A COVID-19 vaccination is just around the corner. Ascension Via Christi President and CEO, Bob Copple, tells KMAN vaccines have been made and are waiting for the full approval from the FDA before distribution. On KMAN Thursday morning, Copple said as early as next week, they could have doses of the vaccine in Manhattan and begin vaccinating health care workers. Widespread public access to vaccines still isn’t likely until spring. He says many people may be worried about how quickly this vaccine was produced, but reassures that all safety measures have still been followed. “We’ve seen that throughout this process,”…
Author: KMAN Staff
Continuing in the fashion of previous years, the “Cops N’ Kids” program will continue to provide gifts to children in the community unable to afford presents. The program originally set out to serve more than 50 families every year, and as it continued, through the gifts from representatives and the general population, the program has served around 75 kids every December. As for the past 30 years, officers or other employees of the police department would meet with the children at Walmart, then would go shopping. This serves the purpose of ensuring the choice the child makes is both appropriate,…
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Task Force The Manhattan City Commission debated Tuesday about whether to vote on establishing a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Task Force next week. Mayor Usha Reddi, who first proposed the idea in August, says the idea is to bring together diversity experts from local organizations to make resources more available to underrepresented and marginalized communities. “There are organizations already in some of these structures, such as the university, such as Fort Riley as well as USD 383, that we can kind of consolidate for our own city and make sure we are more welcoming and inclusive,”…
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 3400 block of Woodduck Way in Manhattan on December 8, 2020, at approximately 6:22 a.m. Officers listed a 47-year-old male as the victim when it was…
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 criminal damage to property and criminal discharge of a firearm in the 2000 block of Tuttle Creek Blvd. in Manhattan on December 7, 2020, at approximately 9:29 a.m. Officers…
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A former Shawnee County prosecutor faces a disciplinary hearing this week over allegations that she lied in court and crossed other ethical boundaries to obtain convictions. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that a three-member panel of the Kansas Board for Discipline of Attorneys is presiding over the weeklong hearing that started Monday to determine if Jacqie Spradling’s conduct merits formal discipline. Spradling is now the Bourbon County attorney and an assistant county attorney in Allen County. Neither she nor her lawyer immediately replied to messages seeking comment. Spradling is accused of showing a lack of competence, candor…
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A 32-year-old Wichita man who stole a vehicle with three children inside has been sentenced to nearly four years in prison. Jason Barajas pleaded guilty in October to theft and aggravated endangering a child. He was sentenced Tuesday to 47 months in prison. On June 19, 2019, a Wichita woman reported that she left her three children in a van when she went inside a convenience store. The children were 2, 1 and eight months old. Police say the keys were left in the van and Barajas jumped in and drove away. The van was found…
OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — Authorities in suburban Kansas City, Kansas, say the driver of a FedEx semitrailer has died after the truck sailed over the side of a highway bridge, crashed onto the road below and erupted in flames. Police say the crash happened around 4 a.m. Wednesday when the truck launched off the side of the Kansas Highway 7 bridge and landed on Kansas Highway 10 below near Olathe. The crash led to a large fire that consumed the truck and shut down all lanes of K-10 in the area as fire crews battled the flames and police investigated.…
Wednesday’s guests included USD 323 Rock Creek Superintendent Kevin Logan and USD 320 Wamego Superintendent Tim Winter updating us on COVID-19 quarantines, shifts as well as end of year success stories in each district. Manhattan Area Technical College President Jim Genandt also updated us on several topics including the Adult Learning Center and Regional Testing Center, its expansion into Wamego and how MATC has overcome COVID-19 in 2020 while still delivering education to students.
Riley County Police say a third suspect is now jailed in an ongoing rape investigation involving a 12-year-old victim. Police on Tuesday charged 20-year-old Brian Griffith of Fort Riley in connection on the offenses of one count of rape and one count of criminal sodomy, from an alleged incident, reported to police Nov. 24. Griffith was issued a $250,000 total bond and remains in the Riley County Jail. Griffith is the third Fort Riley soldier in a week to be arrested on rape charges. Police charged 23-year-old Tavian Garrett with five counts of rape and five counts of aggravated criminal…