TOPEKA, Kan. — The Kansas Board of Regents have approved a temporary policy that gives university CEOs more power to suspend or fire employees, including tenured faculty. The regents unanimously endorsed the change Wednesday, citing financial pressures caused by the coronavirus pandemic, cuts in state funding and declining enrollments. The regents gave universities 45 days to submit a framework to determine how they will make employee-related decisions. A representative of the Council of Faculty Senate Presidents told the regents that the policy basically suspends tenure and will damage employee morale. The policy will be in effect until Dec. 31, 2022
Author: KMAN Staff
The USD 383 school board voted 5-2 in favor of Oliver Brown Elementary welcoming the new brown & gold color scheme and bison mascot. Following more than 1,600 responses to an online survey late last year, the public had the final say in deciding the colors and mascot for the new school. Newly elected board president Jurdene Coleman held out for “Ollie the Owl”, and said she was saddened by the resulting polls and was joined by board member Brandy Santos. The mascots otherwise considered were an owl or an otter, and a brown and orange color scheme was in…
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 800 block of Walters Dr. in Manhattan on January 20, 2021, at approximately 3:08 p.m. Officers listed a 38-year-old female as the victim when it was…
Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Jason Smith joined us for a discussion on the Chamber’s priorities for 2021, the Chamber’s position on the creation of a new city housing advisory board. He also spoke to growth, in terms of jobs and population and legislative priorities.
Manhattan Fire Department responded to a structure fire at the Hampton Inn on Wednesday. Firefighters responded to a report of fire coming from the hotel, located off of 501 East Poyntz Avenue, around 2:30 pm. When firefighters arrived on scene, black smoke and fire could be seen coming from the building. MFD crews immediately searched the building and evacuated one person from the building. A collapse occurred on the roof and a hotel room on the third floor crashed down to the ground level. The room collapse was due to water. Firefighters were able to contain the fire in just…
Release from the Office of the Governor. TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly will announce tomorrow the statewide move to Phase 2 of Kansas’ COVID-19 vaccination plan. With this move, all those aged 65+, those in eligible congregate settings, and all high-contact critical workers will now be prioritized for vaccination, in addition to any one from Phase 1 who has not yet been vaccinated. “After moving quickly to vaccinate close to 130,000 frontline health care workers and Kansas seniors, my administration has worked with local health departments and providers to prepare to move Kansas into Phase 2,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “While it’s important to…
Pottawatomie County has announced that its vaccine-sign-up program is now online. Those wanting to sign up are encouraged to either do so online at PottCounty.GovBuilt.com/VaccineSignUp by calling 785-457-1432. However, people are advised to only choose one of these options as doing both could result in someone being signed up twice. The county has reportedly already received a high number of sign-ups, so those who call may have to wait a day or two someone to call back. Gov. Laura Kelly will announce the start of Phase 2 of the vaccine distribution plan as soon as Thursday. This means the county…
With the new year in full swing, Manhattan-Ogden USD 383 looks towards its redistricting efforts later this year. The redistricting report will be discussed by the board of education next month. Board Member Katrina Lewison says based on community feedback from previous surveys, new information is now available. New map options were posted to the USD 383 website and are available for community input. Videos are posted showing maps 4,5, and 6, along with a presentation explaining the new maps. There are also previous maps and presentations available as well. Community input for the new maps ends Friday, January 21. …
Airport-parking fees made official The Manhattan City Commission officially approved new Manhattan Regional Airport parking fees during its meeting Tuesday. Mayor Wynn Butler says the fees will help make it so that Manhattan tax payers aren’t completely responsible for funding airport improvements. “While we call it the Manhattan Regional Airport, the funding for that thing has always been city,” Butler said. “That is the primary reason why the parking needed to have a user fee, so that it’s not coming off the property-tax bill.” The fees will take effect on Feb. 1, 2021, at a maximum daily rate of $2.50…