Robert K. Ott, P.E., City Engineer, has been promoted to Director of Public Works for the City of Manhattan effective immediately. Ron R. Fehr, City Manager, for the City of Manhattan, announced the appointment Friday, 15 minutes after Ott was on KMAN’s “In Focus” . speaking as “acting” Public Works Director regarding upcoming road projects. Ott will assume a key position with the City’s management team. Ott will be responsible for planning, directing, managing, and overseeing all facets of operations, budget and personnel within the Department of Public Works, which includes administration, engineering, operations, and utilities. Functions within the Public…
Author: KMAN Staff
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) A program administered by the Kansas attorney general’s office has awarded more than $296,000 to victims of violent crimes in its latest round of distributions. Attorney General Derek Schmidt’s office says the Kansas Crime Victims Compensation Board approved the payments for 233 individuals at its February meeting. The program was established in 1978 to help victims and those affected by violent crime meet such expenses as medical bills, mental health counseling, lost wages and funeral costs. Funding for the program comes from court costs and fines, parole fees, restitution paid by offenders and wages earned by inmates…
Making the official announcement Friday morning on KMAN’s morning In Focus program, Jim Sherow, former Manhattan Mayor, announced he is running for the US House of Representatives in the First District, the seat which is held by Tim Huelskamp. Sherow has had an exploratory website up for a couple of months, but has officially thrown his name into the competition. Sherow was born in Hutchinson, but has been a part of the Manhattan community for a number of years. Sherow has served as a city commissioner and Mayor of Manhattan, is a historian at Kansas State University and a small business owner.…
On today’s InFocus, Cathy talks with State Representative Sydney Carlin of Manhattan, followed by Jim Sherow, Former Manhattan Mayor, then U-S Senator Jerry Moran of Manhattan, and ending with Rob Ott, Acting Manhattan Public Works Director and City Engineer.
Manhattan High boys basketball coach Tim Brooks has resigned in the midst of a two-week suspension, according to MHS administrators. https://1350kman.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Brooks-wants-to-coach-again.mp3 Brooks – wants to coach again https://1350kman.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Brooks-proud-of-the-program-built.mp3 Brooks – proud of the program built https://1350kman.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Brooks-over-the-years-the-kids-have-meant-a-lot.mp3 Brooks – over the years the kids have meant a lot https://1350kman.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Brooks-disappointed-that-it-came-from-the-players.mp3 Brooks – disappointed that it came from the players https://1350kman.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Brooks-time-was-right-to-do-this.mp3 Brooks – time was right to do this “At this time Coach Brooks has chosen to resign his position as head boys basketball coach at Manhattan High,” MHS athletics director Mike Marsh said in a statement. “We want to thank him for…
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) Topeka officials are investigating anonymous allegations of office bullying at city court. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that the complaint was made in a letter sent to the city and other offices. It centers on the municipal court, which is overseen by administrative judge Vic Miller. City spokeswoman Suzie Gilbert says Topeka’s legal and human resources departments are concluding an investigation and that more information will be available later. Miller says he can’t comment on the allegations because they’re a personnel matter.
MEDICINE LODGE, Kan. (AP) A south-central Kansas man was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for at least 25 years for sex crimes involving a child. A Barber County judge on Wednesday sentenced Robert Pruitt (22) of Kiowa under the state’s Jessica Law, which imposes longer sentences for sex crimes involving children. Pruitt also was ordered to wear electronic monitoring for life and lifetime registration as a sex offender. The Hutchinson News reports Pruitt pleaded guilty in October 2013 to one count of rape of a child younger than 14.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) A Johnson County couple who were the focus of a failed marijuana search is supporting proposed legislation making it easier to get police investigative reports. The failed search for marijuana two years ago at the Leawood home of Robert and Adlynn Harte launched the Hartes on a crusade for documents to shed light on what led to the search, which produced no charges or evidence. The Hartes spent $25,000 working to get the records. The Kansas City Star reports the Hartes appeared before lawmakers Wednesday asking them to make public police documents called probable-cause affidavits, which are…
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) A Kansas military boarding school embroiled in a lawsuit alleging widespread abuse of its cadets is asking a federal judge to keep any mention about prior arrests or criminal convictions of its employees away from jurors at next month’s trial. The request comes amid 21 sealed motions filed on Wednesday by St. John’s Military School in Salina seeking to restrict evidence when trial begins March 4 in federal court in Kansas City, Kan. The school also seeks to keep out of the trial a police report, findings by a state child welfare agency and certain testimony. Four…
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) High school debaters will take on the issue of ongoing public school segregation during a Black History Month event at the Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site. A sixty-minute debate gets under way Friday at the Topeka site that tells the story of the U.S. Supreme Court decision that ended legally segregated public schools. Debaters from Topeka High School will spar over whether socio-economic issues must be the focus of polices aimed at ending school segregation.