Author: Brandon Peoples

A former Manhattan Parks & Recreation supervisor will be sentenced early next year after entering a no contest plea Thursday to two charges of sexual exploitation of a child. Both are level five felonies. Zach Bayless appeared in front of Pottawatomie County Judge Jeff Elder where he entered the plea alongside his attorney, waiving his right to a preliminary hearing. County Attorney Sherri Schuck testified that investigators found Bayless downloaded and shared an image of an 11-13 year old girl in a state of undress using the social media app Kik. Investigators received a cyber tip and were able to…

Charges have been upgraded for the suspect in an early Sunday morning shooting at Tate’s Bar in Aggieville. Judge Kendra Lewison on Wednesday upgraded charges against 20-year-old Joshua Cummings to attempted first-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder and aggravated battery. Cummings had his first court appearance Wednesday via Zoom. At that hearing, the Manhattan Mercury reported that Deputy Riley County Attorney David Lowden told the judge that Cummings fired five shots from a revolver inside the bar. Two bullets hit 24-year-old K-State football player Reed Godinet, in his jaw and abdomen. During his Wednesday press conference, K-State football coach Chris Klieman…

There is no school Thursday at the Riley County Grade School after storm damage was reported late Wednesday evening. A damage estimate is pending from school officials. Superintendent Cliff Williams tells KMAN that an HVAC unit blew over on the roof. The high school will remain open as scheduled. Elsewhere, Manhattan Area Technical College is also closed Thursday but will continue with remote classes only. USD 322 Onaga Schools are cancelled and USD 473 Chapman is operating on a two hour delay. The Manhattan-Ogden School Board canceled its Wednesday meeting. They have rescheduled to Monday.

The Flint Hills were dominated by strong winds and heavy rain Wednesday which knocked out power, trees and caused widespread damage across the region. In Manhattan, a number of traffic signals and intersections were down, due to storm and wind damage. Thousands across Riley, Geary and Pottawatomie County have experienced power outages. According to Evergy officials, no estimate could be provided as to when power might be restored, due to the extent of storms statewide. The 600 block of Houston Street and 900 block of Ratone Street will remain closed until sometime Thursday as city officials say large trees were…

A 79-year-old man was brought into custody Wednesday and now faces charges after allegedly pointing a gun at an officer, which led to a standoff in the 1000 block of Bluemont Ave. According to the Riley County Police Department, an officer was out with a person experiencing a mental health crisis. The officer was approached by Stanley Hoerman, who was uninvolved, and proceeded to point a gun at the officer. Additional officers were called out and the person originally engaged with the officer was placed in a nearby patrol car for their own safety. Hoerman was also arrested on Dec.…

Strong winds knocked down the 68 foot tall Festival of Lights Christmas tree in Blue Earth Plaza Wednesday. Organizers worked to secure the tree, tucking in the top of the tree into its base to keep it from being further damaged. They were working to get all of the electronics out of the elements before any severe weather hit. Many of the metal bars inside the tree were visibly damaged. It’s unclear the extent of the damage and it’s also unclear how soon the tree can be put back together. A Tornado Watch has been issued for Riley County until…

A 20-year-old Fort Riley soldier is in custody in connection to Sunday’s early morning shooting at Tate’s Bar in Aggieville. The Riley County Police Department says Joshua Cummings was arrested without incident Tuesday afternoon, with assistance from Fort Riley officials. Cummings is facing charges of attempted second-degree murder and aggravated battery. Public Information Officer Aaron Wintermote says Cummings is being held in the Riley County Jail in lieu of bond, pending his first court appearance. Two 24-year-old men, including K-State football player Reed Godinet, were injured in the shooting. RCPD continues to investigate and are asking anyone with information, pictures…

Extreme fire danger is in place for the Flint Hills for the next 24 hours as a deep low pressure system develops Wednesday which will generate high winds area wide. The National Weather Service in Topeka has issued a high wind warning in effect 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday with red flag warnings in effect noon to 9 p.m. for very strong southerly winds of 30 to 40 mph. Wind gusts up to 70 mph are expected and that could snap tree limbs, blow over power lines and make difficult driving conditions, especially along Interstate 70. Couple that with…

A new scam, involving a person posing as a police officer, is circulating in the area and it’s already cost one resident $2,000. The Riley County Police Department says it recently responded to a citizen deceived by the fake cop into sending them money over the phone using MoneyPak to bond a friend out of jail. MoneyPak is used to deposit cash to a Green Dot prepaid card. It’s a common tactic used by scammers to bilk money from unsuspecting individuals. RCPD says officers will never contact residents to request bond money. That is always handled through a bondsman or…

The Geary County Sheriff’s Office and Junction City Animal Shelter are investigating two deceased dogs found about a week apart in the Burley Hill area, south of Junction City. The first was found Nov. 26 and the second on Dec. 6, both with gunshot wounds. The two dogs were described as a black and tan shepherd mix and a chocolate lab. Anyone with information is urged to call the shelter at 785-238-1359 or the Geary County Sheriff’s Office at 785-238-2261.