Preseason favorite Utah occupies the top spot in the first Big 12 power rankings of the season. The Utes, a newcomer to the league, received seven of a possible 16 first-place votes from a panel of media, including Mercury sports editor Tim Everson, that regularly covers the Big 12. They will be ranking the conference weekly. Oklahoma State, which reached the league championship game in 2023, received five first-place votes. Kansas received two first-place votes, while Kansas State and Arizona each had one. The Big 12 went 14-2 in the opening weekend of the season with the only losses by…
Author: KMAN Staff
By Emma Loura eloura@themercury.com Manhattan homeowners next year will see an 8% decrease in their property taxes directed to the USD 383 Manhattan-Ogden school district. The USD 383 school board on Wednesday unanimously adopted its fiscal year 2025 budget, which exceeded the established “revenue-neutral rate” of 58.419 mills with a 2025 rate of 59.909 mills. The mill rate is a .186-mill drop from last year’s levy of 60.095. The full article can be viewed at theMercury.com
Flint Hills Christian School has new leadership this school year. Jeremy Davidson will serve as the school’s new principal after being its athletic director as well as an elementary and secondary teacher. Brenda Page, the former principal of Central Elementary in Wamego, will be the assistant principal. The full story can be viewed at themercury.com.
RCPD officers filed a report of unlawful discharge of a firearm on September 4, 2024, at approximately 9:15 PM in the 700 block of Pebblebrook Circle. Officers listed society as the victim when it was reported that an unnamed 28-year-old male discharged his firearm as a result of “waking from a dream disoriented.” The subject was issued a notice to appear.
Officers filed a report of theft/unlawful acts concerning computers on September 4, 2024, at approximately 4:47 PM in the 500 block of Richards Drive. Officers listed Four Points by Sheraton as the victim when it was reported an estimated $20,000 had been stolen through hacking by an unknown subject through fraudulent credit card transaction commencing in July and extending through August. Anyone with information can contact Crime Stoppers. Using Crime Stoppers allows you to remain anonymous and could qualify you for a cash reward of up to $1,000. Officers filed a report of unlawful discharge of a firearm on September 4,…
By Zach DeLoach/Manhattan Mercury A decade ago, Kansas State ousted Deb Patterson as its women’s basketball head coach. On Friday, the school inducted her into its athletics hall of fame. That’s not the typical course of events for a fired coach, but it reflects the complexity of Patterson’s 18 years in Manhattan, which saw their share of prosperity, disappointment and controversy. And perhaps her admittance to the 2024 class is a vindication of sorts, a recognition — at least from the K-State Hall of Fame committee — that her tenure was, ultimately, a triumph. After all, she’s still the winningest…
Riley County Fire District #1 announced on Wednesday the appointment of Jake Konrardy as the new Deputy Chief of Administration. Since joining RCFD#1 in 2018, Konrardy has become one of the most active volunteer responders in the department. He earned his Emergency Medical Technician certification and served as Battalion Chief for Ogden Station #103. As the Deputy Chief of Administration, Konrardy is responsible for managing the department’s administrative duties, responding to emergency incidents, and assuming command and control when necessary. These response duties are shared with Deputy Chief of Operations Doug Russell and Fire Chief Russel Stukey. For more…
A K-State University engineer recently received a $560,000 National Science Foundation grant to enhance the security of AI in bioinformatics. Assistant professor Xiaolong Guo is working on cybersecurity tools to discover and optimize antimicrobial peptides, or AMP, which are essential for improving food safety, livestock health and agricultural productivity. Along with its goal of making security checks easier and more efficient through automation, Guo said the project aims to use the online platform to raise awareness about the need to secure data while promoting community engagement and education on cybersecurity. For more visit TheMercury.com
A new K-State partnership aims to address rural health issues in north central Kansas. The K-State 105 initiative is bringing together Kansas State University, The University of Kansas Health System and Phillips County Health Systems to support rural health care in Phillips County, which is north of Hays. As part of this partnership, Phillips County Health Systems is serving as a pilot program for finding “innovative” health care solutions, according to K-State. The pilot program involves engaging community members in identifying and addressing community-specific health care priorities. The full story can be viewed at theMercury.com.
By Toby Hammes sports@themercury.com Each year, the first week of the football season presents a difficult challenge. While it may not be a Week 1 matchup with Derby this year, as was the case the last two seasons, Manhattan High football opens 2024 with the four-hour-plus trek to Garden City. It’s the first time since 2021 that the Indians will load up the buses and hit the road to Garden City. Head coach Joe Schartz remembers that trip vividly. The full story can be viewed at theMercury.com.