Author: Brandon Peoples

MANHATTAN — Riley County Police Department officials are working ahead to ensure they’re prepared for the 2019 Fake Patty’s Day in Manhattan’s Aggieville district. The 2019 event, which will take place March 2, was a discussion point during this week’s Riley County Law Board meeting. Chairman Mike Dodson says over time, some of the participants have started migrating their celebrations out of Aggieville and into the surrounding neighborhoods. RCPD Capt. Richard Fink says keeping control of the celebration is a top priority for officers. Dodson says he’d like to see a culture created around activities other than drinking for the…

MANHATTAN — Travel is improving area-wide as road crews continue to treat some the primary routes in both Riley and Pottawatomie County. Riley County Public Works Director Leon Hobson says sunshine Wednesday helped break up the icy patches on many county roads. Pottawatomie County Public Works Director Peter Clark says roads are clearing there, but not as quickly as in Riley County. There is the potential for roads to refreeze which could pose some problems overnight and early Thursday morning. Riley County Emergency Management Director Pat Collins says it’s something to keep in mind as temperatures drop overnight. Hobson says…

MANHATTAN — The Riley County Law Board approved a lease extension for the Riley County Police Department firing range during its meeting Tuesday. The move extends the lease an additional year to June 30, 2020. Riley County Counselor Clancy Holeman says this essentially buys time for the department to continue to negotiate options as the county seeks to acquire the property outright, potentially through eminent domain. Landowner James Seymour offered this extension in November to the Riley County Commission, which was accepted. Holeman explains how the lease extension dictates what happens if the two sides can’t reach an agreement. RCPD…

MANHATTAN — One person was injured Tuesday afternoon when an ambulance rollover crash occurred on an icy Riley County highway. The Kansas Highway Patrol says the ambulance was westbound on K-18 around 2 p.m. About a mile west of Manhattan, the driver, lost control of his vehicle, which then spun into the median and rolled onto its passenger side. A passenger in the ambulance, 26-year-old Kenneth Compton was taken to Via Christi Hospital in Manhattan with a suspected minor injury. The driver, 32-year-old Joshua Hettenbach of Champan was not injured. Both were wearing their seat belts.

JUNCTION CITY — Police have arrested a third suspect in connection to an alleged capitol murder case involving the death of Junction City woman Jenna Schaefer. Junction City Police say 37-year-old Jeremiah Joseph Grubb was arrested around Tuesday afternoon in the 600 block of West 5th Street. Grubb was arrested on charges of conspiracy to commit capitol murder. Schaefer, who was pregnant at the time of her death, was found Christmas morning dead from an apparent gunshot wound. While executing a search warrant, police also arrested 20-year-old Julia Ridenour of Junction City on a drug possession charge and possession of…

JUNCTION CITY — A Hays teenager was killed Tuesday afternoon on an icy stretch Interstate 70 west of Junction City. The Kansas Highway Patrol says 19-year-old Ashlen Leigh Lemon, of Hays was westbound on I-70 when she lost control of her vehicle and slid into the median. Her vehicle then struck a guardrail. Lemon was transported to Geary Community Hospital where she later died. She was wearing a seat belt. Numerous wrecks were reported Tuesday afternoon as freezing rain gave way to snow in portions of northeast Kansas.

MANHATTAN — Travel deteriorated throughout the day Tuesday as freezing rain turned roads into an ice rink in the Manhattan area. Numerous slide-offs were reported in Riley, Pottawatomie and Geary counties as travel became near impossible for the afternoon and evening commute. I-70 was closed at various points from Riley County to Dickinson County with reports of vehicles in the ditch, large amounts of stopped trucks and vehicles and at least two semis running into each other, jackknifing near Chapman in Geary County. K-18 westbound from Seth Child to Ogden were shut down but reopened by 4 p.m. (Click here…

MANHATTAN — Riley County Police responded to an unattended death in the 100 block of Manhattan Town Center Plaza Tuesday morning. The incident was reported just after 10:30 a.m. Officers listed a 46-year-old male as the victim. It’s not believed to be suspicious. No further details have been released.

A number of closures and cancellations continue to pour in as conditions deteriorate across the region. Be sure to check the closings and delays page for an up to date listing. Tuesday morning in Riley County, local law enforcement reported freezing rain on slick roads southeast of Keats. In Pottawatomie County a number of slide offs have been reported in the northwestern part of the county near Onaga (Oh-NAY-guh), including two school buses. According to the Pottawatomie County Sheriff’s Office, no injuries were reported. Slick roads will continue as a Winter Weather Advisory is now up for the entire area…

OLATHE — Business and industry leaders gathered with area political leaders for a two-day conference held in Olathe Friday and Saturday to identify strengths and weaknesses impacting the Manhattan area workforce and economy. One of those key aspects discussed during the Flint Hills Regional Leaders Retreat is the Tri-county Region Reimagined economic strategic plan. The plan involves Riley, Pottawatomie and Geary counties. As it looks ahead to new technology, and a growing number of retiring baby boomers in the workforce, a lot of the conversation is now aimed at attracting talent and retaining those employees in the region. Region Reimagined Program…