Author: Brandon Peoples

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — After months of speculation, Kansas First District Congressman Roger Marshall has announced his candidacy for U.S. Senate in 2020. Marshall made the announcement Saturday at the Kansas State Fair in Hutchinson, just days after Treasurer Jake LaTurner dropped his bid in an attempt to take on Steve Watkins in Kansas’ Second District. He’s joined in the crowded GOP field which includes former Secretary of State Kris Kobach, State Senate President Susan Wagle, former Kansas City Chief Dave Lindstrom and media commentator Bryan Pruitt. The Democratic candidates include Manhattan Mayor Pro Tempore Usha Reddi, former Congresswoman Nancy Boyda…

The 190th Landon Lecture was delivered Friday by US Secretary of State and former Kansas Congressman Mike Pompeo. Speaking for about 20 minutes to a packed house at K-State’s McCain Auditorium, Pompeo spoke about refocusing American diplomacy on the promotion of unalienable human rights. He described politicians as framing pet causes as fights for “rights” to bypass the normal political process. By doing so he says the lines have become blurred from the distinction between fundamental, universal rights and mere political or personal preferences. Pompeo says just because a treaty or law says something is a right, doesn’t make it…

FORT RILEY, Kan. — Seitz Elementary was the spotlight of a tour Thursday morning which included U.S. Senator Jerry Moran and Acting Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy. The Fort Riley school, which opened in 2012 houses roughly 700 students whose parents are active in the Army. It is part of the USD 475 Geary County School District. Sen. Moran worked closely with McCarthy under then-Defense Secretary Robert Gates in 2010 to secure federal appropriations to construct a state-of-the-art facility. The tour included visits with school children, teachers and administrators. After the tour Moran gave his takeaway. It was Secretary McCarthy’s first…

Officials at Kansas State University announced Thursday some last minute adjustments in preparation of Friday’s Landon Lecture. According to the K-State Division of Communications and Marketing, doors at McCain Auditorium will open at 9 a.m. Friday, 30 minutes earlier than originally announced. With a large crowd expected, university officials announced the adjustment to ensure sufficient time for all attendees to enter through the additional security measures. K-State is instituting its clear-bag policy, similar to sporting events for the lecture. For those driving to campus, metered parking will not be available at Fairchild and Anderson Hall and the McCain circle. Secretary…

TOPEKA, Kan. — The Kansas Supreme Court will hear two cases next week involving appeals from Riley and Geary counties. The case from Riley County is a petition for review of Ziad Khalil-Alsalaami (zee’ odd call leel’ awl suh law’ mee) vs. the state of Kansas. Alsalaami was convicted in 2011 of two counts of aggravated criminal sodomy, which was affirmed by the Court of Appeals in 2012 and was denied by the Supreme Court for a review initially. In 2014, Alsalaami filed a motion alleging ineffective assistance of counsel at trial and on direct appeal. After a full hearing, the district court…

Riley County Police have identified a 16-year-old girl who drove drunk and damaged a Manhattan duplex over the weekend. Keaira Robinson was arrested Saturday afternoon shortly before 3 p.m. on the charge of driving under the influence, after failing a DUI test. No injuries have been reported. The home damaged was located at 2421 Anderson Ave. The owner of the property is listed as William and Margaret Goe. Robinson was not confined as of the weekend arrest report.

Flooding continues to be a problem in Manhattan, as evidenced last Friday when 4 to 5 inches of rain fell in the early morning hours. Hayes Drive was one of the roads affected with a sinkhole developing north of McCall Road, less than a mile north of another sinkhole south of Walmart at the Bluemont and Hayes intersection. Manhattan City Manager Ron Fehr explains what caused the sinkhole to develop. “We had another sanitary sewer line failure and breakage, north of where Levee Drive intersects it. It undermined some of the roadway and caused a service line gas line break…

A status hearing for a Manhattan man accused of sex crimes is moving forward. Robert Iacobellis appeared via his jail cell Tuesday for his third hearing in as many weeks, in front of Judge William Malcolm. Iacobellis informed the court that he was to meet with an attorney Friday to represent him, but due to flooding that morning, his meeting was cancelled and reset for September 4. After receiving the necessary paper work to find a court-appointed attorney, Judge Malcolm ultimately appointed public defender Cole Hawver as his counsel. The judge set the hearing to be continued two weeks to…

Riley County Public Works crews are beginning a culvert replacement project Tuesday north of Ogden this week. The department says Vinton School Road will be closed through November 1 from West 68th Ave. west to Mallon Road. The project has been allotted 80 working days, and is expected to be completed by late October. Adverse weather conditions could cause delays. Motorists who travel in this area are encouraged to find an alternate route during construction.

As Hurricane Dorian continues to wreak havoc on the Florida coast and surrounding region, a number of fire departments from Kansas are deploying firefighters and rescue crews to help with the effects of the storm. The Manhattan Fire Department is one of those crews sending firefighters. On Monday, the department shared a photo of five members who have packed up their Rescue 2 unit as well as an SUV and UTV for the response. It’s part of the Kansas State Fire Marshal’s Office statewide task force. They’re joined by members of the Junction City and Fort Riley Fire Departments as…