Author: Brandon Peoples

A temporary street closure is in place near the Kansas State University campus. The City of Manhattan says Old Claflin Road, just west of North Manhattan Avenue, will be closed to vehicular and pedestrian traffic through mid-March, as a new crosswalk and traffic signal are installed. This is impacting access to the northeast portion of campus. It’s part of the city’s North Manhattan Avenue pedestrian safety project.  Elsewhere in the city, improvements will begin Monday on Houston Street between 3rd and 4th Streets. The road surface will be reconstructed and the city will do storm sewer and sidewalk replacements in…

A bill that would give Riley County some authority over nuisance properties has cleared the first hurdle toward becoming law. Senate Bill 162 passed the Senate Thursday on a 34 to 5 vote. The bill would grant Riley County the ability to force landowners to clean up nuisance properties in unincorporated areas. Commission Chair John Ford says it adds another tool to bring a relatively small amount of property owners into compliance. Ford says the bill mirrors Sedgwick County law allowing liens to be assessed on properties determined to be in need of cleanup. The county has been working through the…

Fiber broadband is coming to Manhattan. WTC announced Wednesday a $50 million fiber network expansion, bringing broadband to all parts of the city within the next 36 months. CEO Jeff Wick says the project is being 100% privately funded. The announcement preceded the company’s Business After Hours, hosted by the Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce. Director of Economic Development Daryn Soldan says having broadband changes the dynamic as Manhattan competes for economic growth opportunities. Wick says burying the fiber underground takes time but is much more reliable than aerial deployment. Fiber broadband enables remote working environments, improving educational opportunities, advancing…

Authorities are searching for a Washington County man, missing since Saturday. According to the Sheriff’s Office, 44-year-old Ben Berger was last seen leaving the Marysville Walmart Saturday afternoon heading eastbound on US Highway 36 in a red Nissan Xterra. He has not been in contact with family or friends. Berger is a white male, about 5 feet 7 inches tall, weighing about 230 pounds. He is bald and has hazel eyes. Anyone with information regarding Berger’s disappearance or his known whereabouts should contact the Washington County Sheriff’s Office at 785-325-2293 or the Kansas Bureau of Investigation at 785-296-4017.

With Fake Patty’s Day just around the corner, local leaders are pushing a message of safety and encouraging those who partake in the annual unofficial drinking holiday to be mindful of city code. Over the past week, RCPD has put out a series of messages via social media reminding the public of city codes related to minor in possession, hosting minors, unlawful assembly and criminal trespass. At Tuesday’s monthly Law Board meeting, Mayor Wynn Butler noted many online had been misinterpreting the social media posts as a way for local officials to squash Fake Patty’s Day. Aggieville Business Association Director Dennis…

Six weeks after the Riley County USD 378 school board suspended its superintendent, the board moved Tuesday to fire Cliff Williams on a 4-2 vote.  Board President Samantha Brown says a majority of the board felt Williams’ contract exceeded Kansas statute 72-1134 which states “a school board shall appoint a superintendent for a term of not more than three years.” Williams received an extension to his three year contract in December prior to the board turning over, on a 5-0 vote.  Two of the current board members, Brown and James Greer, did not attend the December meeting and two new…

Fort Riley officials say a soldier was shot in his home on post Monday. The incident was reported on the 1st Infantry Division Facebook page Tuesday evening. They say a suspect was apprehended shortly after the incident and there was no threat to the greater Fort Riley community. Names of those involved were not provided. Federal authorities are said to be actively investigating. This is a developing story. Further details are pending from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach has confirmed a Florida man was arrested last week for forging signatures on petitions to make “No Labels” an officially recognized political party in Kansas. The attorney general’s office said 30-year-old George Andrews, of Dade City, Florida, is charged with dozens of counts of election misconduct. Pending extradition, Andrews will appear in Johnson County District Court . In a statement, Kobach said “the arrested individual was part of a scheme to defraud Kansas voters by placing their forged signatures on petitions. In Kansas, we take election fraud seriously, and we will prosecute every case where…

Statues showcasing the rich history of the Douglass Community Center and the Douglass Center Annex in Manhattan were officially unveiled to the public Tuesday morning. “Today we celebrate black history on Yuma Street. That is monumental today in the city of Manhattan,” said Dave Baker, former Douglass Center Director. Four years ago, Baker approached city officials wanting to do something within the historic district to highlight the important role the two buildings played in shaping Manhattan’s black culture and community in the 20th century. “These statues will always tell that story. If you didn’t grow up here or live here,…

Lighting may become a challenge over the next few days in Downtown Manhattan as a road construction project gets underway there next week. City officials say Evergy on Monday began removing light poles in a section of Houston Street between 3rd and 4th Street. This is being done in conjunction with Houston Street infrastructure improvements to coincide with the new Museum of Art and Light, which is currently under construction. City Engineer Brian Johnson explains. Once completed, the 4th and Houston intersection will closely resemble the intersection of 4th and Poyntz. The project will begin Feb. 26 and will continue…