Author: Brandon Peoples

Details remain scarce into an ongoing federal investigation in Clay Center. An FBI spokesperson from the Kansas City office confirmed to KMAN Wednesday morning that FBI agents were in the small town Tuesday, but noted that no additional details could be provided, only saying the investigation is ongoing. Further information could be released at a later date.

Geary County officials are responding to an ongoing disagreement with Junction City over billing of EMS services. The county commission issued a statement Monday in reaction to Junction City’s recent decision to suspend EMS services outside of the city limits if a bill totaling over $800,000 isn’t paid by this month. Geary County says they received an invoice in April in the amount of $121,000 that the city described as “charges inadvertently omitted” dating back to February 2022. The county says it was by the city’s own admission that 10 of the 12 months were billed incorrectly. According to the…

Riley County Treasurer Shilo Heger has announced she’ll seek another term. Heger, a Republican, was appointed to the position in 2014, succeeding Eileen King. According to the Manhattan Mercury, the Riley County Republican Party precinct committee selected Heger as its nominee at the time. She had previously served as deputy treasurer for a decade. Heger has been re-elected twice, in 2016 and again in 2020. She is the first to file for the position of treasurer. The filing deadline is June 3.

Pawnee Mental Health is planning to move some of its operations into downtown Manhattan. CEO Robbin Cole informed the Riley County Commission Monday that adult services currently provided at the Hayes Drive facility will eventually move to a building at 4th and Houston Street, across from the organization’s administrative offices. That will allow more services to be offered at the Hayes drive location, where the Crisis Stabilization Center is located. As for a timetable, Cole says the transition of those services likely will occur by the end of the coming fiscal year. Pawnee also has leased space in on Anderson…

Geary County Sheriff Dan Jackson has announced his retirement. Jackson was sworn in as the Sheriff in May 2019, bringing stability to the position which had become vacant when former Sheriff Tony Wolf resigned amid legal troubles. Jackson then ran and was elected to a four year term as Sheriff in 2020. He leaves with just under a year remaining in his term. According to a release from Geary County, Jackson joined the Sheriff’s Office in June 2014 on road patrol and retired as a patrol lieutenant in 2018, returning about a year later to join the investigations unit. During…

The City of Manhattan’s Public works crews are taking advantage of the fact that students are away for the winter break to get started on the relocation of a 24-inch water main along Denison Ave, near the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF). City officials say beginning Monday, Denison Ave. will be closed to vehicular and pedestrian traffic south of Kimball Ave. to begin the project. The temporary closure will allow for the removal and reconstruction of Denison as part of the ongoing North Campus Corridor project. Crews are planning a two-week closure of that area, depending on weather. The…

Kansas State University officials broke ground Friday on a new events center for the Animal Sciences Program. The project is part of the university’s larger multimillion dollar Agriculture Innovation Initiative, which includes a host of facilities updates within the College of Agriculture. It was the second such groundbreaking for the College of Agriculture this year, following a ceremony in May for the Agronomy Research and Innovation Center. Both coincidentally took place on rainy days. Friday’s ceremony was held inside the Stanley Stout Center, on the northern edge of the campus. Dean Ernie Minton says the new facility will improves upon…

City officials in St. Marys say one person was killed in a house fire Thursday afternoon. Fire crews were called out around 2 p.m. to the house near 8th and Linn Streets in St. Marys. The City of St. Marys Police and Fire Department shared on its social media that one person was found dead inside, but did not identify them. The cause of death and circumstances surrounding the fire remain under investigation by the state Fire Marshall. Further information is pending and city officials say that information will be provided at a later date, due to the nature of…

Shelly Williams, the longtime director of Riley County Community Corrections, has announced she will retire in the spring, following three decades of service to the state of Kansas. The 1992 K-State graduate began her career at Central Kansas Community Corrections in Great Bend, before accepting a position in April 1994 with Riley County Community Corrections. During her time with the agency, Williams has served as a juvenile intensive probation officer and as a facilitator for juvenile justice reform under former Chief Judge Meryl Wilson. Williams was promoted to Director in 2007, following the retirement of Frank McCoy. She expresses what…

Riley County Police have made an arrest in an ongoing rape investigation. On Thursday, 21-year-old Jack Adams, of Iola, was jailed on a single count of rape. Police say the charge stems from an April 2022 incident. No further details will be released, due to the nature of the crime. Adams was released after posting a $75,000 bond.