Author: Brandon Peoples

A Manhattan man was arrested on multiple charges Tuesday including child abuse and domestic battery. The Riley County Police Department lists nine total counts against 33-year-old Aaron Finch, who was arrested at his home in south Manhattan. Finch is charged with child abuse, battery, domestic battery and aggravated child endangerment. He also faces two counts of aggravated intimidation of a witness or victim and three counts of criminal damage to property. Bond was set at $25,000, but as of Wednesday morning’s report, Finch was not confined in the Riley County Jail. RCPD is not releasing any additional information due to…

Kansas State University is now able to test K-State students, faculty and staff for coronavirus. It’s not all inclusive though, and is only for those needing testing because they are ill and have COVID-19 symptoms or because they have been exposed to someone with the virus. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment has asked K-State to ramp up human testing and researchers are increasing their testing capacity. Testing is available at Lafene, then testing samples are sent to K-State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory for analysis. The laboratory has moved personnel, molecular equipment and computers into the Biosecurity Research Institute to…

As businesses and local governments navigate a path toward recovery, counties are still challenged with financial hurdles that may create some challenges. In Pottawatomie County, Commission Chair Dee McKee says they are concerned about the significant financial hit the county will take as a result in loss of local sales taxes. She joined KMAN’s In Focus Tuesday. “We’re also concerned about second payment property taxes because those fund essential services,” she said. Those taxes fund fire, police, schools, rural hospitals and more.  McKee says the county is preparing for the real possibility that those payments won’t be made on time…

A virtual round table discussion was held during Monday’s Intergovernmental Luncheon with entities touching on how a gradual reopening of business and government may look in the coming weeks. Gov. Laura Kelly’s statewide stay-at-home order expires May 3 and all indications are that will not be extended. Riley County Health Department Director Julie Gibbs says if the order is not extended, any loosening of guidelines locally would be done gradually through mid-May. “This will be a trickle effect, opening with many safeguards in place, if that decision comes down to local authorities,” she said. Those safeguards would essentially be in…

The Clay County Health Department is reporting its first coronavirus-related death. The patient, a 70-year-old woman who contracted the disease out of state died Saturday. She’s one of 120 deaths attributed to the disease in Kansas. At least one Clay County contact of hers was identified and remains in quarantine at home until April 28. KDHE has released guidelines (http://www.kdheks.gov/coronavirus/COVID-19_Resource_Center.htm) for quarantine and isolation of travelers who visited locations in the United States where large numbers of people have contracted the disease.  Guidelines for possible contact exposure to the disease are also on that website. If you are experiencing symptoms…

Kansas First District Congressman Roger Marshall is back in Kansas, not for politics, but as a volunteer. The Congressman, who is also an obstetrician, began on-boarding Wednesday at Swope Health Clinic in Kansas City. He’s seen first hand the challenges facing the health care workers on the front lines as well as the challenges the virus poses. “Some people present with a fever, some with a headache, some just weakness or maybe even diarrhea or gastrointestinal symptoms. We do a basic history physical, take their vitals and then do the testing for COVID,” he said. Marshall says even as the…

The Riley County Health Department has a new online survey for community members to report their health condition regardless of if they are showing symptoms for COVID-19. It’s available at rileycountyks.gov/covidsurvey. The information is confidential and will only be used to determine how the coronavirus is spreading locally. The health department says it won’t ask about finances, bank accounts, insurance or any non-health related information. The department says data will help them track the spread of COVID-19 to align response resources as the community begins work toward lifting restrictions and reopening certain businesses. People will be asked to share their…

Riley County continues to see a climb in the number of positive cases of the coronavirus, while more people recover and more testing becomes available locally. As of Saturday, the Riley County Health Department saw three new confirmed positive cases reported in two 23-year-old women and one 22-year-old man. All three are known contacts of positive cases. They are isolating at their homes. So far, 43 Riley County residents have tested positive for the coronavirus since March 20. That’s an average of about 1.2 new cases per day. As of Saturday, 21 of those patients have recovered and 22 are…

Five Ascension Via Christi Hospital certified nursing assistants (CNAs) are volunteering to assist medical officials at Ascension facilities in Illinois and Indiana. Alyssa Jones and Brooklin Stoddard are both traveling to Chicago. Baylee Hogan, Cortney Kipp and Taylor Vandeloo are volunteering in Indianapolis, where outbreaks of the coronavirus have been more rampant. The five were joined in a send off ceremony that included coworkers and families outside the Manhattan hospital Saturday evening. Vandeloo has been a CNA for more than a year, and is studying to become a licensed practical nurse (LPN). “I just really wanted to go help out,”…

  Video – courtesy ABC News A Northeast Kansas farmer made headlines Friday when his letter to New York Governor Andrew Cuomo was read during the governor’s daily news conference on the latest coronavirus statistics. “Enclosed, find a solitary N95 mask left over from my farming days.  It has never been used. If you could, would you please give this mask to a nurse or doctor in your state,” Cuomo said as he read from the letter. The letter signed only “Dennis and Sharon” was written by a retired farmer hunkered down with his diabetic wife, both in their 70s.…