Author: Brandon Peoples

On Tuesday, Abena Taylor became the latest candidate to enter the race for a seat on the Manhattan City Commission. “I’m a citizen, I’m a neighbor, I’m a wife, I am a teacher, I’m a dancer,” she said. Originally from Jamaica, Taylor, 27, came to Manhattan from Florida a decade ago to attend Kansas State University. To view the full article visit theMercury.com. Click here for more local news.

City commissioners on Tuesday unanimously approved the first reading of an ordinance establishing a new reinvestment housing incentive district (RHID) in a northwest Manhattan neighborhood. The LK Townhomes project, led by Frontier Development, will build 26 duplex units on a stretch of Little Kitten Avenue, representing an approximately $9 million investment. It’s the first of three infill housing development projects the company is planning in the city, totaling $15 million. “I’m happy to see these now coming around,” said commissioner John Matta. “We’ve been working on this for a number of years, all these housing initiatives, and it’s nice to…

The Manhattan City Commission has approved a sale and purchase agreement with online retail giant Amazon for a future warehouse to be built in the city’s business park, near the airport. Amazon is acquiring the roughly 15-acre tract to develop a 70,000-square-foot warehouse for “last mile” delivery services. Daryn Soldan, director of economic development at the Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce, helped secure the agreement. “It’s great to get a project out there,” he said. “I think we’ve got some other things in the works, and obviously there’s a few more parcels out there that are developable. We’re actively marketing…

A Manhattan woman and two others were injured in a Monday morning crash near Milford State Park. According to the Kansas Highway Patrol, a northbound Chevy Suburban attempted a U-turn on US-77, just north of the K-57 junction, but did so in front of a northbound Ford Flex, resulting in the crash. Authorities say 36-year-old Sarah Kohler, of Manhattan, who was a passenger in the Suburban, sustained a minor injury. The 27-year-old driver, Julieanne Bettis, of Belleville, also sustained a minor injury. The driver of the second vehicle, a 40-year-old Texas woman was not injured. The highway patrol says all…

A Manhattan businesswoman is seeking one of three seats on the city commission, citing a desire to serve the underserved. Amber Starling has been an active and vocal participant in city meetings for the past year. “I walk the walk,” she said. “I’m a living-wage employer who built my business from scratch, and I’ve contributed over a million dollars in payroll and benefits to this community. I volunteered, advocated and donated wisely for the entire eight years I’ve been in business.” Starling is the founder and owner of Good Witch Cleaning Services, which she started in 2017, at the age…

A Junction City man is behind bars after police allege he attempted to break into multiple vehicles. The Junction City Police Department arrested 21-year-old Clayton Mayfield on Thursday after reports of a suspicious person wearing all black was attempting to burglarize vehicles on Michaels Way on the west edge of town. During their investigation, officers recovered and returned stolen property to four victims, including a child, whose bicycle was being used by the suspect at the time of his arrest. Mayfield is charged with three counts of vehicle burglary, one count of obstruction and one count of criminal damage to…

A local real estate agent has announced his candidacy for the Manhattan City Commission. Scott Seel, who ran unsuccessfully for the Riley County Commission in 2012, said public service has remained on his mind for several years. “I have always been the person who, I don’t feel that it has to be me,” he said. “So whenever there were three candidates that I felt were well suited for the position, and then I felt comfortable voting for myself, I didn’t need to throw my name in the hat just to do it.” To view the full article visit theMercury.com. Click…

Manhattan city officials are pumping the brakes on a $13.3 million cemetery improvement project, signaling a desire to scale back spending. During a work session Tuesday, commissioners expressed concerns about the overall cost, particularly for a new Sunrise Cemetery shop and office, estimated at $4.5 million. “We just don’t have the dollars,” said Mayor Karen McCulloh, who suggested the city “tread water” until the city has a better idea of its 2026 budget. To view the full article visit theMercury.com. Click here for more local news.

Andrew Von Lintel filed with the Riley County Clerk’s office on Monday. The 42-year-old said he has concerns with the city’s rising debt and a growing annual budget. “It seems like in recent years we’ve been increasing both a lot,” he said. “I noticed that the state of Kansas has a debt limit on Manhattan, and we’ve used 80% of that credit limit. I don’t really see a reason why we should be doing that.” Von Lintel grew up in Elkhart and graduated from Kansas State University in 2005 with a political science degree. He said he only recently became…

Housing projects, street maintenance and cemetery improvements will be discussed at Tuesday’s city commission work session. In April, the city opened the first round of workforce housing sales tax funding applications and have since received two applications for potential housing projects, both along Moro Street. The first is from local developers Zach and Michelle Burton, who are seeking a $215,000 grant and a sales tax exemption for a proposed 15-unit townhome project at 1000 and 1004 Moro Street. To view the full article visit theMercury.com. Click here for more local news.