Author: Brandon Peoples

Update Wednesday, 5/29, 12 p.m. Releases from Tuttle Creek Dam’s outlet works — colloquially called the tubes — began Wednesday morning at 7 a.m. Sirens in the area should be expected to sound regularly, though no flooding is expected as a result of the releases. Riley County Emergency Management Director Pat Collins spoke with KMAN on-air Wednesday morning and says the plan is to release 15,000 cfs (cubic feet per second) of water from the reservoir and keep levels down. He says the Kansas River at its current level should be able to take that level of release without exceeding…

JUNCTION CITY — The Kansas Bureau of Investigation says a Junction City police officer was arrested Monday. Lieutenant Jason Waryan, 39, is charged with domestic battery and criminal restraint. His live-in girlfriend 27-year-old Krysteen Harbert also was arrested for domestic battery. Junction City Police contacted KBI at approximately 1 p.m. Monday to request an investigation into a domestic violence incident, which allegedly occurred in the early morning hours. This investigation is ongoing. No further information has been released.

Another significant threat for severe weather is ramping up this afternoon and evening across the state. The National Weather Service says a powerful upper level system will move northeast across the Plains. Thunderstorms will develop along a cold front across north central and central Kansas this afternoon. As a result, most of the Manhattan is an enhanced risk for severe weather development. Pottawatomie and extreme northeast Riley County are listed in a moderate risk for severe weather. Up to golf ball sized hail, 60 to 70 mph wind gusts, heavy rainfall and tornadoes will all be possible with these storms.…

MANHATTAN — Tuttle Creek Lake is expected to reach an elevation of 1,132.96 feet by Monday. At this point, no evacuation advisories have been issued for any parts of Riley County of Pottawatomie County, aside from Saturday’s notice that went out to the Rocky Ford Campground and visitors to Tuttle Creek State Park. Still, residents are advised to remain alert and make preparations in case evacuation becomes necessary.  According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, if the lake level is forecast to reach 1,136 feet, the Corps will begin surcharge operations and use the outlet works (the tubes) in…

POTTAWATOMIE COUNTY — A housing needs assessment is being recommended for Pottawatomie County by the Flint Hills Regional Council. Pott County Zoning Enforcement Officer Stephan Metzger says he was contacted by the council who has received funding from the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Pott County Commissioner Dee McKee says this especially be helpful for smaller towns in the county that have not had planning. Metzger says this study can also show how bifurcated the county since most of the growth is in the southern part of the county. This study will be conducted by the Flint Hills Regional…

MANHATTAN — Tuttle Creek Lake is now officially at its second highest level, surpassing 1,128 feet Friday morning, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Riley County Emergency Management Director Pat Collins says the levels at the lake surpassed the the level in 1973, when it reached 1,127.9 feet. The record for the lake was 1,136 feet, which happened just once when the emergency spill gates were opened in 1993. Since May 6, the levels have risen 12 feet, attributed to a wet weather pattern both in the Manhattan area and across the Midwest. Speaking to KMAN Friday morning,…

MANHATTAN — The City of Manhattan is encouraging residents to stay alert with the ongoing wet weather and rising waters at Tuttle Creek Lake. No significant releases from the lake are scheduled or anticipated for the immediate future, according to the US Army Corps of Engineers. The lake level as of Thursday was 1127.36 feet. The lake is only at 77 percent capacity and there is no immediate threat of flooding downstream. The time frame for any release from Tuttle Creek Lake is anticipated to be provided by the US Army Corps of Engineers and could range from a few…

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Republican Sen. Pat Roberts of Kansas is partnering with two Midwestern Democrats to fight the spread of misinformation about vaccines in the face of measles outbreaks across the nation. The Kansas City Star reports Roberts introduced legislation Thursday to instruct Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to award competitive grants for public information campaigns aimed at combating the anti-vaccine movement. The bill does not specify a dollar figure, but would enable the CDC to steer money toward them. The Kansas senator called a lack of confidence in vaccines as one of the top public health threats…

MANHATTAN — Our area could use an extended break from severe weather and heavy rains, but the way the current weather pattern is shaping up, it could be an active next few days with strong to severe thunderstorms. In fact, slight severe weather chances exist now through Saturday for the Manhattan area and a large swath of Kansas. Some areas further south were listed in an enhanced risk for severe storms Thursday evening. A flash flood watch is posted for Riley, Pottawatomie, Geary and Clay counties through Friday morning. The primary risk for Thursday includes hail up to 2 inches…

WICHITA — Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial kickoff to summer for many travelers. An estimated 43 million Americans will take a vacation during the holiday weekend, the second-highest travel volume on record since AAA began tracking holiday travel volumes in 2000. In fact AAA Kansas expects to rescue some 1,700 motorists this weekend on Kansas roads, according to spokesman Shawn Steward. One area they hope not to be making rescues is in flooded roadways. Steward encourages people to be aware of roadways that may be covered by high water and avoid driving into flooded areas. As of May 20,…