Author: Brandon Peoples

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…

The Riley County Police Department is participating in a national campaign to curb drunk driving this holiday season. The Taking Down DUI campaign began Sunday and continues through Jan 3. A Kansas Department of Transportation grant is supporting overtime enforcement efforts to aggressively target and remove impaired drivers from the roads. According to KDOT, the New Year’s Day holiday period outranks most other holidays in the number of crashes in which at least one of the drivers is impaired by alcohol and/or other drugs. Drivers are asked to help law enforcement by keeping an eye out for suspicious driving behaviors.

Masks are required starting today in all City of Manhattan operated facilities. The requirement applies to people older than two years of age, whether vaccinated or unvaccinated. The decision to reinstate a mask requirement indoors at City facilities was made by City Manager Ron Fehr just prior to the holiday weekend in response to CDC and Riley County Health Department recommendations. Fehr said in a statement Thursday that the presence of the Omicron variant in Kansas and potential spread from holiday gatherings drove the decision from his office. This mask requirement is related to indoor, City-operated facilities only. This includes…

Registration is open now for Riley County’s Protective Home Program. The program provides temporary housing for children in need who are in Police Protective Custody (PPC), often in circumstances of abuse or neglect. Community Corrections Intensive Supervision Officer Sara Darnell says the program was created locally in 2017. There are currently 16 volunteer families in Riley County who have opened their doors to these children, with three to four being consistently available to respond. Darnell says another round of recruitment is happening now to create potentially more options to children in crisis. While the program may not be for everyone,…

Manhattan’s T. Russell Reitz Animal Shelter is closed until further notice after an employee there recently tested positive for COVID-19. The employee tested positive Wednesday and the city is notifying close contacts. Anyone who visited the shelter Tuesday is advised to monitor for symptoms and consult the Riley County Health Department or a physician if they become symptomatic. Shelter Director Bryce Caulk says as a result, the shelter won’t be accepting adoptions or surrenders at this time, but will keep staffing the shelter to ensure animals are properly cared for. The goal is to reopen the shelter the first week…

Riley County identified 131 new COVID-19 cases and 110 additional recoveries in its latest weekly report Wednesday. That brings the active case count to 227 countywide, with a percent positive rate for new infections currently at 7.6 percent. The health department says so far, no cases of the new Omicron variant in Riley County, despite surging numbers being reported across the country. Health officials are urging vaccines to prevent hospitals from becoming overwhelmed. COVID-19 vaccine appointments at the Riley County Health Department are booked up through mid-January due to a steady demand for shots, the holidays and some staffing shortages.…

The Manhattan City Commission on Tuesday unanimously approved the budget request for the Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce for 2022, totaling over $533,000 from the Economic Development Fund. Chamber officials presented the year end report which included highlights from its work with the Greater Manhattan Economic Partnership and Knowledge Based Economic Development. Chamber President Jason Smith noted its five key areas in its economic development strategy remains focused on recovery, jobs, talent, entrepreneurship and innovation. Daryn Soldan is the Chamber’s Director of Economic Development and says in order to fill more jobs locally, more access to child care is needed, which is why a childcare task force was…

Hospitals are seeing a rise in the number of COVID-19 inpatients being treated. Ascension Via Christi Hospital in Manhattan began Wednesday with 12 positive inpatients, five of whom were in the Intensive Care Unit. All five were said to be on ventilators. Hospital President and CEO Bob Copple tells KMAN that a sixth ventilated patient is an individual who has “timed out” or is a post positive COVID patient, meaning the entire ICU census is COVID related. The hospital on Tuesday saw its highest volume of COVID positive patients since January, at 15. As numbers continue to fluctuate, health department…

An investigation is underway to determine why a contract employee, working at Junction City’s Water Treatment Plant, switched from a backup generator back to Evergy power after winds knocked out power to the facility on Dec. 15. City Manager Allen Dinkel said in a Tuesday news release that the full ramifications of that decision are still being evaluated. It led to hundreds of thousands of gallons of water entering the basement of the plant and disruption of water service to Junction City and surrounding communities for several days. Most of the city’s water was restored by the weekend. Dinkel says…