Author: Brandon Peoples

A preliminary status hearing is set for Tuesday in the case of a 25-year-old Manhattan man accused in the murder of another man last fall. Richard Goens faces a first-degree murder charge in the Nov. 1 shooting death of 24-year-old Tanner Zamecnik. Court documents allege Goens attempted to rob Zamecnik outside a west-Manhattan apartment complex. Additional charges include aggravated battery and aggravated assault involving a female victim. The status hearing is set for 1 p.m. Tuesday in front of Judge William Malcolm. Goens remains jailed on a $1 million bond.

The first Landon Lecture of 2020 is taking place next week. Former-two term Colombian president and Nobel Peace Prize winner Juan Manuel Santos will deliver the lecture Tuesday in Forum Hall at the K-State Student Union. The lecture is entitled “From hawk to dove.” Santos was president of the South American country from 2010 to 2018 and he’s credited with ushering in a new era of prosperity, peace, equity and education throughout the country. In 2016, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for bringing an end to Colombia’s 50-year-long civil war. He’s twice been named to TIME Magazine’s “100…

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Tuttle Creek Lake has resumed construction associated with the Stilling Basin Rehabilitation project downstream of the dam on what’s commonly known as the tubes. The first stages will affect the lake level in the short term, in addition to areas around the stilling basin and river pond area. Operations Project Manager Brian McNulty says the initial repair is the replacement of the last concrete wall in the stilling basin. “We had replaced all of those up to the point that the contract was suspended and this will complete the last one. The damage…

One person is dead following a wrong-way crash Thursday night just before midnight west of the Wabaunsee-Riley County line on Interstate 70. The Kansas Highway Patrol says an eastbound vehicle was traveling in the westbound passing lane. After coming to the top of a hill, it struck a semi tractor trailer head on. The driver of the wrong-way car was identified as 72-year-old Raymond Riis of Topeka. The KHP crash log indicated he was not wearing a seat belt. The semi-driver, 30-year-old Jerrod Burgardt of Wichita was not injured. He was wearing a seat belt. The roadway reopened around 6…

The suspect in an early Wednesday morning shooting now faces charges of attempted murder. Riley County Police arrested 18-year-old Jalen Gill shortly after noon Thursday on a Riley County District Court warrant for attempted second-degree murder, three counts of aggravated child endangerment, aggravated assault and criminal discharge of a firearm at an occupied building. The victim was treated and released from Ascension Via Christi Hospital. Gill is being held at the Riley County Jail on a $150,000 bond.

Coronavirus has been in the headlines recently for an outbreak in China that’s infected thousands and killed more than 100 people to date. The first potential case of Coronavirus in Kansas is now being investigated in Douglas County, prompting alerts from local health departments. The Riley County Health Department has stated no cases of the virus have been discovered in Riley County and they say the risk for an outbreak here and in the state of Kansas remains low. RCHD says it’s working with partners like Ascension Via Christi and K-State’s Lafene Health Center to ensure they are prepared in…

The Flint Hills Breadbasket is hoping to cash in on the Kansas City Chiefs being in the Super Bowl this weekend. The nonprofit organization is holding its annual Souper Bowl collection effort this week, partnering with area schools and churches as they try to collect 10,000 pounds of food. Executive Director Maribeth Kieffer says they’ll also be staking out all Manhattan grocery stores this Saturday for soups. “One of the nice donations when it comes to soup is the ready-to-eat soup because the children at home can just pop the top and warm it in the microwave or stove,” she…

A recent decision to close the Sunset Zoo’s Zoo Sprouts nature-based preschool program has left some local parents less than satisfied with the explanation they’ve been given as to why it’s shutting down. A memo sent to parents in late December explained different reasons for the closure, effective May 22, 2020. Marketing and Development Officer Melissa Kirkwood said on Monday’s edition of KMAN’s In Focus, that several factors ultimately led administrators to their decision. “Some of them being financial, some of them being staffing issues that are now resolved. But ultimately it became a decision with our administration that they…

Local officials from Manhattan and Riley County gathered Monday for the monthly Intergovernmental luncheon. K-State finalizing E-Scooter regulations, proposals E-scooters will soon litter the K-State campus and surrounding areas thanks to a pilot program that begins later this year. Last fall, the Manhattan City Commission amended the ordinance regulating bicycles and skateboards to extend to micro-mobility devices. Kansas State University Chief of Staff Linda Cook, speaking Monday at the Intergovernmental Luncheon, said the university is working closely with city officials on a task force developing regulations. The university recently wrapped up its request for proposals and are currently in the…

Riley County Police are seeking the public’s help identifying suspects from a recent burglary of Kellstrom Pharmacy on Claflin Road. Surveillance photos show a handful of male suspects, all wearing hooded sweatshirts or coats. While the images aren’t the best quality, police are hoping someone may be able to identify the individuals based on their clothing. Surveillance photos are shared below. In a separate, unrelated case, police say a 23-year-old Manhattan woman reported the theft of her 2016 Kia Sportage Saturday morning in the 500 block of Stone Drive. The estimated total loss is approximately $12,000. Anyone with information on…