Author: Brandon Peoples

The Pottawatomie County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a possible arson incident near St. Marys. Sheriff Shane Jager said in a news release Wednesday that officers were dispatched Sunday to the Oregon Trail Park in the 23,000 block of Oregon Trail Road. An unknown person or persons entered the bathroom facilities at the park and burned contents within the bathroom. They also damaged a heater. Jager says there was no structural damage to the building and that the total loss was less than $1,000. Anyone with information is urged to call the Pottawatomie County Sheriff’s Office or visit ptsheriff.com and leave…

Pawnee Mental Health celebrated Mardi Gras for Mental Health Tuesday, with its 2nd annual Pancakes for Pawnee fundraiser. It was a larger endeavor this year for the organization who, with help from Manhattan restaurant Early Edition, filled both restaurant locations with customers opting for breakfast for dinner to support a worthy cause. At the Early Edition west location, members of the Leadership Manhattan Class of 2020 helped cook and serve pancakes for three hours, filling customer orders both for dine in and take out. One of those volunteers was Abby Hoelting, who says this was the class’s choice for its…

A 23-year-old Ogden man has been arrested in connection with the theft of power tools and other items from a Manhattan Area Habitat for Humanity construction site. According to the Riley County Police Department, Nicholas Lambert is charged with five total counts including making false information, burglary, criminal damage to property and two counts of theft. Lambert is being held on an $8,000 bond. A trailer belonging to Habitat for Humanity was reported stolen on Thursday, containing various tools with an approximate value of $7,000. On Monday, two of the stolen items were recovered from Wildcat Pawn and Jewelry in…

A gathering of local government officials were briefed Monday on the importance of the 2020 census to the region. U.S. Census Program Supervisor for Kansas and Oklahoma Emily Kelley spoke at the Intergovernmental Luncheon about their push to get information out to military families, in particular to fill out the census survey for where they are physically living as of April 1. Since the Census only occurs every 10 years, much of the area’s federal programming dollars are allocated off of the count. Kelley says K-State students also need to be counted here in Manhattan. The Census Bureau will send…

A 29-year-old Manhattan man has been sentenced to a decade in prison for his role in a 2018 rape case involving a K-State student. Dexter Robinson, who earlier this month pleaded no contest to the charge, had been tried for the crime twice last year. Both trials ended in mistrial. In exchange for his plea, the state agreed to drop remaining charges of aggravated criminal sodomy and aggravated kidnapping. Riley County Judge John Bosch imposed the 10 year (120 month) sentence agreed upon by the state and the defense, based on Robinson’s acceptance of responsibility and limited criminal history prior…

A 22-year-old Riley man has been arrested on two counts of arson. Samuel Gilbert, a Riley County volunteer firefighter was taken into custody after a three month long criminal investigation and two active grass fires near Leonardville Friday night. He is currently being held on a $10,000 bond. According to a release from the Riley County Police Department, Gilbert was arrested just before midnight Saturday near a pasture fire at the intersection of Alert Road and Sherman Road. The other reported fire was near Fairview Church Road and Calvary Road. This followed suspicious grass fires occurring in northern parts of…

The Manhattan Fire Department was called out to Bill Snyder Family Stadium Friday evening for a small fire, sometime after 6 p.m. According to the department the fire was located inside a cooler in the stadium and was quickly contained. However, it did cause an estimated $10,000 in damage to food. The cause of the fire was investigated and determined to be accidental.

Wamego area breast cancer patients are taking advantage of new 3D mammography technology now available closer to home. A ribbon cutting was held Friday at the Wamego Health Center to unveil the equipment installed recently to provide improved breast cancer detection. Mammography Technologist Teresa Herrington says the health center has already treated over 20 patients since it was installed. She says the technology is a welcome addition that gives patients more confidence when they receive a mammogram. The 3D technology allows radiologists to see more clearly and more in-depth images of breast tissue and can help with early detection of…

ST. GEORGE — The Pottawatomie County Sheriff’s Office says one person has been arrested after it launched an investigation into a storage unit burglary in St. George. Sheriff Shane Jager says the items taken Wednesday included several tools and items with an approximate value of less than $1,000. A detective later arrested 40-year-old Crystal Dawn Cummings of Wamego in connection to the burglary. She’s charged with possession of methamphetamine, marijuana and drug paraphernalia after a search warrant was executed on the vehicle that Cummings was operating.  Cummings is being held on a $3,000 bond, and awaiting bond on the additional drug charges.  …

OGDEN — An investigation is underway into the theft of construction tools Wednesday evening in Ogden. The theft was reported by the Manhattan Area Habitat for Humanity on a home build project they’re currently managing. Executive Director Karmen Davenport says the trailer was found abandoned in a mobile home park after it was moved from the job site at 227 10th Street in Ogden. Inside the trailer were large tools – including a table saw, miter saw, an entire box of cordless battery-operated tools, drills and a siding stapler. Davenport says they’ve been getting close to finishing the project at…