There was good music but relatively light turnout for the Junction City Blues Music Festival Friday and Saturday in Heritage Park.

Geary County Convention and Visitor’s Bureau Director Michelle Stimatze said Saturday night the bands were good. ” I think with all the activities going on within the state of Kansas today with no home football games I think that put a little damper on the people that came out.” Stimatze stated there was a decent crowd Saturday night but not where officials wanted it to be.

Stimatze estimated the turnout for the entire festival was in the range of about 250 people.

The festival was an attempt by the Geary County CVB to provide a jazz festival after the larger Jammin In JC festival was cancelled for this year. Whether it will return in the future is uncertain. Stimatze said, “We’re going to take a look at things and see what the future is going to hold with the Blues, and maybe come up with some solutions with a one-day event and see if we can’t keep this going.”

Stimatze doesn’t fundraising is the biggest challenge for a festival of this type. “I think a lot of it is getting people out and about and making sure that we have those crowds that we used to have. She estimated about 150 people were in attendance on Saturday night and approximately 75 people Friday evening.

The remainder of the weekend lineup in Junction City included Junction City Blue Jay football Friday night at Al Simpler Stadium, the Little Theater production of Beauty and the Beast Friday and Saturday nights plus another performance at 2 p.m. Sunday at the C.L. Hoover Opera House, and the annual Apple Day celebration at Fort Riley during the day on Saturday.

Roland Fabia has been honored for his military and defense intelligence service.

The 1973 Junction City High School graduate was presented with a Quilt of Valor Saturday at the home of his sister and brother-in-law Nita and Ferrell Miller.

Roland served five years of active duty in the Navy and 15 years in the Naval reserves before serving in the Defense Intelligence Agency where he completed his career as a senior executive and retired in 2016. The Quilt of Valor he received is called “The Pledge of Allegiance” which is on the quilt along with pictures of Abraham Lincoln and George Washington. “I know when I look at it and think of the thought and dedication that went into doing that I’ll cherish and be very honored by it.”

Following a 40-year federal service career Fabia noted he was grateful for those who helped him along the way,ranging from teachers to those in the Navy or through DIA, or through other executives in the intelligence community.

Roland was nominated for the Quilt of Valor by his sister, Nita Miller of Junction City. “I nominated him because I knew about his military career. It extended all the way from towards the end of Vietnam up until just a couple of years ago. He was very active, he has gone to Afghanistan, he has done extensive training, in his position he had to fly from one camp to another in Afghanistan, he had to learn how to jump from a helicopter, how to defend himself, he had training before he went. ” Miller noted when Fabia retired he was an SES I, which is an equivalent to a one-star general. He is also a retired Lieutenant Commandant in the U.S. Navy.

The quilt presented to Fabia was made by Donna Martinson, who coordinates the local Quilt of Valor effort that recognizes former Soldiers for their service. “We really hope that when a Veteran or a service member gets a Quilt of Valor that they wear them out.” Martinson also stated, “We hope that they just wrap up in them so they provide healing and comfort. That’s the number one mission of the Quilt of Valor Foundation.” Martinson added its fine if they prefer to look at it on a wall or just want to wrap up in it.

A total of 278 Quilts of Valor have been made by the local chapter to this point.

POW / MIA’s were remembered Friday in Heritage Park in downtown Junction City in conjunction with the national POW / MIA Remembrance Day.

Guest speaker Randy Lehman recounted the thousands of Soldiers never accounted for following this country’s wars. He noted there are 600 from this country still missing following the Vietnam conflict.

Lehman, a retired Army veteran,  also took time to thank the veterans in attendance for their service in the armed forces. “Because there a lot of people that came back from Vietnam, myself included, who never got any recognition. But today I’m very happy to say I’m a Vietnam vet and I’m very happy to thank anybody who says thank you for your service.”

Lehman had another message. “No matter what war you came from, no matter where you fought or how you did it, or whether you didn’t go over, if you served in the military thank you for your service.”

Attendance was down a bit for opening night of the Junction City Blues Festival in Heritage Park.

One of the spokespersons for the Geary County Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, Rick Dykstra, noted there were many things on the local schedule Friday night. “One of the biggest was the football game. That kind of impacted. The other was the Beauty and the Beast closing weekend, and they had a big crowd there.

Dykstra noted while attendance was down but the music was great. In fact as the last band they were all yelling encore so they got an encore.” Dykstra noted Saturday should be a really good. The festival will begin at 12:30 p.m. and go until 10 p.m.

He noted that there were many comments from people that it was neat that the stage in Heritage Park was being used.

The Saturday lineup includes the Santiago Brothers at 12;30, Yale St. Players at 2;15, Dirty Red and the Soul Shakers 4 p.m., Jimmy Lewin and the King Tones 5:45, Old No.#5 Blues Band 7:15 and the Joyride Blues Band 8:45 p.m.  Admission to the concerts is free.

More of the graphic designs for the planned new Junction City High School have been released by USD 475.

LAS VEGAS (AP) — The Latest on President Donald Trump (all times local):

President Donald Trump has signed legislation to fund the Energy Department, veterans’ programs and the legislative branch, including Congress and the Capitol police.

Promises Kept for our GREAT Veterans! pic.twitter.com/C0h8cW4FuH

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 21, 2018

Trump signed the measures Friday during an event at the VA Southern Nevada Healthcare System, where he stressed his efforts to improve veterans’ care.

Congress last week approved the $147 billion package as part of an effort by congressional leaders to head off a government shutdown that Trump has threatened he might force over funding for his border wall.

The bill includes money for veterans’ health care, military infrastructure, the electrical grid and nuclear weapons programs.

It also provides a $1.1 billion increase to pay for efforts to give veterans more freedom to see doctors outside the troubled VA system. And it will require Senate candidates to file electronic campaign finance reports.

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On Sept. 26 the Kansas Department of Transportation will begin a mill and overlay project on U.S. 77 north from the Rucker Road intersection to the Riley County line.

Traffic will be reduced to one 12’ lane during daylight hours with flaggers and a pilot car to move traffic through the work zone. Drivers should be prepared for a delay of 15 minutes and plan extra time in their travel schedules.

Shilling Construction Co., Inc. of Manhattan is the prime contractor and have scheduled this project to be completed by the end of October, weather permitting, at a cost of $1,680,355.

KDOT urges all motorists to be alert and obey the warning signs when approach and driving through a highway work zone.  To stay aware of all road construction projects across Kansas go towww.kandrive.org or call 5-1-1.