A new plaque donning the names of 50 Pottawatomie County veterans was unveiled to the public Monday. County Commission Chair Dee McKee hosted a public reception in Westmoreland. Public Information Officer Becky Ryan says the memorial, first dedicated in 1992, will continue to add names of Pottawatomie County veterans. Each brass plate can hold 50 names. Plates will be added to the monument as they are filled. Names of veterans currently on the memorial can be viewed here.
Author: Peter Rice
The Riley County Police department is in need of facility upgrades, according to Director Brian Peete. Peete explained the department’s biggest needs.. Peete wants to take a long-term approach to planning and construction could still be years down the road. More recently, RCPD conducted a survey of K-State… He explained why he added K-State to his crime reduction plan… The results will be analyzed and put into a report, which will then be shared with the community. This is a project that Director Peete has been working on since November.
Local officials are reminding residents of the upcoming severe weather preparedness week, which is March 4th through the 8th. Laurie Harrison is the Riley County emergency management coordinator, and she preaches having plan for where to take shelter, along with having an emergency kit… She encourages the public to check for both bad weather and for upcoming drills… It’s also important to know the difference between weather watches and warnings. Watches mean conditions are favorable for severe weather and to watch the sky, whereas warnings mean severe weather is occurring and to take shelter immediately.
Brian James Droge, 43, was arrested for burglary early Thursday morning in downtown Manhattan. Droge is a convicted felon who has a lengthy criminal history that features over a dozen arrests, three of which occurred in 2024. He has previous convictions of possession of a controlled substance, battery of a state correctional officer, trafficking contraband in a correctional institution, and criminal possession of a weapon by a felon. Droge has committed crimes in Reno, Riley, Shawnee, Cloud, and Pottawatomie County. As of Friday, Brian Droge is still being held at the Riley County Jail on a total bond of $15,000.
Riley County and City of Manhattan officials met Thursday as the two sides attempt to re-work a new contract for animal control services outside the Manhattan city limits. The previous agreement had been in place for decades, but lapsed in recent years, causing Riley County to not provide funding for animal control services in its 2024 budget. County Commissioner Katherine Focke… Animal services have been especially lacking in the more rural parts of Riley County. Commissioner Greg McKinley… County Commission Chair John Ford expressed a desire to continue contracting with animal control, but wants more information…
Over 200 people took part in a fire safety course at Pottorf Hall inside CiCo Park on Wednesday evening, hosted by the Kansas Forest Service and Riley County Fire District Number 1. Northeast District Fire Management Officer Bryce Haverkamp led the discussion and informed the public of their responsibilities when burning… Deputy Fire Chief Doug Russell emphasizes the importance of checking if there is an elevated fire danger before conducting a prescribed burn… The class was made possible through collaboration with the Riley County Emergency Management team and the Riley County Extension Office. Stay up…
Riley County Commissioners discussed changes to the county’s animal control resolution on Monday. The county is in the process of updating the resolution which dates back to 1988, while also continuing negotiations with nonprofit Prairie Paws for its contracted shelter services at the T. Russel Reitz Animal Shelter. Prairie Paws initially asked for $90,000 from Riley County, but county commissioners are set on a figure closer to $60,000 or less, which was discussed at last Thursday’s meeting. Deputy County Counselor Shelley Woodard suggested Monday the county remove license tag requirements for residents in unincorporated areas. Woodard also recommends removing references…
Local residents came out in big numbers on Saturday to support the annual book sale put on by the Manhattan Public Library. It was the highest turnout the library has had in the last five years according to employees and volunteers who organized the sale. Community Engagement Coordinator Brea Braun said there were also big spenders on Friday night, for the Manhattan Library Association members… Book sale funds have previously gone to supporting the purchase of artwork for the atrium, expanding the children’s department, and could help renovate other spaces in the future. The last day of the book sale is…
United States Congressman Tracey Mann visited Riley County on Thursday for a Town Hall meeting at the Leonardville Community Center. Mann, representing the first district of Kansas, spoke to the public about several issues related to national security both internationally and at our southern border. He believes Congress should be sending more economic aid to support Israel… Congressman Mann thinks that neither the Department of Homeland Security nor the executive branch are doing enough to stop the flow of migrants coming over the southern border… The town hall was a part of the Congressman’s annual 60-county Mann Listening Tour. Mann also visited…
Kansas State University contributed $2.3 billion in economic impact to the state, according to the university’s latest Economic and Community Impact report. K-State President Richard Linton shared details of the report Wednesday at the Kansas State Capitol, as part of K-State Impact Day. The university is requesting the state provide $25 million in matching funds to help finish ongoing renovations within the College of Agriculture. K-State additionally is seeking a recurring investment of $5 million for an interdisciplinary water institute, as well as $2.2 million to pay off debt on the Biosecurity Research Institute. Linton also spoke Wednesday on the…