Author: Brandon Peoples

CLAY CENTER, Kan. — Emergency officials in Clay County investigated a bomb threat Thursday morning at a Wendy’s restaurant in Clay Center. According to Clay Center Police Chief Bill Robinson, authorities were alerted to a possible bomb threat around 6:23 a.m. Police called Kansas Highway Patrol who sent their canine unit to investigate and cleared the scene just after 9:30 a.m. Robinson says a sweep of the premises for potential explosive devices found nothing inside the building. The nearby premises were searched, that also resulted in no threats. KCLY Radio in Clay Center first broke the story around 8 a.m.…

JUNCTION CITY, Kan. — The Junction City-Geary County Drug Operations Group got a little more than they bargained for when they served a search warrant Wednesday at Junction City home. Officers were called out to an apartment at 311 West 8th Street as part of an investigation into drug distribution and person crimes. In addition to uncovering heroin, crack cocaine, marijuana, drug paraphernalia and two guns, a small alligator was also wrangled and removed from the home. Police arrested 37-year-old Lauren Vanarsdale Jackson of Junction City on three charges of possession with intent to distribute drugs within 1,000 feet of…

The Flint Hills Breadbasket is in dire need of restocking its shelves. Breadbasket Director Maribeth Kieffer says the need changes at different times of the year which causes inventory to dwindle. “We have just come out of the summer months when children aren’t in school and they’re not getting the hot lunches.  We have been really busy and have seen an unusually high number of people this summer and so our inventory has taken a hit,” Kieffer said. Currently there are a lot of needs in the pantry, as Kieffer alluded to during Wednesday’s edition of KMAN’s In Focus. “Some…

Today we visit Ogden Elementary as we continue our preview of the upcoming school year in Manhattan/Ogden Schools with our KMAN news series “From the Principal’s Office.” Jim Armendariz has lived and breathed Ogden Elementary for most of his life. In 1964 he roamed the hallways as a young immigrant child from Mexico. His family was quite poor and at the time Armendariz could barely speak English. “I came with eight kids and parents and everything we owned in one car. School was hard and not fun and there were a lot of teachers who didn’t understand where I came…

Kansas State University has announced its Landon Lecture Series will kick off next month with two well-known speakers. Current U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is scheduled to speak Friday, Sept. 6. Fortune CEO Alan Murray will speak Friday, Sept. 27. Both lectures are being held in McCain Auditorium beginning at 10:30 a.m. Pompeo is a former three-term U.S. Congressman from Kansas’ 4th District who ran two successful Kansas businesses. He became director of the CIA and later Secretary of State under President Donald Trump. He’s also been rumored as a potential Senate candidate to replace Pat Roberts in 2020. Murray…

Weeks after being reported missing, Riley County Police have arrested a 33-year-old Manhattan man who had active warrants. RCPD says around 12:40 p.m. Tuesday officers were tipped that Jessie Sexton was in the area between Deep Creek Road and Pillsbury near the scenic overlook south of Manhattan. He was arrested about a mile away two hours later on a probation violation charge. Additionally, Sexton has been charged with interference with law enforcement, aggravated assault on an officer and battery on an officer. Officers listed four men as the victims. On July 25, family members reported Sexton missing and RCPD issued…

Today we continue our preview of the upcoming school year in Manhattan/Ogden Schools with our KMAN news series “From the Principal’s Office.” Today’s stop takes us to Marlatt Elementary School. Marlatt Elementary will have a new principal this fall. While she’s new to the job, Sheila Stephens is not new to the school, having previously been with the school for four years, most recently as the Assistant Principal. She says the one thing she’s looking forward to most is the day before classes begin. “Just to see the kids coming in full of excitement, ready to see who their teacher is,…

We continue our preview of the upcoming school year in Manhattan/Ogden Schools with our KMAN news series “From the Principal’s Office.” In this edition we take you to Lee Elementary. A new face will be leading Lee Elementary for the upcoming school year. New Principal Erica Bammes has been working in education for 18 years and with the school district for nine years.  She has been been at Lee already for two years as the assistant principal. “I’m really excited to be here with the students I already know and the staff already knows me. I’ve been excited to start…

Riley County Police are investigating the theft of two handguns in Manhattan over the weekend. According to the RCPD daily report Monday, officers filed a theft report in the 1100 block of Moro Street Saturday afternoon when a 21-year-old Manhattan man reported an unknown suspect took his Sig Sauer P365 and holster. The estimated total loss is approximately $730. Later in the day, a police report was filed in the 1700 block of Cassell Road where a 31-year-old Manhattan man told police an unknown suspect took his Black Glock 19 nine milimeter Gen 4 and holster. The estimated total loss was…

WESTMORELAND, Kan. — Pottawatomie County Commissioners spent a good chunk of their meeting Monday reviewing ongoing road and bridge projects during the monthly Public Works update. Public Works Director Peter Clark says crews have been active trying to get in front of some of the areas of county roads impacted by wet weather this spring. Some road closures still remain. Photos of Rockenham Road presented to commissioners Monday showed bare dirt where gravel had actually washed away when the nearby creek left its banks between late April and early July. Clark says so far 26 of 80 projects have been…