The City of Manhattan Parks and Rec Department hosted Pet Poolooza at City Water Park today, and it was well attended. Finn, a 5-year-old great pyrenees from Junction City, attended with his mom, Izzy Dugan (originally from Leonardville) and dad, Nathan Birney (originally from Sublette). Dugan shared what they planned to do at the event. Birney shared his thoughts on the weather, with Finn adding his opinion. Enzo, a miniature goldendoodle from Manhattan, and his mom, Stacey Marti had a whole day planned. K-State’s College of Veterinary Medicine brought their Wellness on Wheels vehicle and administered rabies vaccines. Enzo didn’t…
Author: Rhonda Zellweger
Rhonda Zellweger
Rhonda is a retired public employee from Syracuse, New York; mom to two grown daughters; and a lifelong community volunteer. She was traveling in her camper after retirement when she discovered Kansas, then fell hard for the Flint Hills community. She bought a house in Manhattan, parked her camper, and KMAN taught the old dog new tricks. Being a reporter has only deepened her love of her new hometown. But, she thinks SU Basketball is the best. Go, ORANGE! contact her at: rhonda@1350kman.com
Governor Laura Kelly kicked off the 2022 Kansas Agricultural Growth Summit in Manhattan today. The meeting included more than 400 leaders, representing a variety of agricultural interests across the state. Kelly told the leaders why Kansas is central to the agricultural needs of the local and national communities. She also told them why they are important to the Kansas economy. Kelly commended Kansas State University President Dr. Richard Linton, for his contribution to the state. Kelly noted Kansas is number one in wheat and sorghum production, and number two in crop plant acreage. She highlighted some ongoing improvements that…
Kansas Republican United States Representative Jake LaTurner shares what his constituents biggest concern is right now. LaTurner says Congress needs to adjust how it is dealing with the issue of inflation. LaTurner says that some regulations on businesses are necessary, however some aren’t and create more expense, contributing to inflation. He said the 2nd highest concern he’s heard recently is the fentanyl crisis that is coming in through the country’s southern border. He recently met someone who lost their child to fentanyl who used it unknowingly. LaTurner also shared his thoughts on the recent search warrant served at past President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate. He says this unprecedented search should have been…
Although it appears there is plenty of food to go around, some people face roadblocks to accessing food. Transportation, and working knowledge of nutrition and preparation are some of the challenges. CiCo Food and Farm Council Coordinator Vickie James…. There is now a program committed to bridging the gap between abundance and need by facilitating the rescue and transfer of edible food that would otherwise be discarded or go to waste. The recovery is managed through an app called ChowMatch where food businesses are matched with food assistance organizations. The caterer, restaurant, or store enters untouched surplus food into the app. Volunteers…
Riley County Counselor Clancy Holeman presented a consent order Monday to the Commission regarding a fine of $1,750, for violation of the Clean Water Act at the University Park Wastewater Treatment Plant. Holeman reiterated it’s only regarding the fine, not the project being discussed to remedy the violation. University Park resident James Slaymaker thanked the county lawyers and Public Works staff for the effort put forth to lower the fine, which started at $100,000. The fine will not be paid by the County, but by the district. However, Slaymaker said the residents make funds available to Riley County to manage the…
Riley County Clerk Rich Vargo addressed the Commissioners Monday regarding the recent primary election, and state constitutional question. Two of the many stipulations of a recount are, it cannot be started until the the vote canvas is approved, and the bond has to be paid by the petitioner. The canvas was approved Monday, but as of that afternoon, the state had not yet notified Riley County that the $229,000 bond had been received. The County Clerk staff have already been working long hours without weekends off for about six weeks. They will forgo breaks, and work long hours to achieve…
Kansas Pride is a program dedicated to serving communities across the state to encourage and assist local government and volunteers in making their community a better place to live and work. Local communities identify what they would like to preserve, create, or improve for their future. Saturday, Leonardville Pride hosted their 2022 Hullabaloo, and to great fanfare. Here are just a few of the highlights. Riley County Fire District #1 hosted tours of their equipment and station located in Leonardville. There were free activities for children, such as practicing with a hose to protect a miniature house. They also gave…
Fort Riley is open for business post-pandemic; and the Historical and Archaeological Society of Fort Riley (HASFR) is gearing up for the 2022 Fall Apple Day Festival on September 24. Pie Queens Victoria Rios-Furlow and Penny Marvin say the secret pie recipe is more than 150 years old and belonged to a famous resident in the 1860s. Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce Military Relations Coordinator Janet Nichols is helping to collect donations and sell pies for the Historical Society. The free festival has many other events, and is open to the public, however check the Fort Riley website to…
Riley County Assistant Engineer Evan McMillan told commissioners Thursday about some work that will be starting next week. He anticipates the brush will burn for about a week, keeping smoke in the area. The asphalt overlay will take about a month to complete. His department has another project on the horizon. The Commissioners unanimously approved a bid from Oden Enterprises in Wahoo, Nebraska. They will provide the steel materials needed to replace a bridge over a culvert at the intersection of Kaw and Taber Valley Roads. The bid came in under $167,000. The Commission tabled granting the requested access for…
Riley County Council on Aging Executive Board Chair Kevin Larson says residents at Riley County Senior Center are busy volunteering. The seniors prepared 150 flags the first day. They have a lot of work to prepare for the September 11th remembrance. Nearly 3,000 people were killed at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and a field in Pennsylvania 21 years ago. The death toll has continued to rise with rescue personnel, and others losing their battle with cancer caused by “exposure to toxins at Ground Zero.”