Author: Rhonda Zellweger

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.”

The annual Everybody Counts Community Event was well-attended Saturday at the Douglass Community Complex in Manhattan. The Riley County Health Department’s Bilingual Navigator, Maria Baquero, was there helping the community to learn about available services from the County’s Maternal & Child Health program: Riley County and the State of Kansas have both proclaimed they are celebrating National Breastfeeding month in August. Baquero said it’s common to feel awkward and even scared to learn how to breastfeed. She said it is also important for the immediate and extended family, and members of the community to learn how they can help support…

The Douglass Recreation Complex in Manhattan hosted the Everybody Counts community event Saturday. Agencies and Organizations passed out goodies; provided resource information; and chatted with the community. But, Konza United Way’s CEO, Tara Claussen, says there is also 24/7 help available: 211 is answered by a larger United Way in the Wichita area, but Claussen provides them with the local agency names, services, and contact information. She keeps the resource list relevant for the round-the-clock, live operators by tracking what type of assistance the community is searching for: Resources can also be searched online at 211.org. Find out about other…

Two Manhattan residents were injured around 10:45pm Sunday in the 6100 block of Anderson Avenue. RCPD responded to the scene where a 2003 Subaru Forester operated by 25-year-old Jose Castro-Rivera had been traveling west when he maneuvered to avoid a deer. Police say the vehicle left the road, partially overturned, and came to an up-right stop in a field. Castro-Rivera and his passenger, 22-year-old Axel Chaves, were both transported to Via Christi Hospital with minor injuries.