Thursday’s guests included VFW Post 1786 Commander Dan Watkins with some good news about his first year as Post Commander. Friends of Peace Memorial Auditorium guests including Events Chair Randi Dale, Veteran Jim Sharp, Veteran and Phi Mu Alpha fraternity alum Jerry Rosine and K-State student and Phi Mu Alpha member Ryan Hernandez previewed the American Music Recital at Peace Memorial Auditorium happening Friday, May 10. KMAN’s Nick McNamara interviewed Fort Riley Strategic Planner Ben Van Becelaere about the regional economic impact Fort Riley has on the area.
Author: KMAN Staff
MANHATTAN — The Manhattan-Ogden USD 383 school board has approved updated guidelines on protections for transgender students. During its previous meeting, the board gave approval to the guidelines on a first reading. On Wednesday the board voted 6-1 in favor of the new measure with board member Darell Edie the lone opponent. With a packed room of community members Wednesday night, Superintendent Marvin Wade explained why the board drafted these guidelines. For over an hour, the board listened to more than a dozen community members give their reasons for supporting or not supporting these protections. Those in favor showed their…
TOPEKA — Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly is seeking $35 million to improve corrections officer salaries and inmate health care and to transfer inmates out of overcrowded state prisons. Kelly on Tuesday submitted an amended budget proposal for the spending year that begins July 1 for lawmakers to consider as they returned Wednesday to the Statehouse for a brief wrap-up session. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that Kelly wants to purchase contract bed space for male inmates to free state correctional officers for redeployment in the crowded prison system. In February, the governor declared an emergency at the state’s most crowded prison…
Update 4 p.m. TOPEKA — Republicans in the Kansas Legislature have narrowly failed to override Gov. Laura Kelly’s veto of a bill to require doctors to tell patients that medication abortions can be stopped after the first of two pills. The Senate voted 27-13 Wednesday with no votes to spare to override the veto. But the vote in the House was 82-43, two short of the two-thirds majority needed for an override. Kelly said the bill is an unwarranted intrusion between patients and their doctors. Abortion opponents say such measures ensure that women harboring doubts about ending their pregnancies will…
Update 5/1/19 Riley County Police say they have located a juvenile inmate who escaped from a private security company while in transit to court Tuesday. The 16-year-old has been identified as John Wallace, and was arrested Tuesday evening. He managed to get away during secure transport in the 10 o’clock hour of Tuesday, causing multiple area schools to be place on secure campus status. That was lifted within an hour. Police say he never posed a threat to residents. Now in custody, Wallace is charged with interference with a law enforcement officer and resisting execution of a warrant. Two adults…
TOPEKA — Supporters of expanding Medicaid in Kansas are looking to block passage of the state’s next annual budget to force an expansion plan through the Republican-controlled Legislature. Legislators were set to reconvene Wednesday after an annual spring break. The state Senate expected to vote quickly on expediting an expansion debate. The House approved the measure in March, but the Senate has yet to act on it. Top Republicans want to delay action until next year. Supporters weren’t sure they could pull an expansion bill out of the Senate committee where it’s been stuck. That has them focusing on the…
Daniel Cooper, 32, of Manhattan was arrested while at the Riley County Police Department on April 30, 2019, at approximately 11:10 AM. Cooper was arrested on an offense of violating the offender registration act. Cooper was issued a total bond of $10,000.00. Cooper was not confined at the time of this report. Officers filed a report for theft in the 5000 block of Skyway Dr. in Manhattan on April 30, 2019, at approximately 12:48 PM. Officers listed Wylee Austin, 37, of Riley as the victim when an unknown suspect took his Glock 17 Generation 4, case and magazines. The estimated…
The Riley County commissioners approved grants for both juvenile and adult corrections services. These grants came from the Kansas Department of Corrections’ $3 million pool. The funds total approximately $780,000 and will be used for the fiscal year 2020. The funds will be used to focus on three key areas for adult services. These areas are assessing cognitive behavioral health courses, looking at staff’s use of effective practices, and evaluating clients’ risk-need assessment scores. Community Corrections Director Shelly Williams says the allocations for fiscal year 2020 for adult services is projected to be approximately $336,000. This will be a 3.2% reduction…
WESTMORELAND — The Pottawatomie County Commissioners took a tour of four different county buildings during Monday’s meeting. The buildings toured included the Noxious Weed Department, the Justice Center building basement, the Administration Building, and the Pottawatomie County Health Department. The tours took up most of the morning and the purpose was to explore some of the different capitol improvement projects that are on this years budget list. During Monday’s meeting commissioners discussed a few of the different obstacles ahead with each building but tabled that information to be discussed at a future meeting, to provide more time for clarification. “I…
Tuesday’s guests on In Focus were 67th District House Rep. Tom Phillips, US Army Corps of Engineers’ Brian McNulty, and Riley County Emergency Manager Pat Collins. in focus