Author: Brandon Peoples

Junction City officials are advising all residents of the city to conserve water following a water main break at the city’s Spruce Water Tower. Public Works Director Ray Ibarra says the crews are working on repairs right now and should have the tower running again in a few hours. The break is in the 900 block of West Spruce Street and public works crews have blocked off the street to traffic. The city is currently only being served by the Ash Street water tower, which is why they’re asking residents to limit their water usage. However, Ibarra says the…

State vs. Devonta Bagley In his first status hearing since being arrested last week for aggravated failure to appear, 25-year-old Devonta Bagley went in front of the judge via video conference from his jail cell. Likewise in the Goens murder case, Public Defender Cole Hawver noted a potential conflict of interest that may prevent them from providing legal counsel. Bagley is serving two life prison terms in Missouri for sexually abusing two college students in St. Louis. He also has a previous charge in Riley County from 2017 where he’s accused of sexually abusing a student at a campus fraternity…

The suspect in the Oct. 7 felony theft of an SUV carrying several K-State Collegian newspapers has reached an apparent plea deal in the case. At Tuesday’s status hearing, 35-year-old Brewster Lee Jones waived his right to a preliminary hearing after reaching an apparent plea deal in the case. Jones faces three felony counts including theft, burglary and interference with law enforcement. He also faces two misdemeanor theft charges and a misdemeanor charge of criminal use of a financial card. Jones will be arraigned at a 2:30 p.m. hearing Dec. 30.

A status conference for a 29-year-old Manhattan man accused of murder has been reset. At Tuesday’s status hearing, Public Defender Cole Hawver told Judge William Malcolm they received written discovery this week in the case against Richard Goens, who is charged with first-degree murder and attempted aggravated battery in the Nov. 1 shooting death of 24-year-old Tanner Zamecnick. Hawver says his office may have a conflict of interest that may require them to withdraw from the case. Goens is also charged with aggravated battery and aggravated assault against a female victim, stemming from that incident. The Riley County Attorney’s Office…

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has officially declared the longest flooding event in the history of the Kansas City District over. The Kansas City District includes Manhattan. District Commander, Col. Bill Hannan declared the the Emergency Operations Center activation level returned to Level IV – normal operations. The district has been continuously activated since March 13 – 279 days, which marks the longest duration declared flooding event in district history. As of last Wednesday, all Missouri River stages within the district area of operations had dropped below flood stage for the first time since March 13. The forecast is…

A Pottawatomie County man charged with sex crimes will not stand trial after a plea deal was reached late last week. According to Pottawatomie County Attorney Sherri Schuck, 52-year-old Peter Palmeri pleaded to two counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child Thursday. He had been set to go on trial Tuesday. Sentencing is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Feb. 4. He remains in Pottawatomie County Jail. Palmeri was initially charged with two counts of rape, six counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child, as well as multiple charges of aggravated criminal sodomy and kidnapping. The remaining charges were dropped…

New efforts are underway to address turnover and increase retention in one of the most critical divisions of the Riley County Police Department. Dubbed a priority since taking over a year ago, RCPD Director Dennis Butler Monday presented to his governing Law Board a proposal to reclassify position responsibilities and pay grades for dispatchers within the Riley County Communications Center. Butler says the proposal essentially cuts training in half from the current seven month training cycle and creates a career ladder. Level two dispatchers would be classified as handling communications for all entities. Butler says by doing this, he hopes…

A status conference is scheduled Tuesday in Riley County District Court for a Manhattan man charged with killing another man. It will be the first hearing for 29-year-old Richard Goens in nearly a month following his alleged involvement in the Nov. 1 shooting death of 24-year-old Tanner Zamecnik. Goens has not yet entered a plea, but remains jailed on a $1 million bond, charged with first-degree murder and attempted aggravated robbery. A criminal complaint filed with the court in early November alleges Goens fired a fatal shot in an attempt to rob Zamecnik. The complaint states Goens approached Zamecnik’s vehicle…

Update 9 a.m. Sunday The National Weather Service says two rounds of winter weather are expected between now and Monday. Snow began falling in the Manhattan area early Sunday morning, prompting some cancellations of a few local church activities. (See the Closings and Delays page for the latest announcements). The City of Manhattan says city plow crews deployed at about 6 a.m., starting with treatment of the streets and primary routes in the city. Travel is not advised, but if you must be out, it’s encouraged that you slow down and give yourself extra time to stop. The Riley County…

The first G. Thomas Jewelers – Godfrey’s Tactical Supply Jingle Bell Rock has been located. Brian Tesene, along with daughters Emma and Lauren of Manhattan were the lucky winners. Brian says the clue he heard Friday morning led him straight to the rock. “It was in Washington Marlatt Park, in the picnic area,” Tesene said. It’s not the first time Brian’s been the lucky winner. He also won in 2012 and more recently in 2017. He says the thrill of the hunt is something he looks forward to every year. “It’s two dead weeks that I can’t focus,” he said.…