Author: Brandon Peoples

Federal officials said there is still no timeline for when the second phase of the dredging project at Tuttle Creek Reservoir will begin. The project was scheduled to resume March 17, but delayed indefinitely as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and contract workers clean up a diesel spill after a fuel cell broke off a barge and became submerged. The fuel cell was recovered late Wednesday evening, but not before spilling a still-undetermined amount of fuel into the lake. In a statement Friday, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Kansas City district chief of public affairs Diana McCoy said releases…

Riley County commissioners agreed to proceed with filling its public information officer position following the resignation of Vivienne Leyva, effective this Friday. During Monday’s meeting, human resources director Elizabeth Ward asked the commission for direction on whether to immediately refill the position or temporarily shift duties while the job remains vacant. She noted the role evolved significantly since its creation in 2021 after the COVID-19 pandemic put a spotlight on the need for crisis communications with the health department. Ward said the job description may need to be reviewed before hiring someone new. “It’s evolved quite a bit with Vivienne…

Conditions are favorable this weekend for elevated fire danger. The National Weather Service has issued a fire weather watch for the Manhattan area Saturday through Sunday for expected low relative humidity and increasing winds. A fire weather Watch has been issued for most of the area Saturday Afternoon through 7 PM Sunday. #kswx pic.twitter.com/h3dmbPipH4 — NWS Topeka (@NWSTopeka) March 19, 2026 Temperatures are expected to reach the low 90s on Saturday and the mid 70s to around 80 degrees on Sunday. Read more at TheMercury.com

Riley County commissioners approved two items presented by public works at Thursday’s meeting. The first involved a lease agreement allowing Manhattan CHIEF Sports to utilize the football and soccer fields at Fairmont Park this spring. CHIEF — Christian Homes In Educational Fellowship — is a non-profit, private organization in Manhattan designed to support homeschooling families through educational resources, community activities and athletics. “We don’t have to put any more into it than we already do budget for,” John Ellermann, Riley County director of public works, told commissioners Thursday. He said the county has leased the fields in the past for…

Federal officials have recovered the fuel tank that broke loose from a barge in a section of Tuttle Creek Reservoir Sunday. The EPA Region 7 on-scene coordinator reported via social media Thursday morning that the tank was recovered at 9:42 p.m. on Wednesday. The EPA Region 7 On-Scene Coordinator has reported that the fuel tank that broke loose from a barge in a section of Tuttle Creek Reservoir was recovered at 9:42 p.m. on Wednesday (March 18) evening. With the source of the diesel leak now secure, EPA responders will do a walk… pic.twitter.com/vVjL50XT9K — U.S. EPA Heartland Region (@EPAregion7)…

More federal and state resources are being deployed to contain diesel leaking from a submerged fuel tank in a section of Tuttle Creek Reservoir. In an update Wednesday via Facebook, the Kansas City District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers shared that Environmental Protection Agency Region 7 staff and personnel with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment are now at the site. Following a joint staff assessment Tuesday afternoon, EPA began providing additional federal oversight to ensure cleanup is both effective and thorough. Click here to read the full article

Motorists heading onto Interstate 70 from Kansas Highway 177 are advised there will be some temporary disruptions at the interchange both Thursday and Friday. The Kansas Department of Transportation says the K-177 on-ramp to westbound I-70 will be closed and the westbound I-70 off-ramp to K-177 will be reduced between noon and 4 p.m. Thursday. All traffic will be sent to a stop sign. Alternating lane closures will occur on all lanes of K-177 north of the interstate during the daytime hours on Thursday and Friday. Officials say all work is subject to change, weather permitting, however the weather is…

Federal officials have confirmed some diesel fuel has leaked into Tuttle Creek Reservoir after a fuel cell broke loose from a dredging barge at Tuttle Creek Cove Sunday due to high winds. Tuttle Creek Cove is located near the southwest edge of the reservoir, approximately two and a half miles north of the dam in Riley County. The area features a campground and boating ramps. Caleb Snider, Operations Project Manager for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Tuttle Creek and Milford Lakes, said containment booms are in place around the tank and hazardous-materials crews are using absorbent materials to…

Strong winds and wave action Sunday caused a fuel barge carrying approximately 1,800 gallons of diesel fuel to sink into 20 feet of water at Tuttle Creek Reservoir. Federal officials with the Kansas City District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said in a press release that the incident occurred shortly before 2 p.m. Sunday. No foul play is suspected. The corps said it has activated its emergency response plan and is working with the contractor who owns the barge, the National Response Center and the state of Kansas to assess and contain the situation. To view the full article visit…

Downtown Manhattan is once again partnering with the Konza Prairie Quilters Guild to display several quilts at participating businesses during the upcoming Parade of Quilts March 21 through April 4. A proclamation read at Monday’s Riley County Commission meeting recognized the guild and encouraged residents and visitors to participate in the two-week event. Organizer Ginny Petersen said 18 businesses will host displays of quilts accompanied by a scavenger hunt. To view the full article visit theMercury.com.