Author: Brandon Peoples

A bill that would allow for the legal age to conceal carry a firearm in Kansas be lowered from 21 to 18, has won final approval from the Kansas House. A key provision specifies a valid license or permit to carry a concealed firearm issued by another jurisdiction would be recognized in Kansas, even if the license or permit holder is from out of state. While he supported the bill, 67th District Rep. Mike Dodson (R-Manhattan) says it is not without flaws because already by state statute, Kansas allows 18, 19 and 20 year olds to legally carry an unconcealed…

Services are now set for a Manhattan woman killed in late February along I-70 in downtown Topeka. An obituary for 29-year-old Brooke Rees says funeral services will be held Monday, March 8 at 2 p.m. Eastern time at her hometown of Atlanta, Georgia. Those who knew her that wish to attend virtually can do so virtually through Passion City Church of Atlanta at this link: http://bit.ly/BrookeReesFuneral. Rees died Feb. 24 when a semi carrying large metal pipes lost its load. One of the pipes landed on top of her westbound vehicle near the 3rd Street exit. Seven vehicles were involved…

A new partnership has been announced between an industry-leading equipment manufacturer and Kansas State University. Great Plains Manufacturing announced Thursday it’s signed a master agreement to begin a research and testing partnership with K-State. The two entities will collaborate to conduct research, providing students with experience and hands-on learning opportunities. The company says it has provided agricultural equipment for use in various university research programs, part of a larger effort to expand corporate-student partnerships on campus and develop future potential job opportunities for students. The company’s executive vice president David Disberger said “Kansas State University is well-known for its contributions…

With COVID restrictions slowly being lifted in the area, the USD 383 Manhattan/Ogden Superintendent Dr. Marvin Wade says the district will approach some of their annual spring activities with careful precision. Wade, appearing on KMAN’s In Focus Wednesday, told listeners his office has received a lot of requests from community members wanting to use school facilities for events now that the Riley County Health Department has eased some of the restrictions, including the 50 person limit on gatherings locally. “For the most part it’s going to be a no. But we will look at instances like prom, commencement, school performances,…

A Junction City man is jailed in Riley County on multiple charges following a scuffle at Heritage Ridge Apartments Wednesday night, near CiCo Park in Manhattan. According to RCPD, 28-year-old Brandon Lee Gibson injured a 27-year-old woman and then crashed his vehicle into a pickup belonging to a 19-year-old woman. Two 18-year-old men were inside the truck at the time of the crash. Police did not list any injuries to the two men. Damage was estimated at around $5,000. RCPD says Gibson fled the scene and was taken into custody about two hours later. Gibson is charged with three counts…

Riley County Police say one person was injured Wednesday in a crash involving a passenger car, a moped and a motorcycle. The accident happened around 5 p.m. Police say 20-year-old Kade McGinn of Manhattan was driving his moped and struck the motorcycle driven by 21-year-old Michael Llewellyn and a 2016 Mazda MZ3, driven by 28-year-old David Bonner. McGinn was transported to Ascension Via Christi with head, shoulder and hand injuries. The other drivers were not injured. The accident shutdown Marlatt Ave. briefly Wednesday between College Ave. and Denison. Traffic had to be rerouted onto Kimball Ave. causing significant traffic delays. Police…

Kansas State University has announced that commencement will in fact be held this spring in person, and it’s inviting all 2020 graduates to celebrate with its spring 2021 graduates. Spring ceremonies in Manhattan will be held outside at Bill Snyder Family Stadium on Friday, May 14; Saturday, May 15 and Sunday May 16. A detailed schedule with commencement times is available on its website. The Polytechnic campus in Salina will hold commencement on Saturday, May 8 at Tony’s Pizza Event Center. The university says commencement plans depend on continued improvement in suppressing the spread of COVID-19. Last year, the university…

A man arrested last month in Texas in connection to past rapes in Ogden is now jailed in Riley County. The Riley County Police Department confirmed Wednesday that 46-year-old Michael James Tschantz was extradited from Naples, Texas to Manhattan on Tuesday. He’s charged with five counts of rape involving a child under the age of 14. The crimes are alleged over an eight year period between 2004 and 2012. The victim in the case is now 21. The Kansas Department of Corrections website shows Tschantz has a past Riley County conviction for aggravated indecent liberties in 1998. He was sentenced…

The statewide tornado drill concluded Tuesday with some Kansas residents confused by the alert they received on their phones. The warning received by many appeared to be an actual severe weather event with no mention that it was a test. The National Weather Service issued an apology minutes after it was issued. Screenshots were tweeted out by the Wichita office showing the full text of the announcement and how many times the word TEST was included in the messaging. It says what appears on cell phones is out of their control. Many of you received a Wireless Emergency Alert that…

Phase 3 of Riley County’s vaccination priority schedule won’t occur this week. The health department says it received word from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment Friday that the statewide vaccination plan’s details cannot be adjusted to accommodate for each county’s needs. No county can move to Phase 3 until other Kansas counties are also ready to move up to Phase 3. KDHE informed the health department that doing so would have halted additional vaccine shipments from being delivered. As a result, the county remains in Phase 2 and will administer only booster doses of the vaccine this week.…