Riley County commissioners on Thursday signaled preliminary support for a proposal to relocate the Riley County Fairgrounds from CiCo Park to county-owned property west of Manhattan. They did not yet give any official approval for the plan but expressed support for seeking more public feedback. Dave Lewis and Lance Sharp, speaking on behalf of a [...]

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USD 383 is in the final stages of budget development for the next fiscal year while preparing to cover an estimated $938,000 shortfall in its special education fund, officials told the school board Wednesday. Director of business operations Development Andy Hutchinson said district staff members are moving from preliminary revenue projections to detailed expenditure planning [...]

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USD 383 school board member Katie Allen is seeking more than $6 million in compensation in her lawsuit against Kansas Department of Education officials, according to new court documents. Allen filed a federal lawsuit against her former boss, Randy Watson, commissioner of education, for “demanding” she resign after she made a Facebook post in September. [...]

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USD 383 students will be without their phones from the beginning of the school day to the end under a new policy the school board approved Wednesday to align with Kansas law. The Manhattan-Ogden school board at its meeting voted 6-1 to approve a policy prohibiting students from “using or accessing personal electronic communications devices [...]

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We don’t yet know many of the specifics of a large-scale data center proposed for Pottawatomie County, which was presented to the public last month. The developer hasn’t shared the name of the company that would be the end-user, the size of the facility or details about its utility needs. But we’ve gathered some of [...]

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Riley County’s appraiser warned county commissioners that appraisal appeals are increasing again after a brief decline and said millions of dollars in pending exemptions could affect future budgets. During a commission meeting Thursday, county appraiser Anna Burson said the office is preparing for small claims hearings related to the 2026 tax year while continuing to [...]

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The Manhattan-Ogden USD 383 Board of Education on Wednesday night approved the purchase of a district-based artificial intelligence server. Board members said the technology is necessary for the future of education and emphasized privacy and security safeguards. The board unanimously approved a $23,000 quote from United School Administrators for the artificial intelligence server and three [...]

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The driver of a motorcycle in a crash involving Manhattan mayor Susan Adamchak was cited for speeding, according to police records obtained by The Mercury on Wednesday. Those records also make clear that the motorcyclist hit Adamchak, rather than the other way around. The crash occurred Sunday afternoon on Zeandale Road. The initial police report, [...]

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Having a proper administrator will help Riley County have a “seat at the table” with other entities, Mike Dodson told commissioners at Thursday’s meeting. Dodson, a former legislator, mayor and commanding general at Fort Riley, spoke as part of the Citizen Group for Advancing Riley County Growth and Prosperity, to share its conclusions in a [...]

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USD 383 officials said Wednesday they’ve seen modest academic gains and are addressing ongoing challenges in the district’s latest accountability report. Andrea Tiede, director of teaching and learning for the Manhattan-Ogden District, shared with the school board some data comparing 2024 and 2025 in several areas. According to data, the district’s graduation rate stood at [...]

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