Author: Brandon Peoples

Patrons may soon be able to roam around downtown Manhattan with drinks in hand. City commissioners on Tuesday directed city staffers to explore the creation of a common consumption area daily from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m., that would include most areas around Poyntz Avenue and Houston Street businesses from 3rd to 5th Street. Gina Snyder, executive director of Downtown Manhattan, Inc., called it a major step forward for the business district. To view the full article visit theMercury.com. Click here for more local news.

A Manhattan woman is jailed in Riley County, accused of battery of a law enforcement officer and other charges. According to the Riley County Police Department, 33-year-old Tanasha Dupree was arrested just before 8 p.m. Monday in the 1300 block of Yuma Street. Officers charged her with battery, aggravated battery, aggravated assault, interference and flee or attempt to elude. Dupree remains jailed on a $54,000 bond. Click here for more local news.

A bill seeking to exempt Kansans from switching clocks ahead in the spring and back in the fall has advanced through the Kansas Senate. KMAN’s Brandon Peoples has more… To view the full article visit theMercury.com. Click here for more local news.

For the first time in years, CiCo Park won’t be hopping with ballgames this spring and summer, as the park undergoes a major renovation. The project is one of the final pieces of the 2017 voter approved quality of life sales tax initiative that also saw the construction of recreation centers at Anthony and Eisenhower Middle Schools, in addition to $3 million in trail improvements. Construction began in December with removal of the ball fields and tennis courts. Aaron Stewart, director of Manhattan Parks & Recreation, said he too got emotional when the iconic colorful scorers boxes came down. To…

Editor’s note: A correction has been made in reference to Heather Bliss’ employer. She is a professor at the University of Kansas, not Kansas State University. The director of Riley County TK Fights Fentanyl is hoping to draw more attention to the fentanyl crisis. Heather Bliss, a professor at the University of Kansas, spoke during public comment at Tuesday’s Manhattan city commission meeting. “Between January 2023 and June 2023 there were eight deaths related to fentanyl poisoning in Manhattan alone, over 50 people were arrested in a drug ring that contained fentanyl for those people who died,” she said. To…

City commissioners on Tuesday unanimously approved a resolution for a proposed island annexation of an approximate 1-acre property, east of Manhattan Regional Airport. The property at 5111 Murray Road is owned by Charles and Julie Brunner. They requested to use an existing shed on the property to store commercial items for their carpet cleansing business. The applicants could also pursue rezoning of the property at a future date. To view the full article visit theMercury.com. Click here for more local news.

Larger aircraft are coming to Manhattan Regional Airport. Starting in April, American Airlines will use the larger, 65-seat ERJ-170 aircraft for daily flights to and from Chicago. To view the full article visit theMercury.com. Click here for more local news.

Authorities are searching for a suspect who fled a traffic stop Monday night in rural Geary County. According to the Geary County Sheriff’s Office, deputies attempted to make a traffic stop on a dirt bike shortly before 10 p.m. on K-57 north of Junction City. The driver fled northbound, and crashed the bike near the K-244 spur. Authorities say the driver, who was wearing a black leather jacket, blue jeans and an all black-full-face helmet, ran into the tree line to the east. Deputies searched the area but were unable to locate the suspect. The blue and black dirt bike,…

Franchisee Greg Shelton, CEO of MJC Huts, said construction is expected to begin before the end of March. The new building will be constructed in the parking lot, just east of the current Pizza Hut store, to allow the business to remain open during construction. “It’s going to be a free-standing DELCO, which means delivering carry out only,” he said. “It’ll have no dine in. It’ll be pretty much a mirror image of what we built in 2020 out on Kimball.” Shelton said the dining room concept still works well for Pizza Hut in smaller markets, while the deliver/carryout concept…

A St. George man is jailed in Riley County, accused of rape and kidnapping. Riley County Police arrested 30-year-old Ricky Dunklin on Friday on a warrant charging him with single counts of rape and aggravated charges of criminal sodomy, kidnapping and domestic battery as well as failure to appear. Bond was set at $125,000. An online criminal complaint filed in January alleges Dunklin committed the crimes in April 2021. Court records show Dunklin made his first court appearance on Monday and is scheduled for a 1 p.m. preliminary hearing on April 8. Click here for more local news.