Author: Brandon Peoples

USD 378 Riley County Superintendent Cliff Williams and USD 384 Blue Valley/Randolph Brady Burton joined us for discussions on enrollment, the upcoming bond election for Riley County Schools and potential legislative action in 2020. United Way CEO Tara Claussen joined In Focus along with Co-Chairs Gene and Cathy Taylor for a discussion on the campaign for 2020.

A Riley County jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict in the murder trial of 23-year-old D’Khari Lyons, resulting in a mistrial. The jury deliberated into Tuesday, sorting out the evidence against Lyons, who is charged with first-degree murder in the death of his former girlfriend’s infant son Michael Calvert, Jr. The 2 month old child was left in the care of Lyons for a brief time Nov. 8, 2018 while the mother, Jessica Hudson took her other two children to school. Lyons testified Monday that he was half asleep when Hudson left the child in the bed next…

A long-time president of Manhattan Christian College is being remembered for his efforts leading the college through some of its darkest days. Ken Cable died Saturday after battling a short illness at the age of 84. He was president of the college from 1981 until his retirement in 2005. During his tenure, enrollment doubled at MCC and the number of students graduating more than tripled. Current MCC President Kevin Ingram says perhaps Cable’s biggest accomplishment was in 1985 when he led a fundraising mission over three months to save the college from foreclosure. “It was Ken’s leadership, it was Ken’s…

An Idaho man is making his way across the country in a journey to spread awareness for veterans who suffer from depression and are thinking about suicide. Jeremy Miller began his his Walk Across America on May 21, leaving from Crescent City, California on his way to Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. “I decided that would be the biggest way to get out the message and meet people very personally and hear everybody’s stories and reach out to as many people as possible.” On Monday he stopped in Manhattan briefly and spoke with KMAN about his own personal struggle with…

A Riley County Judge has sentenced a Junction City man to 20 years in prison for his role in the 2017 murder of a confidential drug informant. Steven Meredith, 33, pleaded guilty to a conspiracy to commit murder charge in July. On Monday, Riley County District Court Judge John Bosch sentenced him to 240 months in prison. Carrie Jones was killed in October 2017. Meredith was initially charged with first-degree murder, but pleaded to the conspiracy charge prior to when his trial was to begin.

A Fort Riley soldier is facing a federal charge for sending instructions for making bombs over social media, according to U.S. Attorney for Kansas Stephen McAllister. The federal court Monday charged 24-year-old Jarrett William Smith with one count of distributing information related to explosives and weapons of mass destruction. Smith, a private first class infantry soldier joined the Army in June 2017 and was transferred to Fort Riley on July 8, 2019. According to an FBI investigator’s affidavit, Smith said on Facebook he was interested in traveling to the Ukraine to fight with a paramilitary group called the Azov Batallion.…

The state has rested in the D’Khari Lyons murder trial. Jurors in Riley County District Court Friday heard testimony from forensic pathologist Ransom Ellis who testified to the injuries sustained by 2-month-old Michael Calvert Jr. He testified the baby died as the result of acute head trauma or blunt force trauma. He noted the cause of death to be a homicide. In earlier testimony Thursday it was said that Lyons and the baby were lying on the bed together when the baby started coughing and that’s when he turned him on his side, but told investigators otherwise he hadn’t done…

Manhattan Fire officials made quick work of a small house fire near 10th and Thurston Street Friday afternoon. Deputy Fire Chief Ryan Almes says firefighters responded around 12:45 p.m. to a report of smoke. Fire officials were able to locate light smoke coming from the north side of the home at 928 Thurston Street and made entry. They determined that the kitchen area of the structure had been involved in a fire that was nearly extinguished by the time they arrived. Crews ventilated the structure and performed overhaul to ensure the fire could not extend. A search of the home…

Testimony was heard Thursday in the trial of D’Khari Lyons, the Manhattan man accused in the November 2018 murder of his former girlfriend’s infant son. Jurors heard from the child abuse specialist from Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City who examined 2-month old Michael Calvert Jr. in the days after he sustained a fatal head injury while in the care of Lyons. The boy’s mother had left Michael at home with Lyons while she took her two other children to school. It was described that at the time of Michael’s arrival to the hospital, the injuries were so substantial that…

FRONTENAC, Kan. (AP) — The city council for a small southeast Kansas community has fired its administrator, attorney and clerk without any discussion, prompting the mayor to threaten to resign and then walk out of the meeting. The Pittsburg Morning Sun reports that the mass firings happened during Monday night’s meeting in Frontenac, a town of about 3,400 located just to the north of Pittsburg. The reasons for the surprise terminations remain unclear. The Morning Sun has filed a records request. After the firings, Mayor Linda Grilz said she would veto the vote or the council also could have her…