By Emma Loura / The Manhattan Mercury: Riley County officials are looking to fill a few positions. The county commission on Monday approved requests to hire a customer service provider in the treasurer’s office and a deputy chief position in the fire department. County treasurer Shilo Heger said the previous customer service worker in the department resigned. “We really need to have that front counter staffed fully in order to cover for illnesses, vacation days,” Heger said. “We do have one person’s driver’s license every day so I feel it’s a much-needed position in order to provide the customer service…
Author: Peter Rice
A federal appeals court has reversed the conviction of a researcher who was accused of hiding work he did in China while employed at the University of Kansas. Feng “Franklin” Tao was convicted in 2022 of three counts of wire fraud and one count of making a materially false statement. Tao was among two dozen academics who were charged as part of the “China Initiative”, which launched in 2018 during former president Donald Trump’s administration that aimed to counter suspected Chinese economic espionage and research theft. U.S. District Judge Julie Robinson threw out the wire fraud convictions a few months…
A Manhattan woman was arrested on charges stemming from a prior arrest for Fentanyl distribution. Therriana Pittman was arrested Friday afternoon in the Riley County Jail on charges including failure to appear and probation violation. These violations are stemming from Pittman’s 2023 arrest for possessing hundreds of Fentanyl pills with the intent to distribute. She was still confined in the Riley County Jail as of Monday on a bond of $200,000.
The Wonder Workshop Children’s Museum celebrated 30 years of serving the Manhattan area on Saturday, which was also the birthday of their beloved late founder Richard Pitts. The non-profit hosted an event at Blue Earth Plaza featuring games, food, and entertainment for local children and their families. Board of Directors President Lauren Farwell spoke on the impact the Pitts and Wonder Workshop have had on local children, saying “Richard and Cindy had so much love for children and creativity, and that’s what it’s all about. They helped guide children find their way and experiment, and they do all sorts of…
A motorcyclist was injured and hospitalized after a crash Thursday afternoon near Ogden. RCPD public information officer Ashley Tokoi said the crash was first reported at 2:40 p.m. involving a single motorcycle rider. This individual was left injured in the aftermath of the crash and transported to a Manhattan hospital for treatment. Their status is unknown at this time.
A Manhattan teenager who was previously charged with 3 counts of attempted murder for his role in a 2023 shooting, was arrested Wednesday morning at the Dickinson County Jail for committing two additional felonies. Law enforcement conducted a probable cause arrest on 18 year old Marc Anthony Oliver for distribution of a controlled substance and aggravated battery, both of which caused great bodily harm. Law enforcement also charged the teen in 2022 with criminal discharge of a weapon, illegal possession of a handgun by a person under the age of 18, and possession of marijuana. Oliver’s bond for the 2023…
Work on a Kansas Department of Transportation bridge replacement project started Wednesday on K-99 in Wabaunsee County. Traffic impacts should be minimal; however, the speed limit will be reduced to 45 mph in the work zone. Work will occur Monday through Friday during daylight hours and is expected to be complete by April 2025, conditions permitting. King Construction is the prime contractor on the $3 million project.
The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) has recently released the 2023 Kansas Crime Index Report. The report compiles crime statistics reported to the KBI by state and local law enforcement agencies throughout Kansas. The Report indicated that violent crime in Kansas decreased by 3.7% from 2022, showing declines in each category of violent crime. A total of 13,294 violent crimes were reported in Kansas for the offenses of murder, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault and battery. Despite this decline, violent crime in the state remained 8.6% above the 10-year average. In 2023, overall property crimes increased by 2.6%. In Kansas,…
Riley County Republican Candidates visited Manhattan Tuesday night as they met with the public inside Pottorf Hall. Several candidates from different districts attended the event where they spoke to residents about the most pressing issues to Kansans. Current House District 51 member Kenny Titus, who is currently running for the state Senate in district 18, highlighted several points from his two years including revamping the state’s water systems. “We went from $8 million a year to almost $50 million a year in invested water system development. And a big chunk of that money goes to help me nipple water systems. So that’s money…
Riley County Fire District #1 announced Tuesday of the completion of the new Ashland Bottoms Volunteer Fire Station #102, located at 4928 McDowell Creek Road, Manhattan, KS. The new facility represents an advancement in the district’s ability to provide fire protection and emergency response services to the southern portion of Riley County. Construction began in February of 2024. The contract with Riley Construction totaled $199,200 and was paid for with existing Fire District Project Funds, meaning the district did not have to take on debt to finance the project. The need for a new station arose from the limitations of…