Author: Brandon Peoples

With the deadline for the 2023 farm bill fast approaching, the message from commodity groups to Congress continues to be for expansion of the ag safety net. The Kansas Wheat Innovation Center hosted a roundtable that included Kansas U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall, Arkansas U.S. Sen. John Boozman and members from 17 different organizations, sharing concerns for what they hope gets into the massive spending bill, which comes before Congress every five years. “What we’re trying to do is get out and about the country to hear different perspectives as to how we need to re-work the farm bill. We do…

Kansas State University has been named a “Best Value College for 2023,” by the Princeton Review. The publication noted K-State is among 209 top colleges and universities for academics, career readiness and affordability. Among the seven categories of ranking lists, K-State is No. 2 for best alumni networks, No. 2 for internships and No. 10 for making an impact. The full report from K-State Marketing & Communications is available here. In a statement, K-State Provost Charles Taber said the ranking show the university’s “approach to preparing students for professional careers is valuable and valued.” The Princeton Review’s list is based…

The second annual Run for the Roses is taking place Saturday, a 5K run and 1K walk to help raise funds for the Kansas State University Gardens. That’s race organizer Terry Olson. Proceeds from Saturday’s event help Friends of the K-State Gardens perform annual maintenance and purchase new displays for the garden, as noted by Scott McElwain, Director of the gardens. Olson says last year’s event raised $28,000. Run for the Roses begins at 9 a.m. Saturday and will feature celebrity runners and walkers, including K-State President Richard Linton and wife Sally, former K-State Coach Bill Snyder, retiring K-State Alumni Association…

Manhattan City Commissioner Usha Reddi says she’ll resign from the commission next week. In an email to KMAN Thursday, the veteran commissioner said she has informed City Manager Ron Fehr that Tuesday, May 2 will be her final meeting. Her decision comes following her appointment to the State Senate in January to serve the remainder of former Sen. Tom Hawk’s term. Reddi has been a member of the Manhattan City Commission for 10 years, having been elected in 2013, 2017 and 2021. The city commission passed a resolution earlier this year that allows voters to elect four commissioners rather than…

Manhattan Mayor Mark Hatesohl will seek another term on the Manhattan City Commission. Hatesohl is currently in his third term, having previously served also from 2003 to 2009, before being elected again in 2019. He becomes the first city commission candidate to file for the 2023 election cycle.  In a statement, Hatesohl says “these times call for strong leadership and problem-solving capabilities in our community,” asserting himself as a “champion for creating an environment conducive to business success.” His priorities will be continued economic growth, community revitalization and fiscal responsibility. Hatesohl is the owner of Chiropractic Family Health Center in…

A Kansas State University senior from Pottawatomie County is a recipient of a Fulbright grant from the Fulbright U.S. Student Program. Tess Fairbanks, of Onaga, will be placed at a teacher training college in Argentina as an English teaching assistant through the Fulbright program. Fairbanks is a senior in secondary education and Spanish. Fulbright grant recipients receive round-trip transportation, tuition when applicable and a monthly living stipend for one academic year abroad. According to a release from K-State, Fairbanks has also been involved in the K-State Honors Program, the Iota Xi chapter of the Kappa Delta Pi International Honor Society,…

Manhattan Area Technical College will host its Open House Thursday. The ESL program will be presenting “Around the World with ESL” as an opportunity for the public to learn about the cultures and traditions of international students at MATC. Countries represented will include Mexico, Brazil, Mongolia, Afghanistan, Ethiopia and more. It will include chances to see traditional clothing, sampling of authentic food and drinks and participation in cultural games and activities. Presentations will take place in the lobby of Building 307 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

The Manhattan Urban Area Planning Commission earlier this month green lit a plan for a new Culver’s restaurant. The restaurant will be constructed in a vacant lot at the northwest corner of the intersection of McCall Road and McCullough Place, directly west of K-State Credit Union and just in front of Menards. The Planning Commission on April 13 unanimously approved a planned unit development amendment of the McCall Landing Commercial PUD. A timeline for construction hasn’t been shared. Culver’s was founded in Wisconsin in 1984 and has close to 900 locations in 26 states, mainly in the Midwest. The restaurant…

Authorities are investigating more vandalism at Anneberg Park. The Riley County Police Department noted in its Tuesday activity report that a criminal damage to property report was filed Monday morning after an unknown suspect damaged a shed, an old baseball score sign and several bulk bags of sand. The estimated total loss associated is around $3,000. The incident comes a week after RCPD filed a criminal damage report at Anneberg Park after a suspect damaged and destroyed dispensers, trash cans, a mirror and a sink in a women’s bathroom at the park. Anyone with information is urged to call Crime…

Riley County volunteer firefighters responded to several out-of-control fires this past weekend, though county officials noted greener vegetation and recent rains helped firefighters extinguish them quickly and prevent further spread. Among the weekend fires, one utility task vehicle was destroyed in a seven-acre burn north of Manhattan, and another, un-permitted burn resulted in a citation for another property owner. Riley County Fire District No. 1 also responded to a mutual aid call from Wabaunsee County, assisting with a fire that spread to corn stubble, but was quickly extinguished. “The primary reason fires get out of control is that individuals do…