Update: The highway was re-opened by 9 a.m. #### KMAN has received confirmation of the closing of Highway 24 between Wamego and St. Mary’s Tuesday morning. The Kansas Highway Patrol is working the accident, and Kansas Department of Transportation clean-up crews are on the scene. KMAN will provide more details when they become available.
Author: KMAN Staff
Riley County commissioners approved the request of a local filmmaker to use a courtroom for his project Monday. Hal Dace brought the request to the commission after Chief Judge Meryl Wilson of the Riley County District Court expressed his allowance. “It’s partially a courtroom drama, and the main character is the county attorney,” Dace told the board. “Obviously it’s not meant to be any comment on our real county attorney, Barry Wilkerson. I know nothing about him, except that he’s held in high regard. “This is a totally fictional story, obviously.” Dace said the story centers around a manslaughter case and…
A Manhattan man charged with second degree murder and child abuse appeared in the Riley County District Court for a pretrial hearing on Monday afternoon. Andrew Gibson, now 26, submitted a plea agreement with the guidance of his attorney, Gary West. Division 1 Judge John F. Bosch approved the plea agreement along with county attorney Barry Wilkerson. Gibson pleaded guilty to second degree murder and issued an Alford plea on the count of child abuse. An Alford plea functions as a guilty plea, but the defendant maintains their innocence regardless of court opinion. Gibson’s minimum sentence would be 32 years and 10 months on…
A large fire totally destroyed 28 units of The Bluffs Apartment Complex in Junction City on Saturday evening. Junction City Fire Department Chief Terry Johnson told K-MAN at least 19 families and other individuals were displaced by the fire, which caused nearly $4 million in damages. A news release follows: Loss of the Fire that occurred at the Bluffs Apartment complex 1810 Caroline Ave. Building B in Junction City that occurred on 9 April 2017 is estimated to be near the insured value of the building of $3.8 million. Individual property loss of the residents for the building will vary as to…
Elton Gaines Jr., 22, was arrested in the 700 block of Allison Ave. on April 7, 2017 at approximately 6:20 AM. Gaines Jr. was arrested on Riley County District Court warrants for ID theft (x3), computer crimes (x4), and theft by deception (x3). Gaines Jr.’s total bond was set at $15,000. Brent Burleson, 58, of Eskridge, Kansas, was arrested while at the Riley County Police Department on April 7, 2017 at approximately 1:10 PM. Burleson was arrested on a Riley County District Court warrant for failure to appear. Burleson was given no bond. Officers filed a report for burglary in…
One of Manhattan’s best-known landmarks will be more accessible to people of all abilities and age after the local Kiwanis chapter installs an observation deck above the Manhattan sign on Bluemont Hill. Kiwanis member Kent Foster said the club got the idea for the project after brainstorming ways to commemorate their upcoming hundredth anniversary in 2022. The proposed observation deck has been in consideration for roughly a year now. “It gets a lot of activity, and I think it will be a useful project,” said Foster. Foster said the park sees as many as 50 visitors per day when the weather…
WICHITA — Texas Sen. Ted Cruz plans to come to Wichita to campaign for Republican candidate Ron Estes ahead of a special congressional election. The Estes campaign announced that Cruz would appear with the candidate during a Monday afternoon rally at Yingling Aviation. The special election is Tuesday in the 4th Congressional District of south-central Kansas. Estes is the state treasurer and he’s running to replace Mike Pompeo after Pompeo’s appointment as CIA director. The Democratic candidate is civil rights attorney James Thompson. Flight simulator instructor Chris Rockhold is running as a Libertarian. Cruz won the state’s presidential caucuses last year.…
More than 800 Soldiers with the 1st Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, are set to return soon from a nine-month deployment to Afghanistan. The “Demon” brigade deployed to Afghanistan in August 2016 as part of a regular rotation of forces in support of Operation Resolute Support and Operation Freedom’s Sentinel. While deployed, the 1st CAB formed Task Force Victory, which made their presence known with 116 helicopters. Pilots, maintainers and staff consisting of more than 1,100 Reserve and Active component troopers all contributed to more than 36,000 flight hours in combat. They advised the NATO mission on air threats…
Today’s guests on In Focus were: St. Sen. Tom Hawk of Manhattan Riley County Extension Health, Nutrition and Food Safety Agent Ginny Barnard Michelle Haub with Meadowlark Hills and Virginia Bennett on Parkinson’s awareness month Kent Foster, Rod Kalivoda and Victor Steiner with Kiwanis evening club about Bluemont Hills platform plans
MANKATO — Another earthquake has been reported this week in north-central Kansas. The U.S. Geological Survey reports an earthquake with a 3.2 magnitude was recorded Thursday night, centered three miles south of Mankato. The Hays Post reports that three other quakes, with magnitudes of 3.0, 2.7 and 3.4, also caused shaking near the community this week. Jewell County Sheriff Don Jacobs says no damage or injuries have been reported from the earthquakes. Elsewhere, a 2.8-magnitude earthquake hit Sunday in south-central Kansas. It was centered about 2 miles southeast of Medicine Lodge.