Author: Brandon Peoples

Colder temperatures can be a drain on a lot of things, including your car’s battery. AAA Kansas reports that in the past week alone, its emergency roadside assistance calls increased 101 percent from week before. More than 1,300 rescue calls were made on Kansas roadways. AAA spokesperson Shawn Steward says about 76 percent of those calls were for dead batteries or other cold weather engine failures that required towing. “Batteries especially are susceptible to this level of cold. At zero degrees, a car’s battery loses about 60 percent of its strength, but the engine needs about twice as much power…

The City of Manhattan says as the potential for rolling blackouts continue, any future outages will impact traffic signals. Drivers who approach an intersection that is totally dark should treat it as a four-way stop unless law enforcement or other authorized persons are directing traffic. If you rely on emergency medical equipment powered by electricity and your power goes out, you should call 911. Manhattan Public Works also suggests customers conserve water during this period. The water treatment plant is not on the list for rolling blackouts. If a blackout did occur, city officials say the water treatment plant is…

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly on Sunday issued a State of Disaster Emergency due to wind chill warnings and stress on utility and natural gas providers. The declaration authorized the use of state resources and personnel to assist with response and recovery operations in affected counties that meet certain criteria. Because of the extreme cold which causes an increased energy demand and natural gas supply constraints, utilities are currently experiencing wholesale natural gas prices anywhere from 10 to 100 times higher than normal. To help manage spikes in your energy bill, it’s advised to when possible wear additional layers and consider…

Junction City Police have arrested two individuals following a months long drug distribution investigation. Sgt. Levi Whitebread confirmed the arrest of Darrin Battiste and Madison Verdoorn at Hi Poynt Studios in the 1100 block of Grant Ave. in Junction City. Police executed a search warrant Saturday morning. Verdoorn was jailed on charges of possession of a controlled substance. Battiste was jailed on marijuana possession with intent to distribute, possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and no drug tax stamp. Both are jailed in Geary County. The investigation into distribution of marijuana was conducted by the Junction City/Geary…

An 18-year-old Maple Hill man was arrested Wednesday south of Manhattan on a warrant stemming from an alleged assault in Riley County last summer. Riley County Police have charged Trenton Morgan with single counts of aggravated assault and aggravated battery as well as criminal damage to property. Online court records say the alleged incident occurred June 14 when Morgan attacked a 22-year-old man with a knife. He also is alleged to have damaged the victim’s car. Morgan was jailed on a $5,000 bond but was no longer confined as of Thursday’s RCPD arrest report.

A 43-year-old Manhattan man was arrested Wednesday by RCPD on a warrant for a host of drug-related charges. Shannon Lavar Bryant is charged with a single count of distribution or intent to distribute heroin within a 1,000 feet of school property as well as a conspiracy to do so. He faces an additional distribution charge and two counts of using a communication device to facilitate a drug transaction. It’s not clear from court documents where the transaction occurred. According to an online criminal complaint, Bryant is alleged to have met with 42-year-old Amanda Sue Wilroy in a drug deal July…

Riley County health officials have confirmed one additional COVID-19 related death, bringing the total for the pandemic to 32. The 76-year-old male patient tested positive Jan. 4 and passed away Tuesday at Via Christi Village. In addition, 17 new positive coronavirus cases and 21 recoveries were identified since Monday’s report. Ascension Via Christi is caring for four positive patients, three of which are in the Intensive Care Unit. The percent positive rate for the week ending Feb. 6 was 4.8 percent, confirmed from 111 positives out of 2,317 total tests. That’s down from 5.2 percent the previous week. The free…

An online criminal complaint alleges a drunk driver battered a Riley County Police officer before he was ultimately taken into custody early Wednesday morning. According to the RCPD arrest report, 30-year-old Antonio Neal is charged with seven total counts, including a second DUI offense, battery on a law enforcement officer, interference, unlawful possession of a controlled substance and driving while suspended. Neal is additionally charged with two counts of failing to appear in court. Neal was arrested shortly after 3 a.m. Wednesday in the 3700 block of Miller Parkway. Police say no injuries occurred during the arrest. He remains jailed…

A Junction City man is charged in an alleged rape in Riley County. Riley County Police arrested 26-year-old Dylan Fain Tuesday on a warrant. An online criminal complaint, filed with the Riley County Attorney’s Office Feb. 4, alleges the incident took place on or about August 5 with a 22 year-old victim. Fain is no longer in custody after posting a $50,000 bond. Court records show Fain was living in Manhattan until December before an eviction from the Gramercy Apartments.

A Manhattan woman sustained only a minor injury after a crash on the Kansas Turnpike in Leavenworth County Tuesday. According to the Kansas Highway Patrol, a Honda Pilot driven by 29-year-old Hope Passler was eastbound on Interstate 70, in the right outside lane when her vehicle struck an eastbound semi. Passler who was wearing a seat belt was transported to KU Medical Center, with a suspected minor injury. The driver of the semi, a 35-year-old Colorado man, was not injured.