Author: Brandon Peoples

Rep. Tracey Mann (KS-01) called in live Wednesday morning to KMAN’s Morning News to discuss the House vote to release the Epstein files. The Kansas Republican also touched on priorities following the government shutdown, including health care, trade and addressing the rising cost of beef.

The future of an indoor aquatic center in Manhattan appears more uncertain in the wake of the Nov. 4 election. At the Nov. 10 Parks and Recreation Advisory Board meeting, board member Joe Knopp said the results signaled strong concerns from voters about future spending. “I think that those are lessons we ought to be paying attention to and including them as we make future strategy decisions,” he said. To view the full article visit theMercury.com. Click here for more local Manhattan news.

One person is dead and five others were injured following an officer-involved shooting late Saturday morning in Osage County. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation says the incident happened around 10:30 a.m. at a home north of 113th Street and South Topeka Boulevard in Carbondale. At a press conference Saturday afternoon, Kansas Highway Patrol Colonel Erik Smith said that officers were on scene for less than 10 minutes responding to a domestic incident when “gunfire erupted.” “The suspect died from injuries he received from gunshot wounds,” he said. “Three Osage County deputies were struck by gunfire. They were transported to Stormont…

Riley County department heads are proposing changes to how their annual performance evaluations are handled, saying the process has become redundant, unproductive and lacking in meaningful dialogue with commissioners. Planning Director Amanda Webb told commissioners that while staff still want regular engagement and feedback, the current format used in recent years has not produced useful interaction for either side. “We’ve all kind of realized it’s not generating the meaning or being as useful as we’d like it to be,” Webb said. “Repeating what we’ve been telling you throughout the year just isn’t doing what we want it to do.” To…

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment has issued a boil water advisory for a portion of the Junction City water supply system after a water main break early Wednesday morning. The area affected is west of Jackson Street in Junction City, including Geary County Rural Water District #1. The advisory remains in place until further notice. Local officials say information will be updated throughout the day on the KDHE website and on the Geary County Emergency Management social media pages. City public works crews have been on site since around 7 a.m. Customers should observe the following precautions until…

Two Manhattan area women were seriously injured Saturday night after their vehicle struck a deer on I-70 in Shawnee County. According to the Kansas Highway Patrol, 71-year-old Phyllis Trudell of St. George was driving westbound near Carlson Road around 11:15 p.m. when her car hit a deer and overturned several times. Both Trudell and her passenger, 66-year-old Susan Cherry of Ogden, were taken to Stormont Vail Hospital in Topeka with serious injuries. Troopers say both women were wearing seatbelts.

Junction City’s vice mayor, Al Gordon was arrested over the weekend on a felony charge of aggravated assault; use of a deadly weapon. Geary County Jail records show Gordon was taken into custody at 2:41 p.m. Saturday. Gordon, who serves on the city commission is set to have his term expire in January 2026. He was elected to the board two years ago. He sought re-election this year but fell short of advancing through the August primary. Online court records show Gordon has a pending misdemeanor charge of domestic battery, stemming from an incident on Jan. 23. A pretrial conference…

Riley County may be on the hook for an extra $100,000 as part of the ongoing remodel of the old EMS station at 2011 Claflin Road. The $2.8 million renovation project will convert the space into the new headquarters for Emergency Management and Riley County Fire District No. 1. Director of public works John Ellerman told the Mercury Thursday that when planning the project, county officials had looked at some site work, such as removing and replacing old concrete and asphalt parking lots. To view the full article visit theMercury.com. Click here for more Riley County news.

County commissioners approved a resolution Monday that will permit financing a major renovation at the Riley County Transfer Station. On Oct. 23, commissioners approved a contract with NF Construction of Marion, Kansas for the tipping floor and chute repair project, totaling $592,540. The county learned it didn’t have the funding available in its solid waste fund to finance the project. Budget and Finance Officer Brittany Phillips said staff had to determine the legality of financing the project under home rule authority. “We actually had to get the attorney general’s insight on this because this isn’t something we would normally finance,”…

Riley County officials invited the public to review and comment on the latest draft of the county’s comprehensive plan, officially titled “Riley County Together 2040.” The plan will replace the county’s existing Vision 2025 plan, outlining land-use goals, growth priorities and ways to implement those strategies through 2040. County planner Amanda Webb told commissioners Monday the draft plan is available for viewing on the county’s website. To view the full article visit theMercury.com. Click here for more local Manhattan news.