Author: Brandon Peoples

Pottawatomie County Appraiser Robin Knoblauch provided an update to county officials Monday, regarding the office’s work with taxpayers questioning or wanting to appeal their 2023 value notices. As of Monday, her office had 46 scheduled appeals. She says the major class of increase was residential, which according to the county wide index average was up 14.6%. Most small towns in Pottawatomie County also showed an index value much higher, by up to 6% or more. Knoblauch says in speaking with other county appraisers across the region, the average valuation increases in northeast Kansas have been approximately 15%. She calls it…

Firefighters had a busy afternoon Monday as a grass fire, fueled by strong winds, low humidity and warm temperatures, scorched around 300 acres in southeastern Riley County. The blaze was fully contained as of 6 p.m. Riley County Fire District No. 1 had been dispatched initially for a fire in the median of Hwy 177, near Deep Creek Road. Due to the speed and intensity of the fire, mutual assistance was called in from Kansas Forest Service, Geary County Rural Fire Department Explorer Post and Wabaunsee County Fire District No. 8. Contracted air support from Heinen Brothers Ag Services was…

Philanthropy and community service was recognized at the 10th annual Community Foundation Awards Monday. In addition to the awards, the meeting also serves as a transitional meeting from one Board of Trustees Chair to another. Jackie Hartman Borck handed those duties over to Kim McAtee. A dozen awards were handed out at the ceremony. The Young Trustee Volunteer Award went to Jamie Coons, who helped start the annual Young Trustees Chili Cookoff several years ago, and reflected on first coming to the area. The Philanthropist Award went to Robert and Tracey Debruyn, founders of the Master Teacher, who are also…

Fort Riley officials say one person was shot following an incident early Monday morning at the Trooper Gate, located on the southwest side of the installation. According to an initial report, a suspect drove through the gate just before 7 a.m. and was stopped by the automatic vehicle barrier and then exited their vehicle. Fort Riley Military Police say that’s when the situation escalated, ultimately leading to the suspect being shot by the guards. The driver is receiving medical attention for non-life-threatening injuries. Army CID and the Fort Riley Military Police are investigating. No further information has been released.

The Riley County Board of County Commissioners are planning to host quarterly meetings this year outside of Manhattan. Meetings will be held at 6 p.m. in the smaller cities within the county. Commission Chair Kathryn Focke says it’s important to make local government accessible to everyone and says she’s hoping to send the message that “commissioners are here to serve rural residents too.” The first of four meetings will take place March 30 at Riley City Hall. The next will be held June 29 at the Leonardville Community Building. The third quarter meeting will be Aug. 31 at the Randolph…

The Red Cross is encouraging residents to roll up their sleeves this week. The Manhattan Community Blood Drive will take place Monday and Tuesday at Pottorf Hall in CiCo Park. Red Cross Kansas District spokesperson Kristi Ingalls explains there are some added bonused if you come out to donate blood. She also recommends using the Red Cross Blood Donor App to schedule your appointment. Ingalls says the Red Cross is always aiming to keep the shelves stocked so blood is always readily available to patients who need it. Appointments can also be scheduled at redcrossblood.org. The drive runs from noon…

Plans are on hold for the Midtown Aggieville development after one of the project’s investors pulled funding. The Manhattan Mercury reported the pause Friday after Back 9 Development President TJ Vilkanskas said an unnamed investor was not making its deposited funds for the $53.9 million project, despite a prior verbal agreement. The amount invested reportedly amounted to half of the capital raised. Vilkanskas says the investor cited the final announcement of the K-State Foundation’s third office building as a main concern, as well as macro-economic factors such as the ongoing banking crisis unfolding. All land, labor and materials have been…

After the owner of Royal Towers failed to meet a March 16 deadline to correct walkways and stairwells spelled out in a previous Notice of Condemnation letter, the Manhattan Fire Department says the building will be placarded and a notice to vacate will be provided. According to the Department’s Office of Risk Reduction, a structural engineer is evaluating the walkways and determining a safe way for occupants to move furniture and heavy belongings out of the building, with plans expected to be made available by March 24. Once received, that plan will be communicated to management and residents who must…

Authorities say a teenage girl riding a bicycle was injured Thursday afternoon crossing Bluemont Ave. near the intersection of Manhattan Ave. According to the Riley County Police Department, a vehicle was headed eastbound through a green light as a 13-year-old girl rode through the intersection southbound and struck the side of the vehicle. Emergency personnel were dispatched to the scene shortly before 1 p.m. The child sustained currently undetermined injuries and was transported to Ascension Via Christi. Her condition is unknown at this time. Further details are pending a completed RCPD investigation.

11 a.m. Thursday update Riley County officials say a powerline that was struck by a fallen tree limb sparked a grass fire Wednesday in a rural area northwest of Manhattan. The fire scorched an estimated 400 acres in a wooded area near Keats along Hidden Valley Road. More than two dozen firefighters from Riley County Fire District No. 1, the Manhattan Fire Department and Fort Riley Fire spent more than four hours bringing the fire under control. One residence had to be temporarily evacuated for safety, but county officials say no structures or livestock were lost. No injuries were reported.…