Author: Brandon Peoples

Plans are in motion to construct a new shelter on Bluemont Hill near the scenic overlook. The Manhattan Parks and Recreation Advisory Board moved Monday to recommend the city partner with the Manhattan Kiwanis Club on the project. It’s now up to the city commission to decide the shelter’s fate. “We felt that a shelter up there would be nice, rather than just picnic tables,” Mark Maxwell, past president of Manhattan Kiwanis, said. “It would make it more enjoyable to come up and have events for your family and stuff up there.” To view the full article visit theMercury.com. Click…

It’s been a summer of swift changes at Manhattan Regional Airport. Travel ticked up during the month of July, with 7,835 passengers boarding flights at MHK. Envoy Air general manager Brennan Walter told Manhattan’s Airport Advisory Board on Monday it represents an 82% load factor, the metric used to calculate the percentage of occupied seats on an aircraft. “That’s phenomenal,” he said. “We want to be at 80 or above. That sends a really good message to American (Airlines) on how well our market can do supporting more service.” To view the full article visit theMercury.com. Click here for more…

Pottawatomie County commissioners on Monday took a step toward bringing a new fire station to Blue Township. The board unanimously approved a resolution, declaring the need for the facility in Fire District Number 5, which serves the southwestern area of the county, east of Manhattan. The resolution authorizes the county to issue up to $2 million in general obligation bonds to help fund construction. Commissioner Dee McKee questioned what happens to the county’s debt obligation if the City of Manhattan chooses to annex any portion of the fire district. Attorney Mitch Walter, with public finance firm Gilmore Bell, explained how…

The City of Wamego is looking for a new chief of police. City officials announced late Friday afternoon that Paul Schliffke, who was promoted to lead the Wamego Police Department in July 2022, is retiring at the end of the year. Schliffke has spent 12 years with the department, including nine years as deputy police chief, prior to his promotion. He also previously served in the Pottawatomie County Sheriff’s Office and the Kansas Lottery in a law enforcement capacity. To view the full article visit theMercury.com. Click here for more Wamego news.

Manhattan Public Works is quickly finishing summer road projects and looking ahead to more long term projects across the city. Two projects have had crews working diligently to finish in time for the school year. A concrete maintenance project along Browning Avenue, in front of Marlatt Elementary, was recently finished. Public works director Brian Johnson said crews also improved a traffic signal at the intersection of Browning and Hobbs Drive. “That signal is very old, and it runs off an old system,” he said. “We did some upgrades to the signal with some underground wiring to try to get it…

A thorough discussion of revenues and expenditures is planned Tuesday night as the Manhattan City Commission meets for a budget work session. The meeting will take place at 6 p.m. in City Hall. City manager Danielle Dulin will present an updated look at the 2026 budget preparation with elected officials. To view the full article visit theMercury.com. Click here for more local news.

A new nightclub is planned to appear in Aggieville early next year. Allred Management owned Johnny Kaw’s House Bar at 1218 Moro St. since 2011, and now seeks to sell or lease the property. In an email to The Mercury and KMAN, owner Brett Allred said the company plans to combine a nightclub environment with Yard Bar across the street. “We’re still working with designers and plan to start construction soon,” he said. “The goal is to open at the start of the spring semester.” To view the full article visit theMercury.com. Click here for more local news.

A Topeka-based electric company plans to build a $5 million facility in the Manhattan Business Park, near the airport. The Manhattan City Commission on Tuesday approved, through a 4-0 vote, a real estate agreement totaling $115,060 with Torgeson Electric Company for three vacant lots on 8.5 acres. Commissioner John Matta was absent from Tuesday’s meeting. “(They’re) very good community partners, and we’re very excited to have them in Manhattan,” city manager Danielle Dulin said. To view the full article visit theMercury.com. Click here for more local news.

City commissioners on Tuesday unanimously approved a request to vacate a small public utility easement near the hotel project in Aggieville. The easement, in the 1200 block alley between Moro and Laramie Street, was created to allow telecommunications lines to enter the formerly-planned Midtown building while avoiding the narrow alleyways where utility lines were often damaged. “Now the new building is going to sit over in this area, and then this is actually going to be part of the parking garage,” public works director Brian Johnson said. “Obviously those utilities don’t want to go through the parking garage to get…

City officials on Tuesday will consider vacating part of an alley in Aggieville for an ongoing construction project. City commissioners meet at 6 p.m. Tuesday in City Hall. Midtown Land Company, LLC, is requesting to vacate the public utility easement established as part of the final plat of the Midtown-Aggieville addition in 2023, due to a conflict with property redevelopment. According to agenda documents, no utilities are currently in the right-of-way to be vacated. All utilities have responded to the request and are supportive. To view the full article visit theMercury.com. Click here for more local news.