Author: Brandon Peoples

Residents operating short-term rental properties in unincorporated areas of Riley County now must apply for a license, with yearly renewals, following updated regulations passed by the County Commission May 5th. This applies to Airbnb and Vrbo rentals. Licenses will be granted only once properties are in compliance with a list of requirements in the updated Riley County Land Development Regulations. That incldues having working smoke detectors in each bedroom, weekly trash collection and appropriately sized egress windows for the property. Planning and Development Director Amanda Webb says the goal of the new short-term rental license program is to protect the…

The Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce announced Tuesday that a Canadian company will open a new commercial scale manufacturing plant in Manhattan. HydroGraph Clean Power, Inc. will produce graphene, nanomaterial used across many industries, and hydrogen for alternative-energy fuels. The company’s CEO Stuart Jara, cited the company chose to be near its research partners at Kansas State University. HydroGraph partnered with university researchers in 2017 to develop an exclusively licensed patented detonation process discovered by K-State’s Dr. Chris Sorensen, a Cortelyou-Rust distinguished professor. According to Jara, Sorensen’s method produces the most consistent, high-quality and cost-effective graphene on the market, with…

Conditional use permits for proposed rock quarries in Pottawatomie County are getting some attention, primarily from local residents uninterested in living too close in proximity. One of them, requested by Mid-State Materials, would be located on Reves Road, south of Wheaton. But the planning commission recently recommended denying approval. The Pottawatomie County Board of Commissioners can override that decision with a two-thirds majority on the three seat commission. Resident Travis Ross is a fourth generation farmer in the area and spoke against the Mid-State Materials request at Monday’s meeting. “As a resident we are concerned about the gas line by…

Both of Manhattan’s representatives in the Kansas House have filed for re-election. 66th District Representative Sydney Carlin announced this week her intent to seek another term. The 77-year-old Democrat has held the seat since 2003. She currently serves on the House Appropriations Committee and is the ranking member on the Agriculture Committee and Natural Resources Budget Committee. She also serves on the Joint Committee on Corrections and Juvenile Justice Oversight. Carlin ran unopposed in the 2020 election. 67th District Representative Mike Dodson will seek a second term serving in the legislature. The 76-year-old Republican and former city commissioner announced earlier…

The superintendent at USD 323 Rock Creek Schools is departing the district at the end of the school year. Kevin Logan was offered a contract last month to become superintendent at Hesston, in south-central Kansas. He’ll begin his duties July 1. “This area, this school district Rock Creek, in particular, is amazing. The community has felt like family, welcoming us in since day one in 2016,” he said. Hesston is familiar territory for Logan, who worked as a teacher there earlier in his career. He says the district is similar in size to Rock Creek. “It’s a little bit smaller.…

COVID-19 tests will be available through Friday at the Riley County Health Department’s testing location at 3019 Anderson Ave. Health Department Director Julie Gibbs says free at-home test kits are available at the health department, the public library and the Leonardville City Offices. Several pharmacies, urgent care centers and most doctor’s offices will continue to offer testing. In its latest weekly report Wednesday, Riley County had identified four new cases and 15 additional recoveries, noting just two active cases in the county and one hospitalized COVID-19 patient. The Office of Vital Statistics confirmed one additional COVID-19-related death involving an unvaccinated…

Firefighters battled a wildfire Tuesday evening in a rural swath of northern Riley County. It began around 7 p.m. in the area near Bjorling Road, northeast of Randolph, starting near the recent Carlson Road fire. An estimated 180 acres burned into the evening, according to Riley County Fire District No. 1. There were no reports of any structural damage. Crews cleared the scene by 11 p.m. and will be returning this morning to check for hot spots. The fire was caused by a permitted, controlled burn in the area that got out of control. Personnel from Riley County as well…

The Kansas Department of Transportation says it’s beginning a 2-week project south of Manhattan today that will interrupt traffic on the Zeandale Road. Drainage maintenance and concrete box repairs will be taking place on K-18 from the west junction to near the east junction of Harwood Road. KDOT says traffic will be controlled by temporary traffic signals for approximately two weeks and will be marked by advanced signage and cones for the work zone. Work will occur Monday through Friday, but those signals will be in place for the duration of the project. Motorists should plan for delays of up…

A conservative Manhattan business owner and attorney has filed for the 51st District House seat in the Kansas Legislature. Kenny Titus, co-owner of National Sports Network, a nationally syndicated play-by-play broadcast network and has degrees from both the University of Kansas and Kansas State University, the latter of which includes a B.S. in Journalism and History. He plans to move into private law practice by the end of the year. He spoke to KMAN Monday, shortly after announcing his intent to run. “I want to see the economy grow, but in order to do that, we need practical policies that…

After a decade in the Kansas Legislature, 51st District State Rep. Ron Highland is retiring. The 75-year-old Republican from Wamego stood on the House floor Monday to formally announce his intent, with his wife Linda of 53 years, by his side. “She’s always been my encouragement and my support throughout our marriage, especially these last nine plus years. It will be 10. I will serve out my full term to the best of my ability,” he said. Highland was, at times, notably flustered when talking about the experience serving the district. “It’s been a humiliating… Not humiliating. A very humbling experience…