Author: Brandon Peoples

After three years and one month leading the Riley County Police Department, Riley County Police Department Director Dennis Butler sat in on his final Law Board meeting Tuesday afternoon at Manhattan City Hall. It was an opportunity for Law Board members to publicly thank Butler for his leadership of the only consolidated police department in Kansas. At-large board member Robert Ward stated that he has not always agreed with Butler on issues, but says they’ve always been able to amicably resolve their differences. He urged Butler to continue to advocate for law enforcement in other ways going forward. Law Board…

Days after sentencing in the case of a former Belvue city employee charged with stealing thousands in city funds, the current city manager has come forward with some additional details about the woman who committed the crime. In an email to KMAN Monday, City Clerk Joe Peterson said former treasurer Kim Fitzgerald entered a plea deal with prosecutors, agreeing to nearly $89,000 in restitution to be paid. Peterson says city records for some of the years are poor, but indicated Fitzgerald was the acting city treasurer starting in 2008, and took over clerk duties at an unknown time during the…

A Woodrow Wilson Elementary School teacher has been named the Manhattan-Ogden School District’s Master Teacher of the year. Brooke Snyder, who teaches fourth grade, was selected from 12 finalists to represent the district in the 2022 program at Emporia State University on April 6. The annual banquet will honor individuals named for the current year as well as those who received the honor in 2020. Snyder began her teaching career at Ogden Elementary in 2008 and has been at Woodrow Wilson since 2011. She’ll be recognized during Wednesday evening’s school board meeting. The Kansas Master Teacher program honors seven active…

A plea deal is expected in Riley County District Court Tuesday for the last of the four men charged in the 2019 murder of Tanner Zamecnik. The plea hearing comes on the heels of a jury trial and subsequent conviction of Richard Goens on six counts, including first-degree murder last Wednesday. Goens is scheduled to be sentenced on March 3. The fourth co-defendant in the case, Shamar Sutton, is currently facing a first-degree murder charge, in addition to charges of attempted aggravated robbery, aggravated battery, aggravated assault and criminal discharge of a firearm. According to Deputy Riley County Attorney Trinity…

Riley County Extension Director Gary Fike this week reported on FAQ’s surrounding the Economic Impact payments and other tax related questions ahead of the new tax filing season. The extension report airs Saturday mornings at 7:50 a.m. on News Radio KMAN.

Starting next week, residents will have a chance to share their thoughts on potential future reuse of parts of the Manhattan High School East Campus building. Thanks to a grant from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas, the Institute for Civil Discourse and Democracy (ICDD) at Kansas State is facilitiating community conversations for the Manhattan-Ogden School District regarding future plans. The building, at 901 Poyntz Ave., is being considered for a possible central location for the nonprofit Common Table, which provides free meals to those in need in the Manhattan area. That’s ICDD Director Dr. Timothy Shaffer, who explains the format of…

A former City of Belvue treasurer arrested in June 2021 has been sent to jail for taking thousands of dollars in public funds over several years. Former city clerk and treasurer Kim Fitzgerald, was sentenced to 60 days in jail and given seven months of probation Thursday by Pottawatomie County Judge Jeff Elder. Fitzgerald was convicted for embezzling more than $88,000 from the city’s funds going back as far as 2010, according to a statement from County Attorney Sherri Schuck in court Thursday. Judge Elder said in court Thursday he was imposing the 60 day jail sentence to send a…

There will be no school Friday for students at USD 383 Manhattan-Ogden Schools. Superintendent Dr. Marvin Wade says the district will use the day as one of the weather days already built into the calendar. It is not a remote learning day. Scheduled activities and athletics can continue as planned. With no school Monday, due to the Martin Luther King Jr. federal holiday, the district is calling the move a “short-term sacrifice” as they provide a four-day weekend for everyone to hopefully get healthy. COVID numbers district wide are continuing to put added stress on maintaining an adequate number of…

The Pottawatomie County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the past theft of a utility trailer. Sheriff Shane Jager noted the theft was reported Wednesday in the 8000 block of East Hwy 24 in Manhattan. The trailer is described as a silver 14′ single axle Aluma Utility Trailer with a standup ramp on the back. The estimated total loss is $3,200. A mid 2000’s white GM Crew Cab pickup was identified in the area early Wednesday morning near the time of the theft. Anyone with information is urged to call Detective Rob Gordon at 785-457-3353. Tips can also be left via the…

School districts in the area continue to struggle with COVID related absences. It’s prompted Rock Creek Schools to implement thresholds for mandatory masking, which three of the district’s four school buildings currently meet. Superintendent Kevin Logan tells KMAN about how the school board came to its decision this week. Day-to-day operations have been a challenge, according to Logan, with several teachers out either positive with COVID or as a close contact. It’s also put an added burden on the substitute teacher pool. Logan says on top of that is confusion among staff about how long a person must be out…