Author: Brandon Peoples

The deadline to register if you plan to vote in the Aug. 2 primary is quickly approaching. Registration books will close on Tuesday, with advance voting by mail and in person beginning Wednesday, July 13. Manhattan/Riley County League of Women Voters past president Cathy Hedge says the League is encouraging people to be informed and vote. The Aug. 2 primary includes a question for voters regarding the constitutionality of abortion rights in Kansas, a topic that has had more attention in the past two weeks, following the U.S. Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, which for nearly 50…

Lightning is being blamed for sparking a house fire in Randolph Wednesday night. Crews from Riley County Fire District No. 1 were called out shortly after 11 p.m. to the home located at 13490 Fancy Creek Road, and found heavy smoke coming from the attic, roof vents and eaves of the home. While the home was occupied at the time of the blaze, no injuries have been reported. A preliminary damage estimate is at least $100,000. According to Deputy Fire Chief Doug Russell, the lightning strike shorted wiring and ignited the attic rafters and insulation. It’s the second structure fire…

St. George Police have removed four children from homes and arrested five individuals in connection to a drug distribution investigation. The police department says it served two search warrants Wednesday at 107 N. Lincoln Street and 215 Kelly Lane in St. George as part of its ongoing investigation into distribution of marijuana, prescription pills and possibly fentanyl to teenagers in Pottawatomie County. The search warrants allege adults have been using teenagers to distribute the illegal drugs with small children present in their homes. Police say four children were removed from both homes and placed into the custody of the State…

A suspect is in custody following an early Tuesday morning fire in Junction City that was intentionally set. The Junction City Fire Department says crews were called to the 100 block of East 12th Street shortly before 1 a.m. Tuesday. As they responded, the fire department was alerted by the Junction City Police Department that a suspect had barricaded inside the burning home after setting it ablaze. The department staged crews a block away and eventually police were able to take the suspect into custody and clear the single-story home, which had became engulfed in flames and was venting from…

A September preliminary hearing is planned for a Fort Riley soldier accused of murdering another soldier in a February shooting in Aggieville. 19-year-old Tremelle Montgomery appeared in Riley County District Court Tuesday, via Zoom. Montgomery is charged with one count of first-degree murder in the death of 21-year-old Joshua Wardi. Online court documents list three counts of attempted first-degree murder against three other victims, including Donovan Bastien, Jared Musgrave and Tyrece White on Feb. 5. The shooting happened after a verbal altercation between Montgomery and Wardi, according to investigators. Montgomery reportedly fled the scene and was shot at by an…

Riley County remains in the high incidence rate category for COVID-19 cases for a third consecutive week. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment recorded 87 new cases county wide between June 25 and July 1 putting the incidence rate at 117.2. Any figure at or above 100 per 100,000 people constitutes as a high incidence rate, according to KDHE data. Totals do not include at-home test results. As of Wednesday, three COVID-19 positive patients were receiving medical care at Ascension Via Christi. No additional deaths have been reported. Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are now available for free to every…

An Emmett man was seriously injured Tuesday in a crash along Highway 16 in Pottawatomie County. The Kansas Highway Patrol says 67-year-old Jerry Wayne Tisdale was westbound on the highway near Wheaton Road shortly after 12:30 p.m., when his Harley-Davidson motorcycle crossed the center line for an unknown reason and struck a guardrail. The crash report says Tisdale, who was not wearing a helmet, was ejected. He was transported to Stormont Vail Hospital.

The Kansas Highway Patrol has released its Independence Day Holiday Activity Report. The weekend included 18 DUI arrests, over 1,000 speed citations and over 100 seat belt citations. DUI arrests were about on par with the previous two holidays, which saw 20 arrests in 2020 and 19 arrests last year. It included one fatal non-DUI related crash and one non DUI-related fatality. A total of 888 motorists were assisted during the three-day period. Full statistics are available below. Enforcement Data 2020 2021 2022 DUI Arrests 20 19 18 Speed Citations 824 822 1082 Speed Warnings 622 661 745 Safety Belt…

A Manhattan man’s storage unit was burglarized over the weekend, to the tune of nearly $3,000. The Riley County Police Department says a report for burglary was filed Friday afternoon in the 2700 block of Eureka Terrace. Police say a 35-year-old man reported the theft of two 60 inch televisions, two motorcycle helmets, a Craftsman lawn mower, a Shark vacuum, an air fryer and several Craftsman hand tools were stolen from his storage unit. Anyone with information can contact RCPD or Manhattan Riley County Crime Stoppers. —- Wamego Police are warning the public of an increase in burglaries in the…

The Junction City Police Department unveiled their new D.A.R.E car during Monday’s 4th of July parade. The vehicle was equipped with lights, a custom wrap and other modifications from local businesses. It was entirely paid for by asset forfeiture and was no cost to taxpayers. Officers also brought the new Camaro to Heritage Park for the annual 4th of July fireworks show, wrapping up a busy weekend for Freedom Fest.