Author: Brandon Peoples

The Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce has announced next week’s Flint Hills Regional Leaders Retreat in Manhattan, has been postponed due to rising public health concerns surrounding Covid-19. Chamber President Jason Smith tells KMAN they have every intention of still having the retreat. He says the Chamber and its partners, do not want to contribute to the growing concern. The retreat was initially scheduled for Jan. 13 and 14. Instead, organizers will look to hold the event sometime this spring. Those who have registered will be notified when a reschedule date is announced. Chamber members wishing for a refund can…

School district officials are looking into what caused a pipe to break Monday at Oliver Brown Elementary School. During his update to the school board Wednesday, Assistant USD 383 Superintendent Eric Reid noted the incident happened during in-service. Fortunately people were in the building at the time to respond. USD 383 Maintenance Director Matt Davis says crews sucked out around 450 gallons of water from the library by late Monday. Reid says a damage estimate is pending. Reid credited first year principal Erin Lopez and her staff for pivoting from professional development to clean up mode during Monday’s in service…

Riley County recently received a grant from the Department of Justice to start a new drug court program. The $550,000 grant was awarded to Riley County Community Corrections Dec. 9. It essentially creates an alternative to incarceration for criminal or juvenile offenders and parents with pending child welfare cases who have alcohol and other drug dependency problems become and remain sober. The goal of the program is recovery so as to reduce future criminal activity. Drug court participants are required to abstain from substance use, to be accountable for their behavior, and to fulfill the legal responsibilities of the offenses…

Classified hourly staff at USD 383 will receive a one-time retention bonus payment after action by the school board Wednesday. Employees who worked from Aug. 18 to Dec. 3 will receive $1 per hour for all hours worked during that time. Assistant Superintendent Eric Reid says the district will leverage federal ESSER funds to do so. The bonus applies to classified staff that continue to work in the district. It doesn’t apply to leave time or vacation. Board member Darell Edie expressed gratitude toward those employees. Employees will receive their payments later in January. The retention pay salary will cost a…

COVID numbers continue to climb locally, with the Riley County Health Department Wednesday confirming 161 new infections and 176 more recoveries since Dec. 29. The health department is monitoring 206 active cases while the percent of positive test results rose to over 14 percent for the week of Dec. 26. Ascension Via Christi was caring for 23 COVID-positive patients Wednesday. The health department says it’s the second highest number hospitalized locally since the start of the pandemic. The hospital has 16 patients on the medical floor and 7 in its Intensive Care Unit. Those seven ICU patients are all on…

Updated 2:30 p.m. Wednesday Wamego Police are investigating an apparent accidental shooting that occurred Wednesday morning around 8:30 a.m. Emergency responders were dispatched to 105 E. Valley Street. Scanner traffic indicated a 2-year-old child got a hold of a gun in the home and shot the 31-year-old woman, presumed to be the child’s mother, in the right shoulder/upper chest area. Wamego Police later confirmed that the adult woman was injured after the child discharged the weapon. The woman was reportedly conscious when paramedics arrived on scene. She was then transported by Pottawatomie County EMS to Stormont Vail Hospital in Topeka…

Pottawatomie County commissioners are hoping to correct some issues within its Public Works Department in 2022. During Monday’s departmental update, Commission Chair Greg Riat took issue with the fact that some residents are catching structural deficiencies on bridge maintenance on some structures before public works crews are even aware. Assistant Public Works Administrator Lance Forgy admitted to Riat they are supposed to be reviewing structures routinely, in addition to its contracted inspectors, even though that isn’t always the case. While he agreed with Commissioner Riat’s assessment, Forgy noted the county used to have a dedicated position to cover some of…

Geary Community Hospital in Junction City plans to close its Intensive Care Unit no later than Feb. 1. In a release Monday, the hospital’s Director of HR & External Relations, LJ Baker, stated that due to a national COVID-19 exacerbated nursing shortage, as well as fiscal situations beyond the hospital’s control, they are no longer able to effectively operate an ICU. A deliberate and phased transition and closure is planned by the hospital. GCH is working with multiple hospitals in the state and region to help identify bed and facilities required for treatment of patients. While the ICU will be…

Fort Riley has announced a reinstated mask requirement on post temporarily amid growing concerns for transmission of new COVID cases following the holidays. Commanding General D.A. Sims stated in a release Monday that everyone, regardless of vaccination status, must mask up in all indoor spaces on the installation, as well as all outdoor spaces when six feet of social distancing is not possible. Exceptions include being alone in an office behind closed doors, as well as eating and drinking and for identification purposes as well as accommodating persons with disabilities. The new requirement is in place for two weeks, with…

Pottawatomie County will pay more than double its annual allotment to the Flint Hills Regional Council, following a 2 to 1 vote by the county commission Monday. The council, in an effort to retain its designation as the Flint Hills Economic Development District, approved a rate hike for its 24 member municipalities in November, from 60 to 90 cents per-capita, based on 2020 Census data, rather than 2010 data, which it had based dues on previously. The council estimates that doing so will allow the council to pay off its debts from a previous line of credit and become financially…