Author: Brandon Peoples

Storms are being blamed for causing another structure fire this week in Manhattan. The Manhattan Fire Department was dispatched around 12:30 this morning to 320 Rosewalk Place, in southwest Manhattan. Upon arrival, fire was discovered on the exterior gable above the garage. Firefighters were able to quickly extinguish the fire and an investigation determined it was caused by a lightning strike. Both sides of the duplex were occupied and all three living there were able to get out safely without injury. The total structure loss is estimated at $20,000 to the two adjoining units. There was no reported loss of…

A former Wamego High math teacher is facing criminal charges, three weeks after her husband, a former Wamego Middle School science teacher was arrested. Arrest records show 55-year-old Deborah Sylvester was booked Tuesday in on a Pottawatomie County warrant charging her with unlawful sexual relations. Her husband, 51-year-old Allen Sylvester is charged with the same offense and was also booked Tuesday. The two were no longer confined as of Thursday. The crime is alleged to have occurred in Pottawatomie County, involving a former student, who was 17 and turned 18 during the 2020-21 school year. According to Pottawatomie County Attorney…

The Biden administration’s proposal for a three month federal gas-tax holiday is getting chilly reaction from both sides of the political aisle. Doing so, would mean the 18 cents per gallon that consumers pay at the pump for gasoline and the 24 cents per gallon for diesel, would be suspended in an attempt to give Americans some relief at the pump. However, those funds go into the Highway Trust Fund, but the administration has said any suspension of the tax wouldn’t negatively impact it since the deficit is at a low point. Both Kansas Senators Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall…

A pair of Junction City residents were killed Tuesday, when the truck they were traveling in, crashed southeast of Wakefield in Clay County. The Kansas Highway Patrol says the driver of a Dodge Ram 1500 pickup lost control while traveling northbound on County Line Road, just after 6 p.m. The vehicle struck a nearby bridge and overturned. The driver, 70-year-old Winfer Ray Abernathy and a passenger, 74-year-old Margaret Abernathy, of Junction City, died at the scene. The crash report says both were wearing a seatbelt. No further details have been released.

Long time Wamego Police Chief Mike Baker is out of a job. An emailed statement from City Manager Stacie Eichem Wednesday says Baker’s employment with the city ended Wednesday, more than a week after he was suspended, for reasons that are still unclear. Eichem wrote “The City of Wamego would like to thank Mike Baker for his service to Wamego and its Citizens. We wish him well in the future.” Deputy Police Chief Paul Schliffke has been named as interim Chief until a permanent replacement is named. The Wamego Times reported that Baker spoke during public comment at Tuesday’s commission…

The Riley County Law Board has approved a $1.9 million increase to the RCPD budget for 2023, an increase of about 8.5 percent. The increase, approved by a 6 to 1 measure Tuesday, more than doubles the 3.5 percent increase approved for 2022. It includes over $1 million in additional funds aimed at making RCPD more competitive in recruiting and retaining officers. The total overall budget now pushes to just slightly over $25 million. “It costs money to do it right. Frankly it can cost more to not do it right, whether it’s somebody getting hurt because we didn’t have…

Riley County offices will have no access to internet services Wednesday as Cox Communications performs some planned network maintenance. This will impact internet and email services for all Riley County offices and employees. Phone lines will still be available, but staff will not be able to respond to email messages or access online databases. The Riley County website will remain active. Non-emergency services, such as the Riley County Courts, will reschedule any Zoom hearings planned for today. The Riley County Treasurer’s Office will not offer motor vehicle services, such as registration and tag renewal and those with appointments have been…

Early Wednesday morning storms are being blamed for a pair of house fires in Manhattan’s Northview area. The Manhattan Fire Department was called out to 2300 Blueberry Drive around 1:30 a.m. and found smoke showing from the home’s attic. Crews were then alerted by the homeowner that smoke was coming from the house next door at 2304 Blueberry Drive, which also had an attic fire. The fires reached a combined second alarm and were contained in under an hour. The Riley County Fire Department provided an air trailer and personnel to fill air bottles, and also backfilled one of the…

One person was injured Thursday following another serious crash at the intersection of Highway 24 and Flush Road. The Pottawatomie County Sheriff’s Office says a van was southbound on Flush Road shortly after 1 p.m., attempting to cross the eastbound lanes of Highway 24. As it was doing so, the van was struck by an eastbound truck pulling a car trailer. The van driver was injured and transported by Lifestar to a Topeka hospital with serious injuries. The driver of the truck was not injured. Their names were not released. The Sheriff’s Office says neither driver was wearing their seat…

As storm damage assessments continue in Riley County, loss at the Public Works shops is now estimated at $2.7 million. A release from the county Tuesday stated an outbuilding that sheltered vehicles and equipment for the Noxious Weed Division sustained the most damage. Seven large garage doors on the Fleet Maintenance Shop were also significantly damaged, with losses totaling an estimated $451,000. Several downed power lines caused the main entrance driveway to be closed temporarily, but that has since been cleared and the public can now access offices from Tuttle Creek Blvd. Most operations were expected to be back to…