Author: Brandon Peoples

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…

Pottawatomie County employees will get a slight mid-year pay increase following commission action Monday morning in Westmoreland. Commissioners unanimously settled on a 3.5 percent increase, effective July 1 to help assist employees struggling to stay afloat amid rising inflation. The increase was agreed upon after an initial proposal Monday from County Administrator Chad Kinsley, seeking a 10 percent pay increase for employees, rivaling a 10.5 percent increase Riley County approved last month. Kinsley was critical that commissioners have focused too much attention on having the state’s second-lowest mill levy at 28.647. Commission Chair Pat Weixelman took offense to Kinsley’s comments.…

Local officials will soon be considering annexation of a portion of the Green Valley area into Manhattan as part of the Scorpion Biological Systems development planned near Hwy 24 and Excel Road. Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce Economic Development Director Daryn Soldan presented a timeline that includes the City of Manhattan planning to consider a resolution at its June 21 meeting. Commission Chair Pat Weixelman asserted that Pottawatomie County won’t be railroaded into agreeing to any annexation decision without some information that spells out revenue projections. Assuming the City of Manhattan passes its resolution next week, Pottawatomie County will have…

Wamego Police Chief Michael Baker has been suspended, for reasons that are currently unclear. KMAN received an anonymous news tip Tuesday stating that Baker had been suspended with no reason given. We reached out via email to CIty Manager Stacie Eichem for comment. She responded saying “It is the policy of the City of Wamego not to comment on personnel matters.  The requested information involves an internal personnel matter and therefore, I am not at liberty to respond.” Pottawatomie County Attorney Sherri Schuck informed KMAN she too was inquiring about the matter and had no knowledge beyond that. It is…

The National Weather Service has confirmed that Saturday’s damage from the Spillway area was part of an EF-1 tornado that began 3 miles east of Olsburg on an 11 mile path toward the southeast side of Tuttle Creek Lake. The tornado was on the ground for about 13 minutes and had estimated peak winds at 99 mph with a 30 yard max width. The winds from that storm impacted the River Pond campground area and uprooted trees throughout Tuttle Creek State Park. The National Weather Service has also confirmed three additional EF-1 tornadoes occurred within Saturday’s severe storm system, all…

Riley County crews were out Sunday assessing damage from Saturday evening’s severe storms. Teams from the Riley County Appraiser’s Office and Manhattan Fire Department’s Risk Reduction Division have been tasked with going through neighborhoods. Downed power lines and large tree limbs remain the most reported damages. Riley County’s Public Works Facilities sustained significant damage as did the Tuttle Creek River Pond campgrounds. Five structures in Manhattan’s McCain neighborhood area, east of the Kansas State University campus, were condemned and deemed unsafe to occupy, by Risk Reduction. That includes two unoccupied Greek houses, Chi Omega and Kappa Alpha Theta. Those buildings…

Tornadic thunderstorms impacted the Manhattan area Saturday night, producing a confirmed tornado near Tuttle Creek State Park on what was the 14th anniversary of the 2008 tornado, that caused widespread damage in the Little Apple. Numerous trees were uprooted at Tuttle Creek State Park Saturday, in the River Pond area and officials late in the evening announced that the campground would be closed until Monday while cleanup continues. Joshua Hunt, of Wamego, just purchased a new 16 foot Bunkhouse camper two weeks ago, only to see it blown onto its side from strong winds Saturday evening. His family sought shelter with many others at…

More charges were filed Friday against a 44-year-old man who once worked as a nurse at a Manhattan preschool. The Riley County Attorney’s Office has filed eight additional charges against Joshua Penabaz as part of an ongoing investigation. A news release from the Riley County Police Department alleges Penabaz raped a 5-year-old student while employed at College Hill Early Learning Center in September 2021. The remaining seven charges were allegedly from incidents that occurred between 2009 and 2011 involving a female victim between the ages of 2 and 4 at the time. The charges include a single count of aggravated…

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.