0:00 – Suspensions are fair-ish 12:30 – What else happened with suspensions
Author: KMAN Staff
Agricultural chemical and seed company Corteva Agriscience officially announced the location of its new facility to the public at the Columbian Theater in Wamego this morning. Among those in attendance were various local government officials, Greater Manhattan Economic Partnership members, Corteva Agriscience employees and property developers. The installation will occupy a 22,000 square foot building in the Wamego Industrial Park on the east side of of the city and will employ 15 to 20 permanent employees as well as a number of seasonal workers. In addition, Corteva Agriscience Senior Research Scientist Les Kuhlman says there will be internship and part-time…
The Manhattan-Ogden USD 383 school board has approved a roughly $74,000 contract for redistricting consulting services. Assistant Superintendent Eric Reid says RSP and Associates will collect data from all areas of the district including Pottawatomie County. The district has worked with RSP in the past and determined that area was where the district was growing the most. For the current proposal, the data collection will be taken over the past five years. “This allows them to more accurately predict down the line, year after year data helps them. This is what they recommend to see it on a more consistent…
A utility connection fee waiver for a new Pottawatomie County emergency services building was narrowly approved at Tuesday’s Manhattan City Commission meeting. Pottawatomie County constructed a new EMS and Sheriff Office substation on Green Valley Road to serve the Blue Township area and the east side of Manhattan located in Pottawatomie County. The waiver — amounting to more than $11,000 — was requested by Pott. County Public Works Director, Peter Clark. The City of Manhattan has a history of approving waivers for area governments and community organizations. In December, the commission waived more than $90,000 in fees for a Manhattan…
Thrive! Flint Hills Executive Director Jayme Morris-Hardeman joined us to preview some opportunities for the public to learn about poverty in our community including a poverty simulation coming up in March. Sunflower CASA Executive Director Carson Kober and Director of CASA Services Jennifer Anguiano stopped by to discuss the need for CASA volunteers and upcoming training that begins on Feb. 4. Pawnee Mental Health Executive Director Robbin Cole joined the program for her monthly update including information regarding the Crisis Stabilization Center.
With students returning to classes this week, Kansas State University is preparing to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr with events beginning this weekend. Chief Inclusion and Diversity Officer Dr Bryan Samuel spoke with KMAN about the some of the week’s activities. He says K-State has had a rich history honoring Dr. King dating back to his 1968 speech on campus Dr. King’s son also spoke on campus last year. “We have made a conscious decision to make sure our students are engaged and have every opportunity to participate in programs and services that we offer. When students return and…
After failing to meet a deadline to address health and safety concerns, Manhattan plans to demolish a property that was significantly damaged in the 2018 Labor Day flood of Wildcat Creek. The Manhattan City Commission gave the L-shaped Plaza West shopping center located at 3003 Anderson Avenue until December 1, 2019 to address mold, rotting food and damaged windows, walls and doors resulting from the flood. The building was inundated with seven feet of water on September 3, 2018. The property’s owner, Mark Samarrai, told the commission at its September 2019 public hearing on the building that work was stalled…
WICHITA — The Kansas Supreme Court has ruled an insurance company must reimburse a Kansas man for the personal care his wife provided after he was injured in an automobile accident. The decision handed down Tuesday overturns a Court of Appeals panel ruling that GEICO General Insurance Co. did not have to pay insured customer Royce Williams because the wife’s obligation to help her husband “was incurred as a result of the marital relationship itself.” The state’s highest court disagreed and reinstated the $2,625 in benefits that the district court had initially awarded Williams.
Dealing with frequent employee turnover and difficulty recruiting, Manhattan is hoping to make changes to its workplace environment and transform the city into an “employer of choice.” Multiple department heads echoed similar staffing troubles during Tuesday’s City Commission meeting. Administrative staff told commissioners relatively low pay compared to what businesses or other cities offer in their respective fields, employee sentiment that good performance is not rewarded and growing dissatisfaction with the work-life balance in the organization have contributed to the situation. “I really believe if we were a private company, we’re probably not heading in the right direction as an…
WICHITA — Wichita police say a carjacking victim used an app to lead officers to her car and two suspects in the theft. Officer Charley Davidson says the 53-year-old victim was attacked and her car stolen Sunday in the parking lot of Trinity Lutheran Church. She called 911 Monday and reported she was tracking her vehicle with a Ford app. Police tracked the vehicle to a Quik Trip and detained 21-year-old Ryan Dittmer and an 18-year-old. Davidson says Dittmer was booked into jail on possible charges of aggravated robbery and a state parole violation. The 18-year-old has not been arrested.