Author: Brandon Peoples

The Manhattan Fire Department responded to a fire this (THU) morning at a south Manhattan duplex. Firefighters were dispatched just after 10 a.m. to 1006 Pottawatomie Court, containing the fire within 10 minutes. The occupant was not home at the time. A cat was rescued from the home and treated by firefighters and Riley County EMS. Total loss is estimated at $35,000 to the structure and contents. The property is owned by Manhattan Housing Authority. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

After years of collaboration between the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate, a ribbon cutting and dedication ceremony was held Wednesday at the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility. The ceremony lasted close to two hours on the west lawn of the facility and included a panel conversation moderated by Dr. Simon Liu, USDA ARS Administrator. The panel included USDA MRP Under Secretary Jenny Lester Moffitt, USDA REE Under Secretary Dr. Chavonda Jacobs-Young and DHS S&T Office of Innovation and Collaboration Executive Director Julie Brewer. The $1.25 billion laboratory is the first with biosafety…

Manhattan City Commissioners on Tuesday were presented a six-year review of street maintenance and Safe Routes to Schools projects. Public Works Director Rob Ott says the city has a current Pavement Condition Index (PCI) of about 70, meaning most of the city’s paved arterials are at a fair to satisfactory level. But questions remain over whether the current two-tenths percent sales tax is generating enough funds to help the city address a $57 million backlog of future projects, and the tax scheduled to sunset in 2026. City Manager Ron Fehr says commissioners need to start thinking about renewal or potentially seeking voter…

Pottawatomie County Treasurer Lisa Wright informed commissioners Monday of a clerical error, made by the County Clerk’s office, involving two local townships. Wright says a member of one of the two impacted township boards informed her office recently that the money being distributed to them from the county was going into the wrong funds. “We saw that the levies had been flopped and one of them had miscalculated values,” she said. Wright says Assistant County Administrator Heather Gladbach has reached out to the State of Kansas about a potential fix, but estimates it will likely not get corrected for another…

Work toward a new Riley County Comprehensive Plan is moving along. During Monday’s commission meeting, Planning Director Amanda Webb noted she had planned on having a committee together to work through a plan by late May or early June. However, she says delays, such as not having a readily-available consultant just yet to not having a survey completed, have caused that deadline to be pushed back. “So looking at probably July at this point. I have reached out to the folks who have expressed interest. I want to keep them aware and to have them please let me know if that…

Kansas State University has announced that Brad Behnke will serve as interim dean in the College of Health and Human Sciences, effective July 1. Behnke, a professor and associate dean of research and graduate studies, was appointed following an internal search, replacing Craig Harms, who is stepping down after serving in the interim role since July 2021. A national search will be conducted to fill the deanship. As interim dean, Behnke will serve as chief academic and administrative officer of the college. The Cherokee Nation citizen is an award-winning researcher, recognized with many university and professional honors, including the 2021…

A third candidate has officially filed for the Manhattan City Commission election this fall. Peter Oppelt announced his candidacy Friday. The 35-year-old received his bachelor’s degree in Economics from Kansas State University, after serving eight years in the U.S. Army. In an emailed statement to KMAN, Oppelt says he’s running because he thinks he can bring a newer perspective to the commission, saying Manhattan is primed for growth, and he wants to ensure that the commission plans responsibly for that growth. As a parent, Oppelt says he also wants to ensure that the programs families depend on like parks and…

The Oz Museum and Columbian Theatre Foundation recently was awarded a $17,600 Attraction Development Grant from Kansas Tourism and the Department of Commerce.  The Wamego-based foundation was one of 10 entities statewide to receive over $400,000 in funding to develop new tourism attractions or enhance existing sites. Kansas Tourism Director Bridgette Jobe explains what made the Oz Museum an attractive candidate for this funding… “Number one, this museum is just a gem for Kansas. We liked the idea of making things more interactive. We know that’s what museum-goers want to see,” she said. Oz Museum and Columbian Theatre Executive Director…

The Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce has announced Marcia Rozell will lead the Convention and Visitors Bureau. The long-time CVB employee, who most recently worked as sports and leisure sales manager has been promoted to director of Visit Manhattan, the Chamber’s travel and tourism division. Visit Manhattan is funded through transient guest taxes through a contract with the City of Manhattan. Rozell replaces Karen Hibbard, who retired in February after leading the agency for more than two decades. Rozell’s name emerged after a nationwide search, which launched in January. “I felt comfortable that Marcia is the right person,” said Jason…

A recommendation last month by the Pottawatomie County Planning Commission to impose a one year moratorium on new rezonings and preliminary plats in Blue Township is coming back to that board for reconsideration. The Board of County Commissioners unanimously approved sending that recommendation back. Commissioner Greg Riat noted a desire to provide the planning commission with an overview of infrastructure capacity related to underground utilities like water and sewer. A majority of planning commissioners favored the moratorium because they don’t believe the county is keeping up with infrastructure needs in Blue Township, approving new developments before developing the right roads,…