Author: Brandon Peoples

A Manhattan man was arrested Wednesday on a warrant alleging two counts of probation violation. The charges against Curtis Simms, stem from original arrests in January 2022 for interference with law enforcement and domestic battery and battery charges, as well as violation of a protection order. Simms remains jailed on a $100,000 total bond.

A Texas man was arrested Wednesday on a Riley County District Court warrant for a past motor vehicle burglary and other crimes. The Riley County Police Department says 23-year-old Augustus Sherman Jr is charged in a 2022 incident, alleging he stole a vehicle and money from an ATM in Manhattan. He faces two counts of theft and two counts of criminal damage to property, in addition to a charge of burglarizing a motor vehicle. Sherman remains jailed on a $12,000 bond.

The Kansas Department of Transportation is planning a mill and overlay project next week, that will impact portions of northern Riley County. Approximately 12 miles of U.S. 77 will be resurfaced, beginning Monday at the southern K-82 junction and ending at U.S. 24 near Riley. Officials say once that’s completed, KDOT’s contractor will start work on approximately 12 miles of U.S. 24, from the Clay County line to the U.S. 77 junction near Riley. KDOT says work will take place during daylight hours Monday through Friday and on Saturdays as needed. Traffic will be reduced to one lane when crews…

City officials say American Airlines will resume flights Monday morning at Manhattan Regional Airport. The first return flight will arrive at approximately 11:45 a.m. where it will be greeted with a water-cannon salute from Manhattan Fire Department Station 4 apparatus as it pulls into the jet bridge at the terminal. The ceremony will mark the end of a multimillion dollar runway reconstruction project that has kept the airport shutdown since mid-May. Deputy Manhattan City Manager Jason Hilgers spoke about the airport project on KMAN’s In Focus Tuesday. Hilgers says despite the project being delayed by almost a month, he’s been…

A Missouri woman was injured Wednesday morning after authorities say she fell asleep at the wheel on Interstate 70 in Geary County. The Kansas Highway Patrol says a Chevy Silverado, driven by 74-year-old Sandra Colyer of Lee’s Summit, Missouri, went off the road just after 8 a.m. in the westbound lanes near milepost 294, and drifted into the north ditch. The vehicle overturned but officials say Colyer’s injuries were only minor. She was transported to Stormont Vail Hospital. Later in the day, in a separate incident, Geary County Emergency crews battled a semi truck fire that spread to about an…

The City of Manhattan will contract out services at the T. Russell Reitz Animal Shelter. City commissioners on Tuesday unanimously approved an agreement with Prairie Paws, a nonprofit organization out of Ottawa to manage the shelter. Mayor Mark Hatesohl says the move should give the city a better understanding of how much it’s spending on services. The city began discussions in January to explore avenues to outsource shelter services, without requiring additional tax dollars. Deputy City Manager Jason Hilgers noted on Tuesday’s edition of In Focus that the city has struggled with turnover at the shelter for several years. Commissioner…

Big changes are coming for the Manhattan Area Resettlement Team. The nonprofit organization, founded in late 2021, as a local effort to resettle some 200 Afghan refugees into the community, has shifted its focus to help receive refugees from any country. This past spring, the organization rebranded from the Manhattan Afghan Resettlement Team, to the Manhattan Area Resettlement Team, to broaden its scope and serve a wider range of individuals in need or resettlement assistance. MART President Susan Adamchak says the goal is fully integrating these individuals into the community. Idrees Khalil, a client of MART, was one of the…

For the second time in a matter of weeks, Riley County officials have closed the Fairmont Park Dog Park, due to possible canine parvovirus contamination. Both large and small dog enclosures will remain closed until at least Monday out of an abundance of caution, after a dog that visited the park, recently tested positive for the highly contagious viral infection. The virus affects particularly puppies and other unvaccinated dogs and is known to spread through direct contact with an infected dog, as well as through contact with contaminated surfaces or objects. Pet owners are strongly encouraged to keep their dogs…

A report for theft was filed Monday morning at The Fridge Wholesale Liquor in Manhattan. According to the Riley County Police Department, four suspects — a man and three women — stole approximately $650 worth of alcohol from the store. Surveillance video, shared on The Fridge’s Facebook page, shows the suspects shoving bottles into handbags. The male suspect, who was wearing a red hoodie, can be seen attempting to hide a bottle of what appears to be tequila, down the front of his pants, before putting it back on the shelf because his pants weren’t big enough to hide the…

The Manhattan City Commission will look to pass a finalized 2024 budget when it meets Tuesday. The consent agenda includes an ordinance for commissioners to adopt the budget with the scaled back mill levy of 49.000, as directed by a majority of commissioners two weeks ago from the previously proposed 50.470 mill levy. To accomplish this, city staff new proposal reduces over $347,000 in the city’s employee benefit fund and over $673,000 in the city’s bond & interest fund. According to agenda materials, the new proposal from the city reduces the property tax value to $10.5 million, down from last…