Riley County commissioners will support recommendations and legislation for increased state funding for Community Corrections. Community corrections is looking for increased funding to deal with job retention and competitive wages. Commissioner John Ford has already met with community corrections on testifying if the need arises. Ford says this issue is more akin to working with the legislature rather than directly affecting Riley County. He adds he doesn’t know if this is a priority yet for the county, but will go to Topeka for testimonies if necessary. Community corrections for the entire state is looking to increase its funding by $14.3…
Author: KMAN Staff
On Tuesday’s edition of In Focus we spoke with Riley County Commissioner John Ford.
Day two of the murder trial of Richard Goens continued with state witness testimony and news of a COVID-19 exposure among the jury. As jurors were set to be released for lunch, Judge Grant Bannister informed the court that juror 13 had tested positive for the novel coronavirus some time prior to Monday morning. Bannister says she only reported mild symptoms, and indicates she had no close contact with anyone while in the hallways of the Riley County Courthouse while on break. Masks are mandatory while in the courthouse, and all jurors are divided with plexiglass while seated in the…
EMPORIA, Kan. — A hospital in eastern Kansas ran out of ventilators Friday as the state continued to report a surge in COVID-19 cases. The Lyons County Board declared a local emergency Friday after the Newman Regional Health hospital in Emporia ran short of ventilators. That declaration will help the hospital receive two additional ventilators from the state. The seven-day rolling average of daily new cases in Kansas soared over the past two weeks from 1,109.29 new cases per day on Dec. 24 to 6,543.43 new cases per day on Friday. And in the Kansas City area, officials at the…
WICHITA, Kan. — A 39-year-old woman was in critical condition Sunday after being shot outside a party in Wichita and then hit by a car. Wichita police said the shooting was reported shortly after 2 a.m. Sunday in the 2200 block of East 12th Street. Officer Trevor Macy said in a statement that the woman was wounded once when multiple shots were fired. Then investigators believe she was hit by a car as people began to flee after the shooting. No arrests had been announced as of Sunday afternoon and the victim was not immediately identified.
LARNED, Kan. — Authorities are investigating after two adults and a 12-year-old boy were found shot to death in Kansas. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation said in a news release that a man discovered the bodies Saturday night in a Larned home. A coroner pronounced 44-year-old Shala Smith, 12-year-old Carver Smith and 44-year-old Jon Smith dead at the scene. The KBI said that there is no ongoing threat to the public and that additional details would be released after an autopsy is completed. Larned, a city of about 3,700 residents, is about 120 miles northwest of Wichita.
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Plans are underway to connect a Civil War-era commercial port on the Missouri river and a Kansas City, Kansas, park where Lewis and Clark once camped. KCUR reports that the proposed Northeast Kansas City, Kansas, Heritage Trail came to life when the Groundwork Northeast Revitalization Group partnered with the Unified Government to apply for a grant from the Mid-America Regional Council. They were awarded $108,000, supplemented by a $30,000 match from the UG. The south end of the trail will be Kaw Point Park, part of the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail at the confluence…
On Monday’s edition of In Focus we spoke with KSU Vet Med Dr. James Roush. We also spoke with UFM Community Learning Center Director Linda Teener.
The following summary of calls for service/reports filed by the Riley County Police Department is a portion of those received by police. Some names, addresses, and case details are withheld to follow local, state, and federal law as well as in an attempt to protect community members from being victimized further. Those arrested are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. MANHATTAN, KAN. – Officers filed a report for aggravated battery, aggravated assault and interference with LEO near the intersection of N. 9th St. and Humboldt St. in Manhattan on January 8, 2022, around 4:13 p.m. Officers listed…
Riley County commissioners voted to drop out of the Flint Hills Regional Council at this time. The vote stemmed from discussions on the increase in member fees, which are due by the end of the month. The board originally tabled the discussion last week for review. Commission Chair John Ford says he struggled with the decision partly due to the increase being used to pay off a loan. Ford also cited the reason for his decision was not due to the actual amount of the increase in costs, but because the ask came after the 2022 budget was finalized. Regional…