Author: Troy Coverdale

Manhattan city commissioners are being asked Tuesday evening to approve a three-year lease agreement with American Airlines for space at Manhattan Regional Airport. The company has been operating on a month-to-month deal with the city dating back to August of 2015, paying according to terms of the previous contract. The new contract would raise rent on the airline by $1,000 a year by 2024, to nearly $18,000. Commissioners are expected to vote in favor of a three-year deal with the company that provides e-scooters to areas of the city. Officials with LINK say the program generated over $31,000 in its…

With the moves last week by the Universities of Texas and Oklahoma to join the Southeastern Conference, there’s concern at the potential of the Big 12 either ceasing to exist or being shifted from being known as a “Power 5” conference. Kansas Board of Regents President and CEO Dr. Blake Flanders tells KMAN it’s understood that that classification has an economic impact on not just Manhattan and Lawrence. Flanders says there is not a hard rule in place to keep Kansas State and the University of Kansas together in a conference going forward. Because of the current media contracts, neither…

USD 383 Manhattan-Ogden Schools has announced that effective Friday face masks will be required in all buildings again, no matter anyone’s vaccination status. The announcement comes after the Centers for Disease Control issued guidance this week for areas where coronavirus spread has been at a high rate over the past few weeks. Central registration is coming up Saturday at Manhattan High’s West Campus and the district will require masks for anyone entering the building. Earlier this week, Riley County’s Health Department noted the two week positivity rate for coronavirus is at 8.83 percent.

A mask mandate goes into effect Sunday morning at midnight for all state buildings as the Delta variant of coronavirus continues to drive new cases. Governor Laura Kelly announced the mandate while encouraging residents to get vaccinated Wednesday afternoon. Kelly kept the mandate strictly to state facilities, leaving counties, cities and school districts able to make their own decisions going forward. She also made clear that businesses can also make their own call on whether to mandate masks. While making the call on those facilities, Kelly noted the challenge for school districts with classes set to begin in the next…

Manko Window Systems will be given the Manahttan Area Chamber of Commerce’s “Cornerstone Award” when the chamber hosts it’s business awards luncheon next week. Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Jason Smith tells KMAN the award is the organization’s de facto “Lifetime Achievement Award”. Manko distributes framing and glass products in 28 states and has been in business 32 years. It employs over 400 locally. Smith says there are two businesses being recognized for becoming members of the organization’s Legacy Circle. The Chamber’s awards luncheon is scheduled for 11:30 next Tuesday morning, with the Small Business of the Year, Entrepreneurial…

The former Manhattan Parks and Recreation employee charged with sexual exploitation of a child counts in Pottawatomie County made a brief court appearance Tuesday morning. Zach Bayless made an appearance via Zoom for a status hearing tied to his late May arrest. His next court appearance will be a status update hearing on August 31st. Bayless is accused of feloniously promoting a performance that included sexually explicit conduct of a child under the age of 14 and being in possession of sexually explicit content involving a child. Investigators say the incidents that prompted the charges occurred between December of last…

Signups are underway for volunteers to pick up furniture ahead of Manhattan’s Furniture Amnesty Day on Friday. People looking to donate furniture for the day can sign up before the end of Wednesday to be placed on the list of stops volunteers will be making for pick ups. The event returns after a hiatus last year, according to Manhattan Fire’s Assistant Chief of Risk Reduction, Ryan Courtright. He says the 2019 amnesty day was a record setter. Courtright, tells KMAN that the amnesty day is a good was to help people at both ends of the process. Hands On K-State…

Technology continues to change the face of emergency response for first responders, including in Riley County. RCPD Director Dennis Buttler on KMAN’s In Focus Friday noted one new app that can help alert dispatchers to someone in trouble. Called “What 3 Words”, the app’s developers have assigned three unique words to every 10-foot square on maps worldwide. He says the app gives dispatchers info even if the caller can’t speak. Another program the police department is utilizing is called “SafeCam”, where homeowners can register their security cameras. Police would be able to view that information in a database and determine…

A stabbing in Pottawatomie County Thursday afternoon landed one person in the hospital with non-life threatening injuries and a second in jail. According to the Sheriff’s Office, 24-year old Nigel Breaux was arrested after deputies arrived on scene to find him walking near where the stabbing occurred. He is in jail awaiting bond on aggravated battery and domestic battery charges. The victim called 9-1-1 saying they were driving towards Westmoreland and was intercepted by first responders on Westmoreland Road near Rock Creek Road.

After new information from the Centers for Disease Control labeled Riley County an emerging hotspot for COVID-19 cases, officials with the Health Department addressed their concerns while making the pitch for those unvaccinated to change that. In the past week, more than 60 new cases have been identified, bringing the total number of active cases to 108. Nine patients are being treated for the virus at Ascension Via Christi, one of whom is in the ICU. Riley County Health Department Director Julie Gibbs says the top issue being identified in surveys of those who are unvaccinated is that there is…