Author: Brandon Peoples

MANHATTAN — A Manhattan man is in custody after Riley County Police say he violated the terms of his offender registration. Samuel Sargent Kempf, 42, was arrested Wednesday in the 1100 block of Vattier on a charge of violating offender registration, second conviction. A search of the Kansas Offender Registry finds that Kempf was convicted in 2005 on a charge of possession of child pornography in Missouri. Kempf is lodged in Riley County Jail on a $10,000 bond.

TOPEKA — The Kansas Highway Patrol saw increases in DUI arrests, speed citations and speed warnings during its annual New Year’s weekend holiday activity. Officers worked two fatality crashes during that time span but neither was DUI-related. The crashes occurred in Thomas and Wyandotte counties. KHP reported 22 DUI arrests, along with 954 speed citations, 825 speed warnings and 118 adult seat belt citations. Each were increases over last year and each also reached three-year highs. KHP also assisted 885 motorists on Kansas highways during the extra enforcement period which began at 6 p.m. Dec. 28 and concluded at 11:59…

MANHATTAN — Colder weather is greeting us here in the new year and while it won’t stick around much this week, it is an important reminder that winter is here and can be brutal for outdoor animals. For horses in particular, having adequate shelter in pastures is a must and can be done with a simple metal frame three-sided structure with a roof. Laurie Beard, clinical professor and section head of equine medicine and surgery with Kansas State University’s School of Veterinary Medicine explains other possible alternatives. Signs your horse may be having difficulty with the cold temperatures could be…

MANHATTAN — Riley County Police made a pair of notable arrests over the weekend. On Friday, RCPD officers arrested 25-year-old Terry Boyd Canfield hours after he was released from the Hutchinson Correctional Facility according to the Kansas Department of Corrections. Canfield is charged with one count of aggravated burglary, aggravated robbery and aggravated battery. He had spent time in prison since 2015 on a pair of theft charges. He’s being held in Riley County Jail without bond. Police also arrested a California man Sunday on a warrant for two counts of failing to appear. Jose Manuel Bustamante is jailed on…

McFARLAND — There’s some good news for residents of the small Wabaunsee County community of McFarland. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment has rescinded a boil water advisory that was initially issued Christmas Eve, due to a loss of pressure. Laboratory testing samples collected from the City of McFarland indicated no evidence of contamination and all other conditions that placed the system at risk of contamination have been deemed by KDHE officials to be resolved. For additional information, visit kdheks.gov or call 785-296-1317.

MANHATTAN — No injuries have been reported after a fire broke out Friday morning at Manhattan’s Short Go Boot Outlet, at 420 Tuttle Creek Blvd. Manhattan Fire crews were called to the scene sometime before 6 a.m. and the building was fully engulfed. As of 7 a.m. the fire was still an active scene but Public Information Officer Ryan Almes confirmed there were no injuries. It isn’t clear yet how the fire started. There was significant damage to the building, however an official damage estimate is pending. Riley County Police Department officials tell KMAN it hasn’t caused any traffic adjustments…

JUNCTION CITY — One person is behind bars in Geary County after eluding officers on a high speed pursuit Wednesday afternoon. The Geary County Sheriff’s Office says Scott Keady of Kansas City, Missouri was arrested on multiple charges including flee and elude, possession of a stolen vehicle, possession of heroin, drug paraphernalia and stolen property. Officers began the pursuit on I-70 in Geary County which continued into Dickinson County. No injuries were reported and the chase ended with no damages to the vehicles involved in the pursuit. Keady was taken into custody with a first appearance set for Thursday afternoon.

MANHATTAN — A public hearing is scheduled next month in Manhattan to consider the adoption of proposed regulations for the Industrial Hemp Research Program. Due to the passage of Senate Bill 263 by the 2018 Kansas Legislature, the Kansas Department of Agriculture is proposing the promotion of new rules and regulations relating to the research program as authorized by the Alternative Crop Research Act, which can be found at agriculture.ks.gov/ProposedRegs. Written comments can be submitted prior to the hearing through that web page. The hearing is open to anyone interested in attending and public comment will be accepted during that…

MANHATTAN — Kansas lawmakers will head to Topeka in less than three weeks and a major focus will again be on education. Following this year’s Kansas Supreme Court ruling that current funding laws passed by the state require adjustment for inflation, there is optimism that the funding issue gets resolved in 2019. 66th District Representative Sydney Carlin (D-Manhattan) says lawmakers will find the money to do what the court requires, noting that changes to the 2012 income tax law have been largely, but not totally reversed. The additional funding needed to satisfy the court is roughly $90 million over the next…

Update 4:15 p.m. 1/4/19 Following a forensic autopsy, signs point to 19-year-old Jacob Bouck’s death being the result of homicide. Pottawatomie County Sheriff Greg Riat revealed the information in a release Friday. The case is still being investigated by the Pottawatomie County Sheriff’s Department, the Wamego Police Department as well as the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. No further information was made available. Bouck, whose Facebook profile indicates he was a McDonald’s employee, was a 2017 graduate of Wamego High School. Update 2 p.m. 12/28/18 Officials have identified the man whose body was pulled from the Kansas River near Wamego on…