RILEY COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on child sex allegations.
Just before 2p.m. Thursday, police arrested Ashley Alaine Bradford, 22, Manhattan, in the 1800 Block of College Avenue, according to the Riley County Police Department booking report.
She is being held on a $20,000 Bond for “Aggravated Indecent Liberties with a Child; Intercourse, Criminal Sodomy; Child>14 & <16 And Indecent Liberties with a Child Indecent liberties with a child;14<16; Fondle,” according to the arrest report.
Police released no additional details early Friday.
Authorities responded to an accident on U.S. Highway 77 approximately five miles south of Junction City at about 7:30 Friday morning.
According to Rural Fire Chief Garry Berges firefighters responded and found a vehicle on its’ side. “Initially it was for a vehicle that was on fire. When we got on scene found that a vehicle was on its side. ”
Four people had been riding in the vehicle. Berges said,”It looks like the front tire blew, vehicle went across the roadway, ended up in the ditch on its side. The driver and her husband along with two small children had to climb out of the car through using the door that was on top to get out. Looks like probably minor injuries on them.” Berges did not know if anyone was taken to a hospital.
The Rural Fire Department contained the fire to the engine compartment of the vehicle. The highway was shut down temporarily while authorities worked at the scene.
As more information becomes available we will update the story.
Lindsey Ascher has been named the Geary County 4-H Queen and Zachery Farris the 4-H King for the coming year. They were crowned at the conclusion of the 4-H Public Revue Thursday night in Junction City.
Ascher said serving as the queen means a lot to her. “I’m very excited to be an even better role model now in 4-H. I feel like even now our youth, like our junior kids are becoming role models. Now I get to be a role model to not only the kids in 4-H, but to kids that aren’t in 4-H in our community. And I get to be a role model to everyone.
Farris touched on what it means to serve as the king. ” I pretty much have to be a good role model for younger members, attend a lot of events, present awards, and pretty much recognize everyone that does well.’
Ascher, 16, is a member of the Brookside 4-H Club while Farris, 16, is a member of the Lyons Creek 4-H Club. Both will be juniors at Chapman High School during the upcoming school year.
Mostly sunny. Slight chance of showers in the morning, then slight chance of showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. highs in the mid 90s. Northeast winds 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation 20 percent.
Law enforcement authorities, emergency personnel and Milford State Park officials responded to a potential drowning call at Milford lake Thursday afternoon. But after responding and investigating there was good news, a drowning did not occur.
Geary County Sheriff Tony Wolf said the 911 call on the potential drowning off the Eagle Ridge area in the State park area came in during the 1:30 – 1:45 p.m. time frame.
Authorities located some people who had gotten caught in the thunderstorm that was moving through the area. “And their boat got blown into the beach down there. One of the individuals fell out. ”
When they separated and moved away from the boat to get up on the shoreline they lost eye contact with the individual who fell in the water. “However he came wandering up shortly after Deputies responded to the scene. So there was no drowning, thank goodness, but there were six individuals that were in the boat.”
Wolf said the person who had fallen into the water had fallen on the opposite side of the boat from the others so they could not see him.
Emergency Management confirmed the people on the boat ranged from youth to adult.
RILEY COUNTY — A Manhattan man faces up to 50 years in prison in the 2017 shooting that left one man dead and another wounded.
Harris and Brown photo Riley County Police
On Thursday, a Riley County jury found 39-year-old Steven Harris guilty of second-degree murder with intention, attempted second-degree murder and felon in possession of a firearm for 2017 death of 39-year-old German Gonzalez-Garcia, according to Riley County Attorney Barry Wilkerson.
The shooting in the 2800 Block of Nelson’s Landing in Manhattan also critically wounded Adrian Ortega. He recovered in a Topeka hospital
Four days after the shooting, police located and arrested Harris and a girlfriend identified as 37-year-old Cora Brown at a motel in Wichita.
Police on the scene of Harris’ arrest-photo courtesy KWCH
Prosecutors originally charged Harris with first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder. The jury determined Harris had no premeditation, according to Wilkerson.
Considering his criminal history, Harris faces a minimum of 592 months, according to Wilkerson.
Harris has previous convictions for second-degree intentional murder in Franklin County, aggravated battery, aggravated weapons, felon in possession of a firearm and three drug convictions.
Severe thunderstorms swept through the east central region Thursday afternoon.
Heavy rain and gusty winds were the rule. In Junction City the Fire Department reported that a power line at 14th and Franklin was knocked down during the storm. Westar Energy responded to make repairs quickly. The Fire Department also reported that there had been an arcing power line on Dakota Lane on the southwest side of the city. In Clay County the Sheriff’s Department confirmed some tree limbs were down.
Junction City and Manhattan received rain as the storm cell, that stretched from Clay County in the north to Morris County in the south tracked eastward at 45-50 miles per hour. Severe thunderstorm warning were issued at various times for Dickinson, Clay, Geary, Riley and Pottawatomie counties.
Junction City Commissioners during their meeting Tuesday.
The Junction City Commission has adopted a proposed 2019 budget for publication
The property tax levy is not expected to increase.
Some of the projects added to the spending plan this week by the commission range from $20,000 for refinishing the gym floor at the Municipal Building to $30,000 for restroom improvements at Rolling Meadows Golf Course. The commission chose to delay a roof project for the bandstand in Heritage Park.
There will be an additional $100,000 allotted for street improvement projects.
The public hearing and final approval of the budget are scheduled in August.
The Junction City Area Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours will be Thursday evening. It is being sponsored by the Junction City Rodeo Association at Munson’s Prime Restaurant, 426 Goldenbelt Boulevard.
The Business After Hours begins at 5 p.m. Advanced tickets for the Junction City Rodeo will be available at $9 for adults and $4 for children 6-12 years of age. The rodeo is Friday and Saturday nights at the Fairgrounds arena on the west side of Junction City.
The Geary County 4-H Public Revue and King and Queen announcement are scheduled Thursday night at the 4-H Center on South Spring Valley Road.
The Public Revue will begins at 7 p.m. The King and Queen announcement will follow.
These activities come ahead of the Geary County Free Fair which runs next week Monday through Friday.
The popular annual 4-H barbecue, watermelon feed and 4-H Project & Livestock auction are next Thursday, July 26th. The barbecue and watermelon feed are scheduled from 4:30 – 6;30 p.m. while the 4-H Project & Livestock Auction will begin at 7 p.m.
Just before 2p.m. Thursday, police arrested Ashley Alaine Bradford, 22, Manhattan, in the 1800 Block of College Avenue, according to the Riley County Police Department booking report.
