An ex-Riley County Police Department officer is scheduled for a September jury trial in Riley County District Court after the parties failed to reach a plea agreement Monday. Stephen Benjamin Clark, 42, of Manhattan is charged with two counts of breach of privacy disseminating sexual media of a person aged 18 years or older, harassment by telecom device and unlawful computer acts. Court records show Monday’s hearing was originally set as a plea deal, but any potential deal apparently fell through as the case continued with arraignment and Clark pleaded not guilty to all four counts. To view the full…
Author: Rose Gruenbacher
Prosecuting attorneys on Wednesday began laying out the case against a Texas man charged with drug distribution in Riley County District Court. Jose Miguel Rivera, 33, of Balch Springs is charged with distribution of at least 1 kilogram of cocaine, between 100 grams and 1 kilogram of cocaine, between 100 grams and 1 kilogram of psilocybin — also known as mushrooms — and between 25 and 450 grams of marijuana. He is also charged with using a cell phone to commit, cause or facilitate the commission of distribution of controlled substances. On Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning, assistant Riley County…
In recent months, members of the Riley County Law Enforcement Agency Board said they’ve gotten comments from the public as well as within the board about 287(g) agreements with federal immigration enforcement agencies. As a result, Monday’s meeting of the board included a presentation from member Craig Beardsley and ensuing discussion with the purpose of informing the board about the agreements. The Riley County Police Department does not have an agreement with ICE. Officials added the discussion to Monday’s agenda “to acquaint board members with a federal program in which approximately 23 local Kansas law enforcement agencies and one state…
A bill requiring that people convicted of certain felonies be held without bond until sentencing cleared another hurdle toward becoming state law. The Kansas House of Representatives judiciary committee on Tuesday filed a recommendation that Kansas Senate Bill 358 be passed by the House body. SB 358 wouldn’t have been considered by any of the legislature if it weren’t for a group of Manhattan women. Along with other victims of sexual crimes, some of the 19 victims of former chiropractor Clark Petersen turned to Rep. Sydney Carlin, D-66th District, to help them sponsor what would become SB358. The bill requires…
A 26-year-old woman took the witness stand in a trial Tuesday to testify against the man charged with raping her in November 2022. Victor Armstrong-Tharp, 31, of Lawrence is charged in Riley County District Court with two counts of rape and two counts of aggravated battery, all against the same woman. He pleaded not guilty to the charges in July 2024 and has been out of jail on a $100,000 bond since his arrest in January of the same year. The Mercury does not identify victims of sexual crimes. Under direct examination from assistant Riley County attorney Michael Blackburn, the…
Xavier Vennum was apparently immune to any stress or pressure of being a finalist in the Riley County Spelling Bee, as his correct spelling of “immune” won him the first place title. The win Saturday was the first county spelling bee win for the Blue Valley Middle School seventh grader. Juan Kim, a fourth grader from Amanda Arnold finished in second place, stumbling on the word “chambray.” Thirteen students from schools across Riley County took participated in the spelling bee, hosted by The Manhattan Mercury. Vennum will represent Riley County in the state spelling bee March 21 in Salina. Read…
The federal government is not yet saying anything about the people who were detained by immigration enforcement officers in raids they conducted in Manhattan last month. Federal law requires a response to open records requests within 20 days. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency on Tuesday failed to respond to a request for public records related to recent local detainments, citing a federal funding hiatus. A Mercury reporter made a Freedom of Information Act request to ICE on Feb. 3 seeking the total number of arrests and detainments ICE had made in Riley County and Pottawatomie County in the…
A transgender professor is suing K-State for more than $300,000 because he says the university discriminated against him because of his gender identity and sex. A United States District Court judge ordered on Feb. 25 that the case partially move forward. In a complaint filed April in federal court, Harlan Weaver, a professor in K-State’s Department of Gender, Women and Sexuality Studies, alleges discrimination and retaliation on the basis of sex. He said the university and two faculty members now in other departments treated him disparately because of his sex and gender identity. Judge Daniel Crabtree ordered the dismissal of…
Officers of the Riley County Police Department will spend a week with state and federal agencies to engage in training on SWAT operations. RCPD director Brian Peete said between eight and 12 officers will take part in a joint training with the Kansas Bureau of Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations. Though RCPD does not have the staff for a full-time tactical team, some members do maintain monthly and annual training to execute operations when needed. The joint training starts March 15 and will be facilitated by Conceptual Guardians Systems’ Jason Laferriere. He previously served as an HSI special agent for…
A Manhattan woman taken into custody by ICE officers in December is now believed to be deported after she failed to appear for a scheduled hearing in Manhattan Municipal Court Thursday, her attorney said. Jazmin Alonso-Cantu was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers Dec. 4 after she attended a mandatory Municipal Court hearing. Alonso-Cantu was first arrested by Riley County police in November for driving under the influence, operating a motor vehicle without a valid license and failure to report an accident with unattended property. She was released on a $750 bond. To view the full article visit…