Author: Brandon Peoples

MANHATTAN — The luck of the Irish was in Aggieville Saturday as Manhattan residents gathered for a soggy day of St. Patrick’s Day themed activities, including the 40th annual parade. The rain let up just in time for the parade, which lasted just under a half hour. Numerous sponsoring businesses greeted crowds of children along the streets with candy. The Commanding General’s Mounted Color Guard from Fort Riley led the parade. Runners braved the cold rains Saturday morning for the 41st annual Marvin Hachmeister 10K Road Race. The soggy conditions didn’t deter Hachmeister either, who celebrated his 88th birthday at…

MANHATTAN — Death related to heroin overdoses and fentanyl have risen dramatically nationwide just over the last few years. According to the Centers for Disease Control nationwide more than 15,000 overdose deaths involving heroin occurred in both 2016 and 2017. More than 5,000 of those deaths were attributed to heroin and other synthetic narcotics and those numbers have been increasing steadily over the past decade. Riley County Health Department Director Jennifer Green says the rise is common among men and women of all age groups and income levels. Fentanyl is an synthetic opioid pain reliever, often prescribed for advanced cancer…

Friday’s show featured two segments with Kansas Farm Bureau First District board member Glenn Brunkow discussing Senate Bill 32 which would create an alternative health care coverage option for its members. The bill has passed the Senate and is currently working its way through a House committee. Big Brothers Big Sisters Special Events Coordinator Torie Foster joined us to preview its upcoming Bowl for Kids’ Sake fundraiser. The Dusty Bookshelf owner Diane Meredith and store manager Sarah Wilson joined us to preview the store’s planned reopening timeline and highlighted events leading up including donation needs for the bookstore after the…

MANHATTAN — Riley County Police responded to 172 calls for service during the 2019 Fake Patty’s Day activities in Manhattan. The official statistics were released Friday morning. The 172 calls decreased significantly from 2018’s activities which saw 287 calls for service. Complaints ranged from, but are not limited to parking problems, welfare checks, disturbing the peace and non-injury accidents. Police took just one report of violent crime and filed 52 reports total, not including alcohol related crime. Police took 122 reports last year. A total of 39 physical arrests were made, including 19 for DUI, six for disorderly conduct, three…

LAWRENCE — The Kansas Highway Patrol says a Manhattan man was hospitalized Thursday after an injury crash on the Kansas Turnpike in Leavenworth County. The crash report says 55-year-old Carl Burton was westbound on Interstate 70 just after 8 p.m., when his SUV struck a tow truck that was attempting to turn through the median. The tow truck had its emergency lights activated and was pulled to the inside shoulder when it was struck in the rear. Burton was transported to Lawrence Memorial Hospital with a suspected minor injury. He was wearing a seat belt. The tow truck driver, 21-year-old…

Update Thursday 3 p.m. Riley County Police say a second person has died from an apparent drug overdose involving heroin containing fentanyl. New details released Thursday afternoon show that one of two people who were hospitalized earlier this week died at a medical center. That person, a 50-year-old Manhattan man was discovered after a medical emergency call Tuesday evening. The other person, a 35-year-old Manhattan man was found dead at a residence Tuesday night. Their names have not been released. Police also responded to a medical emergency in Ogden March 2 where a 27-year-old Emporia man was transported to a…

Update Thursday 2 p.m. MANHATTAN — The Manhattan Fire Department is offering tips after a clothes dryer sparked a fire at a Manhattan home Tuesday afternoon. Fire officials on Thursday corrected the loss estimate from the fire to $10,000 to the structure and $5,000 for the contents (A previous loss estimate released Wednesday noted a $60,000 property loss and $30,000 content loss estimate). The fire occurred at a two-story dwelling at 1114 Vattier Street. An investigation determined the fire was accidental due to a malfunction of the dryer. No injuries were reported. The Fire Department reminds citizens to always clean…

Tuesday’s guests included Manhattan Mayor Mike Dodson and City Manager Ron Fehr with a preview of the Manhattan City Commission legislative meeting.

MANHATTAN — The man who photographed both President Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama was at McCain Auditorium Tuesday evening discussing his traveling exhibit “Two Presidents, One Photographer.” Pete Souza was the official White House photographer during Reagan’s second term from 1985 to 1989 and both terms under President Obama. Prior to the speaking engagement, Souza met with reporters about his agenda with the exhibit to highlight two very different politicians. He says both men respected the office of the presidency and treated others with respect. Souza says despite the political differences between Obama and Reagan, the two men were very similar…

MANHATTAN — Mardi Gras was celebrated Tuesday night at Early Edition East in Manhattan as pancakes were served up for Pawnee Mental Health. Pawnee Development Manager Diane Hinrichs says this event will just be the start of many planned fundraisers in the future. The event raised funds for Pawnee’s new crisis stabilization center. Hinrichs says it’s a core part of their mission to serve people in crisis regardless of their ability to pay, a key need in Manhattan and across Kansas. Early Edition owner Marcy Uphoff and her husband Dave say they were more than happy to help support the…