Several officials are reacting to Friday’s report of the arrest of John T. Booker Jr., 20, of Topeka, who was allegedly attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction or explosives at Fort Riley. Formal statements follow: Fort Riley: “Today’s arrest at no time posed a danger to military personnel or to the public. This event does emphasize the continued and ongoing threat to our nation’s security and the need for all of us to remain vigilant. Our partnerships with the Department of Justice, FBI and other federal and state agencies are force multipliers and help us ensure the safety…
Author: KMAN Staff
Reports Friday morning of a Topeka man arrested near Manhattan for attempting to detonate a vehicle bomb at Fort Riley brings the national spotlight a little too close to home… and one of KMAN’s own reporters, Mikayla Gentine, actually knows the suspect–20 year old John T. Booker, Jr. An interview with KMAN News Director Cathy Dawes follows:
WASHINGTON – Assistant Attorney General for National Security John P. Carlin, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom of the District of Kansas and Special Agent in Charge Eric K. Jackson of the FBI’s Kansas City Division announced that a Topeka, Kansas, man has been charged in federal court with attempting to detonate a vehicle bomb at Fort Riley military base near Manhattan. The defendant was arrested as part of an FBI investigation, and the device used by the defendant was, in fact, inert. John T. Booker Jr., 20, of Topeka, Kansas, was charged in a criminal complaint unsealed today with one…
A 29-year-old Manhattan man was taken into custody Thursday afternoon on a variety of charges. Justin Atwood-Allison was arrested at the intersection of Bluemont Ave and North 3rd Street for driving with a suspended license, possession of opiates, opium, narcotic drugs, stimulants, methamphetamine precursors and drug paraphernalia. Atwood-Allison was arrested at 3:35 PM, with bond set at $6,500. ### Two drug-related arrests were made by Riley County Police Thursday evening just before six in the 900 block of Denison Ave. Arrested was Andrew Tran, 24, of Junction City for driving with a suspended license, possession of methamphetamine, and possession of drug…
Updated 12:30 Friday: The Manhattan Fire Department was dispatched to 1015 Colorado Street for a report of a structure fire at 9:30 Friday morning. Upon arrival, crews found a one story residential structure with smoke coming from the attic area. Six fire apparatus and sixteenfirefighters initially responded to the fire. The fire reached a second alarm and it was contained within 30 minutes. No one was home at the time of the fire. Two dogs, a cat and a gecko were rescued from the structure. Loss is estimated as $60,000 to the structure, $30,000 to the contents. The owner is listed as Daniel and Sharon Blea of Manhattan. Three occupants of the residence will be displaced due to the fire and are being assisted by Red Cross. The fire cause is under investigation at this time. ### Few details are available but Manhattan Firefighters responded to a blaze at a home in the 1000 block of Colorado Street Friday morning. There were no injuries and the fire was out by late morning.
A residential fire was reported in the city of Belvue overnight. Pottawatomie County Emergency Management Director Chris Trudo tells KMAN fire departments from Belvue, Wamego and Louisville responded along with the Pottawatomie County Sheriff’s Office, EMS and Emergency Management. The fire was reported at about 11:30 Thursday night and was quickly brought under control. HoweverTrudo says overhaul was difficult to accomplish due to construction issues. No one was home at the time of the fire and the cause remains undetermined at this time.
A tornado hit the tiny northern Illinois town of Fairdale, killing one person, injuring seven and sweeping homes off their foundations, as part of a storm system that pummeled a large swath of the country.
An armed man kidnapped a woman, shot a Census Bureau guard and led police on a car chase through Maryland and Washington, D.C., on Thursday before authorities cornered him in an exchange of gunfire, police said. The guard died at a hospital.
A special Riley County Law Board work session took place on Thursday night. At the session Riley County Police Department leaders talked about their command structure, and efforts to mold the program to be efficient and fair. RCPD Director Bradley Schoen briefed the board on the “Intelligence Lead Policing” philosophy used by the department. It includes data mining records to help forecast crime, and allocate resources to achieve the greatest impact. The department uses an analyst to chart regions of likely activity, and patrols are more frequent in these places. A repeat offender system also tracks individuals, but officials said…
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP)– Edinson Volquez must have gotten tired from all the times he tipped his cap. He certainly didn’t labor much on the mound. Volquez dazzled over eight innings in his Royals debut, and Kansas City’s defense made a series of spectacular plays behind him in a 4-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Thursday that finish off a season-opening three-game sweep. “Unbelievable,” said Volquez, who allowed one run on four hits in his first start since signing a $20 million, two-year deal with the Royals in the offseason. “We have the best defense in baseball right…