Author: Brandon Peoples

Wamego will soon be home to a major agricultural chemical and seed company. The Greater Manhattan Economic Partnership (GMEP) is planning an official announcement Thursday to welcome Corteva Agriscience to the region. The company will occupy 22,000 square feet of space inside a recently constructed building inside the Wamego Industrial Park on the city’s eastern edge. The new facility will employ about 20 permanent workers, largely consisting of office workers and agronomists, plus a number of seasonal workers. Jack Allston, the executive director of the Pottawatomie County Economic Development Corporation, says many of the positions will be filled by employees…

As McCain Auditorium celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2020, some noticeable changes are on the horizon for the lobby and ticketing area. The building will undergo a $6 million renovation, of which $5.2 million has been raised by 75 donors, with the rest coming from another private source. McCain Executive Director Todd Holmberg spoke Monday on KMAN about some of the areas that will see significant changes. The outdoor plaza will also be improved. Groundbreaking is expected to begin in either March or April, with completion anticipated by February 2021. Shows will continue at McCain during construction. Since there won’t…

An investigation is underway following the burglary of the Manhattan Dairy Queen at 1015 North 3rd Street. Riley County Police say the incident was reported Sunday morning, but likely occurred after the store closed Saturday night. The suspect damaged a window to gain access to the building and left with an unknown amount of money. Police do not have any suspects at this time and no arrests have been made. Anyone with information is urged to contact RCPD. The incident comes almost a year to the date after an armed robbery at the same location. It was Jan. 30, 2019…

Riley County Police are investigating after an apparent robbery Thursday night at the Wendy’s restaurant on Anderson Ave. in west Manhattan. The department said in a Facebook post a suspect demanded money from the staff before leaving the scene. It happened around 10:40 p.m. Thursday night. RCPD is currently working on a suspect description and are seeking help from the public. Anyone with information should contact RCPD at 785-537-2112 or Crime Stoppers at 785-539-7777. Using the Crime Stoppers service allows you to remain anonymous and could qualify you for a reward of up to $1,000.

Pottawatomie County school districts will host Kansas Teacher of the Year finalists over the next two weeks. Nominees are touring the state, observing classrooms and will speak with lawmakers in Topeka later this year to share their ideas to help further education policy and initiatives. USD 320 Superintendent Tim Winter says the group will visit Wamego schools on Jan. 22. Their tour will conclude at Wamego High School where they’ll hear more about the Honor Flight program and meet one-on-one with students. Two weeks later, the delegation of teachers will visit Rock Creek Schools, where they’ll be Feb. 6. USD…

For the second time, a mistrial has been declared in the case of 24-year-old D’Khari Lyons, the Manhattan man accused in the death of his former girlfriend’s infant son in late 2018. According to Riley County Attorney Barry Wilkerson, the mistrial was requested by Deputy Riley County Attorney Bethany Fields. The office said during the trial Thursday, the defense counsel sought to elicit answers and ask questions on matters the prosecution believed to be inadmissible and highly prejudicial. Fields objected to the line of questioning and the trial court sustained the objection. After all evidence was presented, Fields moved Judge…

A Riley County jury has heard testimony from a number of doctors and social workers on the severity of injuries sustained by a 2-month-old boy who died in November 2018. The defense continued to build its case Wednesday in the retrial of 24-year-old D’Khari Lyons, who’s charged with first-degree murder and child abuse. The defense called social workers from Children’s Mercy Hospital who interviewed the child’s mother and father as well as Lyons in the hours and days following the incident. Lyons was the last person to see baby Michael Calvert, Jr. alive. His mother, Jessica Hudson left the child…

Riley County Police have arrested a 42-year-old man with several warrants. Shannon Lavar Bryant, a registered drug offender, had absconded from law enforcement since September. He’s charged with two counts of violating the offender registration act, one count of marijuana distribution, a probation violation, use of a communication device and driving with a suspended license. He was arrested late Wednesday at a Manhattan hotel. According to the Kansas Department of Corrections, Bryant has active drug convictions dating back to 2018 in Riley County. He remains jailed on a $27,500 bond.

A new trial starts this week for a Manhattan man accused in the 2018 death of his former girlfriend’s 2-month-old son. Jurors were selected Monday for the retrial of 24-year-old D’Khari Lyons, who is charged with first-degree murder in the death of Michael Calvert, Jr. The trial is expected to last five days. According to evidence presented in the case, Lyons is accused of causing the death of Michael Calvert, Jr. in November 2018 while the mother stepped out to take her other children to school. A September trial ended with a hung jury after it failed to render a…

A Manhattan audiologist clinic was recently the victim of an alleged embezzlement of close to $20,000. The Riley County Police Department filed a report Friday listing Hearing Doctors of Kansas, located at 1213 Hylton Heights Road as the victim. The report says a known 38-year-old woman allegedly stole $19,447 from the business. No suspect information has been released. It’s unclear how the money was taken or what the woman’s association with the business is. The case remains under further investigation.