Author: Brandon Peoples

The deadline for candidates to file for the 2020 election has passed. Here’s a look at the contested and uncontested races in both Riley and Pottawatomie Counties. The primary election is Aug. 4 and the general election is scheduled Nov. 3. This list includes all Manhattan area filings in both counties as well as state legislature and congressional races. Advance voting by mail and in-person advance voting begins July 15 for the primary election. The deadline to register to vote in the primary is July 14. RILEY COUNTY In Riley County, two seats on the county commission are being contested.…

A Manhattan man was arrested this weekend after causing some damage inside Walmart. Riley County Police arrested 24-year-old Sherman Sherin Sunday morning on two charges of aggravated assault, criminal damage to property and criminal trespass. According to police, Sherin is accused of damaging property and criminal trespass. The incident was broken up by a citizen who noticed Sherin had a knife on him. That citizen said Sherin never intended to hurt anyone and left peacefully, according to a social media post. Sherin was not confined as of Monday’s arrest report.

Two new positive cases of coronavirus were announced Monday in Riley County. The newest to test positive are from the same household. They include a 44-year-old woman and a 46-year-old man. Ascension Via Christi also is reporting one positive patient in the intensive care unit, currently on a ventilator according to the Riley County Health Department. Two people are also under investigation for symptoms of COVID-19, and one of them also is on a ventilator. There are currently seven active cases and 66 overall positive cases since mid-March. There have been 58 people recover from the virus and 109 pending…

Employees of the Riley County Police Department will not receive a cost of living adjustment or merits next year. The Riley County Law Board, in a special meeting Friday, voted 5-1 to accept its 2021 budget for publication, which includes a point 65 percent decrease on the overall mill levy, amounting to $143,012 less than initially proposed. That puts the overall budget for 2021 at $21.9 million, just over 1 percent less than the 2020 budget. “I know this is an unpopular statement. I know this is an unpopular position. But I think the times require that we do this…

Four people were injured Friday in a head on collision northwest of Manhattan on Highway 24. The crash happened around 5:30 p.m. when a southbound Nissan Pathfinder left the roadway near the Riley County Public Works office. The driver lost control of the vehicle and re-entered the roadway, crossing the center line. The driver of a Subaru Forester attempted to avoid the other vehicle but couldn’t and the two collided head on. The Kansas Highway Patrol says the driver of the Pathfinder, 36-year-old Fausto Raucho-Rivera of Lynn, Kansas sustained serious injuries in the crash, along with two passengers, 37-year-old Ana…

Riley County continues its flattening of the coronavirus curve reporting no new positive cases since Wednesday. In a release Friday, the health department reported six active cases and 57 recoveries among the 64 total cases since mid-March. One coronavirus-related death has also been recorded. A total of 1,213 Riley County residents have been tested, accounting for about 1.6 percent of the overall population. Just over 1,000 of those were negative and 144 tests are pending. Ascension Via Christi in Manhattan reported 0 positive patients and 0 persons under investigation as of Friday.

The Manhattan Regional Airport was given the all clear Friday after receiving a voicemail from a man claiming a bomb was located in the building. The Riley County Police Department Bomb Team and Kansas Highway Patrol Hazardous Device Unit investigated the threat, which was called in shortly after 9:30 a.m. After sweeping the terminal and other parts of the building, authorities were able to clear the scene within three hours. Airport Director Jesse Romo says the airport was evacuated as a precaution and says the airport’s lone scheduled flight departed with no issues. Police have not identified any suspects, but…

The Riley County Law Board will finalize its 2021 budget Friday during a special meeting ahead of its June 5 publication date. Up for consideration is the removal of a .63 percent cost of living adjustment and merits for RCPD employees. While the police department previously made other cuts within its operating budget to provide a slight increase in those, some on the Law Board have argued that doing so sets a bad precedent to other city and county departments unable to provide such increases to their employees. Manhattan and Riley County have to set the RCPD budget before they can finalize…

A Wamego man is jailed on more than two dozen counts of burglary and a host of other charges. Riley County Police arrested Joshua Davies Wednesday in the 700 block of 3rd Place. He’s charged with 26 counts of burglary, three counts of violating a protection order, five counts of criminal damage to property and several drug-related offenses. The burglary and criminal damage to property offenses are in connection to several local storage unit thefts ranging from August 2019 to April 2020. Davies is jailed on a $25,000 total bond. He was also arrested Tuesday, but bonded out on a…

Construction operations resumed Wednesday at the National Bio and Agro Defense Facility, just one day after a construction worker tested positive for COVID-19. NBAF Program Manager Tim Barr says following their prescribed plan, construction contractor McCarthy Mortenson Joint Venture temporarily halted work and shut down the project to conduct an investigation and thorough cleaning of the areas visited by the infected staff member. Barr says in addition to being required to have personal protection equipment, all employees are required to wear face coverings and practice social distancing. Workers are not being routinely tested for COVID-19, but are asked a series…