Author: Brandon Peoples

MANHATTAN — Riley County police officer Jonathan Shepard was recognized during Tuesday’s Riley County Law Board meeting as this year’s recipient of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Law Enforcement officer of the year award. Shepard was honored for his quick action during the 2018 Labor Day flood in Manhattan. On Sept. 3, Shepard was assigned to drop barricades at the beginning of the flood threat and later helped escort children and elderly out of waste-deep flood waters in Redbud Estates. After helping hundreds evacuate he had gone to change into dry clothing and went to Anneberg Park area where floodwaters…

Wednesday’s first half of In Focus featured a preview of the USD 383 School Board meeting with Assistant Superintendent Eric Reid and school board member Dave Colburn. The second half of Wednesday’s program featured a preview of the Diavalo workshop, a therapeutic dance event for transitioning local veterans at K-State next month. Dr. Art DeGroat, KSU Executive Director of Military Affairs was our guest along with Diavolo Artistic Director/Founder Jacques Heim and Diavolo Institute Director Dusty Alvarado.

MANHATTAN — A jury trial is set to begin at 1 p.m. Wednesday for a Manhattan man accused of shooting and injuring a Riley County police officer last year. Riley County District Attorney Barry Wilkerson tells KMAN a jury has been selected in the trial of Mark Harrison, a former research associate at K-State. He is charged with shooting an officer in the leg in January 2018 (See KMAN’s original story from Jan. 7, 2018). Harrison faces three counts of attempted capital murder and one count of felony criminal damage to property. The trial is expected to end in March.

MANHATTAN — The Riley County Law Board on Tuesday voted to change the way it approaches purchasing and replacing vehicles. Rather than make large vehicle purchases at the end of the budget cycle, those purchases moving forward will be done at the start of the year. RCPD Director Dennis Butler explained the reason he suggested the change. RCPD uses a Vehicle Replacement Index from the City of Manhattan as its measure for vehicle replacement. The VRI scores fall into four conditional categories for each department vehicle that rank vehicles from excellent to needing immediate replacement. The department has three vehicles…

LAREDO, Texas — Authorities in Texas have arrested a woman on a Riley County District Court warrant for aggravated intimidation of a witness. Samantha Bland, 29, of Laredo, Texas was arrested Tuesday afternoon by officers with the Laredo Police Department and Webb County, Texas Sheriff’s Office. The incident was in connection with a report filed by the Riley County Police Department for first-degree murder on Oct. 28, 2017. Bland was issued a total bond of $125,000. She remains in custody awaiting extradition to Kansas.

MANHATTAN — Snow returns to the area by late Tuesday afternoon. A Winter Weather Advisory goes into effect from 3 p.m. today through 9 a.m. Wednesday for Riley, Pottawatomie and most surrounding counties. Further north, a Winter Storm Warning is posted for Marshall and Washington counties. The forecast is calling for mixed precipitation with total snow accumulations of 3 to 5 inches and up to one-tenth of an inch of ice accumulation. Those totals will be higher to the north. This will cause slippery road conditions and could impact the evening commute tonight and morning commute Wednesday. According to NWS…

MANHATTAN — Riley County Police have arrested a Manhattan man on numerous drug possession and distribution charges. Andre Murphy, 39, was arrested Sunday morning in the 600 block of Highland Ridge Drive. Police have charged Murphy with one count of distributing marijuana, possession with intent to manufacture, plant or cultivate a controlled substance and criminal possession of a weapon by a felon. Additional charges include no drug tax stamp, possession of a hallucinogenic drug and a pair of traffic infractions. Police say Murphy has one prior conviction of a drug possession. Murphy’s bond was set at $20,000 but was not…

MANHATTAN — Mother Nature is not done blasting our area with winter weather. Days after a system dumped between 2.5 to 3.5 inches of snow in Riley County and up to 5 inches near St. George in Pottawatomie County, equal of higher amounts are possible with the next system set to arrive in our area Tuesday. The National Weather Service says 4 to 6 inches of snow are possible Tuesday evening into Wednesday for the greater Manhattan area. The best chances for accumulation will be mid-afternoon to mid-evening on Tuesday. A lesser chance of freezing drizzle is possible with this storm, although…

MANHATTAN — New Riley County Police Department Director Dennis Butler has been busy in his first two months getting familiarized with people in the community. The new director replaced Brad Schoen, who retired in December. Butler draws on close to 40 years of law enforcement experience including time in Alexandria, Virginia and Ottawa, Kansas. Speaking on KMAN’s In Focus for the first time Friday, Butler described his philosophy as a leader in the department. Butler says working for a consolidated police department wasn’t unfamiliar territory for him, having worked for a consolidated police department in Virginia. He says the roles were a…

JUNCTION CITY — Three people were hospitalized Friday evening after a train-vehicle collision in Junction City. The Kansas Highway Patrol says just after 5:30 p.m., a sport utility vehicle carrying  three men was eastbound on Ash Street. Tire tracks showed the vehicle went left of center and was struck by the oncoming Union Pacific train. All three occupants were taken to Geary County Community Hospital. The Highway Patrol has identified the driver as 21-year-old Ishmail Thomas of Junction City. The two passengers were identified as 40-year-old Travis Allen of Junction City and 31-year-old Marcus Solton of Bossier City, Louisiana. All…