Author: Brandon Peoples

Riley County Police have released surveillance video from a local retailer in an attempt to identify a man suspected of making fraudulent purchases in Manhattan. The individual, who appears to be a white male, is seen exiting the Best Buy store. Police say they’re seeking to speak with the man regarding the unauthorized use of a credit card, resulting in fraudulent transactions totaling close to $4,700 at Best Buy, Dick’s Sporting Goods and Family Dollar on March 7. Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers. Can you identify the individual in this video footage? We are seeking to…

Police are investigating after someone reportedly cashed checks or paid for services with fraudulent checks, totaling more than $10,000. The Riley County Police Department says it filed a report Friday morning, listing Community First National Bank and Bayer Construction as the victims. The suspect is a 56-year-old Topeka man. As of Monday, police had not made any arrests. The total loss associated with the case is $10,099.78. The investigation is ongoing.

Segment 1: 00:00 Segment 2: 10:36 Segment 3: 21:53 Segment 4: 35:50 — Manhattan Parks & Recreation Department Park Planner II Alfonso Leyva and Park Superintendent Casey Smithson. Kansas State University Veterinary Anesthesiologist Dr. Nathaniel Kapaldo.

After the Kansas House unanimously approved a bipartisan tax bill this week, changes are likely coming from Senate leadership during conference committee this week. Manhattan State Sen. Usha Reddi says the fiscal note on Senate Bill 300 is too expensive, at close to $500 million per year. Her major frustration has been that she believes there are many good pieces that could easily be voted on individually. “For example existing social security, income from individual income tax, we all agree on that one. I wish we could just pull each of these out and vote on them separately instead of…

The Junction City Police Department says officers and detectives have seized over 2,300 fentanyl-laced pills in the past two weeks from ongoing drug investigations in the area. The pills, commonly referred to as “Dirty 30s” were recovered along with 3 kilograms of pure fentanyl, the department said in a Saturday social media post. The seizure removes the equivalent of approximately 1.5 million potential lethal doses of fentanyl from the streets. Additionally, police said multiple arrests have been made. Fentanyl is extremely lethal and has been linked to many overdose deaths in the U.S., including in the Flint Hills. Officials say…

Riley County Police Department Director Brian Peete is approaching the upcoming budget cycle cognizant of the current, more conservative Law Board’s desires to maintain a lean budget. Peete spoke Thursday on KMAN’s In Focus podcast about the upcoming budget process, which will begin to take shape in April. Budgets have gone up every year since 2020, when the Law Board held expenditures flat, due to uncertainty amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Last year, the Riley County Law Board approved a 6.5% increase in expenditures. The previous year, the increase was roughly 8.5%. In 2021, the board approved a 3.5% boost. Peete says…

A bill that cleans up language for Kansas counties looking to expand their county commissions has unanimously cleared both legislative chambers and now heads to Gov. Laura Kelly’s desk for a final signature. After Pottawatomie County voters approved expansion in 2022, it became apparent that wouldn’t happen right away after the county’s legal team learned state statute wouldn’t allow that to occur until the next county election cycle in 2024, almost two years later. County elections are traditionally held in even-numbered years in Kansas. “We’ve clarified that general elections occur every fall and since we’re having fall elections that gives…

The Riley County School Board has filled one of three vacancies on the board. Sara Wahlmeier-Cox, who finished as runner up in District 3 last fall with 43% of the vote, was sworn in during a special meeting Wednesday. She replaces Jeff Hancock, who defeated her, but abruptly resigned his seat on Feb. 12, following disagreements with a majority of the board on several matters, including the suspension and eventual termination of the superintendent. Board President Samantha Brown says normally the board would interview candidates to fill any vacancy. “When Jeff stepped down we talked to KASB (Kansas Association of School Boards) and we’ve…

Federal funding was announced Tuesday by U.S Sen. Jerry Moran, which will support a $28 million facility to be constructed at the Kansas State Salina Aerospace and Technology Campus. In addition, the university is also entering a $5.5 million partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association. “I’m here to announce that there are grants that have been approved totaling $33,500,000,” Sen. Jerry Moran told a gathering in Salina. “One is the construction. Money to construct the Aerospace Innovation and Training Hub here at K-State Salina, and the money for operations, research and facilities to fund a full-motion simulator.” The…

An Abilene woman sustained non-life-threatening injuries following a crash in northern Riley County early Sunday morning. The Riley County Police Department says the crash was reported near Welsh Road and Lasita Road in Leonardville just before 2 a.m. Sunday. Arriving officers found a Chevy Silverado on its top in a nearby ditch with the driver, 19-year-old Kenda Jantz, trapped inside. She was extricated from the vehicle and transported to the hospital. No other details were immediately available.