Pottawatomie County Commissioners this week approved for publication its 2021 budget which includes a lower overall general fund tax levy. Commissioners are set to approve the budget at their Aug. 10 meeting in the Sunflower Room in Westmoreland. The proposal calls for a tax levy of 27.429 mills – a little more than 0.5 mills lower than the 2020 levy of 28.021. The total budget authority for the 2021 budget is set at $34.1 million, down from $34.4 million in 2020. Overall county expenses total $40 million but the overall tax levy would drop from 28.256 to 27.664 mills under…
Author: KMAN Staff
A new local campaign aims to promote health and safety conscious behavior in Manhattan and the Flint Hills region. The safe and open campaign highlights businesses, organizations and individuals who have pledged to abide by recommended public health practices such as physical distancing, frequent hand washing and wearing face coverings in order to stop the spread of COVID-19. Officially launched as of Thursday, July 30, eight businesses have already signed the pledge committing to follow federal, state and local guidelines. Those that have pledged will receive a badge and other marketing materials that can be displayed on windows or inside…
USD 475 Geary County Chief Operations Officer David Wild joined us for an update on the school’s reopening plan and a construction update on the new Junction City High School. Riley County Commission District 3 candidate and current commissioner Ron Wells (R) joined us to discuss his campaign ahead of the primary. We also heard from District 3 challenger Kathryn Focke (D) who is also seeking a spot on the commission.
BARBER COUNTY– The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI), the Medicine Lodge Police Department, and the Barber County Sheriff’s Office are requesting the public’s help to locate a person of interest connected to a homicide that occurred in Medicine Lodge. Clinton W. Rogers, 34, stole a dark red 1995 Chevrolet Camaro with t-tops (pictured below), in Kingman County on Sunday. It is possible that the Camaro is still bearing Kansas license plate, 870JUK. Rogers is no longer traveling in the white F-150 pickup truck. Anyone who knows the whereabouts of Clint Rogers, or encounters him or the Camaro, is asked to call…
LAWRENCE, Kan. — The Kansas State High School Activities Association is allowing all fall high school sport competitions in Kansas to move forward as scheduled despite the coronavirus pandemic. The Lawrence Journal-World reports that the association’s executive board narrowly defeated on Tuesday a motion that would have delayed the start of fall competitions. Kansas health officials reported Wednesday that 14 more people have died of the coronavirus since Monday, bringing the state’s death toll to 349. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment also said the number of reported cases also rose to 26,870 in the state. That’s an increase…
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 aggravated sexual battery in Manhattan on July 29, 2020, at approximately 12:04 PM. Officers listed a 20-year-old female as the victim and an unknown male as the suspect. Due…
Manhattan continues to work on the details of a possible 2020 ballot question to extend the existing economic development sales tax another 10 years and expand it to be city-wide. City Commissioners and administration for the last few budget cycles have been eyeing renewing or replacing the existing half cent tax, which expires in 2022. The current tax is a Riley County tax that annually draws about $3 million in revenue for Manhattan and an additional $2 million for the county and cities like Riley, Randolph and Leonardville. Only in effect in Riley County, city officials prefer a new city-wide…
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. — An Overland Park police oversight meeting has grown heated after exchanges over arrests at a protest for racial justice. About 14 protesters attended the meeting Monday, the Kansas City Star reports. Protesters said police at the Friday protest didn’t act with professionalism and some were not wearing name badges. The police department in a statement said that officers were allowed to remove their name badges because they were concerned that their personal information would be posted online. Friday night’s demonstration grew tense when some protesters refused to walk on the sidewalk.
ELWOOD, Kan. — A Missouri woman is suing a northeastern Kansas city and one of its former police officers who pleaded guilty to sexual battery for groping her during an arrest two years ago. The Kansas City Star reports that woman is suing the city of Elwood and former Officer Aaron Newberry for an undisclosed amount. The lawsuit accuses them of negligent infliction of emotional distress. The woman details in the lawsuit that Newberry arrested her at a party in Elwood in July 2018 for having a small amount of marijuana. She says once they were in his patrol car,…
LAWRENCE, Kan. — The Lawrence school district has decided to start its school year after Labor Day with at least six weeks of online learning because of the threat of the coronavirus pandemic. The Lawrence Journal-world reports school board members voted Monday to begin with fully remote learning and consider later in the year whether to adopt a hybrid model that would allow for students to spend some school days in classrooms and others at home with remote learning. Three of Kansas’ largest school districts voted last week not to resume their classes until after the holiday.