Author: Brandon Peoples

A Wamego woman was arrested Wednesday on a Pottawatomie County District Court warrant for theft. According to the Riley County Police Department, 37-year-old Elizabeth Crooks is charged with one count of theft by deception, totaling between $25,000 to $100,000 and one count of using a computer for unlawful acts; false representation with damage. RCPD says the thefts are alleged to have occured between March 2015 and June 2019 in the 300 block of Tuttle Creek Blvd. Advance Auto is listed as the victim. It’s unclear how much the business lost in the alleged theft. Bond was listed at $10,000, but…

Riley County Police say the mother of an infant found abandoned in Manhattan Wednesday evening has been found. Police received a call from Ascencion Via Christi just after 7 p.m. after an infant was brought in after reportedly being found in the 2000 block of North Manhattan Ave. The baby was transported to Stormont Vail Hospital in Topeka as a precaution and is said to be healthy. The mother is said to be in good health as well. Police have not disclosed her identity. Further investigation has led police to believe the intent was to follow the safe haven law.…

Kansas State University is entering a planning phase with Wichita State for a satellite Bachelor of Science Nursing program on the K-State campus. The two schools have combined resources to address the anticipated increased nursing shortage in Kansas and the nation over the next decade. The Institute of Medicine recommends that 80 percent of Registered Nurses obtain a BSN by 2020. The partnership between the two schools would give students the opportunity to earn both a Bachelor of Science degree from the College of Health and Human Services at K-State, and a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing (BSN) from…

Human trafficking awareness training took place Tuesday for dozens of health care workers at Manhattan’s Ascension Via Christi hospital. The goal of the training was to educate and inform officials at all department levels what to look for when caring for an individual who may be a victim. Human Trafficking Program Manager Nicole Ensminger says these are unique cases where an individual is being controlled by another person who is using vulnerabilities, such as drug addictions as leverage. “A lot of times we place stigmas on individuals and different mental health disorders. So I think it’s really important for us…

GEARY COUNTY — A 20-year-old Manhattan man who drove drunk and caused a three-vehicle crash on K-18 Sunday night is now in custody. Denilson Acosta-Rodriguez is charged with driving under the influence, two counts of DUI causing bodily harm and two counts of DUI causing great bodily harm or disfigurement. He also faces charges of driving in the wrong direction, failure to stop at a traffic accident and obstructing apprehension of prosecution. He remains in Geary County Jail. Two of the victims of Sunday night’s crash were air lifted to KU Medical Center for treatment of serious injuries including David…

The Riley County Law Board has approved a new policy allowing the use of unmanned aerial systems (or drones) to aid in the assistance of law enforcement investigations. Last year the Riley County Police Department launched a pilot program where drones were implemented in certain situations at the discretion of the captain of a patrol division. Assistant RCPD Director Kurt Moldrup told the Law Board Monday they’ve found drones to be very successful in emergency scenarios such as flooding as well as criminal investigations. Drones can also be helpful to aid if a person runs from the scene, mapping crime…

Riley County Police responded to a weekend fight where shots were fired in central Manhattan. According to Capt. Josh Kyle, the fight broke in the parking lot of a house party just after 3 a.m. Sunday in the 1300 block of Fremont Street. The house where the fight occurred was struck by bullets, but police say no injuries have been reported. An aggravated assault report was filed listing several males as victims ranging from 21 to 31 years of age. The person who allegedly fired the shots was described as a black male wearing a white t-shirt and acid washed…

Two people were injured Sunday night following a three-vehicle crash in Geary County that closed a portion of K-18 for several hours. According to the Kansas Highway Patrol, just after 9 p.m., a Nissan Maxima was eastbound in the westbound lanes of K-18 when it struck two vehicles head-on. An unidentified passenger in the Maxima as well as one passenger from Fort Riley in one of the other two cars, each sustained suspected serious injuries and were transported to KU Medical Center for treatment. The injured party from Fort Riley was identified as 17-year-old Hannah Burkhart. The driver of the…

TOPEKA — Long time Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce Director of Economic Development Trent Armbrust is joining the Kansas Department of Commerce as its director of strategy for Bioscience and Technology. Armbrust begins his new job Sept. 23. He spoke briefly to Riley County commissioners Thursday and says his new role will allow him to stay in Manhattan. He thanked commissioners for the support given to him and says he’ll continue to push for more economic development throughout the region. Secretary of Commerce David Toland said in a news release Friday that Armbrust’s position is a new one at the…

The Riley County Police Department is investigating after it received multiple reports of shots fire in the area of Westwood and Oak Street in Manhattan, directly south of the Manhattan High School West Campus. Capt. Josh Kyle said in a news release Friday that officers arrived just after 6:45 p.m. and found several spent shell casings in a parking lot just south of the school along Oak Street. Information on scene indicates that two vehicles met in the parking lot. The occupants of the vehicles interacted for a while before shots were fired. Both vehicles then fled the area. RCPD…