Author: Brandon Peoples

A ceremonial groundbreaking was held Monday in Leonardville for a new ambulance station that will serve residents of Northern Riley County. “It feels good. It means that we’re starting the next phase and that is getting this building built, and having a full-time 24 hour presence of our service in north Riley County is long overdue and is very exciting for everyone,” said David Adams, Riley County EMS Director. Many believe the project is long overdue including Riley County District 2 Commissioner Greg McKinley, who campaigned on the issue when he ran for office in 2020. He has been a…

Pottawatomie County authorities executed a narcotics search warrant last week in St. George, resulting in three arrests. Sheriff Shane Jager says the search warrant was the result of a Thursday investigation into illegal drug activity in the 11,000 block of Glenwood Lane. Items seized included methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. Those arrested included 33-year-old Jamie Berges, 22-year-old Randall Chilson and 50-year-old Dustin Molden, all of St. George. Berges was arrested on charges of possession of meth, drug paraphernalia and an outstanding probation violation warrant out of Riley County. She remains jailed on a total $15,000 bond. Berges is the adult daughter…

Riley County Police reported two domestic violence incidents over the weekend involving vehicles. According to Monday’s incident report, officers on Friday filed a report for aggravated domestic battery, aggravated domestic criminal damage to property and aggravated child endangerment. A 30-year-old man and a 1-year-old child were listed as victims when a female suspect struck the man, who was riding a bicycle, with her vehicle. Police listed no injuries, but did note the bicyclist had his glasses broken, a loss of about $100. The child was reported to be in the vehicle at the time of the incident. RCPD also filed…

Longtime Manhattan-Ogden School Board member Curt Herrman has filed for a fifth term on the school board. Herrman says after serving and advocating for educational needs for over 20 years, including as a parent volunteer prior to his time on the board, he’d like to continue that work on the board. In a Monday release, Herrman noted he has served on every district committee and been board president for three of his 15 years on the board. He has also served eight years on the board of directors for the Kansas Association of School Boards, and says he will support…

Riley County Commissioners tabled a proposal Thursday to increase the tipping fees at the transfer station. Assistant County Engineer Evan McMillan requested taking the current $55 rate per ton of solid waste to $64 or $65 per ton. McMillan estimates repairing the transfer station’s tipping floor would be about $200,000, while a fire monitoring system and scale replacement are both estimated to cost $90,000 each. Commissioner John Ford motioned to table the fee increase, favoring a more fluid payment system for users, who are currently only able to use a credit card. The Transfer Station moved away from cash payments…

A Beloit man, arrested following a fatal crash in Clay County, has been charged with involuntary manslaughter and DUI. The Kansas Highway Patrol says the crash happened just before 7 a.m. Thursday on US 24, east of Clay Center. Jacob Zelinski, 27, was eastbound when his vehicle crossed the westbound lane, entered the north ditch and struck a vehicle on a driveway north of the highway. Zelinski fled on foot after the crash, but was located and arrested a short time later. The crash killed 82-year-old Dale Hammond, of Clay Center. Zelinski is charged with six total counts, including involuntary…

Manhattan businessman Frank Beer has become the third candidate to file for a seat on the Manhattan-Ogden USD 383 school board. According to a Friday news release, Beer intends to campaign on putting parents in control of their children’s public education, honoring taxpayer investments and opposing schools being “used for experiments with societal issues and scientific or historical revisionism.” Beer has been an active member of the community since 2001, including involvement in multiple organizations and being recognized as the 2006 Community Volunteer of the Year by the Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce. He and his wife Jan were the…

Pottawatomie County officials have announced an emergency lane reduction has been put in place along Louisville Road at the Louisville Bridge over Rock Creek, due to deterioration on the bridge deck, which will need to be repaired. The lane reduction is about 3/4 of a mile east of Rockenham Road and a 1/2 mile west of Emile Road (between Flush Road and Highway 99). The eastbound lane is currently closed. Officials say vehicles exceeding a 10 foot width will not be allowed through the area. County officials say signage will soon be posted in that area.

City officials celebrated the reopening of the gateway into Aggieville Thursday. The Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce cut the ribbon under the new Aggieville Archway on North Manhattan Ave., signifying that Aggieville is open for business. Aggieville Business Association Director Dennis Cook calls it a relief to have all streets leading into the district free of any construction, something that hasn’t happened since 2018. “We’ve been very fortunate. The businesses have all survived this. I won’t say they’ve thrived, but they have survived. We didn’t lose any businesses over this but they’re anxious,” he said. Businesses along North Manhattan Ave.,…

USD 383 board member Kristin Brighton has filed for re-election. The Manhattan businesswoman was first elected in 2019, and finished with the most votes among the candidates. In a Tuesday release, Brighton outlined her platform for re-election will focus heavily on efforts to raise student achievement. She also says she’d like to see Manhattan High School expand its current Career and Technical Education offerings and for the board to set aggressive goals for students to graduate with what’s called a “Diploma Plus,” which would essentially show documented real-world work experience in a chosen career field. During her first term, Brighton…