Author: KMAN Staff

Today we visit Northview Elementary as we continue our preview of the upcoming school year in Manhattan/Ogden Schools with our KMAN news series “From the Principal’s Office.” A Northview Elementary veteran will once again be leading school as its principal for the upcoming school year. Principal Cleion Morton will be starting her sixth year with Northview in the coming weeks. She has been in education for more than 30 years, with 11 of them in Manhattan-Ogden school district. She has had experience as a principal for 28 years. Morton discusses what separates her school from the others and makes it…

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Property owners in Manhattan are looking at a tax increase after the city commission approved the proposed 2020 budget by 3 to 2 vote Tuesday. Dodson, Reddi and Morse supported, Butler and McKee opposed. In total, the budget amounts about $163 million. Property taxes are projected to increase by $238,448 for Manhattan, which equates to a 0.406 mill increase. The city will also see $267,124 more in revenue due to new buildings and improvements and $252,244 from an average 1.8 percent property valuation increase. Calculating in the valuation increase, the owner of a $200,000 home will pay $22 more per…

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Wednesday’s guests were USD 383 Manhattan/Ogden School Superintendent Dr. Marvin Wade and board member Darell Edie previewing the Aug. 7 school board meeting and start of the new school year. Flint Hills Breadbasket Director Maribeth Kieffer joined us to highlight the ongoing needs for food as well as fundraising opportunities. VFW Post 1786 Post Commander Dan Watkins previewed the Warrior and Veteran Picnic planned Aug. 17 in addition to September activities.

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Fly MHK is celebrating it’s 10th anniversary in 2019, and will have some special events to celebrate. Manhattan Convention and Visitors Bureau Director Karen Hibbard was on KMAN’s In Focus Aug. 2. She says the airport is a great asset to the community. Since the airport has director flights to Chicago, Hibbard says one of the prizes will be a Chicago getaway in partnership with visit Chicago.  There will also be other prizes if your name is drawn. Hibbard says they will also have a local items drawing, a golf getaway, and a Dallas getaway. In addition, the CVB is…

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TOPEKA- The Kansas attorney general has appointed the state’s first Kansas Youth Suicide Prevention Coordinator. Attorney General Derek Schmidt on Tuesday appointed Gina Meier-Hummel to the positions.   This position was created after recommendations from a task force formed in 2018.  The goal is to survey efforts in the state to reduce youth suicide. The appointment takes effect immediately. Meier-Hummel will be coordinator on a part-time basis because of her work as executive director of the O’Connell Youth Ranch in Douglas County. Meier-Hummel was secretary of the Kansas Department of Children and Families under former Gov. Jeff Colyer.…

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WICHITA- An autopsy report says a Wichita toddler found bound in pajamas died of dehydration and starvation. The Wichita Eagle reports the coroner ruled 2-year-old Zaiden Javonovich’s death a homicide. The toddler’s parents, Brandi Marchant, 22, and Patrick Javonovich, 28, are charged with felony murder and child abuse in his death. His body was found on April 11 when police went to the family’s home after receiving a call about a domestic disturbance. Zaiden’s 4-month-old brother was found injured and hospitalized in critical condition. Police found Zaiden face down in a crib and bound tightly around the chest with knotted…

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On Tuesday’s In Focus, Manhattan City Manager Ron Fehr and Mayor Mike Dodson joined us to preview Tuesday’s legislative meeting. Segment one included discussion on the proposed 2020 budget public hearing. The mill levy is projected to increase .406 Segment two featured discussion on two first readings of ordinances – one for Lee Mill Village rezoning and the other for zoning changes to Colbert Hills Stay and Play area for new development. In segment three, the consent agenda was discussed. An item of note being a $98,760 agreement for professional services with TischlerBise, Inc. for Phase 1 of the East…

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TOPEKA- Gov. Laura Kelly has declared an end to an emergency at the state’s most-crowded prison that had 12 hour shifts for officers. The Department of Corrections said Monday that it expects the El Dorado Correctional Facility to return to a regular schedule of five, eight-hour days a week for officers starting in early October. The emergency was declared in February by Kelly to allow the prison about 30 miles east of Wichita to schedule officers for four, 12-hour shifts a week. The prison houses more than 1,950 inmates. The department said the number of vacancies among uniformed officers dropped…

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LAWRENCE — A University of Kansas study says many treatment centers for addiction in the Kansas City area will not accept or have restrictions on accepting patients who have been prescribed medications to fight their addiction. The Lawrence Journal-World reports Nancy Kepple, an assistant professor for KU’s School of Social Welfare, is the lead author of the study. She says the study surveys 360 Kansas City-area treatment facilities to determine their acceptance rates of people with opioid use disorder who have been prescribed medications to treat the disorder. The study found that 40% treatment centers have a “mixed-to-negative attitude” toward…

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TOPEKA — Officials with the Topeka Rescue Mission say the organization could close next month if new funding isn’t found. Leaders said in a statement Monday that the mission is facing a $180,000 shortfall each month. It will close all its shelters and end all services if new funding isn’t found by Sept. 15. WIBW reports Mission leaders say they’ve already made money-saving moves, including announcing last week that the TRM Thrift Store would close soon. The mission provides shelter for an average of 250 people each night, and provides hundreds of meals every day. TRM started in 1953 as…

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