Author: Brandon Peoples

The National Weather Service has confirmed the tornado that touched down between Alta Vista and Alma Wednesday was an EF-2 rated storm. Preliminary damage survey results say the twister formed around 7:45 p.m. and was on the ground for about 30 minutes. It had estimated wind speeds of up to 115 miles per hour, with a path length of 8.8 miles and a max width of 400 yards. No injuries were reported. Elsewhere, weather officials said Thursday that the tornado near Rossville, in western Shawnee County was also an EF-2, with estimated winds speeds up to 120 miles per hour.…

Homeowners living in Geary, Morris and Wabaunsee counties are advised to use caution and avoid falling into scams from fly-by-night contractors following Wednesday night’s damaging storms. Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach says roofers should be registered with the Attorney General’s Office, with few exceptions. The requirement to register is in addition to any other local requirements that may be imposed by cities or counties. Residents can check roofer registration online at InYourCornerKansas.org. Roofing contractors must obtain a contractor registration certificate to legally solicit or provide commercial or residential roofing services in Kansas. Other tips homeowners should keep in mind include: Getting…

A new political party has emerged in Kansas. The United Kansas Party filed more than 35,000 petition signatures Tuesday to qualify for the November 2024 general election ballot. According to a release, the party promises “a new era of collaborative politics that will transcend traditional party lines.” Party treasurer and former Manhattan City Commissioner Aaron Estabrook helped organize the new party, a decade after helping found the moderate party political action committee. “I was brought into the fold to help them organize a new party, with Jack Curtis being our party chair and Sally Cauble, being our vice chair,” Estabrook…

Severe storms moved through the area Wednesday night. According to the Wabaunsee County Sheriff’s Office, at least six tornadoes were reported during the evening, though no injuries were reported with any of the storms. Up to baseball sized hail was confirmed by trained spotters and sheriff’s office personnel. Some damage was reported to structures in the rural area, but authorities say it appears the cities in the county were not struck by any of the reported tornadoes. Emergency management personnel expect to make a full assessment Thursday. Tornado warnings were also noted in the Rossville area Wednesday night. So far…

Lake levels are about where they should be for this time of year at Tuttle Creek Lake. After falling to about 9 feet below normal pool in January, the lake has rebounded to about 3.5 feet below normal pool as of this week. US Army Corps of Engineers Operations Manager Brian McNulty was on KMAN’s In Focus Wednesday and provided an update on the current lake conditions. “I think the flow at Topeka is 800 cubic feet per second and we’re releasing 350 cubic feet per second of that out of storage at the lake. Fortunately, the inflow’s about that…

Riley County Commissioner Greg McKinley has filed for re-election to his District 2 seat. McKinley campaigned on bringing a new EMS station to the north county four years ago. That project was completed last fall. The county is now working on a project for a new EMS headquarters in Manhattan that is currently under design. McKinley is the first to file for a seat on the county commission. Riley County has two seats on the ballot this year. The other is in District 3 where incumbent Kathryn Focke has yet to file for a second term. In addition to McKinley,…

A 14-year-old boy was arrested Monday evening following a disturbance in the 2400 block of Buttonwood Drive. The Riley County Police Department says the boy has been charged with two counts of aggravated battery, including one count against a law enforcement officer, and felony criminal destruction of property. Victims included the 42-year-old male officer and a second unnamed 39-year-old male. The minor remained confined Tuesday at a juvenile detention facility.

A Junction City man is jailed in Riley County on several drug-related offenses. The Riley County Police Department says 30-year-old Joseph Keehn was arrested in the 1400 block of Beechwood Terrace Monday afternoon on six probable cause offenses including five counts involving possession or distribution and a criminal weapons charge. Bond is set at $25,000. Online records show Keehn also has past convictions for aggravated assault and theft dating back to 2018.

Construction in Aggieville has been on pause for close to a year but should resume soon. Aggieville Business Association Director Dennis Cook tells KMAN that the Midtown project is expected to resume construction this summer, but says adjacent work to the nearby alley should get underway in April. “What they’re getting ready to do is, in the alley between 11th and 12th, between Moro and Laramie, they’re going to start working on that alley and will begin burying all the powerlines. Eventually that’s going to happen in all four of the big alleys in Aggieville,” he said. Cook says additional…

A California man accused in two separate shooting incidents near Aggieville will see his cases proceed to a bench trial later this year. Travell Hairston, 32, is charged in Riley County District Court with attempted first-degree murder, stemming from a February 2020 incident in the 1100 block of Laramie. He’s additionally charged with four counts of aggravated assault stemming from a September 2019 house party shooting in the 1300 block of Fremont Street. The two cases were previously consolidated and Hairston was scheduled to go to trial last summer, but instead entered into a plea agreement which was later withdrawn.…