Author: Brandon Peoples

JUNCTION CITY — Two men originally connected to a Christmas Day murder in Junction City have had charges against them dropped. Geary County court records show a capital murder charge against 33-year-old Mashaun Baker was dismissed Feb. 21. Baker has been released from jail. In addition, 37-year-old Joseph Grubb had a conspiracy to commit capital murder charge dismissed. He was released from jail Jan. 31 after posting a $2,500 bond. Both men were arrested in connection to the death of 31-year-old Jenna Schafer and her unborn child. Dion Jamel Green now is the lone person charged in connection to Schafer’s…

Update 2/27/19 at 11:30 a.m. St. Mary’s Police now say this story was fabricated by the child who alerted police. (See updated story here: St. Mary’s Police say attempted child abduction was a hoax ST. MARY’S — Officers in St. Mary’s are investigating a reported attempted child abduction that occurred late Monday afternoon near the area of Hwy 24 and Grand Ave. According to a post on the department’s Facebook page, the victim reported he was approached by a possible red 2002 to 2005 Ford Explorer with lower tan trim. The vehicle had a dent on the driver’s side rear…

MANHATTAN — Jurors heard testimony Monday from defense witnesses in the trial of 39-year-old Mark Harrison, who is charged with three counts of attempted capital murder in the January 2018 shooting and standoff which injured a Riley County Police Department officer. Harrison’s attorney Barry Clark proceeded to call four total witnesses to the stand including Harrison, who sat through more than two hours of both direct and cross examination. Harrison pointed to a history of marital issues that had been boiling for years, including alleged infidelity on his part by his now ex-wife. The two got into a verbal argument…

MANHATTAN — Riley County Police have arrested a 22-year-old man accused of robbery and kidnapping. Joshua Miller was arrested shortly after 2 p.m. Saturday in the 500 block of Sunset Ave. the former Sigmu Nu fraternity complex which is now occupied by Pi Kappa Phi. Miller is charged with six different counts including aggravated armed robbery, aggravated burglary, aggravated kidnapping, aggravated assault, kidnapping and criminal damage. Additional details from RCPD weren’t immediately available. Miller was lodged in the Riley County Jail on a $250,000 bond.

MANHATTAN — Riley County Police arrested a 36-year-old man Saturday night on charges of child abuse. John Lee Pevy III was booked into Riley County Jail on two counts of aggravated battery and one count of child abuse; torture of a child. Pevy remains jailed on a $20,000 bond. According to the Kansas Department of Corrections, Pevy has prior convictions for drug and weapons charges out of Geary County.

MANHATTAN — Hurdles to Medicaid expansion were a major highlight of Saturday’s legislative coffee held at the Sunset Zoo Nature Exploration Place. The event was hosted by the Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce. All three Manhattan lawmakers support Medicaid expansion. Hospitals have lobbied for expansion as well but conservative leadership in the statehouse has been content on keeping any bill from coming to the floor for debate. 67th District Representative Tom Phillips (R-Manhattan) says he believes it has enough momentum among both parties. Kansas is one of 14 states that has not expanded Medicaid. Committee leadership is largely conservative in…

*Update – Riley, Pottawatomie and Geary counties are now in a blizzard warning effective 3 p.m. to midnight Saturday. MANHATTAN — The Manhattan area is on the edge of a potential blizzard that could make travel hazardous Saturday. The National Weather Service has issued a Blizzard Warning for Riley, Pottawatomie and Geary counties from 3 p.m. Saturday to midnight. Snow, occasionally mixed with freezing rain will be possible. Total snow accumulations of up to two inches and ice accumulations of a light glaze are anticipated. Winds are expected to be very strong, gusting as high as 45 miles per hour…

MANHATTAN — Outgoing Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Lyle Butler is optimistic about what the future holds in store for the Manhattan area business community. Butler, who appeared on his final edition of KMAN’s In Focus Thursday, noted some major renovations are ahead for Manhattan Town Center, specifically on the inside of the mall. Butler says the mall’s ownership has been busy at work trying to continue to make the mall thrive in a time when many malls nationwide are struggling. A major announcement came last week when mall officials announced fashion retailer H&M plans to take up…

JUNCTION CITY — A Salina truck driver was injured Wednesday morning when his semi crashed on Interstate 70 in Geary County. The Kansas Highway Patrol says shortly before 7:30 a.m. an eastbound semi lost traction due to slick roads which caused the trailer to jack knife. The trailer slid off I-70 into the south ditch and overturned onto its side. It happened two miles west of the U.S. 77 and I-70 junction. The driver, 29-year-old Derek Towery was transported to Geary Community Hospital in Junction City with a suspected minor injury. KHP said the vehicle was left on scene to…

POTTAWATOMIE COUNTY — A Manhattan woman was killed Wednesday morning, a result of icy roads in a Pottawatomie County subdivision northeast of Manhattan. The Kansas Highway Patrol says 67-year-old Ann Marie Lochner was southbound on Elbo Ridge Drive in a Chevy Blazer in the Elbo Lake subdivision. Her vehicle left the roadway at the icy intersection of Elbo View and landed on its top in a nearby ravine. The incident occurred around 6:45 a.m. Authorities say Lochner died at the scene. The Highway Patrol crash log indicates Lochner was wearing her seat belt at the time of the crash.