Author: Brandon Peoples

Federal prosecutors allege a Topeka man lied about the recipients of several weapons he bought. A federal grand jury in Topeka returned an indictment against 26-year-old Todd Hetherington, on three counts of making false statements when obtaining a handgun, according to a statement from the U.S. Department of Justice. Hetherington is charged with purchasing a total of six guns from different authorized dealers. He is accused of misrepresenting himself as the transferee or buyer. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives is looking into the situation.

Evergy could soon receive approval for more than $96 million in energy efficiency programs in Kansas meant to lower carbon emissions — and customers’ bills. The Kansas Reflector reports that on Tuesday, Evergy filed with regulators at the Kansas Corporation Commission to delay proceedings on the issue while the company negotiates a financial deal to make the programs possible. Evergy serves 1.6 million customers in Kansas and Missouri. For years, the utility’s Missouri customers have benefited from programs meant to increase energy efficiency, including allowing customers to finance upgrades, such as new windows, through a fee on their utility bills. But Kansas has almost no energy…

A GoFundMe has been established for a Wamego mail truck driver involved in an automobile crash Sunday near Silver Lake. Family member Sarah Filinger says the fundraiser was set up to pay for travel and medical expenses after 38-year-old Shawn Adams was involved in a three-vehicle crash while delivering Amazon packages for the US Postal Service. He was reportedly heading from Topeka to St. Marys at the time of the crash, when a Toyota Highlander stopped in the eastbound lane attempting to turn was rear ended by a Ford Edge. The impact pushed the Highlander into the westbound lane where…

Pottawatomie County residents will consider expanding the commission this November after a successful grassroots petition effort was waged by a member of the Planning Commission. It’s the second ballot question for voters to decide on Nov. 8. Earlier this month, the commission unanimously approved a resolution asking voters to consider a quarter percent sales tax to be levied to help fund county road and bridge projects. According to County Clerk Dawn Henry, a total 1,011 valid signatures were confirmed, which was more than the 892 necessary. Voters will be asked whether the governing body should be increased from its current…

Traffic will be slowed around Bluemont and North Manhattan Avenue for the next few days. Crews with McCown Gordon closed both eastbound lanes before sunrise Tuesday to pour new concrete but were expected to wrap up pouring in time for the morning commute, to allow the inside (north) eastbound lane to reopen. Once the concrete has completely cured, likely by Friday, new 2-inch asphalt will be laid atop the concrete base. Once that is completed, city officials say Bluemont Avenue should reopen fully to all four lanes by this weekend. The City of Manhattan Street Division began work on asphalt…

Pottawatomie County commissioners have approved a $39.3 million budget for the 2023 fiscal year. The mill levy is up 1.238 mills to 29.885. It includes increases for employee wages, represented by a 6.5 percent cost of living adjustment and increases in fuel and equipment costs, all which total about $3 million.  “You can look at it as an increase or you can look at it as maybe what should’ve been paid a little more or quicker over the last four or five years. I think that based on the wage end of it, I think our only option is raising…

A Wamego man was seriously injured Sunday in a three vehicle crash near Silver Lake. The Kansas Highway Patrol says 38-year-old Shawn Adams was westbound on Highway 24 near Hodges Road, just east of Silver Lake, shortly before 11:30 a.m., when his mail truck was struck head on by an eastbound SUV. Authorities say the SUV, driven by 36-year-old Heather Kolde, of Topeka, was stopped and waiting to turn north onto Hodges Road, when it was rear-ended by a third vehicle, driven by 17-year-old Tristyn Boxberger, of Silver Lake, and pushed into the westbound lane. All three drivers were taken…

Fire scorched a Manhattan home Saturday and initial reports suggest it’s likely a total loss. The Manhattan Fire Department was called out just before noon Saturday to 1209 Poyntz Ave. No injuries were reported. Assistant Fire Chief Sam Dameron tells KMAN that when crews arrived, they found smoke billowing out of the windows of the single story wood-framed structure. “Upon entry into the structure, they found a small fire in the living room area with heavy black smoke. They quickly extinguished the fire and ventilated the structure, did a search of the structure and found no one was home at…

A new effort aimed at reducing food waste in Manhattan and Riley County is connecting the local food industry directly with shelters, churches and food pantries that can easily re-purpose it. Riley County and Manhattan Food and Farm Council (FFC) Coordinator Vickie James says the idea for the new Flint Hills Food Recovery, grew from the vision of the now defunct Manhattan Soup Kitchen, which had aimed at something similar prior to the pandemic. Co-founders Shelly and Sande Williams donated the funds to secure the first to years of access to a mobile app called ChowMatch. With it, James says…

A Manhattan area construction company will pay more than $71,000 in civil penalties after alleged violations of the federal Clean Water Act (CWA). The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 7 said in a news release Friday that asphalt manufacturer Shilling Construction failed to adequately control stormwater runoff from its Manhattan facility. EPA says that led to illegal discharges of pollution into the Kansas River. Settlement documents show EPA alleges the company did not comply with certain terms of its CWA permit, including failing to develop an adequate plan to reduce pollutants in stormwater runoff, failing to construct and/or maintain adequate…