Author: Brandon Peoples

Nearly $39,000 has been raised between the nine candidates seeking a seat on the Manhattan City Commission this fall, according to campaign finance reports released this week. Candidates turned in their first round contributions this week. The second round is due out in late October. Larry Fox, former director of real estate at the K-State Foundation, leads all candidates with $12,900 raised. Real estate agent Scott Seel follows with $8,328 in donations. Incumbent commissioner Jayme Minton has raised $7,815 while incumbent Peter Oppelt has raised $5,174 and retired attorney Jim Morrison has raised $2,950. To view the full article visit…

A group of local 4-H ambassadors are preparing to show this weekend at the annual Pottawatomie County Fair in Onaga. Liberty Sharpe, of Wamego, has been involved in 4-H for seven years. “This is the best part of the summer,” she said. “We anticipate this all summer long and I’m just excited it’s finally here.” To view the full article visit theMercury.com. Click here for more Pottawatomie County news.

The 2025 Battle of the Badges blood drive wrapped up on Friday with the American Red Cross exceeding its collection goal for blood donations. The two-day drive was held at St. Thomas More Church in Manhattan, with a goal of collecting 145 pints of blood. “I am excited to announce that we surpassed that goal and collected 163 lifesaving pints of blood,” Red Cross spokesperson Kristi Ingalls said. “I know that I say it every year, but summer is truly a hard time for us to collect blood, and you all come through for us every year and this year…

County officials approved a request from Luckey Holdings, LLC to rezone the area from A1 — Agricultural to R2 — Intermediate-density residential. The move paves the way for a future residential subdivision at the southeast corner of Junietta Road and Moody Road. “(An) R2 district allows all uses that are permitted in R1 and a slightly higher density of use, including up to a fourplex or quadplex structure,” County Planner Bridget Snow said. Commissioners shared concerns Monday about potential issues with drainage and road access. Currently, Junietta Road does not extend east of the school property and Moody Road does…

The Manhattan City Commission on Tuesday passed a resolution signaling its intention to collect more tax revenue in 2026. The measure, which passed 4-1, allows the city government to exceed what’s called the “revenue-neutral rate” (RNR) by up to 2 mills. That step is required by the state when a city wants to bring in more revenue than it did the previous budget year. A mill is $1 in taxes for every $1,000 in assessed, taxable property value. The city’s RNR is 53.109, so commissioners will not be able to raise the mill levy above 55.109. Commissioner John Matta was…

Manhattan residents can stroll around with an alchoholic beverage within a boundary downtown starting on Third Thursday. As previously reported, the Manhattan City Commission on June 17 voted 3-2 to establish the year-round common consumption area, referred to by downtown officials as the “outdoor refreshment area.” The CCA will be an established boundary that will allow visitors to purchase alcoholic beverages from participating businesses and freely roam about from business to business. “So 365 days of the year in this designated zone, on Poyntz from Third Street to Fifth Street and on north and south Fourth to the alleys and…

A new hotel project in Manhattan’s Aggieville district will begin construction on Monday. In a Friday news release, BHS Construction announced it plans to start the Hampton Inn project at 12th and Laramie Street. City officials in January approved $20 million in bonds for the hotel along with an amended development agreement with Midtown Land Company, LLC. The hotel will feature 105 rooms along with a 100-stall parking garage. To view the full article visit theMercury.com. Click here for more local news.

The Manhattan City Commission will consider several items when it meets Tuesday for its first legislative meeting in nearly a month. In a state-required step, city officials will consider a resolution to exceed the calculated revenue-neutral rate of 51.156 mills for the 2026 budget. That figure is the minimum required to generate the same amount of property tax revenue the city received in 2025, based on assessed valuations. The resolution sets a maximum mill levy rate of 56.109, 3 mills higher than the 2025 mill levy. As previously reported by The Mercury and KMAN, city staff proposed levying $2.5 million…

The focus centered around employee wages, departmental funding and tax rates. County staff have proposed a 4% cost-of-living adjustment for all county employees. After discussion Monday, county commissioners reached consensus to exclude themselves from the COLA and address their compensation separately. “If the commission feels that there’s a need to increase the salary, I would do it as a vote and come up with a number,” said Commissioner Merl Page. “I don’t want it built in, something that’s hidden in 50 some pages.” Key changes in the budget include adjustments to departmental funding, such as moving a personal property clerk…

A Manhattan woman sustained a minor injury in a Monday crash on I-70 in Wabaunsee County. According to the Kansas Highway Patrol, 35-year-old Stephanie Stallings was traveling in the eastbound lanes of I-70 near mile marker 336, shortly before 11 a.m. when her Toyota Camry was struck by an unknown vehicle that swerved into her lane. The incident caused Stallings to lose control of her vehicle and it came to rest against a tree line. Stallings was transported to Stormont Vail Hospital in Topeka with a minor injury. A passenger, 36-year-old Deandra Brown, also of Manhattan was not injured. The…