Author: Brandon Peoples

Kansas House Representative Ron Highland says the state has done a good job so far responding to guidelines from health officials related to coronavirus. The 51st District Republican Representative from Wamego was critical of Gov. Laura Kelly’s executive order which mandated churches to comply with the 10-person gathering minimum ahead of Easter – traditionally the most well-attended church day of the year. “We have a constitution both the U.S. and state where those rights are protected and always have been,” he said. Highland says the executive order was not necessary to mandate since most congregations are taking the steps to…

A Manhattan man is jailed after an early Friday morning domestic incident. Riley County Police have charged 21-year-old Kono Desoto Smith with two counts of battery, two counts of domestic battery and one count of aggravated burglary. Police were called out just before 4 a.m. Friday to the Gramercy Apartment complex at College and Kimball Ave. Due to the nature of the crime no further details have been released. Smith remains jailed on a $10,000 bond. — Riley County Police arrested a 23-year-old Manhattan resident for a weapons charge. Shelby Moffith was arrested just before 2 a.m. Friday at Top…

Kansas 51st District Representative Ron Highland of Wamego joined KMAN Friday during the 8 a.m. hour to discuss COVID-19 related matters, the Legislative Coordinating Council’s decision to rescind Gov. Kelly’s executive order on church gatherings and how different state departments are responding.

Temporary e-cards are being remotely issued to Manhattan residents who don’t currently have access to a Manhattan Public Library card. Those temporary e-cards will allow users to access thousands of downloadable books, hundreds of quality streaming movies and a wide array of databases. This is being done until further notice while the library remains closed to the public. Patrons 13 and older can obtain an e-card by filling out the online registration form at mhklibrary.org. Children under the age of 13 should have their parent or guardian contact the Circulation Department to create an account.

Funerals have shifted drastically since stricter measures have been implemented around social gatherings. Families of loved ones who have recently passed are being faced with uncertainty for when they can hold memorials or a funeral in the traditional sense. “Most families have chosen cremation, then they’re going to do something later on their own. We have about 12 pending cases,” said Brian Waddington, business partner with Yorgensen-Meloan-Londeen Funeral Home in Manhattan. Cremation rates are normally about 40 percent in Manhattan, but currently they are closer to 60 percent, according to Waddington. He says their doors remain open as well and…

A junior physics student at Kansas State University is this year’s recipient of the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship. Blaine Fry, of Topeka, is one of 396 students in the nation to receive the scholarship awarded annually to those interested in research careers in engineering, mathematics or the natural sciences. Fry is mentored by Cortelyou-Rust University distinguished professor of physics Chris Sorensen. He is researching light scattering from fractal aggregates. Fry’s work is specifically researching backscattering: the light that scatters back to the source. It can be very dim, making it hard to measure. Fry says understanding things like soot from…

A new hearing date has been announced for a Manhattan businessman accused of more than 100 counts of sexual abuse with minors. Robert Iacobellis was initially due in Riley County District Court April 2, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, that hearing has been pushed to 9 a.m. on May 14. Iacobellis faces 130 total counts of sex-related crimes against three alleged victims, all under the age of 18. He was arrested in early August 2019 and remains in custody on a $400,000 bond. Online court records show Iacobellis served an eviction notice in late February against his daughter and…

Heartland Stampede appears as though it will go on as scheduled. Plans are still in place for the annual music festival, formerly known as Country Stampede, which runs June 25-27 in Topeka. Headliners include Luke Combs and Toby Keith. The event was initially moved from the Manhattan area to Topeka last year due to concerns with flooding and accessibility before organizers later announced the permanent move to the new site at Heartland Motorsports Park. In a statement on its Facebook page, organizers said Sunday they are “keeping a close watch on developments surrounding COVID-19 and will abide by any precautions…

Manhattan parks remain open during the pandemic, but not to the extent they normally would be. Playgrounds are fenced off to thwart off the spread of germs, social gatherings of more than 10 people are discouraged and spring activities remain on hold. On KMAN’s In Focus Monday, Parks & Recreation Director Eddie Eastes described the likelihood of public swimming pools not opening on time for Memorial Day weekend. “The training that has to occur takes quite a bit of time and certainly a lot of that training we cannot accomplish that without maintaining a proper social distancing. There are some…

A Wamego man was seriously injured Sunday following a two-vehicle crash in Wabaunsee County. The Kansas Highway Patrol says 28-year-old Cody Boggs was southbound on Highway 99 near Paw Paw Creek Road when his Ford Escape rear ended a semi that had come to an almost complete stop due to low visibility caused by smoke. Boggs was transported to Wamego Health Center with a suspected serious injury. The truck driver was not injured. The crash happened just before 11 a.m. Sunday and closed the roadway for about two hours.