Author: KMAN Staff
Eastbound traffic along Kimball Ave. will be reduced to one lane Friday east of the Cattle Bridge as construction continues in the area. The City of Manhattan says Rylie Construction, who is currently working for AT&T, is closing the eastbound lane starting at 9 a.m. and it’s expected the closure will only last one day. If the work needs to be extended, the city says construction officials will remove all equipment at the end of the work day and re-close the lane at 9 a.m. on Saturday.
TOPEKA, Kan. — The top health official in Kansas has told lawmakers that the state will likely see a only a small uptick in the immediate supply of the COVID-19 vaccine with the change in presidential administrations. Dr. Lee Norman, head of the state health department, said Tuesday the state will likely get a 1% or 2% increase in its vaccine supply in the short run. Health officials reported Wednesday that about 3.8% of the state’s population have gotten the vaccine to date. Kansas added another 3,590 COVID-19 cases Wednesday, pushing the state’s tally to 263,412 since since the start…
LIBERAL, Kan. — A former southwest Kansas county court clerk was sentenced to a year of probation for keeping traffic court payments for herself. Fifty-seven-year-old Sonia Johnson was sentenced Tuesday for misuse of public funds. She pleaded no contest in August. Johnson was the court clerk in Seward County. The Kansas Attorney General’s Office said Johnson kept more than $8,000 in voided traffic court payments. She returned most of the funds but left the court about $3,000 short. Johnson was also ordered to pay $2,962 in restitution and a $2,500 fine. She would serve six months in jail if she…
BONNER SPRINGS, Kan. — Police in suburban Kansas City, Kansas, say a man died and a young woman was critically injured in a crash as the pair fled police. The Kansas City Star reports that the crash happened just before 1 a.m. Wednesday in Bonner Springs. Police had responded to reports of a car speeding, driving recklessly and squealing tires in a residential area. Police say when officers spotted the car, it fled reaching speeds of 114 mph before crashing and hitting a tree. Police say the driver, 22-year-old Juan Carlos Marquez of Bonner Springs, died at a hospital. An…
DODGE CITY, Kan. — The Kansas Bureau of Investigation and local officials in southwestern Kansas are investigating after a body was found inside a rail grain car near Dodge City. Television station KAKE reports that the body of a man was found in the grain car Wednesday morning in the unincorporated community of Wright, just northeast of Dodge City. The KBI and Ford County Sheriff’s Office are working to identify the man. Authorities say a preliminary investigation does not show any foul play in the case.
OMAHA, Neb. — A new monthly survey of bankers suggests growing improvement in the economy in rural parts of 10 Plains and Western states. But Creighton University economist Ernie Goss says bank CEOs’ biggest fears for 2021 are excessive inflation and higher long-term interest rates. The overall index of January’s Rural Mainstreet Survey improved to 52.0 from December’s 51.6 the highest reading since before the onset last year of the coronavirus pandemic. Any score above 50 suggests a growing economy, while a score below 50 suggests a shrinking economy. Bankers from Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota,…
TOPEKA, Kan. — The Kansas Board of Regents have approved a temporary policy that gives university CEOs more power to suspend or fire employees, including tenured faculty. The regents unanimously endorsed the change Wednesday, citing financial pressures caused by the coronavirus pandemic, cuts in state funding and declining enrollments. The regents gave universities 45 days to submit a framework to determine how they will make employee-related decisions. A representative of the Council of Faculty Senate Presidents told the regents that the policy basically suspends tenure and will damage employee morale. The policy will be in effect until Dec. 31, 2022
The USD 383 school board voted 5-2 in favor of Oliver Brown Elementary welcoming the new brown & gold color scheme and bison mascot. Following more than 1,600 responses to an online survey late last year, the public had the final say in deciding the colors and mascot for the new school. Newly elected board president Jurdene Coleman held out for “Ollie the Owl”, and said she was saddened by the resulting polls and was joined by board member Brandy Santos. The mascots otherwise considered were an owl or an otter, and a brown and orange color scheme was in…
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 theft in the 800 block of Walters Dr. in Manhattan on January 20, 2021, at approximately 3:08 p.m. Officers listed a 38-year-old female as the victim when it was…