Author: Brandon Peoples

Downtown Manhattan soon will have a designated space where people can freely roam while drinking an alcoholic beverage. City commissioners on Tuesday narrowly approved an ordinance that will establish a common consumption area that will include several downtown businesses. The vote was 3-2, with commissioners Susan Adamchak, John Matta and Jayme Minton supporting. Mayor Karen McCulloh and commissioner Peter Oppelt voted against. To view the full article visit theMercury.com. Click here for more local news.

All eyes will be on the Riley County Commission Thursday as the board considers a possible veto of a Manhattan workforce housing project. In a Wednesday newsletter to its members, the Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce reiterated its support for the project and urged the county to support the project. “We would be disappointed if the county would take this approach on the issue,” the letter stated. “We cannot continue to pay for existing services if we don’t grow. The existing tax burden on our residents, small businesses and entrepreneurs and lack of growth to provide more jobs and shopping…

Authorities are investigating the drowning of a six-year-old girl at Milford Lake. Deputies with the Geary County Sheriff’s Office responded around 5 p.m. Monday to a medical call at the swim beach near the splash pad and south boat ramp at Milford State Park. The girl was then transported to Stormont Vail Flint Hills where she was pronounced dead. The girl’s identity has not been released. Authorities have ruled out any criminal activity and are asking anyone who may have witnessed the incident to contact investigator Lt. Zachary at (785) 238-2261. Click here for more Geary County news.

Manhattan Public Works crews plan to begin water, street and stormwater improvements at Anderson Avenue on Monday. This marks the beginning off a series of projects which will impact the corridor over the next two years. “We’re going to be starting construction on Anderson Avenue, from Connecticut to Lee school,” Brian Johnson, director of Manhattan Public Works, said. “That’s the entirety of the project. We’re going to start from Connecticut to about the Unger complex, and we’re going to be reducing (traffic) from four lanes to two lanes, so you’ll be head-to-head now.” A website providing updates on the construction…

City officials are considering a request to amend the sales tax exemption for renovations to Wareham Hall in downtown Manhattan. The item is part of the Tuesday work session agenda. The meeting will begin at 6 p.m. in City Hall. City administrators seek direction from the city commission over a proposed 10-year, 100% property tax abatement for the project. The developer also requests a $350,000 cash incentive for public infrastructure improvements. The city, in December 2023, approved a resolution of intent to issue industrial revenue bonds for a sales tax exemption. Since then the project’s budget increased from $25 million…

A spokesperson with Chipotle Mexican Grill has confirmed to KMAN and The Mercury that the company is planning to open a new restaurant in Manhattan later this year, but declined to share further details, including the future site of the new store. It’s believed the company has chosen a commercial lot west of Walmart and south of Meritrust Credit Union, at 818 Tuttle Creek Blvd. ARC General Contracting, of Lenexa, was approved for a building permit at that site on April 16. According to its company website, ARC has designed numerous quick service restaurant buildings in Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma,…

The Manhattan City Commission on Tuesday unanimously approved an agreement with Hartford LLC at 700 Poyntz Ave., which is the former Commerce Bank building. The plan calls for crews to make streetscape, landscaping and sidewalk improvements along Poyntz Avenue, Eighth Street and Houston Street, around a future 80,000-square-foot building that will boast retail and residential space. “Part of it is making that streetscape mirror what is further down to the east so there would be one lane that is going eastbound and then some diagonal parking that would be in front of the new Hartford building,” Stephanie Peterson, the city’s…

A Manhattan woman became the final candidate on Monday to enter the race for a seat on the city commission. Martha Sweeney is an office manager for the K-State rowing team and works alongside her husband Patrick, the long time rowing coach. This is her first attempt at seeking public office. “I know there’s a lot of polarization in the community, in the country, in the world at the moment, and I want to be involved with my community,” she said. “I really care about Manhattan, and I want to be a part of helping to make decisions that are…

Flint Hills Job Corps is facing an uncertain future after the U.S. Department of Labor announced Thursday it is suspending operations at all Job Corps centers nationwide, effective June 30. The decision follows the April release of the Job Corps transparency report, which found the overall graduation rate was just 38.6%, while the total cost per graduate totaled $155,600. Average annual earnings for graduates after they leave the program is just under $17,000. The decision also aligns with President Trump’s 2026 budget proposal and federal officials have said the program costs taxpayers $1.7 billion annually. According to the Labor Department,…

After two years on the Manhattan City Commission, Peter Oppelt is hoping to earn a second term. “I’m not going to take my incumbency for granted, and I do want to earn the privilege of continuing my service,” he said. The 37-year-old Army veteran finished third in the 2023 general election and, per statute, received a two-year term as a result. He officially filed for re-election on Wednesday. To view the full article visit theMercury.com. Click here for more local news.