Author: Brandon Peoples

Groundbreaking for the new North Riley County EMS Station is scheduled for Monday in Leonardville. The facility will house a full-time staffed ambulance and crew. The building will include an apparatus bay, sleeping rooms, office, kitchen, a commons area and storage. The total budget for the project is about $867,000. The project was approved by Riley County commissioners in early 2022, following a push from north county residents, concerned with long response times for ambulance service. Schultz Construction is the contractor for construction. Anderson Knight Architects designed the facility. Construction is expected to be completed by September.

Riley County Police say a 39-year-old woman was arrested Tuesday near South 5th and Houston Streets on drug and interference charges. Nichole Costley was found in possession of meth during a traffic stop where she also gave a false name. She was booked on the aforementioned charges as well as possession drug paraphernalia and driving while suspended. Costley was issued an $8,000 bond. She also had a Shawnee County warrant for possession of an opiate and drug paraphernalia, which carried a $3,500 bond. She was no longer jailed as of Wednesday morning’s report.

Riley County Police are investigating after a teenager was attacked and battered Tuesday morning in the Northview area. Officers filed a report for aggravated battery and battery in the 2200 block of Green Ave. Police say four teenagers reportedly punched a 15-year-old boy several times and stomped on his head while he was on the ground. The extent of his injuries is unknown. Police say it wasn’t clear if the victim required a trip to the hospital. The suspects included 17- and 18-year-old males and two other unknown males, according to RCPD. Anyone with information should contact RCPD or Manhattan…

Tuesday’s Manhattan City Commission meeting was the final one for Usha Reddi, who stepped down after 10 years of service to Manhattan. Reddi, who was appointed earlier this year to serve the remainder of Sen. Tom Hawk’s term in the Kansas Senate, says she was able to juggle the two jobs this session with little challenge, noting the city commission job was her comfort zone these past four months. “I’ve always been one that if I take something off I put something back on it. When I first came on the city commission, I was also a full-time teacher and…

A panel discussion, hosted by Farm Journal Foundation and Kansas State University Tuesday at the Stanley Stout Center, focused on how agricultural innovations can mitigate global hunger and malnutrition. It included Kansas 1st District Congressman Tracey Mann, who says investing in agricultural innovation strengthens the safety net for producers and people around the world, likening food security to national security. Pennsylvania Congressman and House Ag Committee Chair Glenn Thompson noted the issue of food security came to the forefront during the pandemic amid supply chain shutdowns and shortages. Also pressuring the global food system is the ongoing war in Ukraine,…

A Manhattan man is behind bars on charges of theft and driving under the influence. Riley County Police say 28-year-old Jesus Blanco was jailed just after 2:30 a.m. Tuesday in the 2600 block of Farm Bureau Road. Responding officers found a 43-year-old man whose pickup was stolen while he was working in an attached trailer. The man was able to step out of the trailer as the truck and trailer drove away, striking a speed limit sign in the process. Blanco then reportedly fled, running north onto Linear Trail. He then walked back toward the site of the crash while…

Pottawatomie County Public Works Crews have been given the go ahead to begin design of a bridge replacement project on Havensville Road. The bridge in question was damaged following a car accident in mid-April. Public Works Director Tim Eisenbarth says with a planned bridge project just down the road, it may make sense to do both projects simultaneously, to avoid a prolonged closure of Havensville Road. Start time for construction on the other bridge is scheduled sometime this fall. Commissioner Greg Riat noted he’s had several calls supporting that option, noting it would be better for farmers to avoid limited…

Vandals struck over the weekend in the 500 block of Sunset Ave., spray painting graffiti on a fence, belonging to a fraternity, and a no parking sign, belonging to the City of Manhattan. RCPD says a criminal damage to property report was filed Friday morning listing the City and Beta Theta Pi as victims. The estimated total loss is approximately $535. Anyone with information can contact Crime Stoppers. Successful tips may qualify you for a cash reward.

A Manhattan man is jailed on a Riley County District Court warrant alleging rape and aggravated sexual battery. According to the Riley County Police Department, 23-year-old Christopher Harris was arrested Sunday in the 2200 block of Claflin Road. The warrant stems from a Sept. 1 incident involving Harris and a female victim. Harris remains jailed on a $20,000 bond. RCPD is also investigating a separate rape incident reported early Saturday morning by a 30-year-old woman alleging an unknown woman as the suspect. Due to the nature of the crimes, no further information is being released.

With the deadline for the 2023 farm bill fast approaching, the message from commodity groups to Congress continues to be for expansion of the ag safety net. The Kansas Wheat Innovation Center hosted a roundtable that included Kansas U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall, Arkansas U.S. Sen. John Boozman and members from 17 different organizations, sharing concerns for what they hope gets into the massive spending bill, which comes before Congress every five years. “What we’re trying to do is get out and about the country to hear different perspectives as to how we need to re-work the farm bill. We do…