Author: Brandon Peoples

Pottawatomie County commissioners heard from a local couple seeking a revision in the county’s nuisance dog resolution. Paul Barkey, a 77-year-old combat-related disabled veteran, says he was threatened by two of his neighbor’s pit bulls July 5 in Blackjack Estates, while attending to a tree on his property damaged in a storm. The incident was caught on home surveillance cameras. He and his wife Jan claim the dogs are continuously allowed to run loose without any control. After taking the neighbor to court, the judge ruled in the dog owner’s favor since no injuries occurred and the incident did…

Officials at the Wamego Health Center broke ground last Friday on a project to install a new MRI scanner at the facility. The MRI scanner is being funded by the Wamego Hospital Foundation and generous contributions by the community. It will be constructed near the rear of the building in a new suite. The scanner will provide head-to-toe imaging and be a permanent fixture in place of the mobile MRI unit that comes into Wamego twice a week by trailer. In a statement, hospital administrator Brian Howells thanked its partners for making the project possible, including the City of Wamego,…

City officials are planning a temporary closure of Grand Mere Parkway to traffic between Grand Vista Drive and Kimball Avenue. The closure will begin Wednesday and continue through next Friday, Oct. 13 to allow for the safe completion of connections between the new roundabout, Grand Mere Parkway and Kimball Avenue/Scenic Drive. Light to moderate traffic and some delays are expected in the area. City officials estimate that the work will take about two weeks, depending on the weather. Overall construction is expected to continue through the remainder of the year.

An Illinois woman was arrested by RCPD Friday evening on a Riley County District Court warrant for violation of the offender registration act. Amanda McMillon, 45, remains jailed on a $5,000 bond. KBI online records show McMillion was convicted in September 2022 on felony drug charges in Geary County. Separately, RCPD filed a report for rape Friday in Manhattan, listing a 17-year-old female as the victim and a 16-year-old male as the suspect. Due to the nature of the crime, no additional information will be released.

One of Manhattan’s two Burger King restaurants has closed its doors. A sign posted on the storefront at 1328 Laramie Street reads the location is no longer open for business, inviting customers to visit their sister location on McCall Road. According to QSR Magazine, the restaurant’s franchisee, Utah-based Meridian Restaurants Unlimited, sold a majority of its restaurants this month in a bankruptcy auction. Seventy of the 91 stores under its ownership were sold to Burger King and four franchisees for a little more than $17 million. Kansas King was said to be acquiring 16 units in Kansas and Nebraska for…

A Manhattan man was arrested Wednesday in connection to alleged child sex crimes. The Riley County Police Department says 38-year-old Mitchell Simmons is charged on probable cause offenses of sexual exploitation of a child and breach of privacy. Simmons was issued no bond and remains confined in the Riley County Jail. Due to the nature of the crime, police say no further information will be released.

Some folks in Aggieville got more than they bargained for Wednesday night after a man became belligerent and pulled down his pants in public. Riley County Police say 41-year-old Benjamin Lewis was arrested on charges of nudity in a public place and disorderly conduct just after 11 p.m. Thursday in the 1100 block of Moro. Police say Lewis reportedly acted aggressive and belligerent before dropping his drawers. The incident resulted in a trip to the Riley County Jail, where Lewis remains confined on a $500 bond.

Konza Student Table celebrates its third anniversary Wednesday. The weekly food distribution program for Kansas State University students, came about through a coordinated effort of local entities, including the Food and Farm Council of Manhattan and Riley County, St. Isidore’s Catholic Student Center and K-State’s Housing and Dining Services. Food and Farm Council Coordinator Vickie James says it’s open to students regardless of their situation. Since its creation in September 2020, over 90,000 meals have been served. Director of the Coordinated Program in Dietetics at K-State Dr. Kelly Whitehair says it’s a feat not possible without volunteers. The program hasn’t…

For the first time in nine years, Kansas State University is up in enrollment. Data released by the Kansas Board of Regents on Wednesday showed K-State’s headcount enrollment at all campuses at 19,745, a modest gain of 23 students from the fall 2022 semester. Overall it represents about a tenth of a percentage point gain, a positive sign that perhaps the university is turning a corner on its strategic enrollment plan. Over the past decade, enrollment at K-State peaked in 2014 at 24,766, before declining every year until this fall, dipping below 20,000 for the first time last fall. Undergraduate…

Riley County Police are crediting detailed police work and successful tracking from its K9 Monster for the arrest of a suspect who attempted to rob a food delivery driver for the second time. Landen Bearce, of Manhattan, was arrested on two probable cause offenses of attempted robbery and interference with law enforcement officers. He remains jailed on a $50,000 bond. According to police, the 21-year-old allegedly tackled the victim as he was attempting to make a delivery in the 1000 block of Quivira Circle just before 10 p.m. Tuesday. Officers began canvassing the scene shortly after the report and when…