Author: Troy Coverdale

The Manhattan City Commission approved an ordinance on first reading to set the budget for 2022, a budget that will see a 3.499 mill levy increase. Mayor Wynn Butler noted the frustration he’s hearing from property owners as he provided the only “no” vote. Commissioner Aaron Estabrook, though, made clear that he’s concerned with a lack of interest in dealing with current issues bedeviling city operations. Commissioner Mark Hatesohl noted the bulk of that increase is the city’s share to fund the Riley County Police Department and Manhattan Public Library. Usha Reddi noted the increase doesn’t fully meet what city…

A number of interested parties in Manhattan are working to put together a plan of action for aiding Afghan refugees who may move to the community. City Commissioner and Army veteran Aaron Estabrook and Army veteran, K-State student and Afghan native Fatima Jaghoori are spearheading the effort, with a meeting earlier this week taking place to set the early portions of the plan. Estabrook tells KMAN that he was contacted by a number of Afghans already living in the area who had family airlifted from Kabul over the past couple weeks. Estabrook tells KMAN the group put together what they…

The current librarian for the State of Kansas will be taking over as the director of the Manhattan Public Library and the North Central Kansas Library System in time for New Years. Eric Norris will succeed Linda Knupp, who is retiring at the end of the year. He will begin his duties in Manhattan in late December. He has served as the state’s librarian since 2018 and was the director of the Hays Public Library for six years before that. The University of Kansas graduate holds a masters from Fort Hays State and one from Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Knupp has been the…

With Congress currently on a summer recess, First District Congressman Tracey Mann visited four Flint Hills communities for town halls Monday. In his Manhattan stop, the first term Republican from Quinter stated he’s looking for accountability at all levels for what he called “a debacle” in Afghanistan. Mann said there needs to be accountability for what he called the “intelligence failure” that allowed the current situation at the Kabul, Afghanistan, airport to develop. Responding to one constituent’s comments regarding clean energy, Mann said he’s of the belief that those in agriculture need to do more to tell about their efforts…

The City Commission heard Tuesday night that the city’s estimated cost for the reconstruction of the main runway at Manhattan Regional Airport had already gone up six million dollars. Bids are scheduled for April of next year. The majority of the more than 54 million dollar project will be covered by an FAA grant, but the city is currently on the hook for 11 million, 210 thousand dollars or more. Commissioner Usha Reddi asked if there was a way to lock in prices at current levels. The closure between April and early September of 2023 is actually a money saver…

Manhattan City Commissioners agreed to publish a high-end of 3.5 for a mill levy increase ahead of a pair of 2022 budget hearings in September. Earlier this summer, the commission had agreed to publish a potential mill levy increase of 5.079. Mayor Wynn Butler was emphatic at the time that he would not agree with that much of an increase, and reiterated it Tuesday night. City staff was recommending the higher number in an effort to restore services and staffing that have been cut over the past few years. Butler criticized that approach, saying the focus needs to be on increasing…

The Riley County Commission will incentivize employees to get COVID-19 vaccinations. Commissioners voted 2-1 Thursday morning to pay employees one hundred dollars upon proof of vaccination. Benefits eligible employees will also receive an additional scheduled annual day of leave time. Employees will have a two month period to get vaccines, allowing for the time necessary for the dual-dosing required for the Moderna or Pfizer shots. The topic gained traction after the commission earlier this month discussed COVID protocols going forward, electing not to implement a mask mandate for county buildings. Human Resources Manager Elizabeth Ward said in following up with…

A local developer is proposing an estimated 40-million dollar project that would supplant the parking lot at 12th and Laramie in Aggieville, and will begin negotiations with the city on a final plan after getting City Commission approval Tuesday night. Back 9 Development’s T.J. Vilkanskas noted that the proposed retail, office and residential space would cost the city nothing, other than selling off the parking lot for one dollar. Vilkanskas says the estimated property tax impact could reach between one and two million dollars annually plus another 413 thousand dollars in sales taxes. Vilkanskas also projects 700 jobs to be created…

A new report from the Riley County Police Department shows more thefts of motor vehicles in the month of July than at any other point of 2021. Keys were left in five of the ten stolen vehicles in July. The jump in thefts comes during a stretch that has seen double digit numbers of vehicles stolen in five months of the past year. 10 or more vehicles were stolen in each September, October, November and December of 2020. There were also 16 burglaries from vehicles in the month of July and it’s projected that the number of those incidences will…

Junction City Fire was called on twice to deal with apartment fires Thursday. The first caused 15-thousand dollars damage to apartments at 238 East 14th, having started in a vacant apartment before one in the afternoon. An apartment next door suffered smoke damage and cats from inside were returned to their owners. The second fire call sent JCFD to 935 Windward Drive as the deck for a third-floor apartment had caught fire. That blaze was limited to the deck area and caused an estimated 10-thousand dollars damage.