Both elevators in the Manhattan Housing Authority’s Apartment Towers building are still out of service after an act of vandalism nearly two weeks ago rendered them inoperable to staff and residents. MHA executive director Aaron Estabrook said Thursday the outage was in its 13th day. A vandal on the evening of June 19 pushed the call buttons out of both elevators, damaging the elevator controls and circuit boards. Estabrook said staff members filed a report with the Riley County Police Department. RCPD representatives confirmed the report and said an investigation was requested, but the case is not yet assigned to…
Author: Rose Gruenbacher
A traditionalist sect of the Catholic Church defied Pope Leo XIV Wednesday as it ordained four new bishops, including a St. Marys priest, without papal mandate. The Society of Saint Pius X now faces possible excommunication from the church. The Society of Saint Pius X, or SSPX, was founded in 1970 and opposes the Second Vatican Council, which modernized the Church and allowed reforms such as the celebration of Mass in vernacular languages. It consecrated four original bishops in 1988, which resulted in excommunication from the Church for a schismatic act. To view the full article visit theMercury.com.
A Manhattan man charged with rape in Riley County District Court entered a plea deal with the state on Tuesday for lesser charges. Michael Dean Nash, 46, pleaded no contest to charges of aggravated sexual battery, aggravated battery and unlawful request for emergency services. If Nash hadn’t entered the deal, his case was scheduled for a four-day jury trial beginning July 20. To view the full article visit theMercury.com.
A man who died in custody of the Riley County Jail last week died by suicide, Kansas Bureau of Investigations officials have told members of the man’s family. Riley County emergency responders pronounced Michael Lee Stanfield, 60, of Manhattan dead at 9:51 p.m. Thursday after corrections officers found him unresponsive less than 30 minutes earlier. EMS arrived seven minutes after Stanfield was found and administered life-saving measures to no avail. In an interview with News Radio KMAN, Shania and Andrea Stanfield said a KBI agent told them he’d reviewed evidence from Michael Stanfield’s death which showed him dying by hanging…
A Manhattan man’s arraignment was postponed Monday after his new defense attorney said the previous lawyer provided ineffective counsel. Griffin Dean Day, 24, faces charges in Riley County District Court of rape, aggravated sexual battery and aggravated battery alleged to have occurred between Jan. 22 and 23. The victim in all counts is a woman born in 1972 who was incapable of giving consent because she was under the effects of drugs of alcohol and unconscious or physically powerless. Day is held in the Riley County Jail on a $200,000 bond. To view the full article visit theMercury.com.
The jury in a Riley County District Court trial got an inconsistent recounting of the events that led to charges against a Manhattan man Thursday during opening statements from attorneys on opposing sides. Keonte Concepcion-Summers, now 25, is charged with aggravated domestic battery, aggravated battery and domestic battery. Assistant Riley County attorney Michael Blackburn and defense attorney Shawn Lee agreed that the incident that led to Thursday’s trial took place in the early morning hours of April 28, 2025, but that was essentially the only similarity in their differing versions of events. To view the full article visit theMercury.com.
A Manhattan woman is held in the Riley County Jail after her arrest Thursday for human trafficking for forced labor. Lashenna Renitia Dye, 36, was arrested at 4:10 p.m. at 1300 Marlatt Ave #805, for human trafficking by causing or threatening to cause physical injury. She is held in jail on a $200,000 bond. Police said the victim involved is a 25-year-old woman. Dye’s arrest stems from a report filed in May. A charging document filed in Riley County District Court describes Dye’s charge as taking place between September and March, and details that she trafficked the woman for involuntary…
A Manhattan man’s trial began Thursday with jury selection in Riley County District Court. Keonte Raye Concepcion-Summers, 25, is charged with aggravated battery, aggravated domestic battery and domestic battery. The crimes allegedly took place April 28, 2025. One woman was listed as the victim in all counts. Riley County police arrested Concepcion-Summers in December, and he was released from jail after posting a $5,000 bond Dec. 10. He pleaded not guilty to all counts on April 6. The trial is scheduled to end Friday.
The Riley County Law Enforcement Agency Board on Monday approved a 1.76% increase for the 2027 budget in a 6-1 vote. The total budget will be $30.44 million — an increase of $106,074 from the 2026 budget. The Manhattan city government pays 80% of the budget and the Riley County government pays 20%. Both agencies have to certify the 2027 budget by July 6. The approved budget increase includes a 1.5% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) and an additional $40,000 for prisoner food due to inflation and increased inmate population. It also reflects decreased contributions to workers compensation funds and the agency’s…
A Riley County District Court judge ordered Ivan Krdzic to serve 8 years and 4 months in prison during a sentencing hearing Monday afternoon. Krdzic, 37, of Santa Rosa, California, entered guilty pleas in May to charges of kidnapping and aggravated battery in a plea deal with county prosecutors. Judge Kendra Lewison gave him 346 days of credit for time he’d already served in the Riley County Jail. While addressing Lewison, Krdzic said he didn’t believe his convictions were accurate to what actually happened but stood by his decision to take the plea deal to avoid the possibility of more…