Author: Brandon Peoples

Riley County is reporting 125 new positive COVID-19 cases since Wednesday. Along with the new cases, 128 people have recovered since Wednesday’s report as well. This puts the county at 388 active cases. Ascension Via Christi is monitoring 10 positive patients. Since March, 3,905 people have tested positive for the virus. A total of 3,501 (90 percent) have made full recoveries. A total of 16 deaths have also been logged during that period. A total of 657 people were swabbed at the free testing event on Thursday. Free drive-up testing will be offered again December 10 from 11:00 a.m. to…

A Manhattan man was seriously injured in a two-vehicle crash in Geary County Thursday morning. The Kansas Highway Patrol says the crash was reported just after 11 a.m. in the eastbound lanes of Interstate 70 in Junction City, about three miles east of US 77. The crash report says a Mercedes-Benz driven by 66-year-old Charles Gillum of Manhattan was trying to pass an eastbound Ford F250 in the left lane, but the driver of the pickup failed to notice Gillum’s vehicle and attempted to change lanes at the same time. The pickup struck the Mercedes, which then left the roadway…

It’s unclear how soon a coronavirus vaccine makes it into our area, but discussions are beginning to happen with state and local health officials about how vaccines will be distributed. “We believe there will be some disseminated to local health departments for use within counties. I do anticipate that by a week from Friday, we’ll probably have a lot more detail what that will look like in Kansas,” said Ascension Via Christi President and CEO Bob Copple, who co-chairs the Manhattan Area Recovery Task Force. He believes much more will be known by late next week as the Food and…

Thousands of Kansans are still awaiting unemployment benefits as the state department of labor struggles to keep up with the demand placed upon it during the pandemic. Since March, Kansas has paid 3.2 million claims, totaling $2.3 billion. Acting Labor Secretary Ryan Wright. “You have to go back eight years to get to $2 billion in payouts. So this agency has done about eight years worth of work in the span of about eight months,” he said. Wright says in addition, the computer systems being used at the Department of Labor are more than 40 years old. Despite this, the…

A Junction City woman convicted for her role in a 2017 Riley County murder will serve up to eight months in prison. Riley County Judge John Bosch handed down the sentence last week to 44-year-old Bobbie Jo Long. She’s also been ordered to serve 18 months of probation. Long previously pleaded guilty to one count of obstructing apprehension or prosecution in connection to the murder of former drug informant Carrie Jones of Junction City. Jones’ body was found in rural Riley County in October 2017. She sustained a gunshot wound. Prosecutors said Long was an accomplice to Steven Meredith, who…

A sixteenth Riley County resident has died from COVID-19 related complications. The health department confirmed Wednesday an 86-year-old woman, who was a Leonardville Nursing Home resident, died after testing positive for the novel coronavirus Nov. 8. It’s the nursing home’s third COVID fatality. The county recorded 71 new cases and nine more recoveries since Monday as the active case count climbed to 391. The Pottawatomie County Health Department recorded 14 new COVID-19 infections since Monday and has now totaled 703 since March, with 41 active cases and 666 now listed as recovered. The county was monitoring one COVID positive patient…

Two Pottawatomie County communities have implemented face mask ordinances of their own to help mitigate community spread of the coronavirus. City officials in Wamego adopted an ordinance Tuesday which will remain in effect through Feb. 2. It requires masks be worn in all public spaces indoors or outdoors where six feet of physical distancing cannot be maintained. It exempts children under the age of 5 and those with medical or mental health conditions or a disability that prevents wearing of a face covering. A violation of the ordinance results in an infraction, punishable by a $25 fine. The Onaga City…

Three suspects, including a Manhattan woman are jailed following a Tuesday morning high speed chase in nearby Jackson County. According to the Sheriff’s Office, the vehicle reached speeds of up to 100 mph before becoming disabled along Hwy 75 in Shawnee County. Authorities including troopers with the Kansas Highway Patrol seized a quantity of methamphetamine during the stop. Taken into custody was 40-year-old Katrina Glaspie of Manhattan on numerous counts of identity theft and outstanding Riley County warrants. Glaspie was a passenger and owner of the vehicle. The driver was identified as 32-year-old Michael Gonzales of Topeka. He was charged…

A Manhattan man made his first appearance Monday after being charged with a misdemeanor of interference with law enforcement for falsely reporting a crime. The Riley County Attorney’s Office filed the one count complaint against 27-year-old Mike Rivera in early November, based upon completed Kansas Bureau of Investigation report.  It alleged Rivera falsely reported he was assaulted by a law enforcement officer June 1 near 15th and Humboldt Street in Manhattan. Rivera described that after he approached, an unidentified officer battered him outside the home and then at his apartment entrance. He also reported an injury and was treated and released from…

A holiday tradition will continue this Friday as the 19th annual Spirit of the Holidays lighted parade returns to Manhattan. There had been uncertainty if the parade would in fact take place with rising coronavirus cases in the area. Downtown Manhattan, Inc. says the City of Manhattan, along with the Riley County Emergency Operations Center decided to move forward as scheduled with the event. It is a slightly smaller parade, with about 38 entries expected, about a quarter less than usual. The parade, set for Friday begins at 5:30 p.m. and will begin downtown and travel to Aggieville. There will…