Author: Brandon Peoples

Kansas 2nd District Congressman Jake LaTurner says he will not seek re-election in the fall. The 36-year-old Republican from Topeka has served in the House of Representatives since 2021. In a statement Thursday, LaTurner said he will not be a candidate in 2024, nor will he seek a political position in state elections in 2026, opting to spend time with family. Laturner and his wife Suzanne have four young children and he stated the busy schedule of running and serving in Congress has taken a toll. Prior to his election to Congress, LaTurner was previously the Kansas State Treasurer from…

Authorities are cleaning up after storm damage in Pottawatomie County early Thursday morning. The City of St. Marys was hit the hardest, with Police Chief Derek Cid noting that 70 to 80 mph straight-line winds impacted portions of town, knocking out power and damaging several buildings. Cid says schools are closed in St. Marys and a boil water advisory remains in effect until further notice for residents living north of Elm Street. Officials from the National Weather Service and Pottawatomie County Emergency Management were scheduled to assess storm damage Thursday afternoon. Storms moved through the area overnight, with winds knocking…

Power outages were reported early Thursday morning after storms blew through the area overnight. Pottawatomie County authorities say Onaga Road is closed between Highway 24 and Oregon Trail Road this morning due to several downed power lines. That’s led to outages for hundreds of Bluestem Electric Cooperative customers in rural parts of the county. Bluestem General Manager Mike Morton confirmed to KMAN that crews were out early this morning assessing damage. County officials say crews are evaluating storm damage in the eastern part of the county. Damage has been reported to buildings, outbuildings, power lines and downed tree limbs. Extensive…

In our fourth and final installment of our news series reflecting on Fehr’s long career in Manhattan, we hear from some of those who worked with him both on the commission and as a competitor. City Hall will look a bit different next week as Manhattan City Manager Ron Fehr officially turns in his keys. Since April 2000, Fehr has occupied the City Manager’s office. He’s been on the city’s payroll since January 1982, starting out as the forestry and parks supervisor in the newly-formed Parks and Recreation Department. Becoming the head of city government was not something Fehr ever envisioned happening,…

For more than two decades, the City of Manhattan has had steady leadership coming from City Hall. In our third part of our KMAN News series looking back at the city manager’s four decade career, we hear from the city’s long time fire chief and the director of Downtown Manhattan on how Ron Fehr’s led by example. Scott French has been with the Manhattan Fire Department since 1994, including the past decade as its fire chief. Downtown Manhattan, Inc. Executive Director Gina Snyder says Fehr was her number one connection to the city and someone she routinely called for advice.…

Riley County USD 378 has named Dr. Erin Flair to be its superintendent for the 2024-25 school year. The board voted unanimously at a special meeting Monday at Riley County High School to give Flair the job permanently. Flair was previously offered a supplemental contract in March to serve out the remainder of the current school year as the district superintendent after former superintendent Cliff Williams resigned on March 1. Flair was also formerly the district’s athletic director and assistant high school principal. The district will advertise to fill that position.

The Riley County Law Board approved a resolution Monday to conditionally authorize the board chair to sign an agreement for new license plate reader technology, which the Riley County Police Department will utilize to help with crime reduction. The board pulled the agreement from its consent agenda Monday after the board’s attorney Mike Gillespie learned of an “esoteric” coverage issue, where the police department was covered by its carrier but the Law Board’s coverage was called into question. At the time of the meeting, the Law Board’s liability coverage was still uncertain, but officials learned after Monday’s meeting that the…

Three people were hospitalized Monday night in a wreck on K-18 near the airport. According to the Kansas Highway Patrol, the crash occurred when a Ford Fusion rear-ended a Lexus in the eastbound lanes, shortly before 9 p.m. The crash led to traffic being diverted in the area for a short time. Among those injured were the driver of the Fusion, 24-year-old Jacob Crawford, of Fort Gordon, Georgia. The driver of the Lexus, 45-year-old Jeremy Harper, of Junction City and a passenger, 45-year-old Kristen Centlivre were also injured. KHP says all three were transported to Via Christi Hospital in Manhattan…

In our continuing news series looking back at the career of long-time Manhattan City Manager Ron Fehr, we hear from some of the city commissioners and others who worked alongside him. Bruce Snead came on the commission in 1995, serving until 2011 and recalls his first meeting with Fehr. A few years later, in 2000, Snead and the commission hired Fehr into the city manager role, a position he’s held ever since. State Sen. and former commissioner Usha Reddi worked with Fehr for a decade and recalls a strong listener who always had his thumb on the pulse of Manhattan.…

Members of the Riley County Law Board on Monday received the first proposed RCPD budget for 2025, targeting a roughly 6.6% increase in year over year spending. This year’s ask is around $2 million more than the current budget, with department administration pointing to inflationary challenges and rising insurance costs. The total overall budget is around $28.7 million. Administrative Capt. Brad Jager says staff reviewed contracts and other accounts to see where money could be shifted. Director Brian Peete indicated at Monday’s meeting that staff are cognizant of the tax burden and are mindful of the current Law Board’s will…