Author: Brandon Peoples

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…

MANHATTAN — Snow chances will continue to linger in the Manhattan area through the weekend according to the National Weather Service. Many areas in northeast Kansas saw anywhere from 3 to 5 inches or more of snow Friday. All modes of winter weather will be possible Saturday with snow, sleet and freezing rain expected in the Manhattan area in the early afternoon, pushing through the area completely after 3 p.m. Up to 1.5 inches of additional accumulation is possible along with a light glaze of ice. All precipitation is expected to come to an end late Saturday night and early…

MANHATTAN — An Ogden man is facing charges of child sexual abuse. Riley County Police arrested 32-year-old Michael Sears shortly before 1 p.m. Thursday on a warrant that includes six total charges. Sears is charged with four separate counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child. The report alleges Sears fondled a child victim under the age of 14. He also faces two rape charges involving a child under the age of 14. Sears was issued a $100,000 bond. He was not confined in the Riley County Jail as of Friday morning’s report.