Author: Brandon Peoples

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…

Kansas State University says it has not received any information about sensitive data being leaked to hackers following last week’s ransomware attack on UKG, the external vendor for the KRONOS system used for some of K-State’s employees. A few sources had informed KMAN that all users hourly data from which they were paid, as well as social security numbers and driver’s license numbers, had been compromised. K-State Public Information Officer Michelle Geering told KMAN Tuesday morning that information was not accurate and referred us to the university’s Dec. 15 statement, which said the only data shared with UKG is an…

Pottawatomie County has issued a seven-day disaster declaration for damages sustained from the Dec. 15 high winds and storms. Emergency Management Director Jennifer Merrow says the declaration will give county officials time to gather additional reports, and submit those for potential aid. She spoke about damage reported at the Rock Creek High School campus. Merrow says the U.S. Department of Agriculture is holding a Tuesday meeting to review some of the damage incurred by Pottawatomie County farmers. Merrow says the National Weather Service surveyed wind damaged areas of the county. She says they couldn’t link any of the damage to…

Fresh out of quarantine, C. Clyde Jones is celebrating Tuesday, his 99th birthday. The Manhattan philanthropist typically celebrates with a big birthday get together each year, but had to cancel plans for a party this past Saturday after testing positive. He received recognition Monday during the Greater Manhattan Community Foundation’s Community Hour, heard on KMAN. Retired USD 383 Director of Theatre Linda Uthoff sang with Clyde one of his favorite tunes, via Zoom from her home in Iowa. Jones is already making plans to celebrate his 100th birthday with a party, albeit a few months early, in June. Jones was…

A 67-year-old Manhattan man convicted on more than two dozen counts of child sex abuse was sentenced earlier this month and will likely spend the rest of his life in prison. At a sentencing hearing in Riley County District Court on Dec. 6, Alan Ingwersen was sentenced by Judge Grant Bannister to 155 months on five counts of rape as well as 155 months on four counts of aggravated criminal sodomy. He also was sentenced to 41 months on eight counts of aggravated indecent liberties. Per the double rule, which caps the maximum sentence to two times the length of…

A Manhattan woman was jailed over the weekend after allegedly assaulting another woman in the head with a toaster. The Riley County Police Department filed a report Saturday for aggravated battery and domestic battery, charging 21-year-old Lakesha Randolph in the incident. An 18-year-old woman, identified in an online criminal complaint as a family member, was listed as the victim. Randolph was arrested in connection for aggravated battery and remains jailed on a $5,000 total bond.

Geary County officials say water levels are nearing normal operational levels within the system across Junction City and surrounding communities. The Emergency Operations Center held a briefing at 11 a.m. where it was noted that all households receiving water from the Junction City Water Treatment Plant should have running water by this point. That said, a boil advisory remains in effect through Tuesday from KDHE to ensure the water is safe for consumption. That advisory could be lifted before then, depending on when testing is completed. All business and industrial facilities have been cleared to reopen, including car washes and…