Author: Brandon Peoples

Riley County Police Department Director Brian Peete spoke to the Riley County Commission Thursday about a large scale active shooter training he’s planning in the area later this year. No date has been scheduled for when that will take place, but Peete says he has meetings scheduled this week with several top officials, including the head of the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, as well as officials from Fort Riley and the FBI. In the near term, Peete says police are coordinating their response ahead of Fake Patty’s Day. As noted earlier this week, police opted not to ask for additional help from…

A Manhattan High School employee was battered Wednesday while trying to break up a fight between two students. The Riley County Police Department says a report for aggravated battery was filed just before 11:30 a.m. A 36-year-old woman and a 14-year-old boy were listed as victims. The woman had been intervening and was battered in the process by a 15-year-old boy. No arrests were noted and police released no other details, due to the age of the victims.

Authorities say the shooting incident at the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl celebration appeared to have stemmed from a personal dispute and not an act of terrorism. Kansas City Police Chief Stacey Graves confirmed during a Wednesday news conference that there are 23 victims, including one fatality. “The victims’ ages range between 8 years old and 47 years old. At least half of our victims are under the age of 16,” she said. Three people are currently detained, two of whom are juveniles, according to the police chief. No charges have been filed as of yet, but Graves announced they do expect…

A Manhattan woman was arrested on a Riley County District Court warrant Wednesday charging her with aggravated assault. The Riley County Police Department says 41-year-old Nicole Mallett was taken into custody in the 800 block of Dondee Drive. The warrant stems from an alleged incident last June, where Mallett is accused of driving an SUV at two women. Mallett is no longer in custody after posting a $5,000 bond.

Spring burning season is just around the corner and Riley County Fire District #1 is teaming up with the Kansas Forest Service for some fire safety education later this month. A free Prescribed Fire & Controlled Burn class will take place at 6 p.m. Feb. 28 at Pottorf Hall, located within Manhattan’s CiCo Park. Registration is not required and the class is recommended to anyone who conducts controlled agricultural burning in Riley County. The course does not include a live fire, but aims to educate on the safe and effective use of fire as a land management tool. The course…

Riley County announced this week that private property has been secured for a non-discharging sewer lagoon in Keats. The purchase allows the county to begin an environmental assessment for the project. Commissioner Greg McKinley says it’s a long-time coming, following years of discussion and planning. Deputy County Counselor Shelley Woodard negotiated an agreement with Keats resident Stanley Schurle’s trust to buy roughly 13 to 15 acres west of Keats Park at $20,000 per acre. A finalized price won’t be determined until the county has determined just how much land it will need. Commissioners voted 2-1 in December to pursue eminent…

A local school official says there never was any threat to the safety of students and staff at Rock Creek High School after a poem was found Tuesday that caused concern. Rock Creek USD 323 Superintendent Joan Simoneau spoke about the incident on KMAN’s In Focus Wednesday. School officials weren’t aware the poem was part of a broader school assignment until speaking with individuals just before school started Wednesday morning. Simoneau says regardless, they take every concern seriously. Parents were notified Wednesday morning of the issue and assured the building was secure.

Geary County authorities arrested a Junction City man Monday for allegedly attempting to flee law enforcement while he tried to make it to a court hearing in Manhattan. The Geary County Sheriff’s activity report notes that Jordan Prather was arrested just after noon Monday in Junction City. The Manhattan Mercury reports Prather, who originally was charged with first-degree murder, was on his way to be sentenced for three aggravated assault convictions in Riley County District Court. The deputy also discovered Prather was driving with a suspended license and an invalid license plate. He was also on probation. As a result,…

Members of the public voiced concerns Monday regarding the Riley County USD 378 school board’s handling of Superintendent Cliff Williams’ contract. Williams has been on administrative leave since Jan. 8. A pair of former school board members spoke, including Chris White, who was on the board in December when Williams’ contract was extended. Her term expired at the end of the year and the new board soon reversed that decision on a 4-3 vote. White says she’s extremely disturbed by what she calls “an apparent calculated decision.” White says there were zero issues of any wrongdoing or potential legal issues…

A Lecompton man entered guilty pleas Monday in Pottawatomie County District Court for his role in connection to a fatal crash 18 months ago near Wamego that claimed the lives of a father and son. According to County Attorney Sherri Schuck (Shook), 46-year-old Mark Stanwix has pleaded guilty to two counts of vehicular homicide, three counts of aggravated battery and single counts of reckless driving and texting. The charges stem from an August 2022 crash on Highway 24 near Airport Road, just east of Wamego. Stanwix was driving a semi truck and plowed into a pickup and SUV from behind…