Author: Brandon Peoples

A structure fire north of Manhattan early Sunday morning was likely fireworks related according to Riley County Fire Chief Pat Collins. Fire District No. 1 responded around 12:40 a.m to a fully engulfed 50 X 70 foot shop building located at 3787 High Plains Ranch, just north of Manhattan, east of Seth Child Road. More than two dozen volunteer firefighters from six stations helped bring the fire under control. No injuries were reported. Collins says it took several hours for crews to get a handle on the fire as they had to bring in more than 14,000 gallons of water…

Phase two of the bridge replacement project over Wildcat Creek on K-18 is expected to get underway Tuesday, weather permitting. The Kansas Department of Transportation says work will occur from west of Richards Drive to east of Poliska Lane and is expected to be completed in late 2021. The three phase project includes replacement of two bridges with a single bridge for all lanes. Phase three is expected toward the end of this year. During construction, east and westbound traffic on K-18 will be reduced to one-lane in both directions. Rosencutter Road will be closed at the K-18 intersection. The…

A Manhattan woman has been appointed by the Kansas Supreme to the state’s Continuing Legal Education Board for the next three years. Tracey Lee’s term began July 1 and ends June 30, 2023. The board oversees continuing legal education requirements for lawyers licensed to practice in Kansas. Attorneys must earn a minimum of 12 credit hours each year. In addition to being a graduate of the University of Texas School of Law, Lee is also the pre-law advisor at Kansas State University. She succeeds David Moses, a Wichita lawyer who served on the board since 2014. Other members of the…

Riley County commissioners have pushed back its decision to either uphold, restrict, or lessen the governor’s statewide mask ordinance to next week. That means the governor’s executive order remains the order residents must follow in public places, at least through the weekend, and presumably for the next week. Riley County Health Officer Julie Gibbs recommended the commission uphold the governor’s executive order or adopt a more restrictive mandate. Gibbs cited an influx of young people testing positive recently and surges tied to Aggieville and K-State. The commission opted to wait for input from municipalities including the City of Manhattan, which…

Junction City police have identified the woman found dead June 26 in an empty storage unit. Police say 52-year-old Tina Bennett of Junction City was identified through fingerprint comparison. She had initially been reported as missing June 20. Her cause of death is undetermined, but police say foul play is suspected. Police first reported the incident in a Monday news release. JCPD Capt. Trish Giordano says Bennett’s body was located in a storage unit in the 2300 block of N. Jackson Street. Anyone with information on this case is urged to call Crime Stoppers at (785) 742-8477 or online through…

Face masks won’t be required in public spaces in Pottawatomie County. The Commission in a rescheduled meeting Thursday, opted out of Gov. Laura Kelly’s executive order mandating masks, instead passing Local Health Order No. 7. The new order includes guidelines from the Health Officer “strongly recommending” the use of masks and other safety items when social distancing cannot be maintained. The County offices will also strongly recommend the wearing of masks, and will have them available for those who do not have one. The county says private businesses retain the right to make the wearing of masks mandatory for their…

The Pottawatomie County Sheriff’s Office says a hitch camper, valued at $13,000 was recently stolen from a storage unit in St. George. According to Sheriff Shane Jager, the theft was reported Wednesday from Blackjack Road Self Storage. It’s believed the theft occurred about 10 to 14 days ago. It’s described as a white 2010 Escape 15 foot bumper type hitch camper. Anyone with information is urged to call the Sheriff’s Office at 785-457-3351 or leave a tip with Crime Stoppers through ptsheriff.com.

TOPEKA — Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt has provided guidance to law enforcement and prosecutors on the enforcement of wearing face masks in the state. Schmidt says the guidance, updated earlier guidance and reflects changes to the Kansas Emergency Management Act. The amendments include changing the violation of an emergency order issued by the governor from a Class A misdemeanor to a civil violation, which is enforceable by a lawsuit filed by the county or district attorney. Schmidt says law enforcement officers may not arrest or detain a person in violation of an emergency order. Schmidt also says individual counties…

Governor Laura Kelly has officially signed the executive order mandating masks be worn in public settings and places where six-foot social distancing cannot be maintained. Executive Order 20-52 begins Friday and remains in place until formally rescinded or until the current State of Disaster Emergency expires, whichever occurs first. Situations where masks will be needed include: *When residents are inside a public space or are in line to enter one *When obtaining services from the healthcare sector in settings like hospitals, pharmacies, medical clinics, laboratories, physician or dental offices, veterinary clinics or blood banks *Waiting for or riding public transportation,…

The Pottawatomie County Commission will meet Friday to determine its course of action regarding Gov. Laura Kelly’s face mask mandate. The commission, meeting as the Board of Health met Wednesday at the Emergency Operations Center in Wamego where they received public comment, both for and against, with comments about equally divided. Commissioner Pat Weixelman, after clarifying he’s not a doctor, shared his thoughts on “herd immunity,” the benefits of warmer weather and questioned the enforceability of the order. Without knowing what Kelly’s Executive Order states, the commission has opted to wait until a 9 a.m. meeting Friday. That’s when they’ll…