Author: Brandon Peoples

A Pottawatomie County woman was killed and an infant child seriously injured in a crash southwest of Wamego Thursday morning. The Kansas Highway Patrol says the crash happened shortly before 11 a.m. when an eastbound Toyota Avalon carrying three people, left the road and struck a tree, near Bluebird Road. The driver, identified as 28-year-old Tyra Anderson, of St. George, died at the scene. The crash report says she was wearing a seat belt. Two small children were also in the vehicle. The crash report listed 1-year-old Isaac Anderson with a suspected serious injury. 3-year-old Brennen Anderson had no listed…

A trial has been scheduled in early 2023 for a Manhattan man charged with murdering his former girlfriend’s toddler son. At a Tuesday status conference, Riley County Judge Kendra Lewison scheduled the trial for 22-year-old Gage Anderson to begin on Feb. 7th. Anderson is accused in the December 2020 death of 2-year-old Cyrus Gray. At an April 2021 hearing, Matthew Lockwood, an emergency room doctor at Ascension Via Christi Hospital, testified that the child came into the hospital extremely cold, unresponsive and limp and was not breathing sufficiently enough to maintain life and had numerous bruises on his body. An…

A new principal has been named at College Hill Early Learning Center. Katie Hagenmaier is succeeding Stephanie Kabriel, who announced her resignation from the school earlier this spring. Hagenmaier is a current 1st grade teacher at Valley Heights USD 498 in Waterville. Prior to that she served as a 4th grade teacher for USD 475 in Junction City. Her education background includes a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education from Bethany College and a Master’s in Educational Administration from Kansas State University. Hagenmaier will begin her new position with USD 383 on July 1st.

Riley County Police say a motorcyclist was injured Tuesday after he lost control and was thrown from the bike. Authorities from RCPD, Manhattan Fire and Riley County EMS responded to the crash around 8:30 p.m. in the 1700 block of Vaughn Drive. RCPD says 42-year-old Jimmy Humbert was thrown forward off the motorcycle. He was transported to Via Christi for treatment of a significant head injury. No further details were immediately released.

More details have emerged in the case of a former Wamego Middle School science teacher arrested Sunday on suspicion of a sex crime involving an underage victim. Allen Sylvester, 51, of rural Wabaunsee County, was formally charged Wednesday with one count of unlawful sexual relations. According to Wabaunsee County Attorney Tim Liesmann, the victim was 17 and turning 18 during the relevant time period, sometime during the 2020-21 school year. In an email to KMAN, Liesmann says the booking information, implying the acts were with someone under 16, was inaccurate. Because of likely dual jurisdiction, he says it’s possible the…

The deadline to file for the August primary came and went Wednesday with only a slight change to local races. In Pottawatomie County, Nathan Gotsch filed before the deadline for the 1st District commission seat and will be an independent in the November election. Gotsch also ran in 2018, but lost to Republican Dee McKee, of Blue Township, who has also filed for re-election. McKee will face off against Republican Hans Tessmann, of St. George, in the primary. Tessmann is a former mayor of St. George. In Riley County, Republican incumbent John Ford, of Manhattan, is unopposed in the race…

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment says Riley County’s COVID incidence rate moved into the moderate category during the week of May 21st through the 27th, recording 32 new cases. The new data, provided in Wednesday’s weekly update from the health department, moves Riley County from the substantial incidence category to moderate, which is 10-49 cases per 100,000 people. This week, that rate was 43.1, a nearly 15 point drop from the week before. As of Wednesday, Ascension Via Christi Hospital was caring for one COVID-19 positive patient. Two more COVID-related deaths were verified by the Office of Vital…

Riley County Police have requested charges of attempted second degree murder and aggravated battery to be filed against a Manhattan man accused of stabbing a victim in the neck with a pocket knife. RCPD arrested 32-year-old Mark Rickenbacker Tuesday following an alleged attack from this past weekend. A 27-year-old male victim reported the incident occurred Saturday in the 1300 block of Flint Hills Place. The victim, who was not identified by police, was treated and released from Ascension Via Christi. According to Wednesday’s arrest report, Rickenbacker remained jailed with no listed bond.

Update: 6 a.m. Wednesday Two Wamego School District employees have resigned amid a child sex crime investigation, involving one of them. According to the Wamego Times, Allen Sylvester, who worked as a middle school science teacher, and his wife Deborah Sylvester, a Wamego High math teacher, both submitted their resignations Tuesday at a special meeting of the USD 320 school board. The resignations came after Allen Sylvester was arrested Sunday in Wabaunsee County. The 51-year-old was booked on charges of unlawful sexual relations, sexual exploitation of a child and electronic solicitation with a child between the ages of 14 and…

Upgraded charges have been filed against a Manhattan man accused in a recent stabbing incident. At a Zoom hearing Friday, in Riley County District Court, prosecutors amended 44-year-old Jarman Morgan’s charge of attempted second-degree murder to attempted first-degree murder, and added a disorderly conduct charge. He also faces a charge of aggravated battery for the alleged stabbing of a female victim in the neck on May 19th in the 1000 block of Moro Street. Authorities have said the two are known acquaintances. Morgan’s next court date is at 1 p.m. June 7th. He remains jailed on a $400,000 bond.