Author: Brandon Peoples

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…

A former Taekwondo instructor from Wamego will spend the next three years on probation after a Pottawatomie County judge sentenced him for convictions on two counts of sexual exploitation of a child. Scott Hertzig pleaded guilty earlier this year two the charges following his arrest last year. In court Thursday he read a letter, acknowledging he broke the law and attributed his actions to years of child sexual abuse at the hands of his brother. The 37-year-old stated in court that viewing the images normalized what he experienced and that he got no sexual gratification in viewing the images. Because…

A Fort Hays State University freshman from Manhattan recently took home the top prize in an entrepreneurial challenge with his business plan for “Cow Fences.” Ethan McPherson’s plan is built on the concept of a virtual farmer’s market and is slated to connect beef and pork producers directly to consumers. For his efforts, McPherson won a $6,000 cash prize at the 2022 Faulkner Challenge, a business plan competition at Fort Hays State. He says it provides an opportunity for producers to increase their revenues by shipping products directly to someone’s doorstep, cutting out the need for the traditional farmer’s market.…

Pottawatomie County commissioners on Monday approved a temporary position to be created for the Treasurer’s Office, for a term of about four months. County Treasurer Lisa Wright says lately the workload in the office has created some challenges getting some of its scanning needs completed. Wright says her office has been trying to scan all necessary forms into its web database but have been falling behind. She says there is funding available in the budget to pay for the position. Community Corrections Pottawatomie County has appointed a Wamego Police Department officer and court clerk as its representative for a planned…

A new fire affecting mostly public property near Tuttle Creek Lake gave Riley County firefighters some challenges Monday. This one was in the area of Baldwin Park Road, north of University Park. Riley County issued a new disaster declaration to request assistance. No structures were threatened and no evacuations were said to be necessary as of late Monday evening. Crews were conducting back burning to help reduce available fuels. At Monday’s Pottawatomie County Commission meeting, Emergency Management Director Jennifer Merrow noted the lake fire and Shannon Creek fires were both well contained. No structural damage was seen. “There was some…

A ribbon cutting will take place Friday to celebrate the completion of the new Aggieville Parking Garage. Manhattan city officials are planning a 10 a.m. ceremony just east of the facility’s entrance off Laramie Street. It will include members of the city commission and city staff as well as the architect and general contractor and Aggieville business owners. The garage will officially open to the public at 11 a.m. following the ceremony. Vehicular access to the garage will be accessible only by the way of the Laramie and 14th Street intersection. Currently access from North Manhattan Avenue remains closed for…

Eighteen months after breaking ground on its largest project, Sunset Zoo officials on Saturday unveiled Expedition Asia, the renovated and expanded new home to its Malayan tiger, Amur leopard and sloth bear exhibits. Zoo Director Scott Shoemaker greeted the public Saturday and thanked everyone for support of the $4.3 million project and for its patience. The project is the largest such renovation and expansion in the zoo’s 90 year history. “I know the zoo has been disrupted for the last year and a half while we constructed these exhibits. Parts of the zoo were not available to the public. We…