Today’s guests were Manhattan Mayor Usha Reddi and City Manager Ron Fehr.
Author: KMAN Staff
WICHITA — State analysts say Westar Energy is putting shareholder enrichment ahead of reasonable electric rates for customers with its proposed sale to Kansas City Power & Light. The Wichita Eagle reports that analysts representing the staff of the Kansas Corporation Commission and the Citizens’ Utility Ratepayer Board raised the concerns in hundreds of pages of testimony filed late last week. Also expressing concerns were several consumer intervenors in the case. A Westar spokeswoman says the company remains confident of completing the merger next spring. KCP&L’s parent company, Missouri-based Great Plains Energy, is seeking to buy Westar. The $12.2 billion…
Today’s edition of In Focus was open phones.
Riley County commissioners agreed to hold off on advisory board appointments and reappointments Monday. The commission will wait till after it swears in Marvin Rodriguez on Jan. 9. Rodriguez, a Republican, defeated District 2 commissioner Robert Boyd in the August primary. “It’s different, this year, of course,” county clerk Rich Vargo said. “Because not all years you have a new commissioner transition.” Several advisory board terms end Dec. 31. “Whatever you two guys want to do,” Boyd answered when chairman Ben Wilson asked him about the proposal. “I’m comfortable making a decision, but if you want to wait for Marvin,…
Riley County Law Board members Monday approved extension of the agreement with RCPD Director Brad Schoen, with a salary, compensation, and benefits raised to $141,343.46 compared to the previous 136,695.80, which is a 3.4 percent increase. The action was taken after several executive sessions lasting nearly an hour and a half. Also during Monday’s Law Board meeting, board members were told there might be a slight delay in initiating a new mental health co-responder with Riley County Police, with a delay in finding a person to fill the position. Director Schoen indicated Pawnee Mental Health is looking for someone with…
DORRANCE — Authorities say a several train cars carrying coal have derailed in central Kansas. The police department in Wilson says the derailment happened Sunday near Dorrance in Russell County. The Hays Post reports that no one was injured when the cars jumped the tracks. The derailment is under investigation.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) has issued a boil water advisory for the public water supply at Stagg Hill Golf Club, Inc. located in Riley County. KDHE officials issued the advisory because of a loss of chlorine residual. Failure to maintain required chlorine residual levels may put the system at risk for bacterial contamination. The advisory took effect on Dec. 19 and will remain in effect until conditions which place the system at risk of contamination are deemed by KDHE officials to be adequately resolved. Customers should observe the following precautions until further notice: · …
Officers with the Riley County Police Department filed a report for theft in the 800 block of Commons Pl Friday afternoon. Gamestop was listed as a victim, when a suspect left the store with a Playstation 4, a Playstation 4 controller, an Xbox One, and two PS4 games. Officers issued a Notice to Appear for theft to Jason Wooten, 19, of Junction City. The total loss associated with this case is approximately $670.00. Devin Field, 23, of Manhattan, was arrested while at the Riley County Police Department on Friday afternoon. Field was arrested on a Riley County District Court warrant…
Manhattan has a new Community Development Director but it’s a familiar name for the city of Manhattan. Eric Cattell has been named Director of Community Development for the City of Manhattan, effective today. Cattell has been the assistant director for planning for the city for the last 18 years. As director, Cattell will be responsible for directing all long-range and current land use planning efforts for the city including the preparation of comprehensive plans, neighborhood, corridor and district plans and plan updates, and the implementation of these plans and policies through the zoning and subdivision regulations and other city ordinances.…
A Louisiana man’s Saturday morning took a turn for the worse in Wabaunsee county over the weekend. 30-year-old Brandon Perque of Marrero, Louisiana, was eastbound on Interstate 70 at mile marker 327 when he lost control of his car while passing a semi-truck. Perque’s 2015 Subaru spun out in the eastbound lane then was struck head-on by the semi. Perque was transported to Stormont Vail in Topeka. According to Kansas Highway Patrol, Perque was wearing his seat belt. The driver of the semi is listed as Clint Clark, 35, of Ferriday, Louisiana. Clark was uninjured. Saturday morning’s accident in Wabaunsee county was…