Author: Brandon Peoples

MANHATTAN — Riley County Police are seeking the public’s help identifying five individuals allegedly linked to recent thefts at Manhattan Town Center. The police department says its interested in speaking to four African-American females and one African-American male individual seen in surveillance footage at the store following a Dec. 13 theft at Foot Locker. Images can be found on the RCPD Facebook page. Anyone who can help identify these individuals is urged to call Riley County Police at 785-537-2112 or Crime Stoppers at 785-539-7777.

RILEY — The community of Riley came together Sunday to send hundreds of balloons into the air in honor of 9-year-old Isabella “Bella” Plemons. Pastor David VanBebber led the community in the balloon release, seen in the video below. The teal balloons,were Bella’s favorite color. Bella died Dec. 5 after the car she was riding in was struck by another vehicle at the intersection of Highway 24 and Highway 77. Her mother and four siblings, who were also in the car, survived. One younger sister is still recovering from her injuries. Following the balloon release, the community gathered for a reception…

MANHATTAN — A new project at Kansas State university to support global food security has received a major funding boost. On Thursday, it was announced that K-State’s Global Food Systems Economic Prosperity Accelerator will be funded by a $745,000 grant through the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration, 2018 Regional Innovation Strategies program. The awards are designed to create and expand cluster-focused entrepreneurship and technology transfer programs. The project was one of 24 selected from more than 230 proposals to receive funding. The grant will fund Accelerator activities from January 2019 through January 2022. Overall aims will be to…

MANHATTAN — The City of Manhattan has a new Human Resources Director. On Friday, City Manager Ron Fehr announced that Tammy Galvan had been appointed to that office. Galvan will be responsible for employee and labor relations, risk and benefits administration and training, and organizational development programs and processes for the City of Manhattan. The Human Resources Director oversees all human resources activities for the city. Galvan started with the city in 2011 as a Human Resources Generalist and was promoted to Administrative Coordinator in the Parks & Recreation Department in 2014. She was then promoted to the position of…

MANHATTAN — Riley County Police made a pair of drug-related arrests Thursday near a Manhattan elementary school. Dane Simonsen, 32, and Christina Reyes, 31, of Manhattan were arrested and charged with multiple counts of drug distribution. The arrest took place in the 700 block of Fremont Street, near Woodrow Wilson Elementary. Simonsen and Reyes each face 10 total counts including multiple charges of distributing opiates, depressants and stimulants within 1,000 feet of a school and distribution or possession with intent to distribute drug paraphernalia. Simonsen and Reyes are both lodged in the Riley County Jail. Simonsen is lodged on a…

Thursday’s In Focus featured a special sneak peek performance of Fort Riley’s First Infantry band trombone quartet. Trombonists 1st Sgt. Christopher Martin, Specialist Cameron Smith, Sgt. Jonathan Stoby and Staff Sgt. David Winslow joined us to perform three pieces of holiday music. We also chatted with VFW Post 1281 Chair Jerri McBride and Co-Chair Ed Mueller previewed Saturday’s Wreaths Across America ceremony. In segment three we discussed happenings at Flint Hills Christian Schools with Principal Tim McDonald. Finally in segment four, Dave Lewis, Brandon Peoples and Nick McNamara reflected on the 50th anniversary of the Nichols Hall fire and the…

MANHATTAN — Thursday marked 50 years since a devastating fire at Nichols Hall on the campus of Kansas State University. Riley County Historical Museum Director Cheryl Collins joined us on a special In Focus program in October discussing the year 1968 and says it was one of the largest fires in Manhattan’s history. On December 13, 1968 the fire, believed to be set by an arsonist protesting the Vietnam war, destroyed radio station equipment, sheet music, instruments and recordings of famous speakers from the university’s Landon Lectures series. One item survived. The marching band director had taken home the sheet music…

MANHATTAN — A four-hour preliminary examination has been scheduled for a Manhattan man accused in the murder of an infant child last month. D’Khari Lyons, 23, appeared in Riley County District Court Tuesday from his jail cell, one month to the day after the death of 2-month old Michael Calvert Jr. Lyons appeared with counsel, as Chief Public Defender Cole Hawver was appointed to defend him. Hawver requested a preliminary examination to review documents to determine how the case proceeds. Judge William Malcolm set the next hearing for 9 a.m. Feb. 1 in Riley County District Court. According to an…

Riley County authorities continue to search for a Manhattan man involved in a hit and run crash that seriously injured a woman. According to a social media post from the Riley County Police Department Monday, 23-year-old Hassan Rueda, who goes by the name Jonathan, remains at large following the Nov. 30 crash that injured 61-year-old Susan Keller of Manhattan.  Keller was transported to a Kansas City area hospital for treatment of her injuries. The incident occurred near the intersection of Hunting and Denison and a vehicle registered to Rueda, which left the scene was recovered by police about a week…

(Video: courtesy Kansas City, Missouri Police Department) MANHATTAN — As people are ordering their Christmas presents online, “porch pirates” might be waiting for them as well. Porch pirates are people who steal packages from porches around the holiday season. In the above video a man is seen trying to steal a package from a South Kansas City residence. The homeowner, who was out of town at the time was alerted to motion via his security camera Smart Phone app. There is good news as police say they are being more vigilant this time of year and say you should be…