Author: Brandon Peoples

Nearly a week after a massive oil spill from the Keystone pipeline in rural Washington County, officials still don’t know what caused the failure, resulting in over 14,000 barrels of crude oil to flow into Mill Creek, near the Kansas-Nebraska border. Clean up activities continue, with the Environmental Protection Agency saying it had recovered nearly 2,600 barrels of liquid from the scene, most of it an oil-water mixture. Just 435 barrels of oil have been recovered directly from the ruptured pipeline. A Reuters report Tuesday said Washington County officials have been told it will likely take weeks for the cleanup…

Gov. Laura Kelly was in Westmoreland Tuesday to announce more than $40 million will support 33 local and off-system bridge projects across the state in fiscal year 2024, including one in rural Pottawatomie County. Joined by Transportation Secretary Julie Lorenz and Pottawatomie County Commission Chair Pat Weixelman, Gov. Kelly highlighted the local project along Armstrong Road over Vermillion Creek, just northeast of Havensville. It’s one of just two in the area that crosses the creek. “Without it, locals would have to drive a long way out of their way to get home. But the bridge was built in 1910 and…

Riley County Law Board members have unanimously approved a contract for incoming Riley County Police Department Director Brian Peete. The decision came during a special meeting of the board Monday. Salary details and contract length weren’t immediately available, though KMAN has filed an open records request seeking that information. Peete’s contract begins with RCPD on Dec. 30. Peete, 47, becomes RCPD’s sixth director, succeeding Dennis Butler, who retired in February. He comes to Riley County after serving two years as police chief in Montpelier, Vermont. Originally from Chicago, Peete is also a veteran of the U.S. Air Force and has…

A Salina man with past criminal charges in Riley County was jailed over the weekend on several outstanding warrants. According to RCPD, 28-year-old Aaron Noonan was arrested Friday on a warrant for probation violation, stemming from his arrest for conspiracy to commit aggravated robbery. The charge comes from a November 2019 incident where Noonan allegedly robbed a man at gunpoint in the 400 block of Fremont Street. Noonan was additionally charged with failing to appear in court, for alleged violations of drug and weapons charges stemming from a September 18 incident in the 700 block of Colorado Street. He was…

A police pursuit in Geary County ended in a fiery crash, with no serious injuries reported. The Kansas Highway Patrol says shortly after noon Sunday, officers were pursuing an eastbound Toyota Avalon on K-244. The vehicle failed to negotiate a left hand curve, crossed the centerline and struck a guard rail, overturning in the north ditch. It then caught fire. Authorities say 43-year-old Brad Briand, of Junction City, was transported to Geary Community Hospital with a possible injury and a complaint of pain. He was later released from the hospital and taken to Geary County Jail where he faces numerous…

Fall commencement ceremonies were held at Kansas State University over the weekend. K-State President Richard Linton delivered the commencement speech to the Graduate School  Friday afternoon at Bramlage Coliseum. During his speech, Linton shared a picture from when he completed Graduate School at Virginia Tech. Oliver Brown Elementary fifth grade teacher Sally Lopez Gurrola offered sentiments to the College of Education undergraduates. A 2021 graduate of K-State, Lopez-Gurrola is currently working toward her Master of Science in Instruction and Curriculum.  Lopez-Gurrola told graduates they should not be afraid of failure in the next endeavors after graduation. The university says over…

The Riley County Health Department on Monday will begin offering free testing for influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and COVID-19 viruses from their mobile response trailer.  Officials say appointments are required and there is no charge to patients for any of these tests. Residents can schedule a testing appointment online at rileycountyks.gov/test. Same day appointments are available. Results from flu and COVID-19 tests will be sent via text or email. RSV tests are generally available within 15 minutes in person. Testing appointments are available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Support from the Kansas Department of Health and…

Riley County Commissioners were presented Thursday with a briefing on its EMS headquarters renovation project, which is currently under design. Director David Adams shared concepts for a first floor plan that ArchImages is proposing as well as a concept for a possible basement for the facility, to serve as space for an emergency operations center and conference space. A geotechnical study had been planned for next week, but Adams says that process has been streamlined and got underway Thursday. Adams says there is a possibility to keep the current EMS space as a storage facility for equipment for both EMS…

USD 475 school board members are moving forward with an application for a federal defense community infrastructure program (DCIP) grant to help fund a future early childhood education center proposed on the site of the former Junction City High School. Results likely won’t be known until August. Board members Thursday expressed frustration about how district staff presented the application process, with some board members believing they had approved a motion that didn’t fiscally bind the board with matching funds. However the district at a previous meeting had noted it had earmarked $15 million of its own funds for such a…

Two Junction City men were arrested Wednesday after police seized over 2,500 counterfeit prescription pills, believed to be fentanyl, and over 13 grams of Crack Cocaine, while serving a search warrant in the 600 block of West 4th Street. The Junction City Police Department says 49-year-old Juan Castro and 35-year-old Justin West are charged with possession with intent to distribute and no drug tax stamp. Both remain in custody in the Geary County Jail, awaiting first court appearances.  According to police, the pills seized were counterfeit Oxycodone M30 tablets, commonly known on the street as “Dirty 30s.” According to the…