Author: Brandon Peoples

No injuries were reported after a house fire at 913 Pierre Street Tuesday evening. The Manhattan Fire Department responded just after 6 p.m. to a two-story single-family home with dense smoke showing from the second floor, which extended into the home’s attic space. Firefighters extinguished the blaze within 30 minutes and rescued a dog and cat from the home. According to the fire department’s daily response form, released Wednesday morning, the fire caused an estimated $90,000 in property and content loss. The cause of the fire remains under investigation. The owner is listed as Georg Zsuzsics.

Pottawatomie County has given the go-ahead for a local construction company to pursue a Housing Investor Tax Credit from the State of Kansas. The funding would help offset construction and interest costs, giving developers a discount on tax liability and allowing them to achieve more attainable price points for buyers. Ross Vogel with Heartland Housing Partners spoke on behalf of JLC Construction, which is pursuing the tax credit on nine single family units and one duplex in the Whispering Meadows and Willow Glen additions. Commissioners were hesitant at first to sign the resolution, citing unfamiliarity with the tax credit program.…

A Colorado man remains jailed after being arrested Friday on five counts of sexual exploitation of a child. The Riley County Police Department says 44-year-old Neil Martin was extradited on past charges. Court records allege that in 2019 crimes occurred against a then 13-year-old child on two separate occasions, referred to as attempted sexual exploitation of a child. Three counts of sexual exploitation are also alleged from February 2020 where, according to court records, Martin possessed child pornography. He is jailed on a $100,000 bond.

Two former Wamego teachers accused of unlawful sexual relations with a former student have been bound over to stand trial. Allen and Deborah Sylvester waived their right to a preliminary hearing Friday morning in Pottawatomie County District Court. The pair will be arraigned on March 7 at 1:30 p.m. According to County Attorney Sherri Schuck, Deborah Sylvester remains free on bond pending the next hearing. The State filed a motion to revoke Allen Sylvester’s bond for allegations he violated his bond condition of no contact with the listed victim. The court set his bond at $100,000 and as of Friday,…

Pottawatomie County deputies arrested two men this week on suspicion of operating a meth lab in a mobile home that caught fire in Louisville. According to Sheriff Shane Jager, the father and son, 80-year-old Odis Parker and 47-year-old Odis Parker, Jr. were charged Tuesday with manufacturing a controlled substance, possession of paraphernalia with intent to manufacture a controlled substance and a host of other drug-related offenses. The younger Parker is also charged with arson and aggravated battery. A 911 call alerted authorities to smoke coming from the home in the 400 block of East Plum Street Tuesday afternoon. Once deputies…

Kimball Avenue will be no stranger to construction once again this summer. The Manhattan City Commission authorized city administrators this week to advance purchase up to $200,000 in waterline materials for an upcoming roundabout replacement at Kimball Avenue and Grand Mere Parkway. Manhattan City Manager Ron Fehr spoke about the upcoming project on KMAN’s In Focus Tuesday. Delivery times have quadrupled for some of the materials needed, due to supply chain disruptions. Fehr says the current schedule is to close Kimball Avenue from Vanesta Drive to Berkshire Circle for about 8 to 12 weeks, likely beginning in May. Fehr says…

The Riley County Extension, along with Kansas Farm Bureau, the Small Business Development Center and SPARK are planning for the third annual Rural Revitalization Conference later this month. The event focuses on local entrepreneurship and providing information to prospective new business endeavors. This year’s event is Wednesday, Feb. 22 at the Randolph VFW/Senior Center and will run from 9:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. The morning lineup includes speakers from the Small Business Development Center, USDA Rural Development, Gov. Kelly’s Office on Rural Prosperity. Following a lunch catered by the Farmhouse Restaurant of Olsburg and Riley, local business owners will share…

The Riley County Police Department is seeking the public’s help identifying a man wanted for questioning about a theft of nearly $2,800 in merchandise from a Manhattan retailer. Surveillance photos shared on RCPD’s Facebook page show an older white man and what appears to be a red Chevrolet Silverado in the Menards parking lot. According to police, the suspect loaded the stolen items into a cart then into the truck. Several big ticket items were reported stolen Sunday, including Snapper and Generac generators, a vinyl sliding window, a Bosch impact wrench and a WaterBoss water softener. Anyone who can help…

A third person is now charged in connection to the February 2022 death of a Fort Riley soldier. The Riley County Police Department says 27-year-old Edward Wright, of Junction City, was arrested Tuesday on a Riley County District Court warrant for first-degree murder and three counts of aggravated assault. The charges were brought by the Riley County Attorney’s Office for Wright’s involvement in the homicide of Joshua Wardi outside an Aggieville bar. Wright is being held in the Riley County Jail on a $500,000 bond. His arrest comes one month after police arrested 24-year-old Jordan Prather, also of Junction City…

Four candidates have emerged to become the next assistant superintendent at Manhattan-Ogden USD 383. An announcement from the district is expected at the Feb. 15 school board meeting, according to Michele Jones, USD 383 director of communications and public safety. Michael Couch, Nathan Downs, Jennifer Gatz and Catherine Wilson interviewed for the upcoming vacancy last week. The person selected will replace Eric Reid, who is being promoted to superintendent July 1, upon the retirement of the incumbent Marvin Wade. Couch currently serves as superintendent and principal for the Kickapoo School in Powhattan, Kansas, and is a former superintendent at Marysville…