Author: Brandon Peoples

A Manhattan man was killed Friday following a crash just south of the four-mile corner near Riley. The Kansas Highway Patrol says a Ford F-150, driven by 66-year-old Donald O’Riley, of Hopkins, Missouri, was northbound on Tuttle Creek Blvd., shortly before 4 p.m., attempting a left-hand turn onto West 92nd Ave. While waiting to turn, Hopkins’ pickup was struck from behind by a Harley Davidson motorcycle, driven by 66-year-old Daniel Davis, of Manhattan. The motorcycle impacted the back left corner of the truck, ejecting Davis from the bike. Davis died at the scene. Authorities say he was wearing safety glasses,…

It is commencement weekend in Manhattan. Kansas State University will host the Graduate School ceremonies at 1 p.m. and the College of Veterinary Medicine ceremonies at 3:30 p.m. today at Bramlage Coliseum. Saturday’s commencement schedule at Bramlage includes the College of Arts and Sciences at 8:30 a.m., the College of Education at 11 a.m., the College of Business Administration at 12:30 p.m., College of Architecture at 2:30 p.m., College of Health and Human Sciences at 4:30 p.m. and the College of Engineering at 6:30 p.m. McCain Auditorium will host the College of Architecture, Planning and Design commencement at 10 a.m.…

Riley County Commissioners have green lit a $14.3 million project to include construction of a new public safety headquarters. Commissioners were presented three options that included a full new building, an EMS only facility and a third option that would renovate the current EMS facility into a separate Emergency Operations Center, but only after the headquarters facility is completed. The commission opted to do accept both options 2 and 3. EMS Director David Adams stressed the need for that third option to somehow be included. “The county still does not have a backup dispatch. If something were to happen to…

Riley County Police are seeking the public’s help after a criminal damage to property and trespassing report was filed early Thursday morning in the 2500 block of Farm Bureau Road. Police say a 36-year-old male victim reported an unknown male and female suspect damaged his front door and a fish tank with accessories. The incident was reported around 3 a.m. The suspects reportedly used a Yankee Candle to damage the fish tank. The estimated total loss is approximately $500. Anyone with information can contact Crime Stoppers.

A motorist was cited this week after striking a pedestrian near the K-State campus. The Riley County Police Department says it happened around 10:30 Tuesday morning near the intersection of Anderson and Denison Ave. A Honda Civic driven by 22-year-old Ciara Hovis, of Manhattan, struck 20-year-old Kamri Younger, also of Manhattan, as she was crossing the street. Younger was taken to Ascension Via Christi for treatment of her injuries. Her condition wasn’t made public. Hovis was cited for failure to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk.

The Manhattan Arts Center is in search of a new executive director after Penny Senften announced her resignation earlier this week, following more than 20 years of service. In a statement Monday, Board of Directors President Mark Rose thanked Senften for her service during a great time of expansion and financial stability for the Manhattan Arts Center. The board is planning to conduct a national search for her successor. Rose says he hopes to have a new director named within 60 days. Board Secretary Samantha DeChant will serve as interim director. Rose says all MAC programming, performances and events will…

Manhattan Mayor Mark Hatesohl is scheduled for a court hearing Friday after being cited last month for an unauthorized burn in Riley County. The Riley County Police Department cited Hatesohl shortly before 4 p.m. April 23 on his farming property in the 10000 block of Tuttle Creek Blvd, north of Manhattan. The citation was for violation of the Riley County Burn Resolution, a Class C misdemeanor. The incident was one of several out-of-control fires attended to that weekend by Riley County Fire District No. 1. The online court docket shows Hatesohl is scheduled for a 1 p.m. first appearance in…

With the deadline to file for the general election a little more than three weeks away, a second candidate has emerged for a seat on the Manhattan City Commission. Rafael Rodriguez Jr. filed the necessary paperwork Monday at the Riley County Clerk’s office. An online search shows Rodriguez is a small business owner at US Solar Farm LLC, an automotive technology instructor at Central Texas College and a former U.S. Army mechanic. Rodriguez joins Manhattan Mayor Mark Hatesohl as city commission candidates for the November general election. There are four vacancies this fall, with Linda Morse and John Matta both…

Severe weather pushed through the region Tuesday dumping rain on the Manhattan area. The afternoon storms prompted severe thunderstorm warnings, leading some area schools to shelter in place for a brief time ahead of dismissals while some after-school activities got canceled out of an abundance of caution. Preliminary rainfall totals from Riley County Emergency Management ranged from a quarter inch to 1.4 inches as of late Tuesday afternoon. The National Weather Service reported 2.2 inches at the Manhattan Regional Airport as of 7 p.m. Hail reports ranged across the region from penny to tennis ball size. Storms also produced strong…

Pottawatomie County commissioners on Monday approved moving forward on a 50/50 grant to make repairs on the Louisville Road Bridge over Rock Creek. The rural bridge, located about a mile east of Flush Road, was reduced to one lane toward the end of last week after a 3-by-3 foot hole was discovered on the bridge deck. Public Works crews covered the hole with a roughly 10 by 12 foot plate, in order to reopen two-way traffic. Nearby residents spoke during public comment Monday. County resident Mardi Edwards says her late husband was struck on the bridge over a decade ago…