The city of Manhattan will again require staff and visitors to wear masks in indoor facilities starting Monday. City Manager Ron Fehr announced the mandate in a Friday afternoon press release, noting that the requirement is only for the city-operated facilities and does not mean that there’s a city-wide mask ordinance. Fehr says the decision is based on recent CDC and Riley County Health Department recommendations as the county is among those dealing with high transmission rates of coronavirus. As of Thursday, there were 150 active cases of coronavirus in Riley County, per the health department.
Author: KMAN Staff
The first legislative redistricting public input listening session will be Monday morning in Manhattan. The joint House and Senate committees on redistricting will meet at nine in the ballroom of the K-State Union, launching a five-day, 14 city tour of the state. Each stop includes a 75-minute hearing. U.S. Census numbers from last year are to be utilized for the adjustment of the various boundaries, but they have been delayed and may come out while the Legislators are part way through their tour. Democrats have criticized starting the process while those numbers haven’t been released, but Republican leadership has promised…
The Manahttan Area Convention and Visitors Bureau says the recovery from last year’s lack of visitors because of the pandemic continues. Executive Director Karen Hibbard tells KMAN that, at the end of June, the hotel occupancy rate was 50-point-six percent for the year. While the July numbers aren’t official, Hibbard did note that the final week of July saw another increase in the occupancy rate. That increase, though, comes at a time that hospitality businesses are struggling to fill jobs. The CVB along with K-State Athletics are working to promote the first home football game of the season. The “Refill…
TOPEKA, Kan. — The most populous county in Kansas has imposed a mask mandate for students and staff in elementary schools in hopes of checking the more contagious COVID-19 delta variant. The Johnson County Commission voted 5-2 on Thursday for a mask requirement for schools from kindergarten through the sixth grade. The commission faced criticism both from health care providers who urged members to go further and from parents and other residents who opposed a mask mandate. The mandate would affect roughly 50,000 students, though critics questioned whether the commission has the authority to set policy for school districts. Supporters…
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Police are investigating after an officer found a man shot to death behind a convenience store in Kansas City, Kansas. Police say the discovery was made after officers were called just after 7 p.m. Thursday to an area along Kaw Drive for a report of a shooting. Arriving officers searched the area and found the man with gunshot wounds. He died at the scene. Police did not immediately release the man’s name, and no arrests have been reported.
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — A Kansas county in the Kansas City area is requiring most residents to wear masks in indoor public spaces and on public transportation. Wyandotte County’s mandate is a response to the spread of the more contagious COVID-19 delta variant. The county commission approved the mask mandate Thursday night on an 8-2 vote, and The Kansas City Star reports that it took effect immediately. The commission imposed the requirement for county residents above the age of 5 but exempted the small towns of Bonner Springs and Edwardsville. The delta variant has caused new COVID-19 cases to rise…
TOPEKA, Kan. — The state Supreme Court has upheld the convictions of a northeast Kansas woman serving a “Hard 50” prison sentence for shooting the father of her child six times and setting his body on fire in his mother’s home. The court on Friday unanimously rejected arguments from Tria Evans’ attorney that a Douglas County judge shouldn’t have allowed testimony that 34-year-old victim Joel Wales told others he feared Evans would kill him. The now 42-year-old Evans was convicted of first-degree murder and arson over Wales’ death in November 2017. She was sentenced to life in prison with no…
Officers filed a report for criminal damage to property in the 1000 block of S. Seth Child Rd. in Manhattan on August 5, 2021, around 3:57 p.m. Officers listed Riley County Jail as the victim when it was reported a 32-year-old male inmate damaged a commissary kiosk. The estimated total loss associated with this case is approximately $795. Officers filed a report for criminal damage to property in the 1000 block of Hostetler Dr. in Manhattan on August 5, 2021, around 11:25 p.m. Officers listed Comfort Inn and Suites as the victim when it was reported a 41-year-old male suspect…
On Friday’s edition of In Focus we spoke with K-State Research & Extension 4H Agent John Jobe. We also spoke with Manhattan Convention and Visitors Bureau Executive Director Karen Hibbard. In our final segments we spoke with Fort Riley Garrison Commander Will McKannay.
Riley County commissioners dismissed a mask mandate recommendation for county employees on Monday. Health Department Director Julie Gibbs, Human Resource Manager Elizabeth Wad, and Assistant EMS Director Josh Gering brought the recommendation to the commission. Ward says this is based on guidance from health professionals. Ward says if they do not take protective actions, a large number of employees may be out with the infection. Gibbs says the number of cases isn’t the most concerning number to her, but the situation at the hospitals. Commission Chair John Ford was against the mandate, saying it is the responsibility of the individual…