Author: Brandon Peoples

The following summary of calls for service/reports filed by the Riley County Police Department is a portion of those received by police. Some names, addresses, and case details are withheld to follow local, state, and federal law as well as in an attempt to protect community members from being victimized further. Those arrested are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. MANHATTAN, KAN. –  Officers filed a report for theft in the 1400 block of Anderson Ave. in Manhattan on October 7, 2021, around 2:32 p.m. Officers listed an 18-year-old male as the victim when it was reported…

Pottawatomie County commissioners have approved a final plat for the Flint Hills Christian School property for its expansion project. Planning and Zoning Administrator Gregg Webster presented Monday the 12.7 acre tract where the new addition will be constructed. The plat identifies utility easements already in place, as well as dedication of new utility easements along Green Valley and Elk Creek Road, in addition to right-of-way dedications. The plat includes a new entrance from the northeast side of the property which Commissioner Dee McKee says should help alleviate some congestion onto Green Valley Road. The Manhattan Fire Department’s office of Risk…

Firefighters made quick work of a house fire Thursday morning in west Manhattan. Crews from the Manhattan Fire Department were dispatched to 3208 Highland Circle shortly before 11 a.m. for a report of smoke. When crews arrived they found fire in the basement of a single-story home. The home was not occupied at the time of the fire however a pet turtle inside the home died as a result of the fire. The total loss was estimated at around $30,000 including damage to the structure and contents. The fire department says the resident was able to remain in the home.…

With no K-State football this weekend, there are still plenty of events to keep people busy in the Little Apple and surrounding communities. The 47th annual Pumpkin Patch Arts & Crafts Fair opens 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at CiCo Park. Saturday is loaded with community events from the chili crawl in Aggieville to Flint Hills Beer Fest in Blue Earth Plaza and the Little Apple Marathon at Tuttle Creek State Park and a free family movie night at City Park beginning at 5 p.m. For more on these events, go to…

Fog is blamed for an early morning crash that injured two people in north Riley County Thursday. The Kansas Highway Patrol says two pickups collided at the intersection of Sherman Road and US Hwy 77 shortly after 7 a.m. A westbound truck driven by 63-year-old Patrick Johnson of Manhattan failed to stop at a stop sign to poor visibility and struck a northbound truck, driven by 50-year-old Daniel Reves of Westmoreland. Reves’ truck entered the ditch and overturned. According to the crash report, Reves was transported to Ascension Via Christi for a suspected serious injury. Johnson sustained a minor injury…

A pair from Manhattan were transported to Ascension Via Christi Hospital Wednesday morning following an injury crash on Interstate 70. The Kansas Highway Patrol says the couple were eastbound near mile marker 322, along the Riley/Wabaunsee county line, when the trailer they were pulling started to sway. The trailer laid over on its side and drug their GMC Sierra pickup truck onto the south shoulder, where it overturned. Authorities say 67-year-old Randy Davis and 58-year-old Maribeth Davis were both transported for possible injuries after reported complaints of pain. The crash report says both were wearing seat belts.

Riley County health officials confirmed the death of a 79-year-old man who tested positive recently for COVID-19. The man was fully vaccinated, and died Sept. 30 after testing positive just two weeks earlier. His death represents the 59th COVID-related death in Riley County. New COVID infections for the past week totaled 49 with 58 additional recoveries identified since the Sept. 29 report. Since December, the health department has seen 214 positive cases from variants of concern. As of Wednesday, six COVID-positive patients were under care at Ascension Via Christi Hospital, including five unvaccinated individuals. Three unvaccinated patients are in the…

Local candidates are taking part in a pair of virtual forums this weekend put on by the League of Women Voters of Manhattan/Riley County. Both forums are airing on News Radio KMAN, beginning at 1:30 p.m. Sunday. The event will also stream via Facebook live on the KMAN Facebook page. The six USD 383 school board candidates will participate first, followed by the candidates in the Manhattan City Commission race. The city candidate forum will start at approximately 3 p.m. Nine candidates will appear on the ballot, eight of which are participating in Sunday’s forum. Candidates will each have time…

Ten months after breaking ground on the Aggieville parking garage, the project is starting to take shape. Last month, a change order was approved to install a necessary fire suppression system, which Manhattan city staff admittedly overlooked. City Manager Ron Fehr provided a progress report during KMAN’s In Focus. Fehr says the next phase of construction involves the streets surrounding the garage, which will start once crews finish up at 14th and Anderson as well as 14th to Manhattan Avenue, which is slated for reconstruction from Fremont to Bluemont Ave. The city is planning to rebuild all service connections off…

Geary County USD 475 will continue to require students, staff and visitors to wear masks through at least early spring. The school board voted Monday to extend its mask requirement for all patrons regardless of vaccination status until April 4, 2022. The board says it will reassess the situation at that time. The masking requirement applies to all district facilities and vehicles, including school buses. Staff and students exposed to COVID-19 can still test to stay at school, as part of the district’s Test to Stay and Learn program.