Author: Brandon Peoples

Authorities in Shawnee County arrested a pair of Manhattan residents this week on suspicion of fraudulent activity at a Topeka financial institution. In a news release Wednesday, Sheriff Brian Hill said deputies were dispatched Tuesday afternoon on a report of fraudulent activity when a man and woman tried to use an altered check in the bank drive thru. They were then taken into custody. The Sheriff’s Office charged 29-year-old Dakota Wood, of Manhattan, with two counts of forgery, nine counts of identity theft, four counts of theft and a drug paraphernalia charge. Also arrested was 22-year-old Hunter Williams, of Manhattan,…

Pottawatomie County confirmed 45 new COVID-19 cases Wednesday and says seven patients are currently being treated in local hospitals. Due to a change in reporting, the county health department says the State of Kansas is assisting them in working active cases. Once cases are transferred to the state, they no longer know how many are active, which are recovered, or which are pending. As a result, the health department says those numbers will no longer be included in their regular updates. Pottawatomie County has totaled 866 COVID-19 cases since March, including three deaths. The county on Monday had 70 active…

The Riley County Health Department reported the lowest number of new COVID-19 infections in nearly a month Wednesday as the percent positive rate also continued to go down. The health department confirmed 55 new infections, the lowest since Nov. 18 when 56 new cases were identified. In addition, 52 more recoveries were tallied. The total number of active cases is 343. Health officials also confirmed the 19th COVID related death in the county, an 89-year-old man who died at the hospital this week, after testing positive Nov. 30. Ascension Via Christi is caring for seven positive patients and two persons…

No changes to the learning mode are expected prior to the holiday break in USD 383 Manhattan/Ogden Schools. Many parents have wondered if the district might opt for full remote learning days next week since school is only in session Monday and Tuesday. Assistant Superintendent Eric Reid tells KMAN the board made a similar decision last month right before Thanksgiving, primarily out of necessity, due to a high number of quarantines. “We had an outbreak at our transportation department that took a lot of them down and we were getting to a point where we couldn’t even function on a…

In anticipation of its first shipment of COVID-19 vaccines, Irwin Army Community Hospital officials conducted a vaccination plan walk through Tuesday, in conjunction with the 1st Infantry Division and Fort Riley. It’s uncertain when vaccines will reach the post, but the hospital has freezers capable of storing both the Pfizer and Moderna versions of the vaccine. Both vaccines will be maintained in a frozen state, the Moderna vaccine requires storage in temperatures of -15 and -20 degrees Celsius. The Pfizer product requires storage at -80 degrees Celsius. Hospital Chief of Logistics Jose Espinoza spoke to the process of moving the…

Officials with the under construction National Bio and Agro Defense Facility are now targeting October 2021 for substantial completion of construction and thus allow the U.S. Department of Agriculture full access to operate the facility at that point. The milestone had initially been set for this month, but COVID-19 disruptions have caused that to be delayed. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security Science & Technology Directorate and USDA collaborated to realign the schedule to minimize further delays to the overall program. The revised date now includes significant additional efforts to address needed technology upgrades identified since completion of the design…

An April trial has been set in the case of a Manhattan man charged in a January rape. Traveil Lyn Lewis is charged with eight total counts including two rape charges, as well as one count aggravated domestic battery and one count of aggravated criminal sodomy stemming from the January incident. Riley County District Judge Kendra Lewison has scheduled a pre-trial hearing for March 29 and a trial setting for April 12 through April 15. Lewis also faces one count of criminal threat and three counts of violation of a protective order stemming from a March allegation that he threatened…

After Major League Baseball’s Cleveland Indians announced it would be dropping its team name “Indians” after 105 years, its anticipated other sports teams and schools may follow. No decision is expected from the USD 383 Manhattan/Ogden School Board at this week’s meeting, but that doesn’t mean a change couldn’t happen at some point. Board president Karla Hagemeister tells KMAN, in an email, the school board has a lot on its plate at the moment, most importantly, “trying to provide as much in person learning as we possibly can while keeping our students and staff safe and healthy.” In July, the…

A portion of K-99 in Wabaunsee County, south of Wamego will see a $12.6 million reconstruction and realignment project beginning on Monday, weather permitting. According to the Kansas Department of Transportation, the project will start two miles north of Interstate 70, ending just south of K-18. Phase one of the project will last through July. Traffic will continue to use existing K-99 and the speed limit will be reduced to 50 mph in the first half of phase one with speeds reduced even further in the second half of phase one. In the second part of phase one, traffic will…

Manhattan area legislators took time Thursday to hear from Riley County Commissioners and departmental staff some of its priorities for the upcoming session. 22nd District Sen. Tom Hawk, of Manhattan, says in terms of the county’s priorities, he supports Commissioner Ron Wells’ idea to ensure the state has a “placemarker” for the local ad valorem tax revenue which the state hasn’t paid in over two decades. He also supports county treasurer Shilo Heger’s proposed treasurer fee bill. “It may raise some revenue a little bit, but it makes it a lot simpler for the people who are registering their vehicles…