Author: Brandon Peoples

A pair of men are at the center of a purported cookie store-related crime from earlier this month. Riley County Police are seeking the public’s help identifying one of two suspects, who police say may have pulled a lever on a breaker box causing a power outage to Insomnia Cookies and the Kountry Attic near Aggieville. Security camera still images show two young men walking in the alleyway behind the two businesses around 1 a.m. on May 1st. Police believe one of the men, seen wearing a gray shirt, is responsible for causing the outage. Both businesses were reportedly without…

Red Cross blood drives are happening in Manhattan and Junction City today through Thursday. A lot of empty appointment spots exist. Red Cross Account Manager Kristi Ingalls was on the KMAN Morning Show Tuesday to highlight the need for blood. Here’s a list of this week’s blood drives: Manhattan drive at Pottorf Hall in CiCo Park Tuesday: Noon to 6 p.m. Wednesday: 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Junction City drive at the Municipal Building (700 N. Jefferson) Wednesday: 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday: 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Both drives will be offering free $10 electronic gift cards to…

The Pottawatomie County Commission has tabled a decision on a pair of conditional use permits for wedding and event space in a rural area near Rock Creek High School. Nearby residents are concerned with the high volume of traffic, noise and light pollution the proposals could bring with it to an area that’s in a rural setting. The first request involves a tract owned by Greg Ferkol at Myers Valley and Loux Roads. The second is from Steve and Deb Swoyer nearby on Loux Road, which multiple property owners have opposed, including resident Faith Peirsol. “An entertainment venue is not…

The Riley County Law Board announced Monday it is beginning the search for the next director of the Riley County Police Department. The job posting will go live next week, with the Law Board accepting applications starting May 24. Screening of applications will immediately follow the posting of the job and continue until the position is filled. Law Board Chair Linda Morse stated Monday that “experiences throughout the country in the last several years demonstrate the importance of carefully selecting the best person to lead the Riley County Police Department.” She says their goal is to hire someone respected and…

An arrest and formal charges are anticipated following an early Friday morning shooting along Kansas Highway 150 in Chase County. According to a release from the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, the Chase County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call shortly after 6 a.m. from a man who reported a passenger in their vehicle had been shot. Deputies and Kansas Highway Patrol troopers arrived a short time later and found a 33-year-old Emporia man suffering from a gunshot wound to his right hip. He was transported to Newman Regional Hospital in Emporia, where he was treated and released. After KBI agents…

Authorities have recovered the remains of a man who went missing almost two weeks ago at Milford Lake. Members of the Geary County Sheriff’s Office Marine Unit and the Geary County/Junction City Fire Department dive team, with the assistance of the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism Parks Division helped recover the remains of Jesse Paul Sockness, of Lawrence, after his body was seen floating in the water. Officials say the recovery was several hundred yards north of where he was suspected of going into the water. The incident is being investigated as an accidental drowning, pending autopsy results.…

Riley County health officials will continue to provide weekly COVID-19 updates on Fridays to align with KDHE’s weekly data dashboard updates. According to the latest report out Friday, May 13, Riley County recorded 37 COVID-19 cases between May 2-8. The Incidence Rate per 100,000 is 49.8, which places Riley County into the moderate incidence category. Moderate includes 10 to 49 cases per 100,000 people. Ascension Via Christi was caring for one COVID-19 positive patient as of Friday. The Office of Vital Statistics reported four additional COVID-19 related deaths for Riley County, bringing the pandemic total to 85. The deaths include…

The Riley County Police Department says it’s already fielded numerous calls from citizens concerned with large amounts of people drinking and parking in the water at Pillsbury Crossing, south of Manhattan. (Above video courtesy RCPD) According to a statement Friday on the RCPD Facebook page, at least one DUI arrest was made in the area Wednesday and officers will be continuing to respond to calls and proactively patrol the area. No alcohol is allowed in the area, per Riley County regulations approved in the 1990s. Police respond to a large number of accidents in the area each year, as it…

One person was killed Friday morning in a crash near St. George. According to the Kansas Highway Patrol, a northbound Chevy Malibu failed to yield at the stop sign at the intersection of Flush Road and Highway 24. The car was struck on the drivers side by an eastbound semi truck. The driver of the Malibu, 38-year-old Abby Stous, of Manhattan, was pronounced dead at the scene. The truck driver, 55-year-old Micheal Lynn Duncan, of Westmoreland sustained a minor injury and was transported by private vehicle to a local hospital. The crash report suggests both drivers were properly restrained.

Three people were injured Thursday in a head on crash near the intersection of Tuttle Creek Blvd. and Seth Child Road. The Riley County Police Department says the crash happened just after 4 p.m. east of the intersection. According to PIO Aaron Wintermote, the crash occurred when an eastbound Ford Focus driven by 16-year-old Helen Curry, of Riley, crossed into the westbound lane and struck a Chevy Equinox driven by 58-year-old Rebecca Slack, of Manhattan. Slack was life-flighted to Stormont Vail Hospital in Topeka for treatment of lower extremity injuries. Curry and a passenger of the Equinox, 57-year-old Mark Danford,…