Author: Brandon Peoples

WAMEGO — There will be a new principal walking the halls of Wamego High School this fall. Kale Katt was introduced Monday to the USD 320 Wamego School Board by Superintendent Tim Winter. Applications were accepted through July 3 following the June 19 resignation of former principal Chad Brecheisen. Winter says they made a great choice in hiring Mr. Katt. “We feel very fortunate to hire someone of Kale’s caliber this late in the summer. We were very fortunate to have several good applicants in our pool of candidates,” Winter said in a phone interview Friday with KMAN. Katt spent…

A Pottawatomie County District Judge has ordered 24-year-old Cody Lamia-Beck to serve 13 years in prison for his role in the 2018 murder of a Wamego teenager. Judge Jeff Elder read the sentence in Pottawatomie County District Court Friday morning. According to County Attorney Sherri Schuck, the 156 month sentence is the maximum sentence under the state guidelines. Lamia-Beck was remanded immediately to the Kansas Department of Corrections. He is eligible for 15 percent good-time credit, which would make him potentially eligible for parole in about 12 years. Lamia-Beck was convicted in June of intentional second-degree murder in the death…

As the dry conditions continue for our area, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has begun increasing releases from Tuttle Creek Reservoir. This has prompted a flood warning along the Big Blue River near Manhattan. As of Friday morning the river was at 19.58 feet and seeing minor flooding. Flood stage is 19 feet and the river is expected to remain steady around 19.6 feet through early next week. Outflow from Tuttle Creek Lake has been increased to 25,000 cubic feet per second. The lake level fell under 1,125 feet Friday morning and officials at the Corps plan to continue…

USD 383 Manhattan/Ogden Schools has announced a new Executive Director of Teaching and Learning. Dr. Paula Hough was announced as the new director following approval at Wednesday’s school board meeting. She currently serves as the Director of Curriculum and Instruction for Holton USD 336, a positon she’s held since last year. She also has past experience as a MTSS State Coach, an instructional coach and Englisth teacher for the Kansas City, Kansas school district and also taught English at a pair of schools in Minnesota. USD 383 Superintendent Dr. Marvin Wade said in a statement that Dr. Hough has considerable…

TOPEKA, Kan. — The Kansas Court of Appeals has reversed a Riley County District Court order denying a soldier’s motion to set aside a default judgment after a creditor sued him for breach of contract. Brian McNair of Manhattan defaulted on a car loan through Coastal Credit, LLC in 2014. The car was repossessed and sold and the company sued him for more than $8,800 plus interest. McNair, who was deployed in Africa with the U.S. Army at the time was never personally served the summons and petition. Instead that was delivered to his wife at the couple’s Manhattan residence,…

WESTMORELAND, Kan. — A 24-year-old Wamego man convicted last month of murder will learn his fate at a 9 a.m. hearing Friday in Pottawatomie County District Court. Cody Lamia-Beck entered a no contest plea and was subsequently found guilty of intentional second-degree murder of Jacob Bouck. Evidence showed Bouck sustained multiple stab wounds and Lamia-Beck’s DNA was found on a homemade hatchet that was located along with two knives. There was also a confession consistent with the evidence found at the crime scene. Bouck was reported missing Dec. 21. Deputies found his body along the Kansas River west of Wamego…

A tentative agreement has been reached on teacher contracts for the 2019-2020 school year between the Manhattan-Odgen USD 383 school district and the Manhattan-Odgen NEA. The district said in a Thursday release that the tentative agreement was reached July 11. The Board of Education will vote on ratification following a ratification vote by teachers. The two sides have been in negotiations since April. The new contract includes: *A 6.5 percent total compensation package increase *Increase of $1,750 on the base salary, bringing the starting annual salary for a teacher to $41,000 *Allowed steps and movement on salary schedule *Continued coverage…

Riley County Police were called out to Redbud Estates Wednesday night after emergency dispatchers reported receiving multiple calls for shots fired in the 2500 block of Farm Bureau Road. Officers arrived on scene shortly after 9 p.m. and attempted to make contact with a 35-year-old man inside the residence where the shots were reportedly coming from. Residents in the area were advised to shelter in place or evacuate depending on their proximity to the home. Officers were eventually able to speak with the man and later filed a report for criminal discharge of a firearm and disorderly conduct. The scene…

A Manhattan teenager is reported missing. According to Kansas Missing & Unsolved, 17-year-old Bailey Collier has been missing since Monday, July 15. There is concern for Collier’s safety because she is known to represent herself as an adult online. She was last seen getting into a red car, though a detailed vehicle description hasn’t been provided. It is believed she may be accompanied by an older man who goes by the name “Presley.” Collier is a five feet-six to five feet-seven inches tall, and weighs about 150 pounds. She has brown hair and dark brown eyes and may be wearing…

WESTMORELAND, Kan. — Pottawatomie County Commissioners are evaluating how they’ll move forward on the position of County Administrator. The position became vacant last week after longtime administrator Robert Reece announced plans to retire. He’ll transition out of the job over the next six months. At Monday’s meeting, commissioners reviewed the job description and plan to review it again in a couple of weeks. As for a timeline to fill the position, Commission Chair Travis Altenhofen says it’s something they want to do right to find the right fit. He hopes they can have someone in place by this fall. We’re…