Author: Brandon Peoples

As the holiday season approaches, one local organization is sekeing additional businesses and groups to participate in its annual Adopt A Family program. The Junior League of the Flint Hills says the requests for help currently exceeds existing donors. The program was created in 2012 by the Flint Hills Breadbasket to aid families with infants and children up to the age of 18 by providing gifts during the holiday season. The organization partners with a number of local agencies including Big Brothers Big Sisters, the FIT Closet and Shepherd’s Crossing. Qualifying families must live in Manhattan or surrounding areas and…

A North Carolina man is jailed in Wabaunsee County after authorities allege he flew out to meet up with a child he met online. The Wabaunsee County Sheriff’s Office says 20-year-old Derrick Mayfield was arrested Monday at a residence at Lake Wabaunsee. Evidence discovered on scene led to Mayfield being charged with aggravated indecent liberties with a child, contributing to a child’s misconduct and unlawful visual depiction of a child. He remains jailed on a $100,000 bond. The child was placed into protective custody.

A Junction City man was seriously injured following a wreck on K-18 Wednesday morning, involving three vehicles. The Kansas Highway Patrol says all three vehicles were traveling eastbound on K-18, around 8:30 a.m. Wednesday about a mile west of Seth Child Road. As one of the vehicles moved into the right lane, a passenger car driven by 66-year-old Theodore Thomas attempted to pass the other vehicle on the left shoulder. His vehicle then lost control, striking the other vehicle, then spun across the left lane and into the right lane striking the third vehicle. Thomas’ car rolled coming to rest…

Riley County saw 35 new cases of COVID-19 recorded during the final week of October. That was enough for the county to remain in KDHE’s moderate incidence category, with a rate of 47.1 per 100,000 people. The local health department reports that one patient was hospitalized Wednesday with COVID-19, but was not being treated in the hospital’s intensive care unit. As for vaccines, the health department noted that the Moderna bivalent boosters are now available for children 6 and older. The Pfizer bivalent booster is available to those 5 and older. Neither have yet been approved for children under the…

Riley County Police have arrested a 22-year-old man on suspicion of aggravated sexual battery and aggravated battery. According to Wednesday’s arrest report, Martin Vogts was booked on a Riley County warrant Tuesday. Bond was set at $30,000, but Vogts was no longer confined as of Wednesday morning. An online criminal complaint, dated from September 29th, alleges Vogts of the two felony charges against an adult victim in May 2021 in Riley County. A separate court document lists Barry Clark, of Manhattan as his attorney.

A Manhattan teenager was taken into custody Tuesday at Eisenhower Middle School for allegedly making violent threats against others at school. According to RCPD’s activity report, 14-year-old Litzy Rivera was arrested in connection for criminal threat. Police say an investigation showed she was not in possession of a weapon at the school and did not have access to weapons. Rivera was processed through juvenile intake and released to a guardian.

No injuries were reported following a structure fire Tuesday evening near the intersection of Colbert Hills Drive and Eldridge Drive. The Manhattan Fire Department was dispatched just before 8 p.m. and upon arrival found light smoke coming from the home’s garage. Crews were able to quickly access the garage and extinguish the fire. The home’s occupants evacuated prior to the fire department arriving on scene. Total damage was estimated at $8,000, including loss to contents and structural damage. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Two people are jailed following a Halloween night assault involving three victims. The Riley County Police Department says 26-year-old Vanda Vereen and 30-year-old Christopher Sims, both of Fort Riley, are charged on suspicion of aggravated assault. Police say the pair allegedly broke into a home around 9:30 p.m. Monday in the 2000 block of College Heights Road. They’re accused of threatening three individuals – ranging in age from 17 to 30 – with guns following a fight between the parties earlier in the evening. Both Vereen and Sims were jailed on bonds of $10,000.

The Riley County Clerk’s Office says it was notified of a clerical error Monday in the local redistricting map, which caused 10 Manhattan residents to cast their ballot for the wrong legislative candidate. Four streets in the area near Sunset Cemetery were incorrectly placed into the 67th State District rather than the 66th. That includes Stratton Circle, Edgerton Avenue, Meadowmere Court and Westview Drive. A total of 101 registered voters live in that redistricted area, after maps were redrawn this past year, per state statute. The Clerk’s Office says it has corrected the clerical error and noted Tuesday that the…

The Flint Hills Discovery Center is among eight Kansas tourism projects to receive $2 million in state funding to boost the tourism industry. The Discovery Center specifically is receiving a $200,000 Tourism Attraction Sub-Grant for Kansas (TASK grant), which will be matched by its foundation to fund a new immersive virtual Flint Hills experience. The organization says it will improve the overall visitor experience, regional quality of life and have a positive impact on the Manhattan and Kansas economies. The proposed exhibit is called Stepping into the Prairie, which will use high-definition projectors, surround sound speakers and motion sensing devices to…