On Friday’s edition of In Focus we spoke with RCPD Director Dennis Butler.
Author: KMAN Staff
After righting a budget miscalculation, the Riley County Police Department will present a budget to the Law Board that is slightly decreased from 2020’s numbers. But officials at a joint meeting of Riley County and Manhattan Thursday discussed looking for further reductions and potentially codifying how the police department’s carry over cash is handled. RCPD Director Dennis Butler Monday presented the board with a proposed budget flat with 2020’s approved figures — totaling more than $22 million. They approved that budget for publication, but Director Butler says the figures were based on ’20 numbers that did not subtract carry over…
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas softened its quarantine guidelines for meatpacking plants after industry executives repeatedly pushed state officials to allow employees who were potentially exposed to the coronavirus to keep working, text messages and emails show. The Kansas City Star and The Wichita Eagle reported that they obtained messages through an open records request showing that executives at Tyson and National Beef pushed Kansas Secretary of Agriculture Mike Beam to advocate more-lenient federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance. Beam told The Associated Press on Wednesday that his role was to “emphasize internally” in Gov. Laura Kelly’s administration…
WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly has received the kind of praise from President Donald Trump that Republicans in her home state of Kansas would love to hear about themselves. Kelly met with the Republican president Wednesday in Washington to discuss the coronvirus pandemic, along with GOP Gov. Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas. Trump said, “They’ve both done a fantastic job.” Kelly said before leaving for Washington that she would discuss outbreaks in meatpacking plants, a major source of new cases in Kansas, and press Trump to support direct aid to states to help them cover revenue shortfalls tied to…
MISSION, Kan. (AP) — Teacher Tabatha Rosproy’s preschool class met inside a nursing and retirement home in rural Kansas, forming a bond with residents that continued even when social distancing requirements due to the coronavirus pandemic forced her classroom to close down. After a school year of unprecedented disruptions, Rosproy was chosen as the 2020 National Teacher of the Year for bridging the worlds of her community’s oldest and youngest. Her selection from among 55 award-winning teachers around the country was announced Thursday by the Council of Chief State School Officers, with the selection committee praising her in a statement…
The Pottawatomie County Commission will have a little competition in this year’s election for who will represent District 2. Nancy McCarter, the current Pottawatomie County clerk, will oppose District 2 incumbent Pat Weixelman. KMAN sat down with Nancy and talked about her background as a county clerk, why she is running for commission and her stances on various county issues. This conversation can be found below. Can you tell me a little bit about your family life and time in Pottawatomie County? Which part of Pottawatomie County do you currently live in? How long have you been the Pottawatomie County…
USD 383 Manhattan/Ogden has set a tentative date for a Manhattan High School graduation ceremony. School officials are looking towards holding the ceremony on Aug. 2 at Bishop Stadium. Eric Reid, the USD 383 assistant superintendent, says they have yet to set a time for commencement and have a lot to consider when making that decision. Karla Hagemeister, the Board of Education president, says either way, they want to do what they can for MHS seniors. According to Gov. Laura Kelly’s current reopening plan, graduation ceremonies will be allowed without mass gathering restrictions as soon as June 22.
On Thursday’s edition of In Focus we spoke with Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce President Jason Smith. We also spoke with Hale Library Dean Lori Goetsch about the 2 year anniversary of the Hale Library fire.
As Manhattan continues work to begin construction on an Aggieville parking garage, city commissioners Tuesday voiced support for the cheapest option presented for the garage’s exterior. The parking garage in Aggieville along with street and utility improvements along Laramie and 12th Streets are the first of an estimated $30 million in public projects identified in the Aggieville Redevelopment Plan. On city officials radar for years, they see it addressing inadequate parking in the business district and serving as a catalyst for new investment. “I’ve heard from multiple development opportunities that are waiting for that [guaranteed maximum price] to be approved,…
Manhattan Tuesday cleared the way for a developer to pursue a building permit for a second Tommy’s Express Car Wash in West Manhattan. Despite traffic concerns, Manhattan City Commissioners unanimously voted to amend Westloop Shopping Center’s final development plan in order to allow the car wash under some conditions laid out by the Manhattan Urban Area Planning Board. The applicant, Frontier Investments, intends to demolish and replace the vacant bank building near the Claflin entrance to the shopping center with the new Tommy’s. After redevelopment, the 31,000 square foot site will feature a 4,500 square foot car wash with vacuum…