Author: Brandon Peoples

Recently a team of virologists in the College of Veterinary Medicine published a study showing a possible therapeutic treatment for COVID-19. The study, “3C-like protease inhibitors block coronavirus replication in vitro and improve survival in MERS-CoV-infected mice,” appears in the Aug. 3 issue of Science Translational Medicine, a prestigious medical journal. The team includes Yunjeong Kim and Kyeong-Ok “KC” Chang along with collaborators at Wichita State, the University of Iowa and the University of Kansas. According to an article in K-State Today Tuesday, the study reveals how small molecule protease inhibitors show potency against human coronaviruses. These coronavirus 3C-like proteases,…

Two women are running for seats on the Riley County Commission. Fanny Fang and Kathryn Focke were both unopposed in Tuesday’s primary election. The two democratic candidates are hoping to flip the District 2 and 3 seats respectively in their favor. Fang became a vocal critic of the commission earlier this year since incumbent District 2 commissioner Marvin Rodriguez made some controversial comments regarding Chinese people and the coronavirus. “Riley County residents have been forced to choose between education or risking the lives of their children to go to school or between the business, their livelihoods or their own life,”…

A 92-year-old Ogden man was injured Tuesday after crashing into the Manhattan Fire Department’s Firehouse No. 2, located in the City Hall building on Poyntz Ave. Riley County Police say an SUV driven by Sam Zafran struck a Chevy Silverado driven by 42-year-old Craig Dechany of Manhattan around 3 p.m. Tuesday. Zafran’s vehicle then crashed into the west bay of the firehouse, causing significant structural damage. Zafran sustained major injuries and was transported to Ascension Via Christi, then transferred to Stormont Vail Hospital in Topeka. RCPD did not list any other injuries in a release Wednesday. It’s not clear what…

Much of north Manhattan lost power for about two hours Tuesday after a small fire at the substation near Walters Morgan Construction in the Northview area. An Evergy official on site told KMAN it was caused by a squirrel getting into the equipment around 8:30 a.m. It caused more than 7,200 residents mostly north of Kimball Ave. to lose power. It did not impact any of the polling sites in Riley County, which have battery back up to the voting machines. If that somehow went down, voters could still vote using a paper ballot. Evergy crews were able to reroute…

The Pottawatomie County Sheriff’s Office is seeking help identifying suspects responsible for stealing thousands of dollars worth of motorcycles from a Manhattan business. According to Sheriff Shane Jager, the burglary occurred sometime between July 30 and July 31 at Brooks Yamaha, located 8070 East US Hwy 24. An investigation revealed that one or more persons entered a locked outside storage area of the business and removed several motorcycles, including dirt bikes and street bikes. The total loss was estimated at about $18,000. Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Rob Gordon at 785-457-3353. Tips can also be left via…

Polls are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday for the primary election. Nearly 10,000 people in both Riley and Pottawatomie counties combined requested mail ballots, with about 62 percent (6,163) of those ballots having been received in the two counties as of noon Monday. The return rate for mail in ballots has been much greater in Pottawatomie County than it has been in Riley County. As of noon Monday, Pott. County had received 2,140 of the 2,855 mail ballots, leaving just over 700 still needing to come in. County Clerk Nancy McCarter says they also saw 289 people vote…

One of the hotly contested races in Kansas in the primary will be for the 1st District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. The seat which traditionally goes to Republicans, includes former Lt. Governor Tracey Mann who is hoping to edge out Finney County Commission Chair Bill Clifford for the GOP nomination. Mann says one of his top priorities is addressing low commodity prices for farmers and ranchers. “We’ve got to return to normal trade relations to boost demand to increase our commodity prices and also our livestock prices. I’m also a big proponent of keeping an economy open.…

Just one new coronavirus case was reported over the weekend in Riley County as a downward trend continues in the county’s infection rate. Riley County Health Department Director Julie Gibbs shared details during Monday’s 7 a.m. COVID-19 update on KMAN. As of Monday, 107 active cases were being monitored by the health department with 338 recoveries and five total deaths among the 450 total cases reported since March. Four patients were hospitalized Monday with 2 persons under investigation showing symptoms and 140 test results are pending. Pottawatomie County remains at 5 active cases as of Friday, with 104 recovered. Gibbs…

A northern Riley County home is a total loss following a Sunday morning fire. Firefighters from the Riley County Fire District were paged out just after 10 a.m. for a fully engulfed home at 10919 Lakeside Drive (see map below) in the Lakeside Heights neighborhood near Tuttle Creek Lake. Fire Chief Pat Collins, speaking at Monday’s Riley County Commission meeting, said the University Park station was first to arrive on scene. The building was owned by RPM LLC. It sustained $150,000 in damages, with content loss exceeding $60,000. The extensive damage prohibited an exact cause, but appeared to have started…

A command change officially took place over the weekend at Fort Riley. On Saturday, 1st Infantry Division and Fort Riley Commanding General Maj. Gen John Kolasheski relinquished control of the installation. Brigadier Gen. Thomas O’Connor Jr. will serve as senior commander until Aug. 14 when Maj. Gen Douglas Sims assumes command of the Big Red One and Fort Riley. The Army accelerated Kolasheski’s departure to enable his assumption of command of the U.S. Army’s 5th Corps based at Fort Knox, Kentucky. O’Connor most recently commanded the 1st Infantry Division Forward during Operation Atlantic Resolve.