The Manhattan-Ogden school board on Wednesday night approved new paint and flooring at Marlatt Elementary. The update includes $34,795 for a planned painting and flooring replacement project. The board gave final approval to a proposal from Anderson Knight Architects of Manhattan for the project. The motion passed 6-0, with board member Kristin Brighton not present. To view the full article visit theMercury.com.
Author: Megan Moser
A woman is suing a former Manhattan priest, Seven Dolors Catholic Church and its parent organizations because she said the priest made “unwanted sexual contact,” coerced and sexually harassed her. She says the church failed to protect her from the man after she reported his abuse. The priest, Ryan Anthony McCandless, 44, was arrested in July and is still in the Republic County Jail. He is charged with three counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a 6-year-old child in Belleville. He served in posts in Manhattan in 2021-23. To view the full article visit theMercury.com.
MHS principal Mike Dorst announced Tuesday his plans to retire effective this summer. Dorst, 54, said in a statement that at the end of June he will have completed his 31st year in education, 21st as an administrator, 19th year as an administrator with MHS/USD 383, and eighth year as principal of Manhattan High School. “As I reflect on those years, I am filled with an incredible amount of gratitude for the opportunity I have had to serve our school and community,” Dorst said. “Serving as the principal of MHS has been one of the greatest professional privileges of my…
The school board approved a $20,000 proposal for design services for a backup generator at Marlatt Elementary during its meeting Wednesday. Board member Greg Hoyt moved to give final approval to a proposal submitted by LST Consulting Engineers of Manhattan for the Marlatt backup generator project. During discussion, board member Curt Herrman explained that Marlatt serves as the district’s “hot site,” meaning it houses an exact copy of the district’s computer system. To view the full article visit theMercury.com.
Homeowners will see an average increase of almost 8% in USD 383 property taxes next year. The Manhattan-Ogden school board approved a plan Wednesday that includes a budget increase of about 4%, from $146.5 million in 2025-26 to $152.1 million in 2026-27. During the meeting, board members defended the district’s cash reserves, while some residents in public comment questioned whether the tax increase was necessary. To view the full article visit theMercury.com.
The husband of a fired elementary principal went before the USD 383 school board Wednesday and demanded an investigation into the district’s treatment of alleged violations at other schools. Dan Henke, who is married to former Marlatt Elementary principal Sheila Henke, spoke during public comment at the board meeting. The district terminated Sheila Henke in July, and board members unanimously upheld the action after a hearing last week. Officials didn’t give details about the circumstances leading to the firing because of privacy laws, but they said the reason was violation of board policy GAAF, which governs “emergency safety interventions,” including…
Ahead of the recent primary election, Kansas House of Representatives hopeful Stacy Kohlmeier, a Republican running for the 67th district, raised the most money with $45,537. Kohlmeier beat her opponent, Kaleb James, who reported just $120 for the period, which ended July 23. James gave the $120 to his own campaign. The Democratic candidate for that office, Brenda Bandy, raised $31,546. To view the full article visit theMercury.com.
The USD 383 Manhattan-Ogden school board on Thursday voted to uphold the firing of Marlatt Elementary School principal Sheila Henke. The board in July had begun the process of terminating Henke’s contracts, citing violations of board policy and failure to perform contractual duties. District officials did not give additional details about the violations because it is a personnel matter. To view the full article visit theMercury.com.
Not many country folks want to become city folks. At least, that’s what Pottawatomie County leaders learned in 2019 when they asked residents of the Green Valley area whether they wanted to incorporate and create an independent town. At that time, 70% of residents said they didn’t want to form a new city, and 70% said they didn’t want Manhattan to annex Green Valley, either. But the area directly east of Manhattan, roughly the southern part of Blue Township, continues to grow. The population of Blue Township has risen from 4,926 in 2020 to an estimated 5,541 in 2026, an…
The USD 383 Manhattan-Ogden school board approved the purchase of six new school buses totaling $811,497 during its meeting Wednesday at Robinson Education Center. The board voted 5-0 to purchase three new 71-passenger school buses from Midwest Transit at an estimated cost of $159,400 each, or $478,200 total. The buses will be funded through the district’s capital outlay fund. Board members also unanimously approved the purchase of three new Type A buses for special education through the state purchasing program from Midwest Transit at an estimated cost of $111,099 each, or $333,297 total. The primary funding source for those buses…