Author: Brandon Peoples

A Riley County jury has convicted a Manhattan man on charges of child sexual abuse. Following a week long trial, jurors on Friday, Jan. 27, found Vincent Meeks guilty on three of the 11 counts listed in an amended complaint stemming from an August 2021 arrest after Meeks was initially accused of sexually assaulting three minors. Meeks was convicted on one of five counts charging him with aggravated indecent liberties, one of three counts charging him with indecent solicitation as well as a charge of furnishing alcohol to a minor, according to Deputy Riley County Attorney Bethany Fields. Jurors acquitted…

Former Wamego USD 320 Superintendent Norris Wika has died. An online obituary says Wika died Jan. 26 at Stormont Vail Hospital in Topeka at the age of 81, following a battle with lewy body dementia. Wika was hired to lead Wamego Schools in 1982 and oversaw a bond issue passed to build Wamego Middle School during his 13-year tenure with the district. A celebration of life service will take place at 3 p.m. Feb. 15 at the Campanella Stewart Funeral Home in Wamego, which is handling arrangement. Memorials are suggested to an educational foundation or animal charity of the donor’s…

Manhattan-Ogden school board members will consider having district administrators enter discussions with Common Table that would likely pave the way for community meals to be provided in the Manhattan High East Campus building at 901 Poyntz Ave. The board meets at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday in the Robinson Education Center. The meeting agenda is available below. The meetings are also streamed via the USD 383 YouTube channel. The nonprofit has expressed desire to utilize the kitchen and cafeteria as a central location for its weekly meals. The memorandum would outline access, uses, equipment, costs and utilities between the district and Common…

A Wamego man was injured Monday evening in a crash on Interstate 70 in Shawnee County. The Kansas Highway Patrol says 24-year-old Hunter Dodge was eastbound near mile marker 356, just before 7 p.m. when he lost consciousness and rolled his vehicle, striking the barrier wall. The vehicle continued to roll onto the right shoulder before coming to a stop. Authorities say Dodge was transported to Stormont Vail Hospital for treatment of possible injuries. The crash report states he was the lone occupant in the vehicle.

A Wamego man was found dead in a home Sunday afternoon and authorities are now investigating his death as suspicious. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation says it’s working with the Wamego Police Department and Pottawatomie County Sheriff’s Office to positively identify the man. An autopsy was scheduled for Tuesday. Wamego Police responded to a 911 call Sunday after another person found the man dead on the bathroom floor of a home in the 1000 block of Ash Street. KBI says death investigations may be determined to be the result of homicide, suicide, natural causes, or an accident. They say there…

A retired military officer is the first candidate to announce a run for a seat on the Manhattan-Ogden School Board. Robert Busby filed for the November general election Friday, according to the Riley County Clerk’s Office. Busby, who resides in the Green Valley area, is the current Vice Chair of the Pottawatomie County Planning Commission and is a committeeman for the Pottawatomie County Republican Party. In a statement Monday, Busby said he is employed in information technology and cybersecurity leadership, with 28 years of experience. He says he believes education is the “Great Equalizer” because it provides a path for…

In the first month since taking over as the sixth director of the Riley County Police Department, Brian Peete has done a lot of visiting with members of the public. A well-attended meet and greet was held Thursday at the Flint Hills Discovery Center. A day later, Peete visited with KMAN, calling the ceremony both heartwarming and emotional. “It’s extraordinarily refreshing and blessed to be part of a community that has high expectations, but also understands that it takes everyone to move public safety and to move just the general vibe of a community forward,” he said. Peete was hired…

Junction City Police on Thursday arrested a woman in connection to the death of a 19-year-old woman last August. Police charged 22-year-old Alyzah Benitez, of Junction City, with distribution of a controlled substance causing great bodily harm or death. The arrest follows a nearly six month investigation into the death of Caytlin Hinkle. Police say an autopsy determined Hinkle died from acute fentanyl intoxication Aug. 22. Benitez is being held in lieu of bond at the Geary County Detention Center, pending a first court appearance. JCPD has not released any further information.

Improvements to Manhattan’s levee system are more visible as the project nears the one year mark of construction. A temporary levee was recently constructed near Hayes Drive and Casement Road as a new box gets installed. City Manager Ron Fehr tells KMAN plans are in the works to elevate that intersection and eventually install a traffic signal there. Following levee improvements in that location, the city plans to signalize the intersection of Hayes and Casement. This week city commissioners authorized staff to apply for a Federal Aid Safety Grant for those improvements. Grants are awarded on a 90/10 split between…

A Manhattan man was arrested Tuesday afternoon after police say he threatened a woman with a baseball bat. According to the Riley County Police Department, 31-year-old Dakotah Garner was arrested on charges of aggravated assault and criminal threat. Garner and the 34-year-old victim reportedly got into an argument at a home in the 1400 block of Houston Street. Garner was jailed and later released after posting a $5,000 bond.