The Manhattan City Commission Tuesday night signed off on city staff entering into a pre-development contract with a group that has proposed a 40 million dollar mixed use project for Laramie and 12th Street in Aggieville. The approval of entering into that deal, though, drew complaint from Commissioner Linda Morse, who feels the city should seek to sell the parking lot for it’s value rather than potentially allow Back 9 to purchase it for a dollar. Back 9 is wanting to build a retail, office and residential development named “FUSE” on the lot, but appraisal of the lot pegs it’s…
Author: KMAN Staff
The controversy over a lack of a kitchen at the soon to open Eisenhower Recreation Center became part of the discussion over the 2022 Manhattan City Budget. Andrew Elliott used public comment time at the City Commission meeting Tuesday night to express frustration over the status of the Northview area as a “food desert”. Elliott accused city staff of failing to discuss in good faith the potential of placing a kitchen in the rec center to help ease some of the food insecurity issues. Mayor Wynn Butler was blunt in his response. Commissioner Linda Morse floated the idea of providing…
OLATHE, Kan. — A former Olathe teacher has been convicted of reckless stalking of a young girl he taught at an elementary school. Fifty-nine-year-old James Loganbill of Lenexa was found guilty Wednesday after the girl, who is now 12, testified against him. Loganbill admitted to police in March 2020 that he was obsessed with the girl in his classroom at Meadow Lane Elementary School. He took 230 photos and 31 videos of the girl’s legs and buttocks. The girl was 10 at the time. Loganbill’s sentencing is set for Nov. 3. His attorney said he would try to overturn the…
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — A former Kansas City, Kansas, youth volleyball coach has been arrested after turning himself in on a warrant charging him with sexual exploitation of a child. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation says in a news release that 27-year-old Levinson “Levi” Gibson drove from his home in Indianapolis on Wednesday to the Leavenworth County Jail to face the charge. The KBI says authorities launched an investigation after receiving a report in July 2020 of Gibson soliciting a nude photo of an underage girl he coached at Dynasty Volleyball Academy in Kansas City, Kansas. Following a search of…
TOPEKA, Kan. — Police are investigating what they’ve dubbed the “suspicious death” of a person inside a Topeka home. Police officers were flagged down Wednesday afternoon by someone in the Briarwood neighborhood and told a person dead inside a nearby home. The officers went inside and found the body. Investigators say the circumstances surrounding the person’s death are suspicious, but did not give any details about how the person may have died or the person’s identity. The investigation into the death is continuing.
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — The Wyandotte County District Attorney’s office will not retry a Catholic priest who was accused of sexually molesting an 11-year-old girl. Rev. Scott Kallal had been charged with two counts of indecent liberties with a child while he was working at St. Patrick Catholic School in Kansas City, Kansas. A trial on the charges ended in a hung jury in September 2019. The Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas said in a statement released Wednesday the district attorney has decided not to retry Kallal. The diocese said the priest remains on a leave of absence while…
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 responded to the report of an injury crash near the intersection of Tuttle Cove Rd. and Terrea Heights Dr. in Manhattan on September 8, 2021, around 8:03 a.m. When officers arrived on scene…
Fort Riley Fall Apple Pie Day was previewed with Fall Apple Day Festival Coordinator Ron Stewart, Command Sgt. Major Tim Speicher. Pie King and Queen Chris and Amanda Stewart and President of the Historical and Archaeological Society of Fort Riley Mary Teller continued our Pie Day discussion Biosecurity Research Institute Director Dr. Stephen Higgs also joined the program.
The Manhattan City Commission approved an ordinance on first reading to set the budget for 2022, a budget that will see a 3.499 mill levy increase. Mayor Wynn Butler noted the frustration he’s hearing from property owners as he provided the only “no” vote. Commissioner Aaron Estabrook, though, made clear that he’s concerned with a lack of interest in dealing with current issues bedeviling city operations. Commissioner Mark Hatesohl noted the bulk of that increase is the city’s share to fund the Riley County Police Department and Manhattan Public Library. Usha Reddi noted the increase doesn’t fully meet what city…