Author: Brandon Peoples

A Riley County Police officer was recognized this week for turning a would-be criminal situation into an opportunity to help someone struggling. Officer Joshua Berard recently helped out Brenden Vens, a Flint Hills Job Corps student, who was caught attempting to steal a pair of pants from a Manhattan department store. Vens told the officer he took the pants because he needed them for a job interview but could not afford them. Flint Hills Job Corp Center Director Johnny Taylor presented the story to the law board on Monday. “Officer Berard purchased the pair of pants for this young man…

LEONARDVILLE — A policy change was unanimously approved Monday by the Riley County Law Board aimed at sexual assault investigations and how they’re carried out. Capt. Tim Hegarty says the goal is to reduce the amount of rapes occurring in the community through a three-step policy which encourages sexual violence victims to come forward and gives them more control. The first step is a report with just information with no investigative process other than a victim interview and/or the completion of a partial inquiry to serial sexual assault. It aims to break down barriers to victim reporting, so that the…

JUNCTION CITY — The USD 475 Geary County School Board on Monday condemned alleged racial comments made during the Oct. 11 Junction City/Manhattan High football game. “At the end of the game when individuals were exiting the field, there was a space between the fence where they were walking through and getting to the bus where our cheerleaders had some inappropriate comments made to them. The same thing happened as I understand in the crowd as individuals were leaving, some comments were made that was inappropriate as well,” USD 475 Superintendent Reginald Eggleston said. Eggleston and board member Jim Schmidt…

A month after announcing plans to restructure, Manhattan-based AIB International says it’s planning to sell property on North Manhattan and Bakers Way. The business isn’t planning on going anywhere, in fact the company has no plans to cut any jobs, nor relocate the Manhattan headquarters it’s called home for over 40 years. CEO Andre Biane says ideally they’d like to sell the property and lease back the space. “We are looking for possible tenants and other options that would potentially include a sale and lease back of the property,” Biane said. Signage showing the sale will be posted near the…

LEONARDVILLE – End of year expenditures in the Riley County Police Department’s unused personnel fund are estimated to be around $924,000. At Monday’s Riley County Law Board meeting, command staff presented for over an hour to the Law Board about potential large expenditures that could be addressed utilizing those funds, which effect 2021 carry over. (Find the complete list here: RCPD 2019 End of Year Funding Proposals) Among the critical or mandatory items presented were necessary upgrades for the P25 radio project. Capt. Erin Friedline says for the past two years RCPD has put away an estimated $200,000 per year…

After 43 years operating the Eastside and Westside Markets in Manhattan, business owner Terry Olson has announced she’s retiring. Olson says many factors have led to the decision, but primarily due to the east location’s property owners’ desire to sell the property at Eastside Market and the increasing challenge of buying and transporting products as a small retailer. “It’s terribly bittersweet because I’m very bonded to my employees and their hearts and hard work have been in it as much as mine,” she told KMAN Monday. “It came as a terrible shock to them because I had always said I…

Kansas State University Police arrested 23-year-old Jason Seifert of Fort Riley early Sunday morning on charges of rape, aggravated battery and aggravated kidnapping. Lt. Bradli Millington says just before 3 a.m., K-State Police received a report of an active situation on the west side of campus along the Denison corridor. Officers made contact with the victim, who was then transported to the local hospital. Seifert returned to the scene while officers were still in the area, and was subsequently arrested. Millington says neither Seifert nor the victim have any relation to the university. Seifert is currently being held at the…

A Manhattan man is jailed on four charges including rape after he was arrested Friday afternoon. Saturday’s Riley County Police Department arrest report states 25-year-old Jordan Hildreth is charged with rape, aggravated criminal sodomy, aggravated burglary and aggravated battery. He was arrested on probable cause from a 2018 incident. Bond is set at $200,000. Further details are pending from RCPD, who continue to investigate and will have further details Monday. Hildreth currently has multiple charges pending through Riley County District Court. On July 3, he was arrested following an alleged assault and subsequent DUI related crash with a bicyclist near…

History was made Friday in the 21st Judicial District, as Kendra Lewison became the first woman sworn in as a judge in that district. She’ll serve as the Division II judge moving forward. Surrounded by colleagues, friends and family Friday afternoon, Lewison was officially sworn in by Riley County Chief Justice Grant Bannister. Lewison’s name was selected by Gov. Laura Kelly in September from four finalists to succeed long time Division II Chief Justice Meryl Wilson, who retired in June. Most recently Lewison had served as the Assistant Riley County Attorney, working in the office for the past 10 years. She…

More Kansas schools continue to join the fight against a leading e-cigarette maker as they try to curb vaping among teenagers. School districts in the Manhattan area have so far stood pat on the issue, but that could be changing soon. On Wednesday’s edition of In Focus, USD 383 Manhattan/Ogden Assistant Superintendent Eric Reid suggested they too may soon join the legal battle against Juul. “I’ve been looking into it, been visiting with some people in some different districts and some people pushing that forward and will likely have something to bring to the board at a future meeting,” Reid…