Author: Brandon Peoples

No injuries were reported after a house fire Wednesday afternoon in Riley. Firefighters responded shortly before 1 p.m. to 604 Walnut Street after residents in the home reported issues with their electricity. A fire was located in the attic of the home and quickly brought under control. The home’s occupants got out safely, but the fire caused about $30,000 in estimated damage. Riley County PIO Vivienne Uccello tells KMAN the fire was determined to be caused by an electrical malfunction. Firefighters responded from both the Riley City Fire Department and Riley County Fire District No. 1.

Authorities in Pottawatomie County are investigating after a county maintenance shop was damaged recently. In a Wednesday news release, Sheriff Shane Jager stated the property, located in the 300 block of North 5th Street in Westmoreland had several windows damaged twice between Oct. 30 and Nov. 7. It’s believed to have been caused by a BB gun or other firearm. The estimated loss is $600. Anyone with information is asked to contact Captain Tyler Garver at 785-457-3353. Tips can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers, at ptsheriff.com.

Manhattan-Ogden Superintendent Marvin Wade will step down at the end of the school year. Dr. Wade notified members of the school board and the district’s human resources department Tuesday, announcing his retirement, effective June 30, 2023, which coincides with when his contract is set to expire. In an emailed statement to KMAN, Dr. Wade noted that while it was a long time coming, his decision was made suddenly. “Transitions are a part of life and circumstances are such that now is a good time to begin stepping away from my current professional responsibilities. I am excited for Eric Reid to…

Police are investigating a Sunday night break-in to the Pearce Keller Post No. 17 American Legion building in Manhattan. According to RCPD, the burglary was reported Monday morning. An unknown thief or thieves got away with cash stolen from an ATM and safe inside the building. The total amount of cash stolen was around $4,800. RCPD says the building also sustained about $3,300 in damage to its doors, as well as the ATM and safe. American Legion and Blue Sky LLC were listed as the victims. Police are asking anyone who may have information to contact RCPD or Manhattan Riley…

Pottawatomie County Commissioners on Monday unanimously approved a conditional use permit request for a bed and breakfast to be located in the Green Valley area. The permit spells out seven conditions for the property, including having a limit of no more than eight rooms to be rented to guests, smoke detection devices to be installed in accordance to the adopted fire code and that the property be established in a residential-designed building. Commissioner Greg Riat requested an eighth be listed on the C-U-P, tied to inspections of the property. That language is already outlined in the unified development regulations, adopted…

A two-vehicle crash Saturday evening, north of Manhattan, injured two people and resulted in an arrest for DUI. Riley County Police responded near the area of North Seth Child Road and Top of the World around 6:15 p.m. Saturday and located a pickup driven by 64-year-old Robert Jandera, of Houston, Texas and a passenger car driven by 20-year-old Brenda Flores, of Junction City. Officers determined the pickup was north on Seth Child when it crossed over the center line and caused the southbound car to swerve into the opposite lane to avoid the truck. Both vehicles re-entered their original lanes…

A Manhattan man was among two killed early Saturday morning in a head-on crash on Interstate 70 in Geary County. According to the Kansas Highway Patrol, a Ford F-150 driven by 34-year-old John Wagnaar III was traveling west in the eastbound passing lane of I-70 at around 3 a.m. and collided with a Honda Civic head on. Wagnaar’s vehicle then rolled into the median and caught fire. The other vehicle came to rest partially on the north shoulder of the eastbound lanes. The crash occurred near mile marker 315, about two miles east of the Manhattan interchange. Wagnaar was pronounced…

Firefighters responded Saturday night to a fire at a mobile home in Manhattan’s Redbud Estates neighborhood, shortly before 9:30 p.m. According to Deputy Manhattan Fire Chief Ryan Almes, two occupants and one dog were able to escape prior to crews arrival. Initial reports stated people were possibly in the home at the time of the fire, but a thorough search was done and found no one inside. No injuries were reported. A total of 15 firefighters responded and had the blaze extinguished within 10 minutes. Damage was estimated at $35,000 to contents and an additional $15,000 in structural damage. The…

Local health officials are encouraging vaccinations as flu season begins, reminding folks also to consider getting vaccinated against COVID-19 as cases begin to tick up once again. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) recorded 48 new COVID-19 cases for Riley County between Oct. 29 and Nov. 4. It was enough to move Riley County into the substantial incidence category, after several weeks of being placed in the moderate category. One COVID-19 patient was hospitalized on a ventilator in the ICU unit as of Wednesday’s weekly report. In addition to high numbers of flu, Riley County Health Department Director…

Voters in Pottawatomie County have rejected a quarter-percent sales tax to fund road and bridge improvements in the county by a 53 to 47 percent margin. County officials had projected that the tax, which was proposed in addition to the existing 1 percent retail sales tax, could have generated roughly $1.6 million annually for about a dozen projects primarily between Blue Township and Wamego. Commissioner Dee McKee, in an interview Wednesday with KMAN noted she was disappointed the sales tax question failed. McKee admits a lack of publicity over the sales tax question likely hurt its chances of passage, citing…