Author: Brandon Peoples

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.…

Manhattan City Commissioner Aaron Estabrook will lead the Manhattan Housing Authority. The agency’s Board of Commissioners announced Estabrook as its new Executive Director Monday, replacing Joann Sutton, who announced her retirement late last year after 33 years. In a news release Monday, MHA Commissioner Kennedy Clark, who chaired the search committee, said Estabrook’s “aptitude for innovative approaches to complex problems is important for us moving forward.” Estabrook most recently worked as Business and Community Liaison for Flint Hills Job Corps and said he’s excited for the new challenge, noting the Housing Authority’s “unique opportunity to grow as a resident-centered organization…

Just four new coronavirus cases were identified over the weekend in Riley County. In addition, 57 people were added to the COVID recovery list Monday. Ascension Via Christi continues to care for one positive patient, but no patients are currently in the Intensive Care Unit. Local Health Officer Julie Gibbs told county commissioners Monday there are 64 active cases throughout the county. “Our percent positive stayed steady at about 2 percent the week before last, the same as it was the week prior. However, I’m happy to say we’ve been below 5 percent for the past month, so that’s good…

A Manhattan man facing a host of criminal charges including an alleged October kidnapping and battery against a 25-year-old woman has reached a plea agreement with prosecutors. At a Riley County District Court hearing via Zoom Monday, the attorney for 26-year-old Aaron Lewis informed Judge John Bosch that an amendment to that document needed to be signed by Lewis. The judge in turn set the case for a 1 p.m. Zoom hearing March 8, where Lewis is expected to enter a global plea that satisfies that case and six other pending cases against him. Lewis is charged in the October…

Riley County Commissioners have given the Next Generation 911 committee direction to move forward naming, renaming and in some cases, renumbering private roads in unincorporated parts of the county. The goal is improving safety for emergency services, who may be called out to certain parts of the county that don’t match up with its numbering grid and could cause a delay in someone getting help. County Clerk Rich Vargo said Thursday it’s a contentious issue for many residents, tied to emotions and a resistance to change. “At some point in time, everyone needs to be brought up to the same…

Riley County health officials confirmed eight new COVID cases Friday and 12 more recoveries. Just one patient was being treated at Ascension Via Christi, but no patients are in the ICU. Altogether, there are 117 active COVID cases. The health department has now fully vaccinated over 3,200 people and seen close to 5,400 receive at least their first dose. Phase 3 of the vaccine distribution is expected to get underway next week, giving shots to residents 18 to 64 with severe health conditions. Earlier in the week, Riley County reallocated 400 doses from its supply to neighboring Pottawatomie County to…

Fort Riley is deploying an additional task force to help support national COVID-19 vaccination efforts. Approximately 120 soldiers from the 1st Infantry Division’s 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team are headed to Miami, Florida to support a state-run federally supported Community Vaccination Center. The soldiers deploying include medical personnel and support staff. Teams will be capable of administering up to 3,000 vaccinations per day. A similar team deployed Feb. 19 from Fort Riley to Dallas, Texas where they’re supporting vaccination efforts at the Cotton Bowl. Additionally, the 1st Sustainment Brigade has 44 soldiers supporting FEMA vaccination efforts in New York, New…

Census data from the 2020 collection might not be known for another two months. At Monday’s Intergovernmental Luncheon, U.S. Census Bureau regional spokesperson Emily Kelley said collection efforts are continuing and that the bureau hopes to have state level counts available to the public in the spring. “Our target date right now is April 30, 2021.” said Kelley. “I know previously before COVID-19 happened our deadline would have been a December 31 of 2020 to the present but we have had that deadline moved because of COVID.” Specific numbers pertaining to the region won’t be available until much later. A…