Author: Brandon Peoples

A 27-year-old man is in custody after three Manhattan businesses were burglarized Friday night. According to the Riley County Police Department, Oliver Henry was arrested while in the 1800 block of Claflin Rd. on three counts of criminal damage to property, two counts of burglary and attempted burglary. He’s being held on a $15,000 bond. Police say Henry was taken into custody shortly after 12:30 a.m. Saturday during an attempted robbery at Kellstrom Pharmacy. Two other businesses, including the Shop Quik in the 1100 block of Scenic Landing and Candlewood Health Mart, located in the 3200 block of Kimball, were…

The Manhattan/Ogden USD 383 Board of Education unanimously approved a resolution Wednesday in support of House Bill 2498 in the Kansas Legislature. The proposal would exclude hypothetical leased fee when determining fair market value for real property. Big box retailers commonly use the appraisal practice, commonly known as the “dark store theory,” referring to a loophole in state law that allows their properties to be taxed as though they are vacant “or dark” stores. Riley County currently has four merchants appealing their appraisals to the Board of Tax Appeals – Manhattan Marketplace, Hy-Vee, Target and The Home Depot. USD 383…

Community members are invited to three upcoming spring mobile food distribution events over the next two months. Hands on K-State, a campus organization that promotes civic learning and leadership through volunteer service opportunities, says each event will have free fresh produce to anyone in the community who needs it, regardless if you’re a K-State student or not. This is open to everyone in the community. Students, faculty, staff and others are welcome to attend. It’s a partnership that includes K-State and Harvesters. The first of three mobile food distributions is at 4 p.m. on Valentine’s Day (Feb. 14) at the…

In a follow up to a story from earlier this week, the Riley County Police Department has now placed 33-year-old Jesse Mark Sexton on its Most Wanted List. Sexton has multiple Riley County warrants for failing to appear, aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, criminal threat, 11 counts of theft and eight counts of theft by deception. His warrants have a bond totaling $120,000. On Tuesday, Riley County Judge William Malcolm increased Sexton’s bonds on each count he failed to appear on this week. He also has pending charges in Pottawatomie County. He was not in court Tuesday to…

Every Friday morning during the 2020 Kansas Legislative session, KMAN brings you a weekly update from our state representatives at 7 a.m. and 8 a.m.

Top Republicans in the Kansas House have delayed a vote on a proposed anti-abortion amendment to the state constitution. The decision comes a day after the House gave first round approval to get the measure on the ballot. It did not have the two-thirds majority (84 votes) necessary to pass. The House had been scheduled to vote Friday morning, but GOP leaders said it could go in and out of session multiple times before a vote occurs, possibly to buy time to sway Republican colleagues that weren’t in favor. On KMAN’s weekly legislative update Friday morning, 51st District Rep. Ron…

Manhattan residents living in or around neighborhoods near CiCo Park are advised of an upcoming Kansas Gas Service project to upgrade natural gas pipelines. The project is scheduled to start Monday and last into early summer, according to a release this week from the utility. Construction dates may vary due to unforeseen circumstances but generally will occur weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and occasional Saturdays until the project is completed. During the upgrade, there may be traffic interruptions, including temporary lane closures. The project area includes the CiCo Park neighborhood, Dickens Ave. to Anderson Ave. as well as…

Food is still being counted this week following the Flint Hills Breadbasket’s annual Souper Bowl collection. On KMAN’s In Focus Wednesday, Breadbasket Executive Director Maribeth Kieffer told listeners that while numbers were still preliminary, they’ve already well surpassed their collection goal of 10,000 pounds. Kieffer says it’ll go a long way to help those less fortunate in our community. This year’s event went beyond just the grocery store collection efforts that took place on Feb. 1. The Breadbasket also had a major boost from Manhattan/Ogden Schools, with students scheduled to sort their items on Thursday. Event co-founder and former Riley…

Fort Riley’s 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team is deploying to the Republic of Korea for its 2020 rotation. A deployment ceremony and casing of the brigade colors took place Thursday morning at the King Field House on Fort Riley. Colonel Phil Brooks spoke about the Dagger brigade team’s readiness, noting their dedicated ongoing training. Colonel Thomas Murtha, Commander of the 2nd Brigade Combat team says they stand ready at all times. The 2nd Armored brigade will replace the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division as part of a regular rotation of forces to support the U.S. commitment to Southeast…

For the second year in a row, Ascension Via Christi Hospital President Bob Copple has been named to Becker’s Healthcare’s list of rural hospital and health system CEOs to know. The list is put out annually, recognizing leaders making a positive impact on their organizations. Copple is among 60 nationally named to the 2020 list. Those featured lead hospitals consistently recognized by organizations such as the National Rural Health Association, American Hospital Association, IBM Watson Health and The Leapfrog Group. Copple, a licensed engineer has presided over the Manhattan hospital since 2016, overseeing 150 physicians, 500 employees and 300 volunteers.…