Author: Brandon Peoples

On Friday’s show we spoke to K-State Research & Extension Ag Agent Greg McClure about some upcoming events and a year-in-review from the agricultural perspective. We also spoke with Margaret Abbott, coordinator of the Riley County Senior Service Center’s Friendship Meals program about their need for volunteer drivers. 51st District House Representative Ron Highland (R-Wamego) joined the show’s third and fourth segments to preview the upcoming legislative session and discussion over the 2018 Farm Bill, in particular what it means for hemp as an agricultural commodity.

State agencies, firefighters and emergency managers are preparing communities for a potential earlier start to the wildfire season in Kansas. Projections by the Kansas Mesonet and National Weather Service have elevated the threat of wildfire in southwest and central Kansas in 2019. According to Kansas Forest Service that news came during the 2019 Wildfire Outlook Seminar held in Wichita Dec. 12. Chip Redmond, mesonet manager and assistant scientist in the Weather Data Library at Kansas State University attributes the elevated threat to increased fuel loads in the region due to late summer rains. Redmond says despite above-normal moisture across most…

WESTMORELAND — A slew of capital improvement projects are on the horizon in Pottawatomie County, to the tune of approximately $290,000. Many of those projects were approved at Monday’s meeting and are underway. Some of the projects also will begin after the start of the new year. During this week’s meeting of the Pottawatomie County Commission, Administrator Robert Reece spoke about some of the details surrounding a handful of those projects. Commissioners have also approved improvements to move forward on the justice center, as well as transferring court service offices to the new justice center. Some projects will be revisited…

Thursday’s guest was Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Lyle Butler discussing the importance of shopping local, especially with Little Apple Dollars.

MANHATTAN — The new head of the Riley County Police Department will be officially sworn in later this month. Incoming Director Dennis Butler will take the oath during a special ceremony at 10 a.m. Dec. 31. Riley County District Court Judge Meryl Wilson will preside. Butler will succeed Brad Schoen who is retiring. Butler has been chief of police in Ottawa since 2004 and prior to that, worked with the Alexandria, Virginia Police Department for 25 years, retiring in 2004 at the rank of Captain. Butler was hired as the fifth director of the RCPD during last month’s Riley County…

MANHATTAN — Christmas will be a little brighter for four individuals who located the second G. Thomas Jewelers Manhattan Running Company Jingle Bell Rock. Mitch and Tim Innes, Philip Braddock and Matt Prather located the second rock hidden and claimed their winnings Wednesday morning at the KMAN studios. The four have been lucky enough to find the rock now twice, having also won eight years ago. Braddock explains how they were able to find the rock based on the clues. It’s become an annual tradition for them to get together. Mitch Innes says he’s become somewhat of a professional detective.…

Wednesday’s guests included USD 383 Assistant Superintendent Eric Reid and board member Jurdene Coleman previewed the final 2018 school board meeting for Manhattan-Ogden schools. We also spoke to Manhattan Area Technical College’s Tracy Geisler with updates on the end of semester, buildings and charitable giving.

JUNCTION CITY — A new superintendent has been named for USD 475 Geary County Schools. At a meeting Monday, board members announced they had selected Dr. Reginald Eggleston to lead the district. The decision was unanimous (7-0). Dr. Eggleston will begin his position as Superintendent in April. Eggleston has spent more than 24 years in public education and currently serves as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Army Reserves. His time in the classroom as a Special Education teacher he says is the foundation for his core beliefs and success as an educator. He currently serves as the Commander of the…

MOUNTAIN HOME, Ark. — A Kansas man stationed at Fort Riley is under investigation in Arkansas after allegations surfaced over the weekend that he tried to meet up with a 16-year-old girl for sex. According to a release from the Baxter County, Arkansas Sheriff’s Office, 31-year-old Andrew O’Brien of Junction City was arrested early Saturday at a Mountain Home, Arkansas parking lot near the girl’s home. The Sheriff’s Office says O’Brien had requested and received explicit photos and texts from the unidentified teen. He was booked on felony counts of engaging children in sexually explicit conduct for use in visual…

MANHATTAN — In an effort to mitigate the economic impact of a foreign animal disease event, officials with the Kansas Department of Agriculture are leading an annual preparedness event at the Manhattan headquarters. This year’s mock scenario involves the introduction of foot-and-mouth disease in the United States. KDA Emergency Management Coordinator David Hogg says the department has several state agencies, federal and local government, industry and university officials participating in the four-day exercise. Those agencies then coordinate a planned multi-level response to help mitigate the economic impact of such an incident. Hogg says if such an incident actually occurred it…