Author: Brandon Peoples

More orange cones are popping up across Manhattan as some necessary road construction projects are beginning. On Monday, city officials noted a temporary closure of Denison Avenue, north of Kimball was put into place as work begins on the construction of a new reverse frontage road from the Grain Science complex, east to Denison. The closure is between the north entrance to the Manhattan Fire Department Headquarters fire station and the Agricultural Road intersection. The project is in anticipation of future work in 2024 along Kimball Ave. that was pushed up a year after the Kansas Department of Transportation noted…

The Manhattan City Commission will discuss the prospect of paid parking in the downtown parking garage near Blue Earth Plaza at a Tuesday work session. According to agenda materials, city staff are looking at a proposed $2 hourly rate with a $10 daily max for the garage. Full-time employees would be charged at $40 per month while part-time employees would be charged at $25 a month. Hotel guests would be charged at $10 per day under the new plan and the city would collect $5 per day from conference attendees. The city is also proposing a $200 per month charge…

Authorities in Pottawatomie County recovered a stolen vehicle Thursday that had been submerged in the Pottawatomie County Cross Creek Lake, about eight miles south of Havensville. According to Undersheriff Doug Adams, the reporting party was unsure how long the vehicle had been submerged. The Geary County Sheriff’s Office and Junction City Fire Department Dive team responded and determined the vehicle to be unoccupied and were able to attach a tow line to pull the vehicle out of the lake. The vehicle was determined to be stolen out of Shawnee County. At this time, authorities are continuing to investigate the matter.…

An Oklahoma man was arrested early Friday while at the Riley County Police Department on seven total charges stemming from a past warrant. Chiloh Leon Webb, 23, is charged with criminal possession of a weapon by a felon along with several drug charges, including distribution or possession within 1,000 feet of a school, fleeing and eluding law enforcement, interference and reckless driving. Webb remains confined on a $10,000 bond.

Riley County Police say a 39-year-old woman reported her car stolen Thursday morning in the 500 block of Colorado Street. The estimated total loss was approximately $3,000. The vehicle, a 2005 Toyota Sequoia, was later recovered in Pottawatomie County. Police are asking anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers.

With K-State Football playing a rare Friday night contest, a number of community events are taking place Saturday around the area. In Wamego, OZtoberfest is taking place. Events will take place in downtown Wamego throughout the day including the family festival, the Wizard’s beer & wine garden, a community after Oz event and Oz Museum events and special guests. More information can be found at visitwamego.com. In Riley, the annual Fall Festival is taking place downtown, featuring all day events, including a BBQ contest, biscuits and gravy at the city library, kids activities, a parade and a car show. More…

A Junction City woman was injured Wednesday in a hit-and-run crash on Interstate 70 in Geary County. The Kansas Highway Patrol says two vehicles were eastbound on I-70 just after 5 p.m, Wednesday. As one vehicle came to a sudden stop, the second moved in front and was then hit from behind, pushing the second car into the guardrail. That vehicle spun out and came to a stop in the roadway. The driver of the second vehicle, 28-year-old Marissa Donaldson sustained a serious injury and was transported to Stormont Vail Hospital. The other driver was not identified. A child was…

The Manhattan-Ogden School Board will hear an update Wednesday on the district’s student enrollment data for the fall. Superintendent Eric Reid will present the annual fall enrollment report, which accounts for the student population, based on counts from Sept. 20. Preliminary data shared in August noted about a 1.6% increase in enrollment for the fall, with a little more than 6,500 students. Manhattan High School’s student population was 1,929 on the first day of classes, but there are some indicators suggesting that number could push above 2,000 on tonight’s report. New business items include consideration of a storm water fee…

Officials at Geary County Schools are moving forward on funding a mechanism to pay for a new early childhood center in Junction City. The USD 475 school board unanimously approved a motion to enter into a lease purchase agreement totaling $35 million. The district will borrow up to that amount as it looks to finance the new center, at a yet to be determined site. The agreement assumes a 10-year repayment plan at a 4.5% interest rate, utilizing federal impact aid to help pay back the loan. Piper Sandler Managing Director Dustin Avey provided the board some advice when it goes out…

A pair of local entities will take a deep look into the community’s mental health needs and how best to go about achieving those needs. The Flint Hills Wellness Coalition and Riley County Health Department’s Local Mental Health System Assessment will be held on Tuesday, October 10 at Pottorf Hall. Coalition Chair Debbie Nuss says this came about after last year’s community health improvement plan process, which saw mental health rise as a top priority. The two groups are hoping to find solutions, based on community input that the groups can present to local government officials, aimed at helping overcome…