Author: Brandon Peoples

New cases of coronavirus are holding steady for the most part in the Manhattan area. The Riley County Health Department reported a 58th overall case Monday morning, a 63-year-old male patient who was a close contact of another confirmed positive patient. The county has seen a significant increase in the number of people who have recovered from the virus. As of Monday afternoon, 46 people had recovered and the county was monitoring 12 active cases. On Friday, the county was monitoring 21 active cases. A total of 683 patients in Riley County have tested negative for the virus. County health…

As the Manhattan City Commission kicks around a potential ordinance requiring masks to be worn in public, there is some push back coming from the Riley County Police Department. The topic of masks was brought up Thursday during the weekly meeting of the Manhattan Area Recovery Task Force. RCPD Director Dennis Butler says he would not support the idea of requiring citizens to wear masks in public. “I sense that we’re at the tipping point where if we, through an ordinance, mandate the wearing of masks, I think that legitimacy of the ordinance and our ability to enforce it will…

Update: 1:20 p.m. Friday The victim in Thursday’s construction accident at Rock Creek High School has been identified. Pottawatomie County Sheriff Shane Jager says 45-year-old Matthew Becker of rural Manhattan died as a result of a fall into a 12-foot trench during construction activities on the south side of the campus, near the new baseball fields. Becker, along with his wife was co-owner Powercat Electric, LLC. Emergency personnel initially attempted a rescue, but it later turned into a recovery effort after he was pronounced dead on scene. 1:30 p.m. Thursday The Pottawatomie County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a death involving…

A Topeka woman has been arrested and charged following a Wednesday pursuit from Manhattan to I-70. Riley County Police say 25-year-old Kala Auchard was taken into custody after a rollover crash at mile marker 318, about five miles east of the Manhattan exit, following a brief pursuit from the area near Pillsbury Drive. She’s charged with possession of stolen property and flee or attempt to elude. Auchard remains jailed on a $10,000 bond. Police were alerted to a theft at Walmart Wednesday afternoon and learned the vehicle Auchard was driving, too was stolen. The pursuit began about 45 minutes after…

A Manhattan man arrested in March on criminal threat and violation of a protection order now faces additional charges including rape and domestic battery. Riley County Police have charged 38-year-old Traveil Lyn Lewis with one count of rape, one count of aggravated criminal sodomy, domestic battery and two counts of violating a protection order. RCPD spokesperson Hali Rowland tells KMAN the incident is alleged to have occurred Jan. 24 involving a 38-year-old female victim. Lewis remains jailed on a $52,000 total bond. Court records also allege that on March 3, Lewis threatened a woman who had filed a protection order…

Retired Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Lyle Butler has been tapped by Governor Laura Kelly to chair the state’s economic recovery team. In a release from the governor’s office Wednesday, Butler was announced as the governor’s choice along with Cheryl Harrison-Lee who will serve as executive director. Kelly said Butler is a “proven coalition builder who will be a strong contributor as we move forward in the recovery from COVID-19.” The governor went on to say the state will need Butler’s expertise as the state moves into the recovery phase of the pandemic. Butler was President of…

No injuries were reported after a house fire in Leonardville Wednesday. Riley County Fire Chief Pat Collins says firefighters were called out to 216 South Erpelding shortly before noon, for a small fire in the home’s living room. Collins says it was started after the resident dropped a cigarette onto an oxygen tank. Firefighters were on scene within about five minutes and extinguished the fire before it could spread further. The home sustained minimal damage, estimated around $1,000 and the resident. The homeowner is listed as Jeri Hollar. About 13 firefighters from Riley County, Leonardville, Riley and Keats responded to…

Some local veterans have submitted open letters to the Riley County Commission demanding the meetings be streamed online. The letters were made public Wednesday by Manhattan Alliance for Peace and Justice. (They are attached below.) The group of active and retired veterans argue that due to the ongoing health crisis, activity conducted during the two weekly meetings is being done in secret, heightened by the fact that the county commission also acts as the Board of Health, in charge of the health department and essentially public health policy. They argue the meetings are poorly publicized, never televised and held during…

Boomtown will be silenced on the 4th of July. The Wamego City Commission unanimously adopted a motion Tuesday to postpone the annual freedom celebration, carnival, parade and fireworks show, which typically draws in over 50,000 people. A makeup date has not been determined. A chief concern was the uncertainty of when Kansas and county health officials will be able to lift the ban on large group gatherings. Phase 4 of Governor Laura Kelly’s reopening is set to begin around June 15, but would only raise the limit on public gatherings to 90 people. Nothing has been stated beyond late June…

One of the larger retail operations in Manhattan will reopen Wednesday. Manhattan Town Center shifted its hours in mid-March only to shut down when stay-at-home orders went into place. Marketing Manager Jeff Sutton says reopening will happen with a cautious approach. “We’re taking a definitely good, phased approach which we’re currently working on,” he told News Radio KMAN Tuesday morning, when the mall was still working out final details of its reopening plans. The mall will be open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday beginning Wednesday. Sunday hours will be noon to 6 p.m. Hand sanitizer stations have…