Author: Brandon Peoples

A Lecompton man has been bound over for trial for causing a fatal crash near Wamego last summer. An all-day preliminary hearing was held Thursday in Pottawatomie County District Court for 45-year-old Mark Stanwix. Judge Erich Campbell found there was sufficient evidence to bind Stanwix over on two counts of involuntary manslaughter, three counts of aggravated battery and a single count of interference with law enforcement, for destruction of evidence. Arraignment is tentatively scheduled for July 21, with a trial date to be determined. Stanwix was driving a semi truck that rear-ended a pickup last August, east of Wamego. The…

Two former Wamego High teachers were sentenced Thursday in Pottawatomie County District Court for their roles in an inappropriate relationship with a former student. Allen Sylvester was sentenced by Judge Jeff Elder to five years in prison. He’ll serve 31 months consecutively on both charges of unlawful sexual relations, with 24 months of post-release supervision on both counts. Allen’s wife, Deborah Sylvester, was sentenced to probation with an eight month underlying prison sentence on the charge of aggravated child endangerment and six months for failure to report as a mandatory reporter. Both sentences will run consecutively. Deborah was ordered to…

Kansas State University will announce details in the coming weeks on how it will replace outgoing Provost Chuck Taber, who on Tuesday announced his retirement after the fall 2023 semester. In a statement Wednesday in K-State Today, President Richard Linton thanked Taber for his leadership and announced that the university will begin the process of bringing together a search committee in the coming weeks to lead the search for a successor. The committee will likely be stood up in July, with interviews being conducted in the early part of the fall semester. Linton says the goal is to have a…

Riley County Police have released more details about the three people hurt in a Tuesday crash near the Public Works shops. Police say 48-year-old Rodney Dugan, of Leonardville stopped in the eastbound lanes of Tuttle Creek Blvd. when he came upon a vehicle on fire. As he stopped, a pickup driven by 51-year-old Jack Bowen, of Marysville, rear-ended his car. Passengers in Bowen’s truck, including 38-year-old Heidi Bowen and two minors were transported to Ascension Via Christi for treatment of various pain and non-life-threatening injuries. No other injuries were reported.

Kansas Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt has announced she’s been diagnosed with breast cancer and is undergoing treatment. The Topeka Republican, who began her second term in January released a statement Wednesday, saying she will continue work at the Kansas Insurance Department with support of her staff and says operations will not be interrupted. “As Insurance Commissioner and a pharmacist, I have often played a supporting role in many Kansans’ fight against cancer.  Now that I am on the other side, their stories, their determination and their strength are the foundation on which I face this fight. I am grateful for the incredible medical team…

4 p.m. update Tuesday The Manhattan Fire Department says fire investigators have determined used staining rags that ignited due to spontaneous combustion, were the cause of a garage fire at a Manhattan home early Tuesday morning. Two cats were rescued from the scene and provided oxygen by Riley County EMS on scene. Another cat died from smoke inhalation. The home’s occupant was able to exit the structure without injury. The estimated total loss was approximately $50,000. According to the fire department, there was heavy fire and smoke in the garage, but it did not extend into the living area of…

Three people were hospitalized Tuesday morning following a car fire and separate crash north of Manhattan. The Riley County Police Department says it happened shortly before 9:30 a.m. in the 6200 block of Tuttle Creek Blvd. near the Public Works Shops. The incident shut down both north and southbound lanes for close to 40 minutes. RCPD noted three were transported to Ascension Via Christi Hospital for further treatment. Names of those injured have not been released and further details are pending from RCPD.

Kansas State University Provost Chuck Taber is calling it a career. In a letter to the university community Tuesday, the provost and executive vice president said he will retire following the 2023 fall semester. Taber came to K-State in 2018, after spending 29 years at Stony Brook, where he served in a variety of roles, including as dean of the graduate school and vice provost for graduate and professional education. Taber says he is immensely proud of the accomplishments over the past five years and intends to spend more time with family and focusing on his music. Taber helped lead…

Junction City fire officials are asking residents to avoid the area of Spring Valley Road at the intersection of McFarland Road, due to a gas line that was struck Monday just before 1 p.m. Fire Chief Jason Lankas says Kansas Gas was notified and crews were said to be evacuating the 100, 200 and 300 block of Spring Valley, as well as three houses along Glenn Dean Road. Barricades were being placed in the area. The fire department is estimating about a four hour timeframe for repairs, meaning residents likely won’t be allowed to return until around 6 p.m. This…

Challenges in corrections are happening across the country. Locally, it’s prompting the Riley County Police Department to consider exploring a feasibility study to look at facilities, most notably its jail space, which has seen a spike in the average daily population in recent months. Director Brian Peete told Riley County Commissioners Thursday, it’s not uncommon to have 110-115 inmates per day at the jail. Peete estimates doing a feasibility study would cost between $20 to $30,000. The Riley County Jail has 147 beds, consisting of seven pods of holding cells, each classified for different levels of offenders. Moving inmates around can…