Author: Brandon Peoples

Manhattan city officials are looking to state lawmakers for help to persuade federal officials to maintain the current width of the Manhattan Regional Airport runway. The city, which has started design of a replacement runway, says it disagrees with the Federal Aviation Administration’s position that the airport doesn’t need a 150-foot wide runway based on its operations. The city argues the runway width is crucial to its service of Fort Riley. City Manager Ron Fehr estimates if the FAA doesn’t agree to fund 90 percent of the costs, it would mean an estimated $3.5 million to maintain. “The main runway…

Riley County Police arrested a 31-year-old Wamego resident on charges of soliciting a minor for sex. According to its Monday arrest report Jaime Lara was charged Sunday with one count of indecent solicitation of a child and one count of indecent liberties. The victim in the alleged incident was under the age of 16. Lara remains jailed on a $15,000 bond. ———– A Fort Riley man was arrested over the weekend after it was alleged he threatened a woman and her two children with a gun. RCPD charged 21-year-old Abed Sbeih on New Year’s Eve with four counts of aggravated…

Riley County health officials have confirmed two additional COVID-19 related deaths, bringing the pandemic total for the county to 22. The first patient, a 79-year-old man died Dec. 30 after testing positive earlier in December. The second patient, an 82-year-old man died Saturday after testing positive just three days prior. The health department also confirmed 116 new positive cases and 184 additional recoveries since its previous report last Wednesday. As of Monday, Ascension Via Christi was caring for 14 positive patients and one person under investigation. Four of those positive patients are in the Intensive Care Unit. Riley County has…

2020 is a year most of us would probably prefer to forget about. As we enter 2021, it seemed only fitting to put a wrap on the year that was and look back at some of the top stories we followed at the local level. The list was compiled based on engagements seen through our website, social media channels and impact to the community. Cramming 10 stories into a year filled with so much news wasn’t an easy task, but without further ado, here’s a look at some of the biggest news stories we saw in Manhattan. Each story is…

Two additional COVID-19 related deaths have been confirmed by Ascension Via Christi Hospital in Manhattan. Hospital president Bob Copple says one patient was a resident of Riley County and the other a resident of Pottawatomie County. The hospital continues to care for 15 positive patients as of Thursday. As the year draws to a close, Riley County has seen 4,917 positive cases to date, since March 20 when Drew Smith became the first Manhattan resident to test positive. There are 353 active cases. Pottawatomie County has totaled 1,097 cases overall according to the health department, including 22 additional cases since…

A Manhattan man seriously hurt Wednesday after rolling his vehicle on Interstate 70 in Geary County. The crash occurred just after 6 p.m. about two miles east of K-177. According to the Kansas Highway Patrol, 61-year-old Benjamin Ayon was traveling west on I-70 when he attempted to exit on the off ramp at Deep Creek Road at a high rate of speed. Ayon failed to negotiate a curve causing the vehicle to roll twice before landing on all four tires in the east ditch. Ayon became trapped and had to be extricated from the vehicle. He was transported to Ascension…

Things will look much different at the Statehouse when the Kansas Legislature convenes for its 2021 session. “The floor, the House chambers will be off limits to outsiders. About half of the seats have been removed and so the galleries will be open for all legislators to spread out throughout the building so when we do have to vote, we will be at least six feet apart,” said 51st District Rep. Ron Highland (R-Wamego). Leadership in both the House and Senate are working to accommodate the 165 voting member legislature. While perhaps no measure will be 100 percent effective in…

The U.S. Treasury reportedly began distributing the $600 stimulus payments into bank accounts Tuesday night, according to a pair of tweets from U.S. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin. This comes on the heels of President Trump signing the $900 billion Covid relief bill, the second such legislation passed this year due to economic fallout from the pandemic. How quickly it arrives in local bank accounts is uncertain. Some may have already received the payment. Others should see payments arrive by later this week and into next week. Paper checks will be mailed out Wednesday to those who do not have their…

Riley County Police are investigating a Monday burglary in Manhattan where nearly $10,000 worth of valuables including weapons were stolen. Police filed the burglary report in the 500 block of North Juliette Ave. listing a 42-year-old man as the victim. Police say an unknown suspect entered his home and stole a number of shotguns, a rifle, and handguns, as well as ammunition, a knife, an iPhone, a gold ring, multiple collectible watches and cash. Officers listed the total loss at approximately $9,720. Police urge anyone with information to contact RCPD or Manhattan Riley County Crime Stoppers. The complete list of…

At a special meeting Tuesday morning, Manhattan city commissioners approved the division of lots in the Plaza West Shopping Center where many buildings were flooded and eventually demolished following the 2018 Labor Day flood. No plans are in place for the site yet at the southeast corner of Anderson Avenue and Seth Child Road. ICON Investments owner Ward Morgan acquired the property from Mark Samarrai. Morgan also owns the nearby Midwest Dream Car Collection as well as CivicPlus. The former La Hacienda and Golden Wok buildings, which sustained heavy flood damage, were demolished earlier this year after sitting vacant for…