Author: Brandon Peoples

Riley County has officially introduced Alice Massimi as its new Public Information Officer. Massimi started Jan. 12 and is already working closely with the county’s health and emergency officials to ensure critical information and updates concerning the Coronavirus Pandemic response are reaching the community. She will coordinate and manage public affairs programs across the Riley County departments and services. Prior to Riley County, Massimi was Executive Producer of Connecting Vets, a Radio.com company, focused on providing news and resources for the veteran community. She is an award-winning reporter and holds a Master’s degree in Strategic Communication from American University and…

Retention rates for Riley County dispatchers have improved significantly since 2019, according to a report from Riley County Police Department Director Dennis Butler. “I expected it to take about two years to achieve the gains that you’re seeing in this report, which has cut our vacancy rate in half,” Butler told Riley County Law Board members Tuesday. “I really thought it would take longer to get where we are now, but I’m very pleased and we’re continuing to make progress.” The Riley County Law Board in December 2019 approved a new $34,000 recruitment and retention plan to combat turnover within…

Kansas State University’s top official is asking community members to reach out state officials as it anticipates some of its deepest budget cuts in over a decade. President Richard Myers, in a letter to the K-State community Tuesday, says Gov. Laura Kelly’s 5.5 percent cut outlined in her 2022 budget proposal to the legislature last week would be the biggest cut to its budget since 2009. The cuts come amid a disastrous 2020 that saw budget reductions, furloughs and layoffs as revenues declined amid the coronavirus pandemic. Myers estimates that because of the dynamics of the legislature, the cuts could…

Inspiring hope for a better tomorrow, Manhattan Christian Fellowship Church Associate Pastor JahVelle Rhone says the only way forward is to appreciate the path carved out by those who came before. “It is so imperative that we as leaders and teachers, educators move forward, yet still reach back to show of a hope and a future for those who come behind us,” he said. The words came during Monday’s Manhattan MLK Committee’s virtual prayer breakfast. Rhone reflected on the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and offered encouragement that even with the struggles of racism and inequality still ever…

The annual K-State rodeo, planned for February has been canceled. The university’s Department of Animal Sciences and Industry says K-State, Riley County and Manhattan restrictions won’t allow for the annual event to take place at Weber Arena this year. K-State Rodeo Club Coach Casy Winn says plans were initially to have the rodeo moved to Domer Arena in Topeka, but it became part of hospital overflow in December and the facility canceled all events. After exploring other venues in Kansas, Winn says they could not find the right fit, to host the more than 400 contestants. This year would have…

New details in a rape investigation revealed that a 12-year-old girl posed as an adult on a dating app, leading to the arrest of four Fort Riley Soldiers. According to the Manhattan Mercury, the girl, who is now 13, revealed during a court hearing Friday that she met one of the four men charged, through the app BLK, a dating service app for black men and women, where she posed as a 19-year-old. She claims she met 19-year-old Jamichael Strahan on three different occasions in August. He was arrested Aug. 25. Strahan, a Fort Riley soldier, had initially been charged…

Motor vehicle thefts and thefts from motor vehicles have spiked recently in the Manhattan area. The Riley County Police Department says it’s now arrested three offenders in connection to motor vehicle thefts and seven arrests involving four offenders in connection to stealing property from motor vehicles. The thefts were said to have occurred in November and December. In a post on the RCPD Facebook page Friday, police shared a map showing the locations of all motor vehicle thefts between Nov. 1 and Jan. 14. Thefts have taken place all across town, with the majority coming from the southern part of…

Riley County health officials confirmed Friday a 23rd death tied to the novel coronavirus. The 85-year-old patient tested positive for COVID-19 Dec. 28 and died Jan. 8. His death comes amid 130 new positive cases and 64 additional recoveries reported Friday. The health department says there are 545 active cases, including 23 positive patients and one person under investigation being cared for at Ascension Via Christi Hospital. Three of the positive patients are in the Intensive Care Unit. During KMAN’s In Focus Friday, Bob Copple, president of the Manhattan hospital noted that at least two of the patients in the…

Riley County Police say a man reported missing is recovering at Manhattan’s Ascension Via Christi Hospital for treatment of hypothermia. Officers filed the missing person report shortly before 3 p.m. Thursday in the 4200 block of Spook Rock Way. Less than six hours later, police found the 29-year-old man in the Rocky Ford Outdoor Recreation Area, with the help of the Manhattan Fire Department and Riley County EMS. According to RCPD, the man, whose name was not released is in stable condition at the hospital. No further details have been released.

Improvements to the Manhattan Regional Airport’s parking lot are now complete and the next step now is determining a user fee. For years the airport has had free parking, but Airport Director Jesse Romo says a proposal to the Manhattan City Commission on Tuesday, will request a daily $2.50 fee be implemented on Feb. 1 . “We needed to do these improvements and then we needed to find a way to pay for them. So we wanted to keep the fee nominal, but high enough that we could pay for the debt service of the project,” he said. The first…