had a controlled burn going, and the wind blowing out of the east pushed it across Gfeller Road onto Corps property, and from there it burned onto some other privately owned land.”

Janke said the wind wasn’t blowing that hard. “The biggest factor was it’s just so dry out there. One little ember gets across the road like that…it’s gone, just that quick.”

There were no injuries reported.  Janke noted KDOT would have to replace some posts in their guardrail on K-244 Highway, because the fire burned right up to the highway.

Burning had been allowed on Tuesday in Geary County, but  shortly after that fire began no more was allowed in the county for the day.

MANHATTAN – Murder suspect Tierre Wall appeared in Court Tuesday afternoon via a video feed from the Riley County Jail for a status check.

Wall is suspected in the shooting death of Casey Lindley, 27, Ogden.

Just after 2 a.m. on March 12, law enforcement officers were dispatched to Ogden after receiving reports of a gun fired.

Police found Lindley suffering from a gunshot wound. He was transported to a Topeka hospital where he later died of his injuries.

Wall was arrested after turning himself in at a police station in Georgia.

Wall’s charge of voluntary manslaughter is a severity level 3 personal felony, and comes with a minimum 55 months of incarceration, up to 247 months and $300,000 in fines.

Wall was granted a court appointed attorney during his last appearance.

The case was continued for two weeks so discovery in the could be handed over to the defense.

Wall is expected back in court on April 14.

Geary County officials are reviewing the possibility of making penalties for illegal burning and burn permit violations tougher.

Ben Bennett, Geary County Commission chair, said so far the County’s legal counsel has received two replies on this topic from other counties. “Counties that have referenced back to him…one was Smith County which charges a $250 fine, and the other was Morris County, which charges a $500 fine for that type of activity. But he’s still working on that and looking at what we might be able to do in the future.”

There have been problems with grass fires this month which have required responses by rural firefighters and costs affiliated with that.

Volunteers are needed this summer at the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum in Abilene.

The volunteers are needed immediately to assist staff in providing tours of Ike’s Boyhood Home. As a volunteer guide you will be a steward of the rich history of the Eisenhower family and Abilene.

No experience necessary. Applicants must be at least 16 years old and able to pass a background check, and must commit to working a four hour shift once per week through August. Training on the Eisenhowers and Abilene will be provided; your people skills, enthusiasm, and sense of humor will do the rest.

Contact the volunteer coordinator by calling (785) 263-6700 or email Eisenhower.Library@nara.gov for additional details.

Little Apple Post

MANHATTAN -Manhattan High School Principal Greg Hoyt released a statement regarding a “lockout” drill that occurred on Tuesday morning at the school.

Officers with the Riley County Police Department and other regional law enforcement entities, including multiple canine units, conducted a joint operation to perform a random search for illicit drugs.

“This was a planned and coordinated effort between the school and law enforcement and was not prompted by any specific information regarding drugs or drug activity at the school,” said Hoyt.

“The building was placed into “lockout” mode during the drill, which means that all exterior doors were locked to prevent anyone from entering the building during the search. School officials monitored the front entry ways during the drill to direct any incoming traffic. Students were not permitted to leave their classrooms, but regular instruction did continue for the duration of the drill.”

According to the release there were several positive indicants of drugs, and school administrators are following up with law enforcement.

Geary County rural firefighters worked a fire involving pasture grass and cut trees Monday evening at a location on the Deer Horn Ranch near Humboldt Creek Road in the southeast part of the county.

There were no injuries.

Assistant Rural Fire Chief Curt Janke estimated about 10 acres burned.

Geary County responded with three fire trucks and six personnel, while Dwight responded with two brush trucks, a tanker, and four firefighters.