Author: Brandon Peoples

Manhattan Mayor Mark Hatesohl will seek another term on the Manhattan City Commission. Hatesohl is currently in his third term, having previously served also from 2003 to 2009, before being elected again in 2019. He becomes the first city commission candidate to file for the 2023 election cycle.  In a statement, Hatesohl says “these times call for strong leadership and problem-solving capabilities in our community,” asserting himself as a “champion for creating an environment conducive to business success.” His priorities will be continued economic growth, community revitalization and fiscal responsibility. Hatesohl is the owner of Chiropractic Family Health Center in…

A Kansas State University senior from Pottawatomie County is a recipient of a Fulbright grant from the Fulbright U.S. Student Program. Tess Fairbanks, of Onaga, will be placed at a teacher training college in Argentina as an English teaching assistant through the Fulbright program. Fairbanks is a senior in secondary education and Spanish. Fulbright grant recipients receive round-trip transportation, tuition when applicable and a monthly living stipend for one academic year abroad. According to a release from K-State, Fairbanks has also been involved in the K-State Honors Program, the Iota Xi chapter of the Kappa Delta Pi International Honor Society,…

Manhattan Area Technical College will host its Open House Thursday. The ESL program will be presenting “Around the World with ESL” as an opportunity for the public to learn about the cultures and traditions of international students at MATC. Countries represented will include Mexico, Brazil, Mongolia, Afghanistan, Ethiopia and more. It will include chances to see traditional clothing, sampling of authentic food and drinks and participation in cultural games and activities. Presentations will take place in the lobby of Building 307 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

The Manhattan Urban Area Planning Commission earlier this month green lit a plan for a new Culver’s restaurant. The restaurant will be constructed in a vacant lot at the northwest corner of the intersection of McCall Road and McCullough Place, directly west of K-State Credit Union and just in front of Menards. The Planning Commission on April 13 unanimously approved a planned unit development amendment of the McCall Landing Commercial PUD. A timeline for construction hasn’t been shared. Culver’s was founded in Wisconsin in 1984 and has close to 900 locations in 26 states, mainly in the Midwest. The restaurant…

Authorities are investigating more vandalism at Anneberg Park. The Riley County Police Department noted in its Tuesday activity report that a criminal damage to property report was filed Monday morning after an unknown suspect damaged a shed, an old baseball score sign and several bulk bags of sand. The estimated total loss associated is around $3,000. The incident comes a week after RCPD filed a criminal damage report at Anneberg Park after a suspect damaged and destroyed dispensers, trash cans, a mirror and a sink in a women’s bathroom at the park. Anyone with information is urged to call Crime…

Riley County volunteer firefighters responded to several out-of-control fires this past weekend, though county officials noted greener vegetation and recent rains helped firefighters extinguish them quickly and prevent further spread. Among the weekend fires, one utility task vehicle was destroyed in a seven-acre burn north of Manhattan, and another, un-permitted burn resulted in a citation for another property owner. Riley County Fire District No. 1 also responded to a mutual aid call from Wabaunsee County, assisting with a fire that spread to corn stubble, but was quickly extinguished. “The primary reason fires get out of control is that individuals do…

Gov. Laura Kelly has vetoed a measure that aimed to implement a flat tax rate of 5.15% for all Kansas taxpayers. The governor noted in a release the plan would cost the state $1.3 billion over the next three years, putting public education funding at risk. The governor countered to spend the one-time budget surplus on a $450 tax rebate for individuals and $900 for married taxpayers filing jointly. The total cost of the one-time rebates would be $800 million. The governor issued a statement Monday explaining her decision. “Our public schools were one of the biggest victims in the…

The City of Manhattan paid over $11,000 to Lenexa-based Hinkle Law Firm in its failed appeal of attorney fees stemming from a lawsuit involving a damaged residential mailbox. Electronic copies of the records, obtained by KMAN from an open records request earlier this month, show 10 transactions were made between April 5, 2022 and March 21, 2023 totaling $11,539 from the city to the firm. Those costs are in addition to the $31,680 the city must pay in damages and legal fees, bringing the total to $43,219. According to Board Clerk Brenda Wolf, the city’s insurance company paid all of…

Kansas legislators will make their way back to Topeka this week after a two week recess. News Radio KMAN caught up with two of the Manhattan area’s newest legislators this week on In Focus, State Sen. Usha Reddi (D-Manhattan), who assumed Sen. Tom Hawk’s seat in January, following his abrupt retirement and State Sen. Kenny Titus (R-Manhattan), who succeeded Ron Highland in the 51st district, after he retired at the end of his term. The pair weighed in on tax bills, childcare licensing requirements and some bipartisan legislation that moved forward this session. The full interview is available at the…

Friday marks the 11th annual Grow Green Match Day in Manhattan. It’s the day when donations made through the Greater Manhattan Community Foundation to participating nonprofit endowed funds receive a 50% match. Last year, about $1.7 million was raised for 78 area organizations. GMCF President Vern Henricks says this year there are 95 participating nonprofits. Henricks says once again the effort is being aided by charitable contributions through Phil Howe and the Howe Family Foundation. Donations can be made online at GrowGreenManhattan.com until midnight. You can also give in person between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. at the Colony Square…