GODDARD, Kan. (AP) A carjacking suspect who died in a gunfight with law enforcement officers was a 52-year-old man from Wichita. Reno County Sheriff Randy Henderson said Tuesday the suspect was Darren J. Baker. He was shot Monday afternoon after a chase that began when police in Goddard tried to pull his vehicle over for a traffic violation. Henderson says Baker left the stolen vehicle north of Cheney Lake and started firing on officers, who returned fire. Officers from four different law enforcement agencies were involved in the shooting. Kansas Bureau of Investigation agents are investigating the shooting.
Author: KMAN Staff
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) Gov. Sam Brownback is warning Kansas legislators that the state and its congressional delegation face a continuous fight to obtain federal funding for a new lab that would research plant and animal pathogens. Brownback told two dozen lawmakers during a Monday evening meeting at his official residence that he expects the legislative battle over the National Bio- and Agro-Defense Facility to last another five years. A site in Manhattan, near the Kansas State University campus, has been cleared for construction of the $650 million biosecurity lab. The new lab, which could start operations by 2018, would replace…
After several meetings on the subject, Manhattan urban area planning board members came to an agreement on what has been a somewhat controversial subject– crematoriums. Manhattan City Manager Ron Fehr tells KMAN the group approved a motion on the matter Monday night with two options, locating it in an existing cemetery or in an industrial area. Fehr says two options for a cemetery location would be either the Kansas Veteran’s Cemetery or Sunrise Cemetery. If the crematorium would be in an industrial location, there would be a mandatory 500 foot setback from residential uses. The proposals were sent on to the Manhattan…
Silver Creek Road in Riley County will be closed for a bridge repairs beginning Thursday. The road will be closed north of 52nd Street on Silver Creek Road. Traffic will need to use alternate routes throughout the duration of this project. Repairs will take approximately 1 working day to complete, unless adverse weather conditions cause unexpected delays.
The City of Junction City has issued a boil water advisory for water customers on the west side of Spring Valley Road, north of Wildcat Lane and south of Buddy Drive in Olivia Farms development. This advisory is the result of a sixteen inch water main break. The water main was in the process of being repaired, but the advisory will remain in effect until testing of water samples indicates no evidence of contamination and all other conditions which place the systems at risk of contamination are deemed to be resolved. For questions, you can call Veolia Water at 785-238-7142 or…
An effort to ease traffic congestion on I-70 near Fort Riley began Tuesday morning, with an agreement for inbound traffic only to Marshall Field off of I-70 from 5:00 to 7:00 a.m. five days a week. Geary County Sheriff Jim Jensen indicates it was an agreement involving Geary County, Fort Riley and the Kansas Department of Transportation. The arrangement will allow for three lanes of traffic into Marshall Field during those hours, which will be observed on weekdays. Jensen indicates military police are directing traffic during those times and it will be well-marked, but he wanted motorists to be advised of the change.
An Ogden woman charged with attempted second degree murder entered a no contest plea Monday morning to aggravated battery and aggravated assault. Elizabeth Heaven, 29, entered the plea in Riley county District court. Heaven’s sentencing is set for March 19th. Heaven was taken into custody in early July 2011.
A Junction City man has entered a plea of no contest in connection with a five year old murder case. Riley County Police announced Tuesday Mekel McApline, 26, pled no contest Monday to charges that he aided a felon, identified as 29 year old Kenneth Dotson, in the January 2007 murder of Terrell Morris at 1369 Flint Hills Place. “What (McApline) did was drive the people over there,” Lt. Josh Kyle, RCPD Public Information Officer, said. “And then drove them away from the murder. He was also involved in the destruction of some evidence.” Already convicted in connection with the murder in were Kenneth Dotson…
A man from Manhattan has been charged with arson in connection with a fire in April 2010 at an apartment complex. Christopher L. Kenny, Jr., 24, is charged in a federal criminal complaint unsealed Monday with one count of arson. The complaint alleges that on April 18th, of 2010, he started a fire that damaged an apartment complex at 1030 Vattier Street in Manhattan. An agent’s affidavit filed with the court alleges the Riley County Police Department discovered a trash dumpster on fire in the 1000 block alley between Vattier and Kearney streets. While officers were waiting for the Manhattan Fire Department…