Author: Brandon Peoples

Midway through the school year USD 383 had some encouraging news regarding enrollment numbers. Assistant Superintendent Eric Reid presented counts from Jan. 15 during Wednesday’s school board meeting, showing only a slight decline from September, despite quarantines, students learning remotely and other factors. (Note: Reid’s mid-year enrollment report starts at the 1:39:00 mark on the board’s Feb. 3 meeting video). “We’ve still seen a lot of fluctuation in and out, due to comfort levels of where people are, but we continue to add students and I think when I asked (Tuesday) at the DAT meeting, we get the principals on…

Ascension Via Christi in Manhattan has announced updated visitor guidelines. Beginning Thursday, the hospital will allow patients who are admitted to have one designated visitor. As a result, visiting hours will be from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily, with an exception for labor and delivery and pediatric patients. The hospital said in a news release Wednesday that hospital leadership continues to be committed to protecting patients, visitors, caregivers and associates at its hospital and clinics. The updated guidelines come amid improving COVID-19 numbers locally.

The weekly percent positive rate of new coronavirus transmissions the final week of January was the lowest in Riley County since mid-October. Riley County health officials confirmed Wednesday a 5.2 percent positive rate for the week ending Jan. 30 with 148 positive tests out of 2,868 total tests. It’s the lowest percent positive rate since the transmission rate was 5 percent the week ending Oct. 17 when the county confirmed 55 positive cases out of 1,105 total tests. The health department has identified 23 new positive cases and 18 more recoveries since its previous report on Monday. Ascension Via Christi…

Riley County is making a push to expand its free COVID-19 testing capabilities throughout February. “We are in some different parts of Manhattan this week and then we’ll be headed up to Randolph, over to Ogden, so we’re trying to reach everybody that might not be able to get in to Manhattan to get that testing,” said Riley County Public Information Officer Alice Massimi. Testing will be available 10 a.m. to noon Wednesday at Northeast Community Park, located at 680 Knox Lane. No appointments are necessary. Additional test sites will be announced via the health department Facebook page. Massimi says…

It’s no secret that housing continues to boom in Pottawatomie County. New home builds in 2020 were relatively on pace with previous years, according to Planning and Zoning Administrator Stephan Metzger, with an uptick particularly in non-subdivision home construction. In 2020, 46 houses were built outside of subdivisions in the county, the highest total since at least 2000. Metzger says as urban sprawl continues, it’s important the county keep an eye out if it’s something they want to control. “The Flush Road is a particularly prominent example of the housing that’s starting to creep a little bit farther north every…

A Clay Center man has been jailed in connection to a number of burglaries and thefts in Pottawatomie County recently. According to Sheriff Shane Jager, 28-year-old Phillip Rose was arrested in connection to a Jan. 26 burglary and theft from the Westmoreland Co-Op, as well as the Pottawatomie County landfill. Detectives gathered evidence and issued a search warrant a Leonardville home, where Rose was located, with the assistance of Riley County Police. Stolen property from both burglaries, including money was also found at the home. Rose was arrested on an outstanding burglary and theft warrant from Cloud County. The Pottawatomie…

A Manhattan man was arrested Monday night on a Geary County warrant for residential burglary. The Geary County Sheriff’s Office lists six total charges against 29-year-old Christopher Freeman, including two counts of burglary and two counts of theft involving stolen firearms and two counts of theft from a building. Online court records allege the incidents are from October 2019 at a rural Geary County residence. Freeman remains jailed in Geary County on a $20,000 total bond.

A Junction City High School athletic trainer was arrested Friday following an investigation into sexual crimes. Junction City Police say 29-year-old Brandon Martino faces charges of sexual exploitation of a child and promoting obscenity to minors. No further information was released. Police are asking anyone with information to submit tips to Crime Stoppers or call the police department at (785) 762-5912. USD 475 Geary County Schools said in a statement Sunday that Martino has been suspended from all duties pending a completed investigation.

At a virtual town hall with faculty and staff Friday, Kansas State University President Richard Myers reiterated the university has no plans to adopt a controversial policy that would make it easier for university executives to dismiss faculty without initiating the process of declaring a financial emergency. The one-year policy was unanimously adopted Jan. 20 by the Kansas Board of Regents based on financial damage to K-State and the five other state universities during the COVID-19 pandemic. “We value tenure and we always will. Tenure is an important part of how we operate at Kansas State University. We have no…

A Junction City man accused in a May robbery and kidnapping is now jailed in Riley County. According to its Friday arrest report, RCPD have charged 22-year-old Walter Wadford on four total counts including two for aggravated burglary, one count of aggravated robbery and one count of kidnapping. An online criminal complaint, filed in late August, alleges Wadford robbed a man at gunpoint on May 22 at his apartment in the 1800 block of Claflin Road. He allegedly kidnapped the victim and burglarized the apartment. Wadford is being held on a $35,000 bond.