Author: Brandon Peoples

Some major facilities upgrades are happening soon for USD 323 Rock Creek Schools. During Monday’s school board meeting, the district entered into a contracted agreement with the Rock Creek Diamond Club, a group of businesses and individuals wanting to build a baseball diamond out on the Rock Creek campus, north of the softball diamond. USD 323 Superintendent Kevin Logan says a special meeting is likely on Dec. 16 to finalize the contract. The district currently uses a baseball field in Westmoreland but it cuts into practice time for students among other KSHSAA restrictions. The new campus baseball field could be…

The Kansas Supreme Court docket for next week includes a petition for review in a Riley County drug-related case. The high court will review State of Kansas v. Anthony M. Brazzle, who appealed several drug-related convictions following a 2015 sting operation at the Royal Inn Motel in Manhattan. Brazzle argues the district court erroneously admitted evidence related to a prior drug sale with undercover police detectives. He also argues they erroneously instructed the jury on possession of oxycodone, noting the evidence produced at trial was insufficient to support that conviction. A majority of the Court of Appeals’ panel rejected Brazzle’s…

Kansas State University Police responded to a call early Thursday morning regarding an unconscious man in the Washington Marlatt Memorial Park (Top of the World). Upon arriving, officers located the deceased individual inside a vehicle who had apparently taken his own life. The deceased is a K-State student in the industrial engineering department. His name was released late Thursday morning by K-State Division of Communications and Marketing. Out of respect for the family, KMAN is not publishing his name. The Office of Student Life and Counseling Services are available for anyone who may be affected.

A Manhattan woman is featured in a reality TV cooking competition which debuts Thursday night on ABC. Sally Newton, a Kansas State University research professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics is a contestant on season 5 of The Great American Baking Show. A fan of the show and its predecessor The Great British Baking Show, Newton applied each of the last two years to be a contestant and ultimately was selected this year. She says baking is her hobby. The program is inspired by its predecessor The Great British Baking Show. Newton, a big fan of both…

A teacher at Frank V. Bergman Elementary is the 2020 USD 383 Master Teacher. The district announced Monday that Reading Specialist and Title I teacher Debra Schapaugh was this year’s awardee. She has taught in the district since 1979 at Marlatt, Northview, Strong Kindergarten and Bergman. She earned her B.S in Elementary Education from Purdue University, a M.S. in Curriculum and Instruction from K-State and a Reading Specialist Endorsement from Emporia State. “What an honor to represent our district for the Master Teacher Award,” Schapaugh said in a district news release. “Collectively, my work is certainly influenced by the thoughtful…

USD 383 Manhattan/Ogden school officials broke ground Monday on the College Hill Early Learning Center’s construction project. The $7.3 million facilities improvement will see the addition of a new storm shelter, expanded campus to include 11 classrooms, age-appropriate playgrounds and more. Superintendent Dr. Marvin Wade says Monday’s ceremony was the district’s opportunity to thank the community for its support. “We knew we could deal with curriculum, staffing and a lot of different things, but facilities is kind of a tough one. You have to have the community behind that in order to be able to build facilities with the right…

A Missouri man serving two life prison terms for sexually abusing two male students at the University of Missouri-St. Louis is in custody in Riley County. RCPD says 25-year-old Devonta Bagley of Belton, Missouri was arrested and booked on a Riley County warrant late Friday night for aggravated failure to appear. Bagley, a 2017 Kansas State University graduate, has a pending case for allegedly abusing a student at a campus fraternity house in the fall of 2017. He was initially arrested in September 2017 on charges of aggravated criminal sodomy and aggravated burglary. He’s currently being held on a $750,000…

Riley County Police are attempting to identify a group of individuals potentially linked to the theft of more than 30 electronic devices from the Manhattan Best Buy store. A post on the RCPD Facebook page Sunday night showed surveillance photos of five suspects, two men and three women. The photos were reportedly from Nov. 16, but the crime was reported by the company this week. The total loss is estimated at $3,600. Anyone with information to help identify the suspects should call RCPD or Crime Stoppers. Additional surveillance photos are below.

The tradition of lighting up Manhattan continued again Friday evening as the Mayor’s Spirit of the Holidays Lighted Parade brought thousands out for a little Christmas cheer. That is the sound of the Kansas State University Marching Band as they marched down Moro Street. Starting at Manhattan Town Center, the parade sparkled down Poyntz Avenue, through Aggieville, ultimately ending in Triangle Park where the newly planted mayor’s Christmas tree was lit. The annual parade is also an opportunity to stock the Flint Hills Breadbasket. “This is the 38th food drive fundraiser that Manhattan has sponsored. It’s also the 18th parade,…

UPDATE: Saturday 6 a.m. RCPD located 13-year-old Eylisa Bowles late Friday night. Police did not say where she was located but that she was okay after having been reported missing Thursday night from her home. Original story Riley County Police are searching for a runaway child from northern Riley County. Police said Friday 13-year-old Eylisa Bowles was last seen at her home in 20000 block of Tuttle Creek Blvd Thursday evening around 9 p.m. She’s believed to be driving a 2003 Mitsubushi Eclipse convertible with a dark-colored hood and bumper with white body. It’s also missing the front, driver’s side…