Author: Brandon Peoples

No new cases of coronavirus were presented in Riley County Monday as two more people were moved from active to recovered. In total, 23 of the 55 positive testing patients are active and 32 people have recovered. Perhaps the most significant statistic of the day Monday, was 43 test results coming back negative. The Riley County Health Department now has 28 pending test results and 523 negative tests. The newest to test positive were a 38-year-old male, a 28-year-old male and a 41-year-old female, all who tested positive over the weekend. Ascension Via Christi currently has one positive patient and…

From the Little Apple to the Big Apple, a local doctor answered the call recently to help fill a need on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic. Dr. Steve Short left his practice at Inspire ENT & Pulmonology for two weeks in April to join a team of specialists at Woodhull Hospital in Brooklyn. From the time he arrived, Short says he saw the unthinkable. “It was just constant code blue, people were dying left and right. The hardest part was seeing how many people died and how many died without any way to make it different. We had…

Photo courtesy Kansas Highway PatrolThe Flint Hills region experienced some of its first tastes of severe weather Monday. Storms packed quite a punch, knocking down power lines along parts of I-70 from the Manhattan to Wamego exits, closing down that chunk of interstate for several hours as motorists had to find alternate routes through the state. K-177 also saw some downed power lines south of Manhattan. Evergy reported some of the repairs likely would not be completed until Tuesday. One lane of traffic was reopened late Monday. Both lanes are now completely open. Elsewhere, street flooding was an issue in…

A body emergency crews pulled from from the water at Tuttle Creek ORV Park Saturday night has been identified as 21-year-old Jose Francisco Ramos of Fort Riley. The Riley County Police Department emergency dispatch center received a call around 2 p.m. after Ramos went missing from a group of kayakers. Around 9:30 p.m. a body was recovered, believed to be the missing man. RCPD, the Kansas Highway Patrol, the Pottawatomie County Water Rescue Team, the Manhattan Fire Department, Riley County Rural Fire District, Kansas Wildlife and Parks and the Army Corps of Engineers Rangers responded to the scene.

Five new cases of coronavirus were reported over the weekend in Riley and Pottawatomie County. Two of them were in Riley County. The health department is reporting 25 active cases among the 55 total coronavirus patients that have tested positive since mid-March. Updated numbers will be presented to the Riley County Commission on Monday. Pottawatomie County saw three more cases over the weekend and currently has seven active cases and 15 total positives. Geary County had four active cases and 11 total confirmed cases as of Saturday. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment reported Sunday 13 total cases. Positive…

Officials at Fort Riley have confirmed that Brigadier General Douglas A. Sims II will be the next commanding general of the 1st Infantry Division and Fort Riley. The announcement became official April 30. Sims is currently the Deputy Director for Regional Operations and Force Management, with the Joint Staff. He is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy and also has a Master’s Degree from Webster University. His career has included multiple deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq. A change of command date for the Big Red One has not been set.

The first phase for reopening businesses in Riley, Geary and Pottawatomie County includes limited dine-in seating at restaurants, reopening of retail stores and libraries. Four-phased plans were unveiled Friday evening by health officers Julie Gibbs (Riley Co.) and Lisa Kenworthy (Pottawatomie Co.) and Tammy A Von Busch (Geary Co.). Phase one begins Monday and allows restaurants in both counties to reopen their dining rooms with a maximum 50 percent capacity, based on fire code and tables must be set six feet apart. No buffet, salad bar, or self-serve, unpackaged food is allowed. No waiting areas within the facilities are permitted…

Update 5/1 4:40 p.m.- The Pottawatomie County patient at Ascension Via Christi has been released from the hospital.  This means there is only one hospitalization at this time.  That patient is a Riley County resident. During today’s daily COVID-19 update, Riley County Health Department Director says while stay at home orders will expire on Sunday, the department is still encouraging people to stay home and only leave their homes for essential travel.  Also, a hotline will be available Monday to answer for businesses who are able to open with the county’s reopening plan. Original story: The availability of testing is…

The T. Russell Reitz Animal Shelter hopes to eventually open its doors once again. For now, the shelter is only open by appointment, but have resumed open hours on Saturday. “We’re going to open back up on Saturdays. So we’ll be open Monday through Saturday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. by appointment only,” said Deb Watkins, Director of Animal Services with the Shelter. The number of pets in the shelter has been steadily less than it was prior to the pandemic. In April 54 pets were adopted out and 24 animals were claimed by their owners. During the past few…

Kansas State University is set to distribute its $6.3 million in federal CARES Act funding to qualified students experiencing financial hardships amid the pandemic. Vice President for enrollment management Karen Goos said in a letter Friday, the disbursement from the U.S. Department of Education prioritizes reaching as many students as possible with the greatest demonstrated need. The Office of Student Financial Assistance will use data from student FAFSA documents to determine eligibility. Rules require funds be awarded to enrolled undergraduate, graduate and professional students pursuing degrees at K-State. International students, undocumented students, new students or students enrolled in distance-only degree…