Author: Brandon Peoples

The Wabaunsee County Sheriff’s Office says a $1,000 reward is being offered after more than a dozen calves and a cow went missing from a ranch near Wamego last month. According to the Wabaunsee County Farm Bureau, the livestock stolen included 15 Black Angus or Wagyu calves, one red calf and one Black Angus cow. The cattle belonged to Dan Oeding, who operates a ranch about five miles southeast of Wamego. The cattle were reported stolen on Oct. 10. Anyone with information is being encouraged to call the Wabaunsee County Sheriff’s Office at 785-767-3323.

One person was injured in a Monday crash near Manhattan Regional Airport. The Riley County Police Department says 57-year-old Albert Huerta, of Manhattan was transported to Ascension Via Christi after crashing his motorcycle with an SUV near Skyway Drive and Murray Road at around 7 a.m. The extent of his injuries weren’t immediately available The other driver, 51-year-old Thomas Reust, of Manhattan, had no listed injuries. —– Police also noted Monday the theft of a laptop computer reported by a 20-year-old man Monday evening in the 1200 block of Centennial Drive. The total loss is approximately $1,100. Anyone with information…

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Monday that Rural Development is awarding over $4.2 million in grants to help agricultural producers and rural small business owners make energy efficiency improvements and renewable energy investments to lower their energy costs. Locally, that includes a grant totaling more than $85,000 awarded to Britts Farm to purchase and install an 86.4 killowatt solar array. It will replace over 100,000 killowatt hours per year, which officials say is enough energy to power nine homes. There were 34 projects approved in Kansas. Grants were awarded nationally in 44 states and 1 territory. USDA is awarding…

Today marks Election Day in Kansas. Advance voting ended at noon Monday, with 2,183 Riley County residents casting their ballots early. That’s down about 1,000 from the last city/school board election in 2021, which saw 3,185 residents vote in advance. Advance ballots by mail will be accepted through Friday as long as they are postmarked by today. Riley County Clerk Rich Vargo reflected Monday on the election cycle, which has included new equipment and more security measures surrounding the voting process. With new laws regarding Election Security taking effect this year coupled with the new equipment needed to comply, the…

Riley County Police responded to a pair of injury crashes Friday in northern Riley County. Police say the first occurred near Tuttle Creek Blvd. and West Randolph Street in Randolph Friday morning when a Dodge Durango turned in front of a Dodge pickup. Injured in the crash were 69-year-old Lenita Glanzer, of Randolph and 60-year-old Kerwin Mann, of Barnes. Both were treated at Ascension Via Christi Hospital. The other crash happened just after noon Friday near the intersection of Green-Randolph Road and Tuttle Creek Blvd. after a Chevy Silverado collided with a Ford F35. Police say 80-year-old Thomas Burke, of…

More than $36,000 has been raised by candidates seeking election to the Manhattan City Commission. (Full reports are attached in alphabetical order, at the bottom of this story, including a list of contributions to each campaign.) Campaigns were required to file their second round reports on Oct. 30. Eight of the nine candidates submitted reports showing financial contributions and expenditures between July 21 and Oct. 26. Susan Adamchak leads all candidates, with $13,778 raised over that span. Adamchak started the period with $2,400 cash on hand. Minus expenditures, her campaign had $5,461.75 as of Oct. 30. Peter Oppelt raised over…

A Riley County jury has concluded that a 29-year-old Manhattan man intentionally killed his estranged wife while she slept in her home in late September 2021. Kamahl Bobian was convicted Friday on charges of first-degree murder, aggravated burglary and two counts of violating a protective order. Jurors deliberated for about two hours, following a week of testimony from close to two dozen witnesses and the defendant. He faces a sentence of 50 years to life in prison, when he’s sentenced to prison next month. In his closing statement, Deputy Riley County Attorney Trinity Muth stated the protection from abuse order,…

Closing arguments will be heard Friday morning in the Kamahl Bobian murder trial in Riley County District Court. Bobian took the stand Thursday in his own defense, a day after jurors were shown a video that revealed him confessing to murdering his wife on September 25, 2021. Bobian didn’t dispute that he stabbed 27-year-old Shanell Bobian, but does dispute that he acted with pre-meditation, stating so several times under cross examination from Deputy Riley County Attorney Trinity Muth. Despite a protection of abuse order filed a week prior, Kamahl testified to drinking at a house party on Ratone Street then…

The Geary County USD 475 School Board recently approved a site for a new $35 million dollar early childhood center. The board voted unanimously on Oct. 26 to build the center on the site of the former Junction City High School property. The 24-classroom facility could break ground before the end of the current school year. District officials will be meeting with a facilities committee soon to discuss a five year plan for the remaining parcels on the property, which includes the old turf football field and track. Board member Jason Butler says with such a large investment, the district…

A Westmoreland man is jailed in Riley County following an arrest on a Pottawatomie County District Court warrant this week. According to the Riley County Police Department, 23-year-old Shawn Samuelson was arrested while at the jail Tuesday on the warrant charging him with distribution of a controlled substance, causing death. He remains jailed on a $25,000 bond. As reported by KMAN, Samuelson was one of three individuals arrested in June in connection to the fentanyl-related death of an 18-year-old man at a Manhattan hotel in March. Others charged in that incident included Noah Baker, of Junction City and McKaine Farr,…