Author: Brandon Peoples

Students and staff in Geary County schools are now required to wear masks indoors. The USD 475 school board voted unanimously Monday to update the district’s COVID-19 mitigation plan, given the county’s rapid rise in COVID-19 cases. It goes into effect immediately and extends to all district facilities and vehicles, including school buses. The mask policy will remain in place until Oct. 8, when board members will re-evaluate. The move follows the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidelines for K-12 schools released on July 27. If a vaccinated student or staff member is exposed to COVID-19, the district says…

A Junction City man and three others were killed Monday in a head on crash near Garden City, Missouri, about an hour southeast of Kansas City. The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a semi truck driven by Everett Ashley of Lowry City, Missouri lost control in the southbound lanes of MO Hwy 7 at Route Z. The semi traveled into an embankment and into the northbound lanes of the highway. It then struck a northbound SUV driven by 61-year-old Stephen Bennett, of Junction City head-on. Bennett was transported to a local hospital, where he later died. Ashley and two passengers…

Seven months after the Pottawatomie County Public Works Administrator job became vacant, the county commission is still struggling to find the right fit. The commission voted 2-1 Monday to advertise a full salary range for the position. In the past, the county administrator only had authority to offer pay at the starting wage ($70,000) and up to 25 percent above that ($88,000). Commission Chair Greg Riat says that has handicapped the county’s ability to find the right fit. Commissioner Pat Weixelman opposed the motion, preferring the county take a different approach. By comparison, Riley County’s assistant public works director position…

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…