Author: Brandon Peoples

The new director of the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility is settling into his new role since starting almost a month ago. Dr. Alfonso Clavijo is leading efforts to ensure a smooth transition from the Department of Homeland Security to USDA once the 574,000 square foot facility becomes fully operational. He brings years of experience to the position, most recently as Laboratory Executive Director of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s National Centres for Animal Disease in Winnipeg. He’s also worked in the K-State College of Veterinary Medicine with experience in laboratory diagnosis of Foot-and-Mouth disease, African swine fever and other…

A Manhattan man is jailed on charges of aggravated burglary and aggravated assault stemming from an incident Tuesday east of the K-State campus. Riley County Police say 30-year-old Ryan Calmes was arrested after a victim reported Calmes stole copper pipe and gained access to storage units in the 1400 block of Normandy Place, about three blocks east of campus. A criminal complaint alleges Calmes broke into a residential dwelling and used the copper pipe to assault two male victims. In addition to the three felony counts, Calmes also faces a misdemeanor count of theft and a misdemeanor charge of criminal…

Riley County Police say a report of a possible hostage situation at Lee Elementary School early Wednesday turned out to be a hoax. Police received the initial call around 1 a.m. from a man stating he was inside the buidling with a hostage. Officers immediately arrived on scene, setting up a perimeter in the 700 block of Lee Street. Nearly six hours later, RCPD and Kansas Highway Patrol officials were able to safely make it into the school. The man in question reportedly continued to make contact with RCPD and a local news station stating he committed several felony crimes…

A $1.6 million gift has been bestowed upon Kansas State University’s College of Business Administration. The estate of Otis and Wanda Gilliland of Wellington donated the money which establishes the Gilliland K-State Family Scholarship. It will create match opportunities for 50 scholarships in support of students in the university’s College of Business Administration. New gifts of $30,000 will be matched with $30,000 from the Gilliland’s contribution. In addition, $10,000 will go into an expendable scholarship fund, making $2,000 scholarships immediately available to students for up to five years. The remaining $50,000 will go into the endowment. Both Otis and Wanda…

Riley County Police are investigating after a report of a shooting Friday afternoon in the 1400 block of Hartman Place near the intersection of College Ave. and Claflin Road in Manhattan. Numerous reports of 911 calls reported hearing the sound of gunshots at around 2:15 p.m. When officers arrived, they found one male victim suffering an apparent non-life-threatening gunshot wound. Suspect information is pending at this time. Additional information will be released as soon as it becomes available. There may be potentially more than one suspect. KMAN news reporter Sam Hennigh was on scene Friday and noted multiple residents were…

A preliminary hearing is scheduled later this month for a Manhattan man charged with multiple crimes including motor vehicle theft and burglary. At a Nov. 5 status conference, 35-year-old Brewster Lee Jones appeared with his attorney Phylemon Yau  where a one-hour setting was scheduled for 9 a.m. on Nov. 22 in front of Judge William Malcolm. Jones is accused in the October 7 felony theft of a Ford Explorer near Kedzie Hall. That vehicle also contained several K-State Collegian newspapers that were set to be delivered that morning. The estimated total loss was more than $500 to the student run…

One person was injured Thursday following a crash on US Hwy 77 west of Riley. The Kansas Highway Patrol says shortly before 4:30 p.m. a northbound vehicle driven by 36-year-old John Falkenbury of Clay Center, was attempting to make a left hand turn onto K-82 when he failed to yield and ultimately struck an oncoming southbound vehicle. The driver of the second vehicle, 48-year-old Theodore Aldridge of Junction City sustained a suspected minor injury. Aldridge was transported to Ascension Via Christi. The crash report says Falkenbury was not injured. Troopers say both drivers were wearing their seat belts.

Geary County authorities have identified a man and woman who led a Nov. 1 pursuit east of Topeka following an alleged kidnapping of an infant. Online court records list 31-year-old Clarence Watkins of Junction City and 30-year-old Pamela Broadnax of Kansas City, Missouri, each with a count of kidnapping. Watkins faces several additional counts of battery, flee or attempt to elude, interference with law enforcement and aggravated child endangerment. Both remain in custody. Bond has been set at $100,000 each. Both will appear for preliminary hearings on Tuesday in Geary County District Court. The Kansas Highway Patrol was alerted Friday…

New details made public Wednesday by the Riley County District Court Clerk’s office, allege 130 counts of sexual abuse perpetrated by Manhattan restaurant owner Robert Iacobellis against three underage victims. Iacobellis was initially charged with one count of rape and two counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child in three separate incidents involving young girls. He was arrested on Aug. 2. An amended complaint filed this week saw that number skyrocket, adding 127 new charges. All told, Iacobellis faces one count of rape, three counts of aggravated criminal sodomy, one count of aggravated indecent solicitation and 124 counts of…

USD 378 voters have approved a $15 million school bond that will see some much anticipated upgrades to facilities in the district. The issue passed by a margin of 810 to 505 during Tuesday’s election. Riley County Schools Citizens Advisory Committee Treasurer Karen Schroeder says they appreciate the voters supporting them in this matter. “We’re very excited. I’ve gotten all kinds of emails and texts from people and the main word has been ‘thankful.’ Everybody is very thankful that this has passed and we can move forward and fix our schools,” she said. Schroeder says after failing to pass a…