Author: Brandon Peoples

Pottawatomie County authorities are investigating after a Salina man fell to his death at a Belvue grain elevator. The Sheriff’s Office says a 911 call came in around 6 p.m. Wednesday from an individual working at the Ag Partners Coop (305 Noble Ave.), who reported a co-worker had fallen from a significant height with severe injuries. The individual was later pronounced dead by Pottawatomie County EMS and identified as 30-year-old Miguel Salvador. The incident remains under investigation. KMAN has reached out to the company’s Safety Director for comment. Responding agencies included the Sheriff’s Office, EMS, as well as the Belvue,…

The Riley County Police Department is planning a series of town hall meetings with Director Brian Peete later this month where he’ll discuss his Crime Reduction Plan. Peete will host three one hour discussions with community members, at the Riley City Hall Jan. 29, at Peace Memorial Auditorium in Manhattan Jan. 30 and at the Ogden Community Center Jan. 31. The meetings will be held at 6 p.m. and are free and open to the public. Director Peete will preview these meetings and other RCPD events during his next appearance on KMAN’s In Focus, Jan. 25.

A Wamego man convicted last month of distributing Fentanyl, resulting in another man’s death, has been sentenced to more than a decade in prison. McKaine Farr was sentenced Thursday by Pottawatomie County Judge Jeff Elder to 13 years and 9 months behind bars for the offense, which led to Jayson Ebert’s overdose death in September 2021. Elder issued the maximum penalty of 165 months for an aggravated charge. Farr is also awaiting a separate trial in March for another Fentanyl-related overdose death at a Manhattan hotel last March. Others charged in that incident include 19-year-old Noah Baker, of Junction City…

Riley County commissioners agreed Thursday to contribute $5,000 toward a grant application to expand public Wi-Fi in the county. The Kansas Office of Broadband Development’s Advancing Digital Opportunities to Promote Technology program will award nearly $15 million to organizations addressing the challenges of broadband availability in the state.  WTC Manhattan Market Manager Jeff Sackrider says his company is preparing an ADOPT grant application to be submitted by the end of the month. The grant requires a 10 percent match. Several places of interest have already been identified across Manhattan. Riley County owned locations, such as the health department, historical museum, as well…

Riley County Police are investigating after a known suspect shot his firearm multiple times near Redbud Estates. According to Thursday’s RCPD activity report, officers were called out just before 11 pm Wednesday to the 2500 block of Farm Bureau Road. Officers did not identify the suspect, but noted he shot the firearm multiple times at an unspecified target. No injuries were reported. City code prohibits the unlawful reckless discharge a firearm within city limits. As of Thursday morning, no arrests have been made.

Junction City officials have sent a message to Geary County, telling them to pay their bills for EMS services or face discontinuation of ambulance services in the county. The city commission approved a motion Tuesday night from Commissioner Jeff Underhill outlining that EMS services due in 2023 are paid in full by Feb. 16, with the county then billed at $165,000 a month for 2024 until a permanent contract is put in place. “We’re not a partnership in this. We provide a service to the county. We provide a bill, they provide payment. That’s all the further the partnership goes.…

Wednesday 12:20 p.m. update The Kansas Department of Health and Environment has lifted the City of Belvue from a boil water advisory that had been in place since early Monday morning. The advisory was issued after the city’s water tower was reported low after a sensor had failed sometime overnight Sunday into Monday. KDHE says the issue has been resolved after testing results came back with no issues. Tuesday 6:30 a.m. update A boil-water advisory continues for the city of Belvue. Pottawatomie County officials say water pressure in the city’s water tower was reported low after a sensor failed sometime…

Authorities are searching for the person responsible for leaving a burning mattress on the side of the road, north of St. Marys. The Pottawatomie County Sheriff’s Office says it took the report Monday of a mattress lit on fire and left in the 4600 block of Shawguee Road. It’s believed that the mattress was being towed by a vehicle while it was on fire before being left on the side of the road. Anyone with information regarding the incident is asked to contact Captain Tyler Garver at 785-457-3353. Tips may also be left using the Crime Stoppers link at ptsheriff.com.

Republicans in the Kansas Legislature are crafting a counter response to Gov. Laura Kelly’s latest tax proposal. Tax committees and Senate leadership have been set on working the single rate plan for filers once again. It’s likely the bill will have a combination of a single rate income tax at 5.25% and some form of property tax reduction. 51st District State Rep. Kenny Titus, of Manhattan, says he believes legislators will attempt to fund that using the local ad valorem tax reduction fund to achieve this. “I think they’ll repeal that statute and then they’ll use that either to pay for…

A Junction City man was hospitalized early Tuesday morning after rolling his snow plow. The Kansas Highway Patrol says 41-year-old Joshua Resto was plowing the roadway just before 1:30 a.m. along the K244 spur, on the southeastern edge of Milford Lake, when the rear tires started to slide on the snow and into the ditch, where it rolled over. Resto, who was properly restrained, was transported to Ascension Via Christi in Manhattan for a possible injury, according to the crash report.