Manhattan’s newly combined smoking and vaping ordinance will not completely ban nicotine consumption on bar and restaurant outdoor patios. It passed by 3 to 2 vote. The City Commission Tuesday changed course on the regulations following outreach from multiple area business owners after having previously passed a first reading of an ordinance that extended the ban to patios and would have applied on golf courses as well. The amended version of the law still prohibits smoking and vaping within 20 feet of access points such as doors and open windows — even on patios — in all Parks and Recreation…
Author: KMAN Staff
Tuesday’s guests were Manhattan City Manager Ron Fehr and Mayor Mike Dodson.
An election canvas for the 2019 local election was held during Monday’s Riley County commission meeting. County Clerk Rich Vargo, along with the representatives from the clerk’s office, led the canvas. Vargo explained to the commissioners, who were also the canvas board, how the procedure works. “The canvas report will have the total number of ballots casted for each polling place and will read through each polling place result with the recommendations,” explains Vargo. The provisional ballots were then be given the recommendation by Election Supervisor Susan Boller of either valid, partial, or not. They then gave their reasoning for…
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A woman convicted in the death of a 9-month-old boy at a Eudora day care has been sentenced of more than 10 years in prison. Forty-five-year-old Carrody Melissa Buchhorn was sentenced Monday for second-degree murder in the September 2016 death of Oliver Ortiz at the Sunshine Kids Group Daycare Home in Eudora. The Lawrence Journal-World reports a coroner ruled Oliver’s death was a homicide caused by blunt force trauma. Buchhorn was originally charged with first-degree murder. After she was convicted, Buchhorn fired her lawyer and hired a new counsel, who said he planned to appeal the…
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A company could pay up to a $1 million fine for allowing a chemical cloud to spread over a northeast Kansas city in 2016. Federal prosecutors said in a news release that MGP Ingredients, of Atchison, pleaded guilty Monday to negligently violating the federal Clean Air Act, a misdemeanor. In October 2016, a chlorine gas cloud formed at the company’s Atchison plant when 4,000 gallons of sulfuric acid were mistakenly combined with 5,800 gallons of sodium hypochlorite. Atchison residents evacuated or sheltered in place for several hours. About 140 people sought medical attention. A federal report…
An election to decide who will be the new Pottawatomie County Sheriff will take place next Tuesday. The decision will come just a couple weeks after current Sheriff Greg Riat was elected by a committee of Republican Party precinct leaders to succeed county commissioner Travis Altenhofen. While the process of Republican Party precinct leaders making the decision will remain the same, county clerk Nancy McCarter says there will be a couple differences this time around. “When the Republican Party had the rules for the commissioner, they allowed a nomination from the floor and then a second by a delegate,” Nancy…
The 10th annual Kevin Coffey Memorial Blood Drive is happening this week, honoring the memory of a young Manhattan man with a big heart. Ray and Maxine Coffey, Kevin’s parents, spoke with KMAN recently about the upcoming blood drive, which they helped begin in memory of their son Kevin, who was killed in a bus accident in 2010. Kevin was an advocate for blood donations and had a universal blood type. “With Kevin being such a committed blood donor and especially wanting to bring in first-time donors who then hopefully become every time donors to be a life saving force.…
HIAWATHA, Kan. (AP) — A 16-year-old boy is dead and four other teens are hurt after a rollover crash in northeast Kansas. The Kansas Highway Patrol says the crash happened early Sunday in Brown County near U.S. Highway 36. The 17-year-old driver of a 2010 Toyota Corolla lost control of the car and veered into a ditch before the car went airborne and rolled onto its roof. The Patrol says Ian Miller of Hiawatha, Kansas, died in the crash. The other teens in the car ages 15,17, 18 and 19 all sustained serious injuries and were taken to a hospital.
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Authorities are investigating the death of a man who was found under a car on a Wichita lawn after an acquaintance called to report a carjacking. The Wichita Eagle reports that the acquaintance has been arrested on suspicion of second-degree murder. The man who died wasn’t immediately identified. He lived at the east Wichita home where he was found under the car. Wichita police officer Charley Davidson says investigators are working to talk to the suspect.
Monday’s program centered around trains and the history of transportation in Manhattan and Riley County. Riley County Historical Museum Executive Director Cheryl Collins joined us for the discussion.