Author: KMAN Staff

Belvue Bridge Pottawatomie and Wabaunsee County Commissioners met Monday to discuss the possibility of repairing the Belvue Bridge. Pottawatomie County Public Works Director Peter Clark explains what their plans are going forward: Although a grant could help pay for a large portion of a repair project, Clark says receiving one is far from a guarantee. As for the engineering study, Clark says the two counties agreed on an 83-17 percent cost-share, with Pottawatomie County paying the larger portion. The estimated cost of the study is $50,000 to $75,000. Bridge cameras Pottawatomie County Commissioner Pat Weixelman proposed installing cameras on the…

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A southeast Kansas man is jailed after he allegedly called police to say he had fatally shot his father. Crawford County Sheriff Danny Smith said 29-year-old Michael Woodson called the department Sunday night to say he had just shot his father at their home. Deputies found 53-year-old David Buckley dead inside the home and arrested Woodson without incident. The Joplin Globe reports that Smith would not say how many times the father was shot and investigators are still trying to determine a motive. The two men were the only ones home at the time.

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Thousands of Spirit AeroSystems employees in Wichita and other locations are being furloughed for three weeks without pay amid an outbreak of a novel coronavirus that has paralyzed air travel around the globe. The Wichita Eagle reports that most managers and hourly employees at Spirit, Wichita’s largest employer, will be placed on 21-day unpaid leave starting Wednesday. It’s unclear exactly how many employees will be affected. The aircraft parts maker’s company profile says it employs around 18,000. The temporary layoffs apply to Spirit employees associated with the company’s Boeing commercial program. It includes Spirit employees in San Antonio and in…

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Three staff members and a resident at a state hospital that serves people with intellectual disabilities have tested positive for the coronavirus as another outbreak at a nursing home continues to grow. The Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services announced the new cases at Parsons State Hospital and Training Center in southeast Kansas in a news release Monday night. The sickened resident has been moved into on-site isolation. Health officials reported 845 confirmed cases of the coronavirus Monday, up from 747 on Sunday. The number of confirmed cases at the Life Care Center of Burlington has grown to 41.

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MISSION, Kan. — A rehabilitation facility in Kansas City, Kansas, has reported four death from the coronavirus. It’s one of a few group living facilities in the state that’s dealing with coronavirus outbreaks among their vulnerable residents. Local health officials say the people who died at the Riverbend Post Acute Rehabilitation Center were among 37 who were sickened there. Four were staff members. The rest were patients. Meanwhile, three staff members and a resident at the Parsons State Hospital and Training Center for people with intellectual disabilities have tested positive. At the Life Care Center of Burlington, 41 residents and…

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The Manhattan City Commission plans to award a demolition contract for the 3003 Anderson Avenue property damaged during the 2018 Labor Day weekend flood. The City Commission has the item on its consent agenda Tuesday for approval. A timeline for demolition hasn’t been announced. The demolition is coming after Plaza West shopping center property owner Mark Samarrai failed to meet a December 1, 2019 deadline to address health and safety concerns. City Manager Ron Fehr says the contract is awarded to Remco Demolition of Leavenworth for the amount of $49,810. “We’ve tried several different attempts for that owner to rectify…

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Manhattan City Manager Ron Fehr and Mayor Usha Reddi spoke about the upcoming City Commission legislative meeting scheduled for Tuesday, April 7 and changes in the meeting structure.

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The Manhattan Alliance for Peace and Justice held a conference continuing to demand the resignation of Commissioner Marvin Rodriguez and live streamed commission meetings. The People’s Press Conference was held via Zoom with multiple speakers within the community.  This is due to comments Rodriguez made during a special meeting on March 18. A new resident of Manhattan, Kimberly Zito says comments like the ones made by Rodriguez can lead to fear and blame during a time of crisis. “So when a government official makes such an ignorant and misinformed comment, then follows up with an explanation that doubles down on…

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