Author: Brandon Peoples

An RCPD investigation into a threat made over the weekend against Manhattan Catholic Schools was determined to be not legitimate. The department said in a social media post Monday, that the threat made by email, came from someone in New York. RCPD doesn’t believe the email is valid or that it’s intent was directed at Manhattan Catholic Schools. Out of caution, the department noted it was beefing up patrol units Monday during school hours.

A Manhattan woman was seriously injured Friday afternoon in a 3-vehicle crash on Interstate 29 in St. Joseph, Missouri. According to the Missouri State Patrol crash report, 29-year-old Marissa Lord was a passenger in a car that struck an SUV that had slowed as it was approaching a construction zone at around 3:30 p.m. The impact pushed the SUV into the rear of a third vehicle. Authorities say Lord and a 68-year-old female passenger in the SUV from Atchison County, were transported to a nearby hospital. Lord was not wearing a seat belt according to the crash report and sustained…

A Manhattan man will spend over 10 years in prison for his role in the murder of his former girlfriend’s infant son. Gage Anderson was sentenced Friday in Riley County District Court on charges of 2nd degree murder and aggravated child endangerment in the December 2020 death of 2-year-old Cyrus Gray. Judge Kendra Lewison sentenced Anderson to 117 months on the 2nd degree murder charge and to six months on the aggravated child endangerment charge. The sentences will run consecutively for a total of 123 months. Anderson was initially arrested on charges of first-degree murder and child abuse, but entered…

Riley County commissioners agreed on Thursday on a plan to move forward with a task force to study potential relocation of the Riley County Fairgrounds and will send letters to 10 organizations to garner interest. Commissioners spent time Thursday discussing the makeup of the task force. John Ford noted he believes it should be entirely citizen driven. Agenda materials noted 15 potential nominees for the board, including former commissioners, members of the fair and extension boards, as well as Manhattan, USD 383 and K-State College of Agriculture representatives among others. Commission Chair Kathryn Focke says the goal is for the…

Next week is the City of Manhattan’s annual Spring Cleanup Week, where city crews will collect any yard waste, tree limbs and branches at no cost to residents. Manhattan City Manager Ron Fehr says collections begin Monday. Residents are advised to create separate piles for limbs and branches on the ground next to the curb for easy pick up by a person or skid loader. Limbs or branches shouldn’t be placed too far back in the yard, making them difficult for the loader to reach from the street. The City says branches should be stacked loosely and residents should avoid…

Plans to help tenants move safely out of the Royal Towers apartment complex are expected to be made public Friday. The Manhattan Fire Department condemned the building last week, giving residents until May 1 to vacate the building. A February exterior inspection found widespread spalling of concrete walkways and stairs, with some areas where concrete is completely missing, exposing deteriorated steel reinforcing. The issues date back to 2019, when an engineer’s report also outlined walkway issues, according to Deputy Fire Chief Ryan Almes, who appeared with city officials on KMAN’s In Focus Tuesday. At that time, he says, the structural…

A Douglas County man accused of causing a fatal crash last August involving a Wamego family is scheduled to appear for a June preliminary hearing. The Pottawatomie County Times reports the attorney for Mark Stanwix, of Lecompton, requested the hearing at a Tuesday status conference. Stanwix is facing eight total charges, including involuntary manslaughter and aggravated battery resulting in death. Stanwix was behind the wheel of a semi truck that rear-ended a pickup, driven by 37-year-old Randy Tinkel, as well as an SUV on Aug. 10. Tinkel and his son died in the crash. Three others were also injured. The…

Days after an investor pulled out of the Midtown Aggieville development project, Manhattan city officials remain optimistic that the project will be seen to the finish line. On KMAN’s In Focus Tuesday, Manhattan City Manager Ron Fehr said the land transfer agreement approved Nov. 15 stipulates that Back 9 Development has 38 months from the time of closing to produce the minimum 40 million dollar facility. The Manhattan City Commission agreed in November to sell the former city-owned parking lot for $1 to Back 9 Development for the project and closed on the transfer of property in December. According to…

The Kansas Department of Transportation announced Monday two projects to take place April 4-5 on a rural stretch of K-16 in Pottawatomie County. Two locations will be closed over the two-day period while maintenance crews replace underground pipes. K-16 will be closed to traffic April 4 just east of Blaine, between Kansas Avenue and Marshall Road. Then on April 5, K-16 will be closed, approximately two miles east of Onaga, between Straight Creek and Lincoln Roads. Closures will be in place 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days and motorists are advised to use alternate routes.

The Kansas Department of Transportation says a patching and concrete replacement project on I-70 in Riley and Wabaunsee counties has been delayed a week and will now start March 27. The work will stretch from the Riley/Geary county line to K-30 in Wabaunsee County but will not impact bridges and bridge approaches in the corridor. Crews are planning work in both directions in roughly 4-mile stretches of the interstate, resulting in lane reductions, width restrictions and reduced speed limits of 60 mph. On and off ramps will remain open during the project. KDOT says work will take place Monday through…