Author: Brandon Peoples

The Manhattan Fire Department has determined a fire early Thursday morning at the Gramercy Apartments was incendiary. Fire investigators working with the Riley County Police Department filed a report for aggravated arson and criminal damage to property. One cat found dead in the fire, due to smoke inhalation. Police say a 35-year-old man is a suspect. Officials have updated the loss to be $10,000 in structural damage and $1,000 to contents.

Meadowlark officials broke ground Wednesday on a new 24-unit independent living apartment building on its main campus in Manhattan. The Monarch, as it’s called, will be located on the southeast corner of Meadowlark Road and Meadowlark Circle. Nearly 80 percent of the apartments have been reserved with down payments. The sales process for the new building began in 2019, but the project was put on hold after the beginning of the pandemic in 2020. “What people are looking for in retirement has and will continue to change,” said Lonnie Baker, CEO. “Even through the COVID-19 pandemic, our teams continued conversations…

The Kansas Board of Regents approved an amendment Wednesday to Kansas State University’s fiscal year 2023 capital improvement project plan. Additionally with that vote the board also accepted the revised statement for the Tracz Family Band Hall in West Memorial Stadium. “Due to current supply chain and construction market conditions, the estimated total project cost for this foundation funded renovation has increased from $4.5 million to just over $4.9 million,” said Regents Director of Facilities Chad Bristow. Photo courtesy K-State Marketing and Communications, via Architect One Inflation has pushed up costs for materials, something Board of Regents President Blake Flanders…

Members of the Manhattan Parks and Recreation Advisory Board are looking at scheduling a meeting later this year with both Riley County and USD 383 officials on future plans at CiCo Park. Officials are planning to pick up where they left off on a 2017 strategic facility improvement plan there. It would include, among other items, improvements to the baseball and softball complex and tennis courts. The items were shelved while the city and USD 383 began construction on new recreational facilities at the two middle schools and at Douglass Community Center. Because all three entities have property within the…

A fire at a Manhattan apartment was reported early Thursday morning. The Manhattan Fire Department was dispatched to 2215 College Ave. for a fire at the Gramercy Apartments in building Q just before 4:30 a.m. Crews found a three-story building with smoke coming from the second floor. It was controlled by the sprinkler system and crews finished extinguishing it. No one was home at the time of the fire, but one cat was found dead in the building, due to smoke inhalation. Loss is estimated at $1,000 to the contents and $1,000 to the structure. The cause of the fire…

The Riley County Health Department says it has confirmed 47 new COVID-19 cases in the past two weeks, while also recording 64 recoveries. The dwindling numbers continue as there were just 26 active cases Wednesday and three COVID positive patients in the hospital, including one in the ICU. The two week rolling percent positive rate fell to 2.87 percent, which is a drop from 6.85 percent the previous two week period. Despite the drop in the community transmission rate, Riley County will return to publishing weekly COVID updates on Wednesdays beginning March 23. Those updates will be in a different…

Ongoing construction surrounding Green Valley Road is expected to shift phases soon. Pottawatomie County Public Works Project Coordinator Steve Roggenkamp says it’s a sign the construction in that area is nearing completion. “It will soon be shifting to re-construction of the left turn lane on 24 and the addition of a second left turn lane. To do that, traffic will have to be shifted to the two outside lanes,” he said. To ease with traffic concerns, a temporary traffic signal will be installed at Hwy 24 and Excel Road to shift northbound traffic going into the Green Valley area. Northbound…

Pottawatomie County residents will have the opportunity in the month of May to dispose of unwanted passenger tires and refrigeration appliances at no cost. County Commissioners approved an amnesty month specific to those materials. County Sanitarian Scott Schwinn says it’s been a successful program in the past. “Here we’re asking to do a cleanup which rather than one day, gives people a full month to try to come in and get rid of some of the stuff would sit around with water in it,” he said. “There’s still some old refrigeration stuff out there that is still dangerous to children and others…

Fort Riley has updated its mask policy, making the use of face coverings optional in all indoor spaces for fully vaccinated personnel. The update was announced Monday by Brigadier General Frank Stanco, acting senior commanding general of Fort Riley. Unvaccinated personnel are still required to wear masks indoors and in non-socially distanced outdoor settings, regardless of the COVID-19 community level, which was listed as MEDIUM Monday. Medical facilities and child care facilities on post still require masks regardless of vaccination status. The update comes on the heels of the CDC’s recent updates to COVID-19 guidance for communities. The full announcement…

Following a weekend announcement that Avian Influenza has been detected in Kansas, Manhattan’s Sunset Zoo says it’s taking prevention protocol measures to protect its animals. As a result, some areas of the zoo may be closed to the public, including the Australian Walkabout, home to the zoo’s aviary and Emus. Additionally, the area housing the Caribbean Flamingos is also being closed, according to Head Keeper Savannah Brethauer in a Monday news release. Both will still be visible from outside their habitats and will remain closed while the animal care team monitors the situation closely. HPAI or bird flu, is a…