Author: Brandon Peoples

Authorities are searching for the person responsible for leaving a burning mattress on the side of the road, north of St. Marys. The Pottawatomie County Sheriff’s Office says it took the report Monday of a mattress lit on fire and left in the 4600 block of Shawguee Road. It’s believed that the mattress was being towed by a vehicle while it was on fire before being left on the side of the road. Anyone with information regarding the incident is asked to contact Captain Tyler Garver at 785-457-3353. Tips may also be left using the Crime Stoppers link at ptsheriff.com.

Republicans in the Kansas Legislature are crafting a counter response to Gov. Laura Kelly’s latest tax proposal. Tax committees and Senate leadership have been set on working the single rate plan for filers once again. It’s likely the bill will have a combination of a single rate income tax at 5.25% and some form of property tax reduction. 51st District State Rep. Kenny Titus, of Manhattan, says he believes legislators will attempt to fund that using the local ad valorem tax reduction fund to achieve this. “I think they’ll repeal that statute and then they’ll use that either to pay for…

A Junction City man was hospitalized early Tuesday morning after rolling his snow plow. The Kansas Highway Patrol says 41-year-old Joshua Resto was plowing the roadway just before 1:30 a.m. along the K244 spur, on the southeastern edge of Milford Lake, when the rear tires started to slide on the snow and into the ditch, where it rolled over. Resto, who was properly restrained, was transported to Ascension Via Christi in Manhattan for a possible injury, according to the crash report.

Several area schools have called off classes Tuesday, due to the extreme cold. A Wind Chill Warning will be in place through noon. Kansas State University is closed today, though essential employees are told to report for duty. Dining centers are open 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Fort Riley is operating on a two hour delay. Manhattan Area Technical College, Manhattan Christian College, Manhattan-Ogden USD 383 and Geary County USD 475 Schools are all closed today. A full list of closings and delays can be found here. The Riley County Transfer Station closed remains closed Tuesday, due to weather. Riley…

The new Manhattan City Commission will hold its first legislative meeting of the new year tonight at City Hall. The agenda includes a consideration to adopt a new payment agreement with Kansas State University, related to the Manhattan Fire Department headquarters at 2000 Denison Ave. The city plans to divide the property into two tracts in order to remove the training facility and give that part of the property back to the university. The city commission approved a purchase of 9 acres on Amherst Avenue for a new training facility last February. The city has had an agreement in place…

Cities and local governments are working to ensure no one has to be out in this cold for any length of time. The City of St. George has coordinated with Lighthouse Baptist Church to open its building as a warming shelter Saturday, Sunday and Monday for anyone needing relief from the cold. The church says the entrance to the building on the far north parking lot will be open Noon until 10 p.m. Saturday, 6 am to 10 p.m. Sunday and 8 am to 6 p.m. Monday. The City of Wamego says crews have been busy the last few days…

The Manhattan Martin Luther King Jr. Committee’s annual community celebration as well as the opening reception for The Fabric and the Thread, planned for Saturday at Manhattan Arts Center, has been postponed. The event will now take place at noon on Saturday, Jan. 20, at the MAC. Jan. 20 is also the MLK Day of Service in the community. The program will include guest speakers Dr. JohnElla Holmes and Reverend K. Sexton as well as music, food, and community art exhibits. The Committee will also hold a wreath laying ceremony at 1:30 p.m. Jan. 26 at the bust of Dr.…

Riley County is exploring some new methods to share information about what’s on the agenda for the county commission meetings. Following reorganization Thursday, it was announced that the 2024 Chairperson, Commissioner John Ford will help pilot brief video updates on the Riley County Facebook page prior to the commission’s meetings on Mondays and Thursdays, calling attention to upcoming agenda items to educate the public, free of any political spin. “It’s a way to let people know, hey this is coming up this morning, this is what we’re talking about, this is how the public hearing is going to go. It’s…

Bitter cold temperatures will be with us for the next several days and local officials are advising folks to be prepared. Riley County Emergency Management Assistant Director Laurie Harrison spoke at Thursday’s commission meeting. “If you need to get out and get groceries, get fuel in your vehicles, check on your elderly neighbors or those who can’t get out, see what assistance you can be to them to help them get through the weekend,” she said. Bluestem Electric Cooperative General Manager Mike Morton encourages people to have a safety plan and be aware of just how cold it will be.…

An odor issue caused a brief closure Wednesday of the Pottawatomie County Office Building in Westmoreland. The facility was evacuated and closed for about an hour and a half as Kansas Gas Service performed a check of lines in the building. They were able to rule out any gas leak. Employees and customers were allowed back into the building at 2 p.m. The office building has been deemed safe for employees and customers. County officials say more work will be done to narrow down the mysterious odor. The building houses offices for the Pottawatomie County Treasurer, Clerk, Appraiser, Register of…