Author: Brandon Peoples

A court date for two former Wamego teachers accused of unlawful sexual relations with a former student came and went Tuesday with no new developments. It’s now continued to later this fall. Pottawatomie County Attornery Sherri Schuck tells KMAN it’s nothing unusual, as the state and prosecution await KBI to complete searches on digital and electronic devices belonging to 51-year-old Allen and 55-year-old Deborah Sylvester. Once the investigation is completed, that evidence will then be presented to the defense. As a result, the next scheduled status hearing in the case will be 10 a.m. November 15 in Westmoreland with Judge…

Two new charges have been filed against a former Manhattan-Ogden paraeducator charged with numerous counts of child sex crimes. An amended court complaint filed online Monday show 33-year-old Aaron Zachry is charged with two new counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child stemming from two separate occasions in 2019. The new charges bring Zachry’s total count up to 37. Overall, he now faces eight counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child and 29 counts of sexual exploitation of a child. Those other crimes are alleged to have occurred in 2020 and 2021. Zachry was arrested in June 2021…

Manhattan area businesses were recognized Tuesday at the annual Business Awards, hosted by the Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce. A total of 16 businesses were recognized at the event, held over the lunch hour at the Manhattan Conference Center. Midwest Concrete Materials took home Business of the Year. The company played a key role in developing the site that will be the future home of Scorpion Biologics. Owner Chris Eichman shared remarks at Tuesday’s event. The Small Business of the Year Award went to Anderson Knight Architects, a company founded in 2002 by Tracy Anderson and Dan Knight. Anderson thanked…

Senator Jerry Moran joined a group of Kansas State University officials Friday in touring Shellenberger Hall, the future site of the Global Center for Grain and Food Innovation. The Kansas Board of Regents in 2020 approved $5 million in startup funding from the legislature for K-State to create a new Institute for Global Food, Health and Biosecurity. The College of Agriculture plans to eventually demolish Shellenberger, creating a modernized facility for future ag students. Going forward Moran says he’ll be seeking opportunities for federal funds and other avenues to aid K-State’s efforts. Moran says some students may choose against coming to K-State because…

Riley County officials say a brush fire reported near Randolph kept firefighters busy Thursday, scorching an estimated 30 acres of private property. Firefighters were dispatched around noon Thursday to the 9600 block of Windy Hill Road and contained the fire. Windy conditions reignited the fire later in the day, prompting a second response before the fire was fully contained. No structural damage was reported. One civilian was injured in a crash involving an ATV and a Riley County Fire District No. 1 firetruck responding to the fire. RCPD says 62-year-old Steven Salzman, of Leonardville was transported to Ascension Via Christi…

Following completion of the study phase of the Riley County Public Safety Headquarters project, the commission has approved a request to use a Construction Manager at Risk procurement process moving forward. “We feel that it will serve public interest by providing substantial savings in time and/or money over the traditional design-bid-build process. By doing this process, we’re not playing favoritism to any particular contractor,” said John Ellerman, Riley County Public Works Director. A public meeting will be held Sept. 29 as the next step in the process. “It’s important to start the process directly and see it all the way…

1st District Congressman Tracey Mann was the featured guest at the Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce Military Relations Committee Luncheon, held Wednesday at the Manhattan Conference Center. The first-term Republican Representative spoke on the two things he believes has led to continued inflation, quipping at the Democrat-led Inflation Reduction Act, signed by President Biden last month. Rep. Mann also spoke to Biden’s executive order forgiving up to $20,000 in student loan debt to borrowers, calling it a shifting of debt to other taxpayers. Mann says he believes the process for students borrowing money for college should become more market driven and says…

Officials in Geary County are investigating a Sunday burglary at a Junction City business, involving multiple suspects. According to the Geary County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded Monday in reference to a burglary with damage to property. Authorities say several individuals entered a locked business property at 1729 North Monroe Street in Junction City. Damage was reported to the building along with stolen property. Through an investigation, deputies identified seven suspects, including 18-year-olds Kody Duncan and Brianna Spitzer, of Junction City. Both were charged Tuesday with burglary, damage to property and contributing to a child’s misconduct. Additionally, five other Junction City…

A Wednesday morning crash in southwestern Riley County sent three people to the hospital. Officers responded to the scene of a crash shortly before 6 a.m. near E. Riley Ave. and Fort Riley Blvd. near Ogden. Arriving officers found a transit van, driven by 47-year-old Jada Conley, of Centralia, had rear ended a pickup, driven by 38-year-old Benjamin Risher, of Manhattan. Risher and two passengers from the van were transported to Ascension Via Christi, for evaluation of possible minor injuries.

Riley County saw 149 new COVID-19 cases last week, according to state and local health officials. As for vaccines, the Riley County Health Department says it has Pfizer, Moderna and Novavax vaccines available at its clinic located at 2030 Tecumseh Road. However, the bivalent doses of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines have not yet arrived, though should be sometime later this month. In its weekly update Wednesday, the health department noted that the incidence rate for new infections is at 200.7. The data, provided by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, keeps Riley County in the high incidence category. Two…