Author: Brandon Peoples

FRIDAY What: Kansas Cowboy Poetry Contest Championship Competition (free admission) When: 7 p.m. Where: Flint Hills Discovery Center Who: Finalists, Serious category: Betty Burlingham (Manhattan, KS), John Marks (Gypsum, KS), Mary Powell (Longton, KS), Colby Richard (Ellsworth, KS), Kasey Rieff (Sarcoxie, MO), Scott Wiswell (Valley Center, KS). Finalists, Humorous category: Betty Burlingham (Manhattan, KS), Russell Graves (Arkansas City, KS), John Marks (Gypsum, KS), Mary Powell (Longton, KS), Kasey Rieff (Sarcoxie, MO) and Scott Wiswell (Valley Center, KS) What: Arts in the Park (free admission) Who: Johnny Woods When: 8 p.m. Where: Larry Norvell Band Shell, Manhattan City Park Listen: www.johnnywoodsofficial.com…

An Abilene man jailed in Riley County is facing new charges of child sex crimes, stemming from his involvement with a minor online while incarcerated. Alvin Mason was arrested Thursday after officers found the 39-year-old abused his inmate privileges with a tablet, engaging in inappropriate acts with a 15-year-old girl online. Officers identified the crime while monitoring the device’s activity. Public Information Officer Aaron Wintermote noted late in the day Friday that the tablets in the Riley County Jail are an extension of the video kiosks, which are available to inmates for video visitation. They are facilitated through TurnKey Corrections.…

The Manhattan-Ogden School Board held a conversation Wednesday about the role of school resource officers (SRO’s) and the potential for adding officers at each of the two middle schools. Riley County Police Department officials including Director Brian Peete, Captain Greg Steere and resource officer Sonia Gregoire, joined in the conversation. Director Peete noted one of the most important jobs SROs have is building relationships in the schools. RCPD currently employs two resource officers, both at Manhattan High School. Board members have expressed interest in two more officers to be placed at Anthony and Eisenhower Middle Schools. Director Peete says the…

Two people were injured Tuesday following a wrong-way crash on the northbound off-ramp of North Seth Child Road and Anderson Ave. According to the Riley County Police Department, the crash occurred shortly after 9 a.m. when an SUV drove north on the offramp and was clipped by a pickup, driven by 74-year-old Vernon Vandahl, of Manhattan, going the wrong direction. The SUV went off the roadway and into a nearby ditch. The driver of the SUV, 47-year-old Kim Nguyen, and 23-year-old passenger Jenni Ngo, both of Manhattan, were transported to Via Christi for treatment of minor injuries. Vandahl had no…

The Manhattan-Ogden School Board will hold its regular meeting at the Robinson Education Center this evening. Among the new business items being considered is a proposal to add girls wrestling at Anthony and Eisenhower Middle Schools for the upcoming school year. All seven schools in the Centennial Middle School League are making similar proposals for a girls’ only wrestling season next year, which would take place from January to February. The board will also consider final approval in principle of a memorandum of understanding between the district and nonprofit organization Common Table, for use of space in the former 9th…

Training exercises are being conducted this week by members of Riley County Fire District No. 1. County officials say the exercises are planned during the evening Wednesday and Thursday at the former Crestview Church, at 4761 Tuttle Creek Blvd., north of Manhattan. Training will take place between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. Patrons can expect to see fire apparatuses, vehicles, equipment and personnel, but will include no live fire or flames. Icon Structures and Anderson Knight Architects agreed to partner with Riley County to allow exercises before a planned demolition of the building. Training exercises will include fire attack methods,…

Pottawatomie County is collecting names of honorably discharged veterans living in the county as well as those who previously have maintained residency in the county. County Administrator Chad Kinsley says the goal is to add names to the current monument, at the southeast corner of the Old Courthouse building in Westmoreland, from anyone serving in the military after December 31, 1946. Proceeds will help pay for upkeep of the memorial. The county also has some limited remaining 4-inch brass medallions from 1992, available for $25. Anyone interested can reach out to Kinsley at 785-457-3455, or email pio@pottcounty.org to request a veteran’s…

U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran spoke Tuesday at a ceremony in Normandy, France, commemorating the 79th anniversary of D-Day and the Battle of Normandy in World War II. The senior Senator from Kansas joined General Mark Milley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and others who spoke about the sacrifice so many gave on D-Day. Milley called on today’s generation to carry on the legacy of remembering the fallen. Nearly 9,400 American soldiers are buried in Normandy. The Wall of Missing lists another 1,557 who were never accounted for.

The Kansas Department of Transportation is slated to begin construction on U.S. 24 this week, along a 4-mile stretch from K-177/Fort Riley Blvd. to just east of Excel Road. Alternating lane closures will occur while shoulder widening, mill and overlay work and pavement marking is completed on both directions of U.S. 24. The active work zone will include a 10-foot width restriction and a reduced speed limit of 40 mph. KDOT says work is scheduled overnight from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., Monday through Saturday. All lanes of U.S. 24 will be open during daytime hours. However, the City of…

The 600 block of Poyntz Ave. has been reopened to through traffic, including the Juliette Ave intersection, which is temporarily functioning as a 2-way stop. City officials say traffic on Poyntz has the right-of-way, with left turns onto Juliette occurring in a yield condition as gaps in the opposing lanes of traffic allow. All traffic on Juliette must come to a full stop at Poyntz and proceed only when there is no cross traffic. Drivers must use caution, as Poyntz traffic will not stop. The temporary 2-way stop condition will remain in place until at least late July, when traffic signal…