Author: Brandon Peoples

Former Fort Riley Fire Chief and Pottawatomie County Emergency Management Director John Boyd died Friday at the age of 70. Boyd retired as the Fort Riley Fire Chief in 2004, following a 31-year career with the federal government, according to his obituary. He was emergency manager in Pottawatomie County from 2003 to 2008 and was employed by the State of Kansas with the Firefighters Relief Act until his retirement in 2014. He also served in the U.S. Marine Corps until his discharge in 1976. Boyd will lie in state at 2 p.m. Wednesday at the Campanella & Stewart Funeral Home…

Flint Hills Breadbasket has secured the location of its new building in Manhattan. The organization said in a Facebook post Friday that it has completed the purchase of the Furniture Warehouse buildings at 2326 Skyvue Lane and 620 Rosencutter Road. The move will allow the Breadbasket to expand and continue to meet a growing need for food in the community. Steve Williams, the second generation owner of Furniture Warehouse, told The Mercury that he and his wife have been working on a 10-year-plan to move toward retirement. It began selling off its remaining inventory on June 6. The “quitting business…

Local officials are responding to Thursday’s announcement from Caterpillar that it plans to shutter its Wamego facility sometime next year. Wamego City Manager Stacie Eichem says they learned of the situation late in the day Thursday. Eichem says the announcement comes as a major blow to the community. Pottawatomie County Economic Development Corporation Executive Director Shanna Goodman provided the following statement Friday morning. “This news is a significant disappointment for our entire region, as Caterpillar has been an integral part of our community for decades. We are actively collaborating with regional partners to provide resources and support for displaced workers.…

Riley County Commissioners on Thursday unanimously approved an easement requested by the Kansas Department of Transportation for an upcoming roundabout project at Hwy 13 and Tuttle Creek Blvd. KDOT is purchasing a little more than an acre of land on county property near the volunteer fire district’s station 112, located on Hwy 13 near Tuttle Creek Dam. KDOT will pay the county $1,837.50 as it prepares for the upcoming project. Public Works Director John Ellerman… “Basically the easement was to improve the drainage. They increased the depth of the creek and lined it with rock to ensure the drainage comes across there…

Caterpillar has announced it will close its Wamego facility next year. The closure will occur in mid-2025 according to a company spokesperson. An official statement was released late Thursday: “To better utilize capacity and ensure alignment with the company’s long-term strategy, Caterpillar Inc. today notified its workforce at its Wamego, Kansas, facility that it will close in mid- 2025. This facility manufactures work tools and attachments. The company will support employees during this transition.” The Wamego facility manufactures and distributes a large variety of machine attachments for than 25 different product groups, according to information on its company website. The…

One person was injured Wednesday afternoon following a crash in east Manhattan. The Kansas Highway Patrol says it happened just after 12:30 p.m. in the eastbound lanes of Hwy 24 near the Manhattan Town Center when a van failed to yield while crossing the eastbound lanes and was struck by an oncoming pickup. The driver of the van, 64-year-old Odessa Richardson-Williams, of Manhattan was transported to Via Christi for a suspected minor injury. The crash report states there was a minor in the vehicle, but juvenile records are protected data. Authorities say the driver and passenger in the other vehicle,…

As the City of Manhattan ponders the future of indoor aquatics and a funding strategy for parks and recreation, the Manhattan-Ogden USD 383 school district figures to have some involvement. During an appearance on KMAN’s In Focus, Superintendent Eric Reid commented on the potential partnership the district could have with the city on any such project. Earlier this week, a majority of the Parks and Rec Advisory board favored sending the Move MHK Master plan draft to the city for final consideration, with a few recommendations, including that an intergovernmental partnership be formed between the city, Riley County, USD 383…

No injuries were reported after a crash Tuesday night that briefly shut down the eastbound lanes of K-18 near the Manhattan Regional Airport. According to the Riley County Police Department, the accident involved a wrong-way driver that hydroplaned and struck a jersey barrier during heavy rainfall. The driver was not hurt, but emergency personnel had to clear the roadway of debris. Traffic was restored to normal within an hour. Officers are working a single-car accident on K 18 between mile markers 182 and 183 eastbound. Traffic was completely shut down but is due to open soon to one-lane traffic. Please…

A Florida woman has been taken into custody in connection to alleged election fraud in Kansas. According to a release Tuesday from Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach, Nebraska authorities arrested 47-year-old Jamie Johnson, of Dade City, Florida, on May 29 for forging signatures on petitions to make “No Labels” an officially recognized political party in Kansas. The allegations were reviewed by Secretary of State Scott Schwab before the case was forwarded to Kobach’s office. Johnson is charged with multiple counts of election fraud in Johnson County District Court, including one of election perjury and 18 counts of election forgery. As…

A Manhattan man was arrested early Tuesday morning on a host of charges, including fleeing from police. According to the Riley County Police Department, 23-year-old Thomas Leggio was charged on probable cause offenses of aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer, interference, flee or attempt to elude with five or more moving violations and reckless driving, in addition to other traffic offenses. The arrest was made in the 500 block of Rio Hondo Way, in northeast Manhattan. Bond was set at $5,000, but police say Leggio was not confined as of Tuesday’s arrest report.