Author: Brandon Peoples

A Shawnee County District Judge sided with Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach in a lawsuit challenging whether transgender Kansans can change gender makers on state issued driver’s licenses. Judge Teresa Watson issued a ruling Monday granting Kobach’s request for a temporary injunction against Gov. Laura Kelly’s administration. The court held that Kansas licenses are required to list the sex at birth and only the sex at birth. In a statement, Kobach said the “decision is a victory for the rule of law and common sense.” In an email to KMAN Monday, Gov. Kelly spokesperson Grace Hoge said, “we are reviewing…

Data released last week showed an uptick in arrests and citations issued during Fake Patty’s Day activities earlier this month. The Riley County Police Department says it took 533 calls for service between the evening of March 1 and the early morning of March 3, by far the most calls for service since before the COVID-19 pandemic. Director Brian Peete joined KMAN’s Morning News Monday, expressing frustration at the event, which he says is becoming more destructive. “It’s becoming more violent, like at night when we were out there at the substation we almost had a full-blown riot out there. There…

Advance voting is underway ahead of next Tuesday’s presidential preference primary. Riley County Clerk Rich Vargo said Monday that advance voting will continue through noon on March 18. “So far it’s been slow in advance voting. We’ve had 400 as of last Friday, which is a very slow pace for advance voting,” he said. Following Super Tuesday, President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump solidified their cases as  the front-runners for this year’s presidential election. Other names appearing on the state’s presidential preference primary ballot include Jason Palmer, Dean Phillips and Marianne Williamson on the Democratic side and Ryan…

Sen. Jerry Moran is applauding Congress’ latest spending bill which also secures over $116 million for improvements at Fort Riley. The legislation heads to President Biden’s desk to be signed into law. In a statement, Moran noted that “investing in Fort Riley makes certain our troops are mission-ready and helps attract other men and women to pursue careers in the military. These investments to Kansas will attract new opportunities to Fort Riley and help our military communities continue to thrive.” New Investments: $105 million for the construction of the Aircraft Maintenance Hangar at Fort Riley $8.7 million for the construction…

More people were arrested during Fake Patty’s Day celebrations in Manhattan last weekend than in any year prior, according to the Riley County Police Department, which released its annual analysis Friday in a four-page report. Data shows arrests were up almost 51% compared to the five year average of roughly 38%. Compared to 2023, police say there was an 84% increase in the number of people arrested this year, with 57 total this year compared to 28 last year. Police arrested 24 individuals for interference and obstruction, compared with just one arrest each in 2023, 2022, 2019 and 2017 and…

Two people are in custody in relation to a murder investigation involving 1-year-old Ziya Miller. The Riley County Police Department says the child’s parents, 24-year-old Matthew Miller, of Junction City, and 26-year-old Sonya Williams, of Ogden, were arrested Thursday and have been charged with first-degree murder and aggravated child endangerment. Miller is additionally charged with one count of unlawful distribution of a controlled substance. According to RCPD, the Junction City Police Department responded to a call in April 2023 for a child not breathing. It was later determined the child died in Manhattan but was transported to Junction City by…

Conditions have been much more favorable for controlled outdoor burning this week. Improved humidity levels at night and calmer winds during the day created longer windows for landowners to get in some prescribed burns this week, despite a lack of moisture to start the month. Deputy Chief Doug Russell, with Riley County Fire District No. 1, says they’re continuing to take a day-by-day approach to hopefully allow more windows for burning. “There’s potential for some pretty decent gusts on Sunday up to 25 miles per hour, but then next week, the potential for some breezy conditions Monday but then it mellows again with…

The Manhattan Parks and Recreation Advisory Board was presented Monday with a first look at where a new proposed indoor aquatics facility could be constructed. Representatives from the city’s consultant firm Vireo as well as some local architect groups, presented three design concepts for a reimagined City Park — all showing a proposed indoor aquatics center and adjacent outdoor pool on the north side of City Park along Fremont Street, near North Manhattan Avenue. The indoor facility would include a competition aquatics pool with spectator seating, a fitness center and a gymnasium, as well as community rooms and an indoor…

A Manhattan man is behind bars on a probation violation stemming from a past fraud incident. The Riley County Police Department says 26-year-old Auston Korszeniewski was arrested Wednesday on a warrant that included three total probation violations. The original charges are for two counts each of identity theft, unlawful possession of a controlled substance, flee and elude and single counts of possessing drug paraphernalia and theft. He remains jailed on a $150,000 bond.

Rewriting the rural narrative was the theme of the Focus on Building Rural Communities event, hosted by the Riley County Extension Office at the Sikes Venue in Leonardville Monday. University of Minnesota Extension Educator Benjamin Winchester says rural America isn’t dying, but rather going through a slow transformation. He says rural areas remain durable, noting a 2009 Pew Research Study that found 51% of Americans would prefer to live in rural areas. Winchester says while the population has decreased in many rural communities, the number of households has actually increased, even though the size of those households have gone down.…