Author: Brandon Peoples

Storms caused a scary incident for boaters on Milford Lake Monday. The Geary County Sheriff’s Office says it received a call at around 8 p.m. after a boat became disabled, due to the strong winds and was taking on water. The Sheriff’s marine unit responded and located the boat with six adults on board in the area of Farnum Creek. The marine unit brought them safely to shore and returned to the boat and secured it. No injuries were reported. The Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism assisted in the rescue.

Riley County COVID-19 numbers continue to rise locally, with now 61 active cases, and 132 total cases in the county since the pandemic began. Those were the latest figures as of Monday afternoon. (Earlier in the day, it was mistakenly reported that active cases were at 25.) “We had a huge jump in our cases over the last week. We added a total of 47 new cases just last week, we tested a total of 320 (individuals),” said Riley County Health Officer Julie Gibbs Monday on KMAN. Gibbs says as of last week the county was at a 14 percent…

Kansas 1st District Congressman Roger Marshall says he supports President Donald Trump’s executive order regarding police reform. The plan leverages grant funding from the Justice Department and encourages law enforcement agencies and departments to adopt the standards. Marshall is the co-sponsor on H.R. 7278, the companion bill to Senate legislation on policing reform.  Marshall, who joined KMAN in a Friday interview, says the bill provides more training for police officers, along with more transparency and accountability. “What this legislation is doing is raising the bar so if an officer does something deemed wrong, that record will follow him if he…

The Boys & Girls Club of Manhattan has shut down operations at its 5th Street location after a staffer tested positive for COVID-19. The organization says it was notified Saturday and all families connected to the staff member have been notified. Director Trent Jones says it is possible other staff members and kids were exposed to that individual. The club is cooperating with public health officials to control the spread and are deep cleaning the facilities. The Boys & Girls Club remains closed until further notice.

Aggieville’s Taco Lucha and So Long Saloon have shut down after the business said staff members there came in contact with others who tested positive for the coronavirus. They say out of an abundance of caution and to protect public health, they are closing their doors indefinitely and will reopen once they feel it is safe to do so. The restaurants, which share a kitchen, made the announcement Sunday saying staffers had been near individuals outside the workplace and are continuing to monitor the situation. It’s not clear if any staffers have tested positive for the virus, but the restaurants…

Riley County Police announced Friday that a Junction City woman has been arrested in connection to a 2017 murder in southern Riley County. Bobbie Jo Long was arrested on a Riley County District Court warrant for conspiracy to commit first degree murder and aggravated kidnapping. The arrest is tied to the death of Carrie Jones, a former drug informant. In 2018, Steven Meredith, also of Junction City was arrested in connection to Jones’ death. He was subsequently sentenced to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to a conspiracy charge last year. Long is confined in the Riley County Jail…

WESTMORELAND — Pottawatomie County is phasing out COVID-19 related limitations and restrictions, despite the health officer’s recommendation to extend the county’s public health order for another 10-14 days. At a Friday morning meeting the Pottawatomie County Commission, acting as the Board of County Health voted 3-0 to not extend Public Health Order No. 6. The reasoning was due to the county still having zero hospitalizations and zero deaths, indicating the steps taken have worked to keep the hospitals from being overwhelmed. Commission Chair Dee McKee says the vote intends to make people responsible for their own health rather than trying…

Riley County Police are investigating a fatal crash that happened early Friday morning near Leonardville. Shortly after 4 a.m. RCPD learned of a man walking, seeming disoriented and asking for a ride near the 12900 block of Barton Road. While en route, a second call reported a man had been found dead in the roadway. That man has been identified as 38-year-old Christopher Day of Leonardville. Police say Day died of head trauma associated with being struck by a vehicle. Police are looking for the suspect vehicle and asking the public for help if they saw anyone driving through the…

There will be no tuition increase at K-State next year. The Kansas Board of Regents Thursday approved the university’s plan to keep a flat rate along with KU. “All this uncertainty from the pandemic, our top priority is making sure students at K-State can finish what they started,” he said. “That’s our contract with them, and not only do we have health impacts with COVID-19, but in many cases with have economic and financial hardship.” K-State President Richard Myers told the board a lot of belt-tightening is happening as the university prepares for a roughly $17 million tuition revenue shortfall.…

Manhattan 22nd District State Senator Tom Hawk hosted a virtual Town Hall meeting Wednesday where he gathered input from local leaders on how best to spend federal dollars appropriated to Kansas through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The forum was moderated by Dr. Timothy Shaffer, Director of the Institute for Civic Discourse and Democracy at Kansas State University. Hawk, who sits on the steering committee for Gov. Laura Kelly’s Strengthening People and Revitalizing Kansas (SPARK) Council, says $400 million has been allotted for distribution to each of Kansas’ 105 counties. A chief concern from counties has…