WEBB CITY, Mo. — A former southwest Missouri junior high teacher has pleaded guilty to third-degree child molestation. Twenty-nine-year-old Nicholas Popejoy, of Arma, Kansas, agreed to a plea agreement Monday. A second count of sexual contact with a student was dropped. Popejoy was a science and math teacher, freshman boys basketball coach and coed track coach at Webb City Junior High School before he was fired in November 2019. A probable cause statement said Popejoy inappropriately touched a boy under the age of 14 on school grounds. A sentencing hearing was scheduled for March 1.
Author: KMAN Staff
TOPEKA, Kan. — Kansas House Democrats have started the process to oust a newly elected lawmaker over multiple issues that include the 20-year-old’s rhetoric on Twitter and allegations of harassing and threatening girls and young women. A formal compliant filed Tuesday in the House about State Rep. Aaron Coleman will kick off a bipartisan investigation that will culminate in a recommendation and vote about his future in the Legislature. A two-thirds majority would be necessary to oust him. Coleman, of Kansas City, Kansas, was elected as a Democrat, but he tweeted Tuesday that he was unaffiliating with the party.
Riley County Commission Chair John Ford, new Emergency Management Director Russel Stukey and Fire Chief Michael Regel joined us to discuss county happenings.
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 1800 block of Alabama Ln. in Manhattan on January 11, 2021, at approximately 5:15 p.m. Officers listed a 25-year-old female as the victim when it was…
Pott. County COVID-19-related hospitalization numbers About five Pottawatomie County residents were hospitalized with COVID-19 complications as of Monday’s report. However, Leslie Campbell, Pottawatomie County health director, told the Pott. County Commission on Monday that area hospitals are taking in out-of-county patients as well. The Onaga Community Healthcare System has people from Jackson, Nemaha (and) Marshall (County) all in the hospital,” Campbell said. “So there’s more people in the hospital, they’re just not all from Pottawatomie County.” She says the county’s numbers may also not be indicative of how many COVID-19-positive Pottawatomie County residents are actually in Pottawatomie County hospitals. “They’re…
Pottawatomie County will soon create a online system allowing area residents to express their interest in getting a COVID-19 vaccine. According to a Pottawatomie County release, those on the “sign-up” list will be notified when vaccine doses for which they are eligible to receive are available. Eligibility is based on a timeline set up as part of the government’s COVID-19-vaccine distribution plan. Kansas is currently in phase one, meaning only healthcare workers, residents and patients of long-term care facilities and workers “critical to pandemic response continuity” are currently eligible to receive the vaccine. People who are 65 years of age…
After a cancellation of the event in 2020 due to the pandemic, the American Legion Boys State of Kansas is now accepting registrations for 2021. Boys State of Kansas is a “learning by doing” political exercise that simulates elections, political parties, and government at all levels. It provides interactive, problem-solving experience in leadership and teamwork to high school boys in Kansas. Traditionally, the event is for high school boys entering their senior year of high school, but this year the registration has expanded to include those who have completed their senior year of high school, as well as individuals who…
Six recently elected Pottawatomie County officials were sworn into office during the Pottawatomie County Commission’s on Monday. Dawn Henry, Pottawatomie County clerk, was the only official sworn in who is entering their first term. She is succeeding Nancy McCarter, who spent over 20 years with the county. Among the other officials sworn in during the meeting were Pat Weixelman, county commissioner; Betty Abitz, register of deeds; Sherri Schuck, county attorney; Shane Jager, sheriff; and Greg Riat, county commissioner.
WICHITA, Kan. — Wichita set a record for homicides last year with 59, eclipsing the city’s 1993 record of 57 homicides. Wichita joined a number of cities nationwide in setting records for homicides and violent crime during 2020. Police Chief Gordon Ramsay has said that stressed related to the coronavirus pandemic may have been factors in the increase in homicides last year. Those include record high unemployment, closed schools and businesses, increasing domestic violence and the halting of court proceedings. Throughout the year, Wichita recorded a homicide roughly once every 6 days on average.