Local News

The Manhattan Urban Area Planning Board has advanced new clarifications on Riley County’s short-term rental regulations, aiming to make enforcement more consistent and less subjective. The decision attempts to clarify vague wording with how county staff interpret when a 500-foot separation distance between units can be waived, so that decisions are based on clear standards [...]

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Manhattan city officials are discussing ceasing the publication of legal notices in The Mercury and instead posting them on the city government’s own website, driving through a loophole in state law. City manager Danielle Dulin proposed the switch during the city commission’s retreat Tuesday, saying that it would save $17,000 to $20,000 per year and [...]

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Civilian employees at Fort Riley were briefly furloughed this week when federal funding lapsed. A partial shutdown affecting much of the federal government began Saturday and ended Tuesday when President Donald Trump approved a $1.2 trillion government funding bill. During that time, some operations on Fort Riley were affected, officials said. Normal operations resumed Wednesday. [...]

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City commissioners on Tuesday chose not to rezone a 0.36-acre portion of the Acacia fraternity’s 2005 Hunting Ave. location after significant pushback from surrounding neighbors. The fraternity applied for the space’s rezoning from low-density residential to residential with university fringe overlay, with the expressed plan of then expanding on the fraternity’s building to make space [...]

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City commissioners on Tuesday permitted parks and recreation to purchase additional robotic mowers, portable pitching mounds and a mobile digital screen. Steel and Pipe Supply Ballpark will be maintained by Husqvarna robotic mowers whose cutting widths range from 9.45 inches to 26.8 inches. These machines can mow day and night, perpetually keeping ballfield grass at [...]

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Matthew Dunaey Klingforth was sentenced Monday in Riley County District Court to register as a sex offender and pay designated fees related to his December trial. Klingforth, 18, was convicted Dec. 19 of sexual battery, but a jury found him not guilty of rape and aggravated sexual battery. Judge John Bosch sentenced Klingforth to the [...]

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A familiar voice has filed for a seat on the Riley County Commission. Democrat Rob Voelker announced Monday his intent to seek the District 1 seat currently held by Republican John Ford. The 46-year-old former broadcaster says running for public office is a new challenge he wanted to take on. “I am deeply invested in [...]

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Riley County residents living near Hunters Island and Moehlman Bottoms are temporarily without water, due to a water main break Tuesday morning. The break is affecting about 200 people living in the area, while crews complete emergency repairs, county officials said. This includes areas around South Manhattan Ave, Collins Lane, Henton Road, Moehlman Road and [...]

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With the second month of 2026 underway, the Flint Hills Discovery Center released statistics recapping its past year of operations, including a 2025 economic impact of over $3 million. FHDC recorded a total of 86,015 served, a record 9,000-plus attendees at the Flint Hills Festival and 5,651 Sunflower Summer tickets redeemed in 28 days. The center’s [...]

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After the city of Manhattan sent surveys to its registered voters Nov. 3 to gauge support for an indoor aquatics facility, the results are in — and generally not in support of a facility in its proposed form. While the city initially sought a return of 400 surveys, it received 1,361 responses — a return [...]

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