Local News

Thursday was Ron Fehr Day in Manhattan. The long-time city manager was recognized for his four-decade career with the city, including the last 24 as the city’s top administrator. Several of Fehr’s colleagues, as well as family and friends, gathered Thursday at a public retirement reception, including former Manhattan mayor and commissioner Bruce Snead. Fehr [...]

The post Ron Fehr Day celebrated in Manhattan as longtime city manager officially retires appeared first on News Radio KMAN.

Kansas 2nd District Congressman Jake LaTurner says he will not seek re-election in the fall. The 36-year-old Republican from Topeka has served in the House of Representatives since 2021. In a statement Thursday, LaTurner said he will not be a candidate in 2024, nor will he seek a political position in state elections in 2026, [...]

The post LaTurner won’t seek re-election to Congress appeared first on News Radio KMAN.

Kansas State University hosted political activist Chloe Cole Wednesday evening where she spoke on her experience as a child who underwent hormone treatment and transgender surgery. Cole detransitioned after initially transitioning as a teenager, and is now advocating for the ban against gender-affirming care to children. She said she regrets her decision to transition as [...]

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The Manhattan-Ogden School Board voted Wednesday to not renew the contract of Oliver Brown Elementary School principal Erin Lopez. The termination was effective Thursday morning. The unanimous school board vote came after an executive session at the end of Wednesday’s board meeting. School officials declined to say why Lopez’s contract wasn’t being renewed. Lopez had [...]

The post Oliver Brown Elementary principal terminated appeared first on News Radio KMAN.

Authorities are cleaning up after storm damage in Pottawatomie County early Thursday morning. The City of St. Marys was hit the hardest, with Police Chief Derek Cid noting that 70 to 80 mph straight-line winds impacted portions of town, knocking out power and damaging several buildings. Cid says schools are closed in St. Marys and [...]

The post St. Marys cleaning up from storm damage; boil advisory in place appeared first on News Radio KMAN.

By Cale Prater, Pottawatomie County Times The Westmoreland pool will not be opening this summer due to repair issues discovered last month as city officials were preparing for opening day. At an April 11 city council meeting, the city’s maintenance supervisor Bob Krohn estimated repairs to cost between $76,000 to $100,000. Those costs do not [...]

The post Westmoreland pool won’t open this summer to maintenance issues appeared first on News Radio KMAN.

In our fourth and final installment of our news series reflecting on Fehr’s long career in Manhattan, we hear from some of those who worked with him both on the commission and as a competitor. City Hall will look a bit different next week as Manhattan City Manager Ron Fehr officially turns in his keys. Since [...]

The post Fehr says goodbye Part 4: Longtime colleagues of city manager bid farewell appeared first on News Radio KMAN.

Power outages were reported early Thursday morning after storms blew through the area overnight. Pottawatomie County authorities say Onaga Road is closed between Highway 24 and Oregon Trail Road this morning due to several downed power lines. That’s led to outages for hundreds of Bluestem Electric Cooperative customers in rural parts of the county. Bluestem [...]

The post Storms lead to power outages in Pottawatomie County appeared first on News Radio KMAN.

The Riley County Historical Society is starting a new public training initiative to assist in the preservation of historic gravestones. With 29 Kansas cemeteries that are currently on the national or state historic register, none of which are in Riley County, the historical museum identified a need for the conservation of headstones to not only [...]

The post Riley County Historical Museum to host gravestone conservation initiative appeared first on News Radio KMAN.

The Manhattan City Commission on Tuesday revised a recent decision to provide incentives for low-income housing projects, seeking state tax credits. Commissioners debated three options, ultimately selecting a resolution that involves covering the project’s building permit and water/sewer connection fees without specifying the exact funding source. Commissioners had previously opted to utilize workforce housing funds [...]

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