Thursday’s program featured Dr. Tim Shaffer, Assistant Director for the Institute for Civic Discourse and Democracy who was recently promoted to the time of Associate Professor of Communication Studies at K-State. Pawnee Mental Health Executive Director Robbin Cole also joined us to discuss best practices for managing mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Author: KMAN Staff
As COVID-19 cases rise across the country, the need for further manpower in the health-care industry has resulted in calls for retired medical professionals to re-enter the workforce. Bob Copple, President of Ascension Via Christi Hospital, says a similar trend is occurring locally. Copple says their help is largely being used to help run a COVID-19 screening hotline, which helps provide guidance for those potentially experiencing symptoms. The screening-hotline phone number is 785-323-6400.
CLAY CENTER, Kan. — Clay County had its first confirmed positive case of COVID-19 Wednesday. The case involves a resident with a recent known, travel-related exposure. The Clay County Health Department says that individual is currently self-isolating at home and is stable. The individual is reportedly not considered in the high risk category and contracted the virus from recent international travel. All known contacts of the patient are being notified by health officials and will be monitored routinely for fever and respiratory symptoms. No further information about the patient is being released at this time. As of late Wednesday, Kansas…
The following summary of calls for service/reports filed by the Riley County Police Department is a portion of those received by police. Some names, addresses, and case details are withheld to follow local, state, and federal law as well as in an attempt to protect community members from being victimized further. Those arrested are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. MANHATTAN, KAN. – Officers filed a report for theft in the 4600 block of Eureka Dr. in Manhattan on March 25, 2020, at approximately 12:40 PM. Officers listed Flint Hills Job Corps as the victim when it…
Flint Hills Area Transportation Agency buses continue to operate amid COVID-19 closures, though it’s not business as usual. Executive Director Anne Smith spoke with KMAN remotely on In Focus and says their routes will be changing as a result of the outbreak. Hours of operation will not change, but starting Monday, March 30th, ATA buses will only operate on their Saturday routes. As a result, buses will skip some usual stops and the number of buses on routes will decrease — resulting in buses only coming to each stop about once per hour. Smith says they’ll also be suspending subscriptions…
Kansas State University journalism professor and COVID-19 patient Andrew Smith remains in intensive care, but says that “things are looking up.” “We’re not to the finish line yet,” Andrew Smith said in Facebook video from his bed at Manhattan’s Ascension Via Christi Hospital. “But they’re getting better.” Smith, an educator, actor and Common Table president, is the first Manhattan area resident to test positive for COVID-19, which he contracted while on a trip to London with his family and a class of students from the A.Q. Miller School of Journalism and Mass Communications. While those students and his family quarantined…
Reduced capacity The Manhattan Emergency Shelter recently had to reduce its capacity in order to comply with quarantine and social distancing guidelines meant to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Despite these changes, Emily Wagner, Executive Director for the shelter, says they are still taking in clients. According to Wagner, the moratorium on home evictions has helped keep the number of people in the shelter down. She says however, that she is worried about what will happen once the moratorium is lifted. Wagner says that if the COVID-19 situation reaches a certain point in Riley County, public-quarantine sites may become available,…
Wednesday’s program featured conversations with USD 384 Blue Valley/Randolph Superintendent Brady Burton and USD 378 Riley County Superintendent Cliff Williams regarding the shift to more online learning amid the coronavirus pandemic. Flint Hills Area Transportation Authority Executive Director Anne Smith discussed the changes to aTa bus service amid the pandemic and an upcoming switch to Saturday service starting March 30. Manhattan Emergency Shelter, Inc. Executive Director Emily Wagner discussed how the shelter has remained open amid the pandemic and some of the challenges and questions remaining ahead for the homeless community.