MANHATTAN, Kan. – Three-time Grammy Award winners and multi-platinum artists Zac Brown Band will headline the first major concert event at Bill Snyder Family Stadium in nearly 30 years on Saturday as the Wildcat Kickoff music festival will provide nearly eight hours of entertainment beginning at 4 p.m.

 

Joining Zac Brown Band’s headlining act will be multi-platinum pop rock band Train, featuring lead singer Pat Monahan, as well as American Idol Season 11 winner and multi-platinum seller Phillip Phillips and a host of other performers.

 

Tickets for the event remain starting at $39, and gates to the stadium will open at 3 p.m. Stadium  “Will Call” will be located on the west side of BSFS near Gate B and will open at 1 p.m.

 

Parking for the event is all general admission at a cost of $20 for cars and $60 for RV’s. Lots will open at 1 p.m., and tailgating will be allowed but groups must arrive together to park together. In addition, there will be no pass outs or re-entry, from or back into the stadium, while K-State’s “clear bag policy” will be in effect for the event.

 

Zac Brown Band caps a nationwide summer tour of 30-plus shows across North America in Manhattan on Saturday which also included stadium performances at Fenway Park, Target Field and Citi Field.

 

Wildcat Kickoff Performance Schedule (times are approximate)

4 p.m. – Adley Stump

4:35 p.m. – David Ray

5:40 p.m. – Phillip Phillips

7:30 p.m. – Train

9:30 p.m. – Zac Brown Band

 

– k-statesports.com –

 

 

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KENNY LANNOU
Associate A.D. for Communications | K-State Athletics

MANHATTAN – Author, world-renowned autism spokesperson Temple Grandin will deliver a Landon lecture on November 29, according Kansas State University.

Grandin, who showed signs of autism at an early age and self describes her unique thought process as thinking in pictures, is an accomplished livestock equipment designer and a successful animal welfare advocate.

She has published several books — including New York Times best-seller “Animals in Translation” — and given many talks about animal welfare and the autistic brain.

Grandin is a consultant to the livestock industry on animal behavior and professor of animal science at Colorado State University

In addition, three higher education leaders are participating in a special Landon Lecture panel discussion at Kansas State University on September 26,

The panel participants are Lt. Gen. Robert Caslen Jr., superintendent of West Point Military Academy; David Hall, president of the University of the Virgin Islands; and Bud Peterson, president of Georgia Institute of Technology.

The lecture series is named for former Kansas Gov. Alf Landon, who was the 1936 Republican nominee for president. The series was established in 1966 to bring in speakers to discuss issues facing business, politics and international relations.

 

Junction City Commissioner Phyllis Fitzgerald said this week one topic for an upcoming visit to Washington D.C. by local leaders in October will deal with the impact on the local economy from all the troop deployments that are scheduled to occur from Fort Riley.

Fitzgerald stated, “With all the deployments that are coming up with the 1st Infantry Division that’s going to have some effect on our communities. I’ve already been contacted by the manager of one of the complexes that they are already seeing people leaving, and so they’re trying to make other means to be able to get those apartments rented out.”

Fitzgerald added with the large number of soldiers that will be gone, and potentially family members as well, the local economy could see a decline in business during the deployment time frame.

In early October local leaders will travel to Washington D.C. for the Association of the United States Army convention. During that annual trip they also meet with Congressional officials and staffers.

The Junction City Commission has been facing challenges in giving the public access to their meetings.

The new Commission Chambers are located at 701 North Jefferson, and have been operational for some time, but the public is still unable to tune in to the meetings on television as previously promised.

Jim Germann, City staff, said that the meetings can be broadcast, but the sound quality would be poor.

City Commissioner Jim Sands said that “this is just crap.”

“I want it to be right, I want it to be better than what we had before; we have a beautiful building here and we promised the public when we pulled over on the other side that we would be up, broadcasting live when we got here. We’ve been here a couple months and we’re still not broadcasting live,” said Sands.

City officials indicated that they have not been able to get the schedule of the  Salina based company to match up with the Municipal Court schedule, which is also based in the City  building at 701 North Jefferson.

“This is a little bit sorry…whoever they are, we need to know who they are so we can let folks know what kind of work they do, because this is wrong,” said Sands.

City officials confirmed the Salina company has already been paid for their work on this project.

Germann said he will continue to call the company.

ABILENE, Kan. –  The National Archives at Kansas City, the Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum, the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum, and the Truman Center at the University of Missouri – Kansas City, have partnered to present two public programs commemorating Constitution Day.

The Kansas City program is Thursday, September 15 at the National Archives, 400 West Pershing, beginning with a reception at 6 p.m. The program at 6:30 p.m. is a Moderated Discussion, “Ike, Harry, and the Constitution.”

Dr. Bob Beatty, Washburn University, is the Moderator. Contributing authors, Dr. James Giglio, Missouri State University, and Dr. Richard Damms, Mississippi State University, will discuss their research and findings from the recently published book, Presidents and the Constitution: A Living History edited by Ken Gormley.

On Friday, September 16, a Brown Bag Luncheon program will be held at noon in the Visitors Center auditorium of the Eisenhower Presidential Library. A light lunch will be provided. Dr. Richard Damms, Mississippi State University, will speak about the President Dwight D. Eisenhower chapter he wrote for the Presidents and the Constitutionbook.

Following his talk, Damms will answer questions and sign copies of the book which will be available for purchase in the Presidential Gift Shop.

Funding for these programs has been provided by the William T. Kemper Charitable Trust.

There will be a new traffic shift due to construction on US Hwy 77 in Junction City.

The West side of US Hwy 77 and McFarland Road is now closed.

Those wishing to access McFarland to the west of US Hwy 77 will need to go to Ash Street  and follow the marked detour.

A Ribbon Cutting and Grand Opening for a new Pregnancy Service Center in Junction City will take place Thursday, September 8th.

The Grand Opening event will be from 4:00 pom until 7:00 pm where you can tour the facility as well as the mobile unit.

The Ribbon Cutting Ceremony, sponsored by the Junction City Area Chamber of Commerce will take place at 4:30 pm.

MANHATTAN — Three Kansas State University alumni who lead institutions of higher education will take part in a special Landon Lecture panel discussion on issues in higher education today. The event, which is free and open to the public, will be at 10:30 a.m. Monday, Sept. 26, in Forum Hall at the K-State Student Union.

Panelists will be Lt. Gen. Robert L. Caslen Jr., superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point; David Hall, president of the University of the Virgin Islands; and Bud Peterson, president of the Georgia Institute of Technology. Panel moderator will be Mará Rose Williams, education reporter for the Kansas City Star.

“We’re excited to bring these distinguished K-Staters to campus for a look at higher education from individuals who are so deeply involved with its challenges every day,” said Jackie Hartman, the university’s chief of staff, director of community relations and chair of the Landon Lecture Series.

A 1989 Kansas State University master’s degree graduate in industrial engineering, Caslen has served as the 59th superintendent of West Point since July 17, 2013. Before taking his current post, he was chief of the Office of Security Cooperation-Iraq. Among his prior deployments and assignments include serving as the commander of the Combined Arms Center at Fort Leavenworth, the command that oversees the Command and General Staff College and 17 other schools, centers and training programs located throughout the United States; and commanding general of the 25th Infantry Division (Light) and commanding general of the Multi-National Division-North during Operation Iraqi Freedom. His awards and decorations include the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, the Bronze Star Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, and many others. More information about Caslen is available at https://bit.ly/2anKav4.

Since becoming the fifth president of the University of the Virgin Islands on Aug. 1, 2009, Hall has worked to raise the image and position of the university. He led efforts to restructure academic units from divisions to colleges and schools, the addition of new academic programs and the launch of the new Caribbean Center for Green Technology, a Center for the Study of Spirituality and Professionalism, and an Institute for Leadership and Institutional Effectiveness. Hall earned a bachelor’s degree in political science in 1972 from Kansas State University, where he was named an Academic All-American as a member of the men’s basketball team. After playing professional basketball in Italy, he went on to earn his law degree from the University of Oklahoma. He also earned a doctorate in judicial science from Harvard Law School. More information about Hall is available athttps://bit.ly/2aHL2K5.

As the 11th president of the Georgia Institute of Technology, Peterson oversees a top 10 public research university with more than 21,500 students and $730 million in research expenditures. He has served as president since April 1, 2009. Peterson earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering in 1975, a bachelor’s degree in mathematics in 1977 and a master’s degree in engineering in 1980, all from Kansas State University. He earned his doctorate in mechanical engineering from Texas A&M. Peterson has been active in helping establish national education and research agendas. President George W. Bush appointed him to the National Science Board in 2008, and President Barack Obama reappointed him in 2014. The board oversees the National Science Foundation and advises the president and Congress on national policy related to science and engineering research and education. More information on Peterson is available at https://b.gatech.edu/1BExTfI.

There is a housing demolition plan for old housing on Fort Riley.

Junction City Mayor Mick McCallister learned about the plan during a recent Army housing summit at the post. “We talked to the Deputy Under Secretary of the Army, Mr. ( Paul ) Kramer last week. He with Colonel Lawrence, the Garrison Commander indicated that there is a plan that’s going to be rolled out to lower the number of the inventory. Their end state will be 3,827.”

McCallister said the Army officials indicated the plan is in place, DA has approved it, and they are going to move forward on it. McCallister called that good news.

He said the demolition of approximately 260 homes is included in the plan. Phase One will include 162 homes and Phase Two 63 homes.

In the past there has been concern in Junction City about the number of houses being built on post, and the impact on the housing market in Junction City.

The Fall Apple Day Festival is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday at Fort Riley.

The festival, which is free and open to the public, is the largest annual festival at Fort Riley, averaging approximately 7,000 attendees.

Attractions this year will include the 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 pie sales from the Historical and Archaeological Society of Fort Riley.

There will be historical reenactors and antique military vehicles on display.

More than 1,500 apple pies are being prepared for the event.

Due to increased security measues, visitors who do not have a Department of Defense ID card should apply early for a visitor’s pass at https://www.riley.army.mil/Units/GarrisonCommand/EmergencyServices/AccessInformation.aspx. Those visitors need to enter Fort Riley through Henry Gate at Exit 301 off of I-70.