Author: Brandon Peoples

In just a few weeks, members of the Wamego School Board will select a new superintendent to lead the district. Interim Superintendent Greg Mann says the board hired the Kansas Association of School Boards to oversee the search. In the past few weeks, the state board has been gathering input and feedback from the community through online surveys. Mann says KASB will be back on Jan. 14 to review applications and make recommendations on who they feel the school board should interview. That information will be presented at the Jan. 17 school board meeting. It’s estimated that approximately 70 superintendent…

A New Year’s Day snowstorm could potentially bring near record-setting snowfall to Manhattan. A Winter Storm Watch has been issued from midnight Saturday to midnight Sunday. Forecasters say confidence is increasing for heavy snowfall accumulations northwest of Interstate 35 and especially north of Interstate 70. Snowfall amounts are uncertain, but the National Weather Service is predicting anywhere from 2 to 8 inches could be possible in the Manhattan area as well as other parts of the region. The last time Manhattan had snowfall on New Year’s Day was 2013, when 3.3 inches fell. Measurable New Year’s Day snowfalls also occurred…

The Riley County Police Department is continuing to investigate the Dec. 12 shooting inside Tate’s Bar in Aggieville. Director Dennis Butler gave a brief update Wednesday during In Focus, about the shooting victim that was seriously injured in the incident. RCPD doesn’t release names of crime victims, but an online criminal complaint filed in Riley County District Court, confirms the shooting victim was Reed Godinet, a Kansas State University football player. A second person was also injured in the incident after being struck by the barrel of the gun. The suspect in the case, 20-year-old Joshua Cummings, is charged with…

If you’re not sure what to do with your live Christmas tree now that the holiday is over, the City of Manhattan has an opportunity for residents to recycle them. The Manhattan Parks & Rec Department accepts trees at Long’s Park (16th & Colorado) until Jan. 31. Officials ask that all ornaments and tinsel are removed from the tree prior to drop off. Trees can be left in the fenced section at the northeast corner of the park. Trees are used for building trails and provide mulch for landscaping in local parks.

The City of Manhattan is planning to announce the results of its annexation plan for the Blue Township area sometime in January. The area is of particular interest to the city in its comprehensive plan, which identifies it as a key area for growth in the future. Manhattan City Manager Ron Fehr spoke about it during KMAN’s In Focus on Dec. 21. Pottawatomie County Commissioner Dee McKee, who lives in Blue Township, says the underlying challenge with annexation, lies with inter-agency agreements, including law enforcement and fire. Residents in that area have submitted two petitions for governance in the past, both…

COLUMBUS, Kan. (AP) — A southeastern Kansas man has been sentenced to life in prison for killing two people in 2020. The office of Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt on Monday announced the sentence for 30-year-old Mark Hopkins II of Columbus. He won’t be eligible for parole for 50 years. Hopkins pleaded guilty last month to two counts of first-degree premeditated murder. Blaze Shank of Scammon and Kylan Shook of Pittsburg were shot to death in rural northeastern Cherokee County in June 2020. Hopkins and another inmate escaped from jail in May but were captured days later in Oklahoma. Charges…

Daily admission prices for the Sunset Zoo are going up slightly in 2022. Starting this weekend, the cost for a one day pass for an adult will be six dollars and four dollars for a child, an increase of 50 cents. Marketing and Development Officer Melissa Kirkwood tells KMAN the cost of a Friends of the Sunset Zoo membership is also going up from its current $50 for families. More details on the increases per level will be shared this week at sunsetzoo.com. The zoo is operating on winter hours 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. daily, but will be closed…

Gov. Laura Kelly and Transportation Secretary Julie Lorenz announced earlier this month the addition of 25 highway modernization and expansion projects totaling $750 million. It’s part of the 10-year Eisenhower Legacy Transportation program. Locally, it includes a new interchange planned at Interstate 70 and Taylor Road, west of Junction City. The Kansas Department of Transportation says the new interchange would replace the current bridge which is listed in poor condition and would improve access to the local industrial park. It’s seen as key location to support economic development planned in that area in the future. State transportation officials are also…

Pottawatomie and Wabaunsee County commissioners have tentatively agreed to resubmit for a grant to repair the deteriorating Belvue Bridge which crosses the Kansas River. The move comes after a federal RAISE grant was denied for the project earlier this year. Pottawatomie County Engineer Nathan Bergman says after consulting with the designers of the replacement structure, it was determined the bridge could only withstand one more budget cycle before it would ultimately need to be closed. Both counties agreed to increase match contributions, to improve the chances of grants being awarded for the estimated $11 million grant. Pottawatomie County is on the hook for…

Riley County Police are investigating after an unknown suspect stole a car containing valuables over the weekend. Officers listed four victims in the burglary reported Christmas morning in the 300 block of E. Chase Street in Leonardville. Stolen items included a blue 2013 Ford Focus with an Apple Watch and MacBook Air inside. The suspect also reportedly entered a separate truck and stole an Apple MacBook Air, a JBL portable Bluetooth speaker, a white gold necklace and also entered two other vehicles on the property. Total loss is estimated at around $8,500. Police have not developed any suspects at this…