Author: Brandon Peoples

The Riley County Law Board plans to hold a special meeting next week to discuss a plan to move forward on hiring the next director of the Riley County Police Department. Riley County Commissioner and Law Board member John Ford tells KMAN that’s partially due to a lack of planning. “We haven’t really had time as a board, some of that’s actually my fault for scheduling things that happened in November, to actually sit down and have a special law board meeting to lay out the foundation to get to that point,” he said. A two hour tentative meeting is…

Updated 12:20 p.m. Sunday Two teenagers were killed early Sunday in a fiery crash along K-18, southwest of Manhattan. Emergency crews called out shortly after 1 a.m. found a single-vehicle on fire under the Scenic Drive overpass.  The Kansas Highway Patrol says an eastbound SUV, carrying five people, left the roadway after the driver lost control for an unknown reason. The vehicle entered the south ditch and struck the concrete bridge pillar, which caused the vehicle to catch fire. According to the crash report, two passengers, 14-year-old Kenni Cantu and 14-year-old Gaysha Alfred, both of Manhattan, died at the scene.…

Kansas leaders, political rivals and the current and former U.S. Presidents are paying tribute to former Senate Majority Leader and presidential candidate Bob Dole. The Kansas native died Sunday at the age of 98. Arrangements are being organized and more information on that can be found here. President Joe Biden via Twitter Bob Dole was a man to be admired by Americans. He had an unerring sense of integrity and honor. May God bless him, and may our nation draw upon his legacy of decency, dignity, good humor, and patriotism for all time. — President Biden (@POTUS) December 5, 2021…

Christmas cookies are a holiday tradition for many. For St. Thomas More Church, the 31st annual Cookie Carousel was a return to its more traditional format, or at least a version of it, while adhering to COVID protocols. After adjusting the format last year to a drive thru distribution with free cookies for participants, this year the in-person aspect returned with the event serving as a fundraiser for Be Able, Catholic Charities, Konza Table and Shepherd’s Crossing. Therese Adams is the President of the St. Thomas More Ladies, who help to put on the event. The featured cookie this year…

Eight months after fire damaged the Manhattan Taco John’s store, a building official with the Manhattan Fire Department says he believes plans are coming together to eventually renovate and reopen the store. “There’s some fire repair that’s going to have to happen and a rebuild of the interior, but I get the feeling we’re really close on that happening,” said Darren Emery, with the fire department’s Risk Reduction Division. Emery says he spoke recently with Commercial Plans Examiner Justin Befort, who mentioned he’s been looking at plans which are starting to come together. Emery says there could be a number…

Riley County officials say a kitchen fire caused an estimated $25,000 in damage to a structure just north of the Manhattan city limits. Firefighters from Riley County Fire District No. 1 were dispatched shortly after noon Friday for the structure fire at 2830 Nelson’s Landing. The fire was extinguished within a few minutes and crews isolated the fire to the kitchen area, keeping it from spreading to the roof or other areas of the home. No injuries were reported and the cause is undetermined. Manhattan Fire Department also responded during the early stages of the fire. A damage estimate for…

The Manhattan Fire Department’s Risk Reduction office is alerting general contractors who work in the city of some changes to its license renewal process. Building Official Darren Emery says those licenses are generally broken down into one or two year terms. This year all are due for renewal. Emery says there are some changes to be aware of. “We’re doing this all online. In the past we’ve done it through mail, we’ve done it through old-fashioned paper documents they’d submit. It’s all entirely online this year,” he said. Emery says it’s also the first time local general contractors will have…

A boil water advisory has been issued for a portion of Pottawatomie County Rural Water District No. 1. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment issued the advisory following a water line break Friday morning. As a result, a loss of pressure in the distribution system may result in bacterial contamination. Customers living west of Hwy 99 between Elizas Road and Repp Road are affected. Those living in the area are advised to take the following precautions until further notice: If your tap water appears dirty, flush the water lines by letting the water run until it clears. Boil water…

A police pursuit involving a Manhattan man with past criminal offenses, resulted in a crash Thursday afternoon in Wabaunsee County. The Kansas Highway Patrol says 31-year-old Sangla Stevens was traveling north on Northwest Snokomo Frontage Road, in the Paxico area, in an attempt to elude law enforcement, just after 2 p.m. The vehicle was traveling at a high rate of speed and lost control on the gravel. His Chevy Cruze left the roadway, struck a tree and a telephone box. Stevens sustained a suspected minor injury and was transported to Wamego Health Center. According to the Kansas Department of Corrections,…

Dr. Richard Linton was greeted with fanfare and celebration Thursday as the Kansas Board of Regents named him the 15th Kansas State University President. That’s Cheyrl Harrison-Lee, Chair of the Kansas Board of Regents. The 25-member search committee, chaired by K-State alumnus and retired BNSF Railway Chairman Carl Ice, who also serves on the Board of Regents, worked for the past five months on a nationwide search to find a successor to the retiring Richard Myers, who announced in May his intent to move on at year’s end. Ice told a gathering Thursday at Forum Hall that Dr. Linton was…