Author: Brandon Peoples

Riley County Commissioners will take their bi-weekly board meeting on the road Thursday evening, meeting with constituents in Riley. The meeting begins at 6 p.m. at Riley City Hall. Commissioners will offer an opportunity for public comment at the beginning and will receive an update from Riley City Mayor Darci Pottroff. An administrative work session is planned with County Counselor Clancy Holeman. The board will also hear updates from RCPD Director Brian Peete, Emergency Management Director Russel Stukey and Public Information Officer Vivienne Leyva. Stukey’s update will include ongoing efforts to recruit firefighters and storm spotters. Thursday’s meeting is the…

A Manhattan man was arrested Tuesday on a warrant for a past burglary and theft in the 1000 block of North Juliette. According to RCPD, 24-year-old Jon Marte was initially arrested June 4 after reportedly kicking in the door of an occupied apartment unit while the residents were home. Marte is accused of stealing multiple items including a camera, a tablet, an iPhone, an Xbox controller and cash in addition to other miscellaneous items. As of Wednesday Marte remained jailed on a $15,000 bond.

A bill to raise the legal age to buy tobacco products in Kansas has passed the Senate and is headed for Gov. Laura Kelly’s desk. Senators on Tuesday approved House Bill 2269 on a 28 to 11 vote. The bill passed the House 68-53 earlier this month.  The bill would bring Kansas into compliance with federal law, making it illegal for retailers to sell tobacco products including cigarettes and e-cigarettes to anyone under the age of 21. Currently the minimum age to purchase those products is 18 in Kansas. The Kansas Department of Revenue has projected that raising the legal…

Family of a 24-year-old Florida man stationed at Fort Riley thought to be missing say they’re desperate for answers. Roberto Junior Familia is an inactive U.S. Army soldier based in Junction City, with family in Florida and New York. His cousins shared in an email they last had phone correspondence with him March 19 and says a message he sent showed possible signs of distress that caused them alarm. They he say he suffers from PTSD and they have tried to file a missing person report with JCPD, which must be done in person. Efforts to locate Familia so far…

The suspect in a fatal February 2022 shooting in Aggieville noted in Riley County District Court Monday he intends to plead not guilty to all seven counts listed in the criminal complaint. Tremelle Montgomery, of Fort Riley, is charged with first-degree murder in the death of fellow soldier Joshua Wardi. He also faces three counts of attempted first-degree murder and three counts of aggravated assault against Donovan Bastien, Jared Musgrave and Tyrece White. The case will likely be scheduled for trial this fall, though a date wasn’t determined Monday, due to scheduling conflicts between the state and defense in September…

An RCPD investigation into a threat made over the weekend against Manhattan Catholic Schools was determined to be not legitimate. The department said in a social media post Monday, that the threat made by email, came from someone in New York. RCPD doesn’t believe the email is valid or that it’s intent was directed at Manhattan Catholic Schools. Out of caution, the department noted it was beefing up patrol units Monday during school hours.

A Manhattan woman was seriously injured Friday afternoon in a 3-vehicle crash on Interstate 29 in St. Joseph, Missouri. According to the Missouri State Patrol crash report, 29-year-old Marissa Lord was a passenger in a car that struck an SUV that had slowed as it was approaching a construction zone at around 3:30 p.m. The impact pushed the SUV into the rear of a third vehicle. Authorities say Lord and a 68-year-old female passenger in the SUV from Atchison County, were transported to a nearby hospital. Lord was not wearing a seat belt according to the crash report and sustained…

A Manhattan man will spend over 10 years in prison for his role in the murder of his former girlfriend’s infant son. Gage Anderson was sentenced Friday in Riley County District Court on charges of 2nd degree murder and aggravated child endangerment in the December 2020 death of 2-year-old Cyrus Gray. Judge Kendra Lewison sentenced Anderson to 117 months on the 2nd degree murder charge and to six months on the aggravated child endangerment charge. The sentences will run consecutively for a total of 123 months. Anderson was initially arrested on charges of first-degree murder and child abuse, but entered…

Riley County commissioners agreed on Thursday on a plan to move forward with a task force to study potential relocation of the Riley County Fairgrounds and will send letters to 10 organizations to garner interest. Commissioners spent time Thursday discussing the makeup of the task force. John Ford noted he believes it should be entirely citizen driven. Agenda materials noted 15 potential nominees for the board, including former commissioners, members of the fair and extension boards, as well as Manhattan, USD 383 and K-State College of Agriculture representatives among others. Commission Chair Kathryn Focke says the goal is for the…

Next week is the City of Manhattan’s annual Spring Cleanup Week, where city crews will collect any yard waste, tree limbs and branches at no cost to residents. Manhattan City Manager Ron Fehr says collections begin Monday. Residents are advised to create separate piles for limbs and branches on the ground next to the curb for easy pick up by a person or skid loader. Limbs or branches shouldn’t be placed too far back in the yard, making them difficult for the loader to reach from the street. The City says branches should be stacked loosely and residents should avoid…