Author: Brandon Peoples

The Riley County Law Board on Monday approved for publication its $22.1 million budget for fiscal year 2021, but will need a special meeting to finalize it ahead of the publication date. Within the budget, $470,000 is being slashed outside of merits and cost of living adjustments. The budget, while flat year-over-year in terms of overall dollars, still allows for a 0.63 percent COLA on top of the 2021 base of $22.3 million. It subtracts $234,000 from unused budget funds, commonly called carry-over funds.  RCPD Captain Josh Kyle explains why it was included within their projections. “We feel that it’s reasonable…

No new cases of coronavirus were reported over the weekend, as more people in Riley County get added to the recovered list. The total amount of cases since mid-March remains at 60, of which 10 cases remain active. There have now been 49 recoveries and one death attributed to the virus. Ascension Via Christi currently has no active patients hospitalized, but are monitoring one person under investigation, showing symptoms. Riley County continues to wait on 56 pending test results and have now seen 788 negative tests. In Pottawatomie County, there are 22 total cases, four of which are active and…

Wamego Police say one person has been arrested following a Sunday chase which began in Wamego and ended in St. George. The chase began around 9:30 p.m. Sunday near 10th and Lilac in Wamego after police received numerous reports of a reckless driver. The driver failed to stop and led officers west toward St. George and the chase ended after the vehicle left the roadway, crashing into a creek near Military Trail and Chapman Road. Officers lost sight of the vehicle prior to the crash. Four suspects in the vehicle fled the and were later identified by police. At least…

Nelson’s Landing has shut its doors after 13 years in business. The popular Leonardville restaurant and sports bar announced Sunday via its Facebook page it would no longer remain in business. The post thanked the employees who helped shape the restaurant as well as the public for their support. Nelson’s Landing was owned and operated by Kim and Alan Nelson since just before their son Jordy Nelson, a standout football player at K-State, was drafted by the Green Bay Packers. The Nelsons say while the doors may be closed, the memories will live on forever.

Health care workers and first responders will be honored Tuesday with a special flyover from the Kansas Air National Guard’s 190th Air Refueling Wing. Operation Kansas Strong flyovers are planned in four Kansas communities including Manhattan to salute the front line workers in the fight against COVID-19. Colonel Lee Norman, state surgeon for the Kansas Army National Guard will be flying with leaders from the Kansas National Guard. Norman is also the Secretary for the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. During the flyovers, Norman will be in contact with a hospital official in each city via radio. The flyover…

A second round of emergency furloughs was announced Friday by Kansas State University. The furloughs impact 58 employees working within the College of Health and Human Sciences, the College of Veterinary Medicine and Parking Services and will occur in June and July. This follows an additional 349 furloughs announced earlier this month affecting Housing and Dining, Student Union, Recreational Services, the Child Development Center and Lafene Health Center. “Many of those employees rely on the income that those facilities produce to cover their costs and their employee expenses. With no revenue coming you get to that point where we have…

Demolition will begin next week of a west Manhattan property that sustained damage during the 2018 Labor Day flood. The Manhattan Fire Department Risk Reduction Division says the structure at 3003 Anderson Avenue will be razed and a slab floor will be left when finished. No public hazards are anticipated during the project. The Plaza West shopping center building, which formerly housed Golden Wok and La Hacienda was deemed unsafe through a public process last year after the department attempted to gain compliance with building owner Mark Samarrai. A demolition contract was awarded in April to Remco Demolition for $49,810.…

Manhattan Mayor Usha Reddi has suspended her campaign for the U.S. Senate. Reddi issued a statement Thursday morning stating that because of the unprecedented pandemic, her work as mayor has become her first and only priority. She initially paused her campaign March 14 as the statewide activity related to the coronavirus began to take shape. Reddi has called the joint response to the pandemic the most important work of her life and says COVID-19 meetings and calls will continue to demand 100 percent of her focus for the foreseeable future. While she’s stepping back from her candidacy, Reddi says she’ll…

Many Aggieville businesses remain closed until at least next week. The second phase of the Riley County Reopening Plan begins May 18 and will include bars and clubs, and gatherings will be increased to 30 people. As for now, none of the businesses in Aggieville are in danger of closing, thanks to support they’ve received from the federal, state and local levels. “That’s an amazing testament to what the government’s done and what the locals have done for these businesses because being out of business for eight or so weeks with no income, that should keep most businesses out of…

As election season draws closer, candidates will soon be circling the state asking voters for their support. Former Lt. Gov. Tracey Mann was in Manhattan this week, and spoke with KMAN about the challenges of the campaign trail amid the coronavirus pandemic as he seeks the open 1st Congressional District seat. Right now, he says a lot of that is happening via phone or online and says his campaign was helped immensely by a key endorsement from Kansas Farm Bureau earlier this month. “Kansas Farm Bureau has long been the gold standard in Big First politics and we’re delighted to…