Author: Brandon Peoples

Riley County Police say a Manhattan man was arrested Friday in connection to a domestic incident from a day earlier. 41-year-old Desie Chatfield was jailed on charges of aggravated kidnapping and aggravated battery against a 42-year-old female victim Thursday. Police say Chatfield allegedly kept the victim from leaving a residence after an argument and stabbed her in the arm with a fork. Chatfield is confined on a $150,000 bond.

Candidates seeking a spot on the Manhattan City Commission this November recently turned in receipts showing campaign contributions and expenditures received from Jan. 1 through July 22. (Each of the reports can be viewed at the bottom of this story.) Two of the three incumbents raised the most, with Aaron Estabrook outpacing the field at $6,725 in contributions, including six contributions of $500. Fellow commissioner Usha Reddi raised $5,245.19, including three contributions of $500. Among those contributing to Reddi’s campaign, fellow commissioner Linda Morse contributed $100. Mayor Wynn Butler raised $1,723 over that time frame, with nearly a third of…

The Riley County Health Department is holding a COVID-19 vaccine clinic Friday for USD 383’s central enrollment. Health Department Director Julie Gibbs says the clinic takes place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m at the Manhattan High west campus. COVID testing will also be offered and those who come out will also get a free lunch voucher to La Hacienda. The push comes as Riley County deals with some of its biggest spikes in new cases in months, leading to nearly a dozen hospitalizations in the past week. Ascension Via Christi President and CEO Bob Copple says a majority of…

Source: Pottawatomie County Economic Development Corporation A recent analysis of economic productivity in Pottawatomie County has demonstrated the economy has room for substantial growth. While the overall economic burden facing most households in the county remains low, the county’s gross domestic product from utility production slipped from 40 percent in 2011 to 23 percent 2019. Actual GDP in Pottawatomie County decreased over that eight year period from $1.58 billion to roughly $1.36 billion. That decline is largely driven by decreases in output from the Jeffrey Energy Center. Pottawatomie County Economic Development Corporation Executive Director Jack Allston explains. Allston says Evergy…

Two people were killed in an early morning motorcycle wreck near Council Grove Dam, including a member of the popular local band The Box Turtles. Max Byram and a passenger, Jordan Kelly were riding on Dam Road about a mile north of Council Grove around 12:30 a.m. According to the Kansas Highway Patrol, Byram failed to negotiate a curb and struck a nearby guardrail. Byram who was 28 and Kelly, who was 20 were both ejected. Neither were wearing helmets. In addition to being a part of The Box Turtles, Byram was one of three mayoral candidates in Council Grove…

An Olsburg man was injured early this morning after being struck by a car in Manhattan. According to the Riley County Police Department, 67-year-old James Baugh was crossing the street in the 2400 block of Claflin Road shortly after 12:30 a.m. Baugh, who was in a wheelchair, was transported to Ascension Via Christi in critical condition and later transported to Stormont Vail in Topeka for treatment of his injuries. The driver, 19-year-old Nathan George, of Junction City, was not cited.

An associate professor in Kansas State University’s Department of Electrical Engineering alleges in a federal lawsuit that he was discriminated against due to a disability. Sanjoy Das, of Manhattan, filed the suit Friday in federal court. Das, who lives with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), claims in court documents that he requested reasonable work accommodations as allowed under the Americans with Disabilities Act, but was denied. Das claims he incurred work-related stress and a new anxiety disorder because of the denial of accommodations and was retaliated against for complaining about such discrimination. According to the suit, a department head granted…

A Junction City man is jailed in Riley County after police say he strangled a woman and damaged property. According to Tuesday’s Riley County Police Department activity report, 28-year-old Brandon Lee Gibson is alleged to have strangled a 28-year-old woman Monday night while she was holding a baby. The report also alleges Gibson damaged a Macbook computer belonging to the woman, causing over $1,000 in damage. Gibson is charged with aggravated domestic battery, domestic battery, criminal damage to property and aggravated child endangerment. Gibson remains confined on a total bond of $10,000

6 a.m. Tuesday update The Kansas Highway Patrol has identified the victim in Sunday’s fatal crash on Highway 77 near Randolph. According to the online crash report, 38-year-old Adam Samuelson, of Randolph, died after his car was struck by an eastbound semi truck which ran a stop sign at the intersection of Hwy 77 and Green Randolph Road. Samuelson’s vehicle was driving northbound on 77 and was struck on the driver’s side. The crash led to a roughly 2 hour closure of the highway Sunday morning. The semi driver, 81-year-old Russell Peterson, of Randolph, was not injured. 11 a.m. Monday …

The vaccination rate for residents in Pottawatomie County remains at a slow pace despite a growing number of new COVID-19 cases over the past few weeks. During her monthly update to the commission Monday, Health Director Leslie Campbell noted the county had 38 active cases, one hospitalization and 34 confirmed deaths as of Friday’s report. Despite rising cases, most have been spread out throughout the county, according to Campbell, who dismissed previous reports by WIBW-TV that the county had active clusters. A cluster includes five or more cases at a locality. Campbell says they are vaccinating on average about 20…