Author: Brandon Peoples

An Onaga man escaped serious injuries after an accident in Atchison County. The Kansas Highway Patrol says 19-year-old Keegan Wood was southbound on US 73 when a deer ran into the roadway, striking his motorcycle, causing it to overturn. The crash occurred just after 1:30 p.m. about 4 and a half miles south of Atchison. The crash report states Wood, who was wearing a helmet, sustained only a minor injury and was treated at a nearby hospital.

2022 Cowboy Poetry Contest Finals (Friday 7 p.m. at the Flint Hills Discovery Center) The best cowboy poets in Kansas are taking the stage Friday for the state finals in the 2022 Cowboy Poetry Contest. The Flint Hills Discovery Center serves as the backdrop for the annual event. Poetry contest chair Ron Wilson, of the Lazy T Ranch in Manhattan, says finalists will present in two go rounds that include both serious and humorous poems. Qualifying contests were held in Fredonia and Hays and included 28 entries from four states. Manhattan residents that have made it into the finals include…

Newly installed Flint Hills Regional Council Executive Director Jerry Lonergan, provided his inaugural update to the Pottawatomie County Commission Monday. Lonergan says the council recently received a $500,000 Brownfields grant from the Environmental Protection Agency Region 7. The EPA officially presented the check to the council, during a ceremony Wednesday at the Geary County Commission Chambers. The Flint Hills Regional Council was selected for community-wide assessment work and the development of reuse plans for Junction City, Manhattan and Ogden and other communities throughout the region. In a release from the EPA Wednesday, it noted priority assessment sites include Junction City’s…

The National Weather Service in Topeka has confirmed two weak tornadoes from Tuesday night storms in Marshall and Republic Counties. A preliminary damage survey shows the Republic County tornado was an EF-1 and on the ground near the small community of Narka for about 3 and a quarter miles. It lasted about 10 minutes. Peak wind speeds were measured at 90 miles per hour. The Marshall County tornado, also an EF-1 had peak wind speeds of 93 miles per hour, with a path length of 2.8 miles. Both tornadoes had maximum widths of 75 yards. No deaths or injuries were…

Two new superintendents are taking over at Rock Creek and Wamego Public Schools this fall. Both made their debut appearance Wednesday on KMAN’s In Focus. Current Lansing High School Principal Rob McKim was hired Jan. 31 by the Wamego School Board. The Kansas native has spent most of his life involved in education. McKim will begin training with the district June 14 before his official start date of July 1. He says at first, his goal is to listen and learn about the district and the community. He says in order to help foster an effective learning environment he’ll work…

A Junction City man connected to an officer-involved shooting last month has been arrested following his Tuesday discharge from Stormont Vail Hospital in Topeka. Carlton Solton is charged with two counts of aggravated assault, three counts of aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer and for criminal use of weapons. The 36-year-old is jailed in Geary County on a $50,000 bond. Solton was injured during a confrontation May 21st with officers responding to a report by a woman who said Solton had been threatening her and another woman outside her home, waving around a handgun. No officers were injured during…

A slight uptick in new COVID-19 cases is being reported in Riley County, according to data this week from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. Between May 28th and June 3rd, there were 48 new cases of COVID-19 reported in the county. Last week, 32 new cases were reported, the week before there were 43 new cases and three weeks ago, t The incidence rate per 100,000 people is 64.7. That puts Riley County into the substantial incidence category. Riley County has bounced back and forth between the moderate and substantial categories based on average cases being above or…

A Manhattan woman was hospitalized after being struck by a car Tuesday night in downtown Manhattan. According to RCPD, 23-year-old Felicity Tepe was running through the parking lot behind Tallgrass Taphouse, in the 300 block of Poyntz Ave. just before midnight. As she was running, an SUV, driven by 21-year-old Alyssa Doolittle Beaman, struck her. Tepe was taken to Ascension Via Christi for treatment of hip and back injuries. The extent of her injuries wasn’t immediately available.

Pottawatomie County Commissioners heard an hour of public comment Monday regarding a proposed rock quarry near Wheaton by Topeka-based Mid-States Materials. The Planning Commission voted earlier this spring 4-3 to recommend denial of a conditional use permit for the quarry. Concerned landowners spoke about why they are opposed to the project. Travis Ross, a fourth generation farmer in the area, is worried about natural resources that could be impacted. Nearby landowner Natalie Krohn expressed frustration with the commission for drawing out the process for consideration, following the Planning Commission’s initial denial. Mid-States Materials representative Rich Eckert explained why the company…

Motorists can expect some traffic adjustments on Browning Ave. near Marlatt Elementary well into next month. The City of Manhattan has confirmed a Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) Safe Routes to Schools project began this week and will keep the intersection at Browning and Dickens Ave. closed for approximately six weeks. North and southbound travelers are being told to use the detour of Hobbs Drive and College Avenue. While east/west access remains open on Dickens Ave., southbound access to Browning from Dickens will be closed during the project. Once completed, the project will include new sidewalks and ramps and repair…