Author: Brandon Peoples

The Kansas State University Salina Aerospace and Technology Campus plans to award tuition-free scholarships to eligible incoming freshman from Kansas for one year. It’s the only public institution in the state currently to offer a free year of tuition. The school announced Wednesday it’s expanding its Experience Scholarship to a full year after having previosuly supported 75 students with a free semester of tuition. The campus plans to award the scholarship for the fall 2022 semester to more than 100 incoming freshman who graduated from a Kansas high school. Eligible students will be enrolled in one of K-State Salina’s engineering…

Riley County has confirmed one new COVID-related death and 57 additional positive Coronavirus cases since it’s last weekly report on Nov. 24. According to the health department, a 69-year-old unvaccinated male died Thanksgiving Day, after testing positive the day before. It’s the 65th COVID-related death in Riley County since the start of the pandemic. There were 73 additional recoveries in the past week, with active cases now totaling 100. Ascension Via Christi is caring for eight COVID-positive patients, including seven patients that are unvaccinated. Four patients are in the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit. The percent positive rate of new infections…

Kansas State University and the University of Kansas have both reportedly been told by the Attorney General for Kansas they are in violation of a new state law exempting employees from vaccinations on religious or medical grounds. The Kansas Reflector, a nonprofit online news outlet, says Derek Schmidt forwarded a letter to both university presidents and the Board of Regents president. In that letter, Schmidt reportedly said both universities deployed “intrusive written application materials when evaluating an employee’s request for exemption.” KMAN has also obtained the letter, which appears below. The GOP-led Kansas Legislature held a special session Nov. 22…

Pottawatomie County employees who worked everyday when the COVID-19 pandemic began through the first week of May 2020, will receive a one-time $600 check. The funds were unanimously approved by the commission Monday, to be paid out of federal American Rescue Plan Act funds the county received this year. The bonus will be paid out on Dec. 17. Those who did not work everyday during that period, won’t receive the premium pay. In addition, the 1.6 percent cost of living adjustment approved during the 2022 budget hearing in August has also been increased to a 3 percent COLA for all…

The month of November saw Manhattan set three records for daily high temperatures, according to data from the National Weather Service. The first record was set on Nov. 15, when Manhattan saw a 73 degree high temperature. The second record was on Nov. 23, a temperature of 74 degrees. Another record was set on Monday, Nov. 29 when Manhattan hit 75 degrees. The warmest temperature of the month was recorded on Nov. 7 when Manhattan hit 79 degrees, falling 1 degree of the daily record of 80 set in 1999. More records may be set this week as we enter…

Fancy Creek Bridge has a new name, honoring a local Vietnam veteran who lost his life over 50 years ago during the war. The Riley Countian newspaper reports that a renaming ceremony for the bridge was held Nov. 20 at the VFW Hall in Randolph. It will be called the PFC Loren H. Larson Memorial Bridge, honoring the late Larson, who died in June 1969, less than two months into his first tour of duty. Rep. Susan Carlson sponsored the legislation for the renaming and spoke at the Nov. 20 ceremony. Signage for the bridge was expected to be installed…

One person was hospitalized Saturday following a motor vehicle accident near Riley on US Highway 77. The Kansas Highway Patrol says a Jeep Wrangler had slowed for an accident scene in the easbound lane when a Chevy Equinox struck the rear of her vehicle shortly after 6:30 p.m. The driver of the Equinox, 26-year-old Elizabeth Elsasser of Longford was transported to Clay County Medical Center for a complaint of pain. The driver of the Jeep, 33-year-old Danielle Blakeslee-Wilson, of Manhattan, was not hurt. An adult passenger and two infant children also sustained no injuries in the crash.

Local businesses are encouraging the public to think of them this holiday season. Saturday marks the annual Shop Small Saturday, a focus on the businesses and entrepreneurs viewed largely as the backbone of most communities. Downtown Manhattan, Inc. Executive Director Gina Snyder says for every $100 spent locally, $68 stays in Manhattan and re-circulates. A new service for those going back and forth between downtown and Aggieville is the free ATA bus shuttle, something that began as a pilot program last weekend. Manhattan Mayor Wynn Butler says the idea to ease up some of the parking concerns in the area.…

Expressing gratitude over the Thanksgiving holiday can actually benefit your mental health. An online search can help you find numerous articles tied to thankfulness and good mental health. Pawnee Mental Health Executive Director Robbin Cole says one article she found, breaks down in simple terms how having a positive attitude can benefit most people. Cole, who joined KMAN’s In Focus on Nov. 18, says it also has a positive impact on your sleep cycle and anxiety in addition to other benefits. The article is titled The Neuroscience of Gratitude and How it Affects Anxiety and Grief. It’s available to read…

A local district court judge is one of four new members appointed to the Advisory Council on Dispute Resolution. 21st Judicial District Judge Kendra Lewison, of Riley and Clay counties, will serve on the council through June 30, 2024. Lewison was appointed along with mediator Janell Murphey, with the Salina Initiative for Restorative Justice, Retired Chief Judge Kevin Moriarty, and court services officer Amanda Lovell from the 30th Judicial District. The Dispute Resolution Act established dispute resolution as a means to resolve issues by means other than litigation, using an impartial third party to help the two sides reach a…