Author: Brandon Peoples

A Manhattan man is jailed following an incident early Sunday morning in the Northview area. According to the Riley County Police Department, 36-year-old Aaron Finch was arrested around 3 a.m. on two counts of aggravated assault. Finch is accused of pulling a knife on two men at the Short Stop convenience store, in the 2000 block of Tuttle Creek Blvd. Further details were not immediately available Finch remains jailed on a bond of $20,000.

A Manhattan man died in a crash Friday afternoon in Washington County According to the Kansas Highway Patrol, 39-year-old Nicholas Bennett was westbound on K148 near Hanover, just after noon, when his Chevy Silverado went off the roadway and overturned. Authorities say it’s unclear what caused Bennett to lose control of the vehicle. The crash report states Bennett was not wearing a seat belt. He was pronounced dead on scene.

Manhattan resident Curt Herrman has been collecting Kansas City Chiefs memorabilia since 1970. In recent years, his home collection of close to 1,500 unique items tied to the defending Super Bowl champions, has even found a place in the Guinness Book of World Records. Herrman fulfilled another dream of his Friday, as members of the Chiefs Ambassadors formally recognized his Chiefseum. “I’m thrilled to have the Chiefs Ambassadors come to recognize this. They’re such a great group too. They’re former players. Over the years they’ve raised millions of dollars for kids programs and for people in need. I hope someday…

Firefighters were called to Meadowlark Hills Thursday evening in response to a small fire. The Manhattan Fire Department says crews were called out, just after 9 p.m. to a residence in the Lyle House, where a small fire  was quickly extinguished. Crews then ventilated the building to remove all smoke. Nursing staff evacuated residents prior to firefighters arriving on scene, with Riley County EMS treating a staff member and evaluating a resident for smoke inhalation. The cause of the fire was listed as accidental, due to a blanked being placed over a lamp. Damage was estimated at around $7,000, to the structure…

Riley County Police have been seeing more thefts of catalytic converters in the past week. Officers filed a report for theft Wednesday in the 1500 block of Yuma Street. A 48-year-old man told police that thieves cut off catalytic converters from two of his vans. The estimated total loss is around $5,400. Similarly on Tuesday, officers took a report in the 600 block of Pottawatomie Ave. after BHS Construction reported two of its trucks were also victimized. The estimated loss was unknown at the time of the police report. Officers did arrest two individuals in connection to the Monday theft…

Oppressive heat continues to bear down on the region. Riley County officials said Wednesday that EMS has responded to six calls for heat-related emergencies so far during the heatwave, dating back to last Friday. The data represents 911 calls received from 12:01 a.m. Friday through 11 a.m. Wednesday. An Excessive Heat Warning remains in place through Friday evening with some reprieve expected over the weekend. Riley County officials continue to remind residents to watch for warning signs of heat stroke, heat exhaustion and dehydration. Cooling locations in Riley County are as follows:

Kansas legislative leaders are touring the state looking for momentum on a tax bill proposal that was unable to get through a veto by Gov. Laura Kelly this spring. The proposal would have implemented a 5.15% income tax rate for all Kansans, decreasing revenue by an estimated $330 million annually. House Speaker Dan Hawkins explains why he feels the proposal still merits consideration in the 2024 session. “Single rate tax really gives us the ability to ratchet down income tax when times are good. If we could get that single rate tax in, then if the economy stays good, people…

The new process eliminates the need for physical parking permits like hangtags or stickers. Virtual registration of user license plates serves as their permit, granting access to K-State parking lots and the garage. The university says motorcycle permits remain physical, with no changes. Parking Services has removed the gates and added speed bumps to slow traffic in the garage. Drivers wishing to park in the garage and pay hourly can do so using the ParkMobile App or pay at a pay station. Hourly payment now occurs upon arrival rather than at the exit with the option to add time on…

Riley County Police are searching for a man who reportedly exposed himself inside Walmart. Officers filed a report for lewd and lascivious behavior just before 4:30 p.m. Tuesday after employees reported the unknown suspect was flashing people. Police are asking anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers. Doing so could qualify you for a cash reward of up to $1,000.

Manhattan-Ogden USD 383 and Manhattan Area Technical College entered the new school year without a negotiated agreement for concurrent and automotive technology education offerings at Manhattan High School. The memorandum of understanding traditionally spells out how much MATC is required to reimburse to the school district, which provides the faculty for general education and Excel in CTE courses. Superintendent Eric Reid informed the school board last Wednesday that MATC has proposed a new agreement this year, significantly reducing the amount of funding coming back to Manhattan High School. “Number one, I don’t know if teachers would teach the classes with…