Author: Brandon Peoples

Two Pottawatomie County communities have implemented face mask ordinances of their own to help mitigate community spread of the coronavirus. City officials in Wamego adopted an ordinance Tuesday which will remain in effect through Feb. 2. It requires masks be worn in all public spaces indoors or outdoors where six feet of physical distancing cannot be maintained. It exempts children under the age of 5 and those with medical or mental health conditions or a disability that prevents wearing of a face covering. A violation of the ordinance results in an infraction, punishable by a $25 fine. The Onaga City…

Three suspects, including a Manhattan woman are jailed following a Tuesday morning high speed chase in nearby Jackson County. According to the Sheriff’s Office, the vehicle reached speeds of up to 100 mph before becoming disabled along Hwy 75 in Shawnee County. Authorities including troopers with the Kansas Highway Patrol seized a quantity of methamphetamine during the stop. Taken into custody was 40-year-old Katrina Glaspie of Manhattan on numerous counts of identity theft and outstanding Riley County warrants. Glaspie was a passenger and owner of the vehicle. The driver was identified as 32-year-old Michael Gonzales of Topeka. He was charged…

A Manhattan man made his first appearance Monday after being charged with a misdemeanor of interference with law enforcement for falsely reporting a crime. The Riley County Attorney’s Office filed the one count complaint against 27-year-old Mike Rivera in early November, based upon completed Kansas Bureau of Investigation report.  It alleged Rivera falsely reported he was assaulted by a law enforcement officer June 1 near 15th and Humboldt Street in Manhattan. Rivera described that after he approached, an unidentified officer battered him outside the home and then at his apartment entrance. He also reported an injury and was treated and released from…

A holiday tradition will continue this Friday as the 19th annual Spirit of the Holidays lighted parade returns to Manhattan. There had been uncertainty if the parade would in fact take place with rising coronavirus cases in the area. Downtown Manhattan, Inc. says the City of Manhattan, along with the Riley County Emergency Operations Center decided to move forward as scheduled with the event. It is a slightly smaller parade, with about 38 entries expected, about a quarter less than usual. The parade, set for Friday begins at 5:30 p.m. and will begin downtown and travel to Aggieville. There will…

November wasn’t kind to the Manhattan area in terms of new coronavirus cases reported locally. The Riley County Health Department on Monday confirmed 145 new cases of COVID-19 since Friday, while also adding 251 people to the recovered list. There are currently 330 active cases including 10 positive patients are receiving care at Ascension Via Christi hospital. At least one positive patient and two others under investigation for the virus are in the intensive care unit. While the numbers may fluctuate, the health department is confirming more than 1,500 new cases were added in Riley County during the month of…

Katie’s Way of Manhattan is just one of many local organizations that will benefit from generous giving during Giving Tuesday. Resource and Development Coordinator Deanna Nitschke says about $5,000 was given during their first non-event event in October. They also raised nearly 80 percent of their goal during Wamego Community Foundation’s Match Day. She’s hoping that momentum carries into Giving Tuesday. “You can go on our Facebook page and donate that way, you can go to katieswaymanhattan.com and donate that way,” she said. Nitschke joined the Greater Manhattan Community Foundation Community Hour Monday along with retired Army Lt. Art DeGroat,…

The Manhattan Arts Center is excited to be part of Giving Tuesday once again. Development Committee Member and volunteer Jennifer Edwards was on Monday’s Greater Manhattan Community Foundation Hour on KMAN. She says all donations to MAC for Giving Tuesday support MAC’s youth program. “The money will be used for scholarships, musical instrument maintenance, supplies for youth programs year-round, royalties for youth theater productions and they also help to keep prices low and affordable,” she said. Edwards says one of the many missions of Manhattan Arts Center is to provide arts for all at affordable prices. She explains some of…

A Manhattan man was injured Saturday following a rollover accident in southern Riley County. The Kansas Highway Patrol reports that just before 6:30 p.m., a Jeep Grand Cherokee was southbound in the 400 block of Sandy Land Road, just north of K-18 near Zeandale. The vehicle left the roadway into the west ditch and rolled an unknown number of times before coming to rest in a nearby field. The driver and lone occupant was identified as 40-year-old Dustin Price. He was transported by EMS to Stormont Vail Hospital in Topeka. According to the crash report, Price was not wearing a…

A Manhattan man has been arrested on charges related to an alleged stabbing Friday night in Reno County. According to Hutchinson Police, 31-year-old Bryce Baker was arrested on charges of aggravated battery, criminal damage to property and criminal trespassing. Police say an investigation determined Baker was involved in a fight at a garage just after 11:30 p.m. on the city’s southwest side. During the altercation, a knife was pulled, and 52-year-old Brian Dailey of Gardner was stabbed four times. Dailey was transported to Hutchinson Regional Medical Center for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. Police say tires were also cut on a…

Junction City High School will move all students into remote learning for the month of December. The district announced the shift Saturday in a news release. The change only impacts the high school. There will be no school Monday and Tuesday while administrators work to move all high school students to remote learning. Classes will resume on Wednesday. Students will be allowed to enter the building briefly Monday and Tuesday to retrieve any items needed for remote learning. The district says the Geary County Health Department is concerns with a rising number of cases these past few weeks and believes…