MANHATTAN, Kan. – Good news for K-State football fans – the City of Manhattan has announced that summer-long construction projects on Kimball Avenue are complete and the major gameday roadway will be open Saturday when the Wildcats kickoff the 2019 season against Nicholls at 6 p.m.

Traffic along Kimball has been impacted since spring as the city has worked to complete three different improvements to the roadway. Final pavement marking operations on Kimball between Seth Child Road and Kenmar Avenue were accomplished on Thursday, wrapping up a $1.5 million project that included new stormsewer, new pedestrian crossing improvements at Browning Avenue, a turn lane for Seaton Avenue and a full-depth pavement replacement.

On the west, Kimball is being widened to three lanes with a protected left turn lane in the middle. Phase I of the project from Hudson to Vanesta, which resulted in the closing of Kimball and the rerouting of traffic, was recently finished. Phase II of the project is underway with two-way traffic on Kimball allowed but the intersections at Little Kitten Avenue and Plymouth Road are closed. On the east from the intersection of North Manhattan to Tuttle Creek Boulevard, concrete panel replacement and joint repair on Kimball has been wrapped up and the roadway fully opened.

Fans should note, however, that North Manhattan is closed from Baker’s Way to Research Drive. This project, which is expected to continue into October, reduces the slope of the hill, widens the roadway, adds a 10-foot sidewalk, streetscaping and stormwater infrastructure improvements. A detour route is in place until the roadway reopens.

All parking lots around Bill Snyder Family Stadium open five hours prior to kickoff. Parking in the east and west lots of the stadium is reserved for members of the Ahearn Fund and requires a pass for entry.  Paid parking for fans with disabilities is available on a first-come, first-served basis in the east and west stadium lots. To gain entry, guests must display a state-issued accessible license plate or hangtag and present a disability card along with a form of personal identification. All other general public parking is limited to grass parking in Lot 9 east of the stadium, in the paved lot of the Peters Recreation Center, near the Equine Center north and east of the fire station on Denison Avenue or in private satellite lots and parking areas on campus. General public parking fees are $20 for cars.

New this season, K-State Athletics has designated rideshare pickup/dropoff zones for commercial services such as Uber, Lyft, taxis and limousines, on each side of Bill Snyder Family Stadium. These zones are marked by flags in the Gate 3 drive lane of the West lot and in the center (east/west) drive lane of the East lot. Rideshare service drivers may drop off their fares in these zones pregame, then exit the parking lot. At the end of the third quarter, rideshare service drivers may begin staging at these locations to pick up fares postgame. Once stadium traffic has begun exiting the lots until approximately 45 minutes following the game, rideshare providers will not be allowed into the parking lots.

K-State is closing in on a sellout for Saturday, but a limited number of standing-room only tickets remain, while tickets for next Saturday’s home game against Bowling Green are on sale. Tickets can be purchased by visiting www.kstatesports.com/tickets, by phone at 1-800-221-CATS or by visiting the main ticket office inside Bramlage Coliseum.

– k-statesports.com –

RYAN LACKEY
Director of Football Communications | K-State Athletics

RILEY COUNTY — Lightning is believed to be responsible for a Friday morning fire at a home in Manhattan.

Just after 1 a.m. fire crews responded to the blaze at a home in the 2700 Block of Brookville Drive, according to a media release.

The residents heard loud thunder and and felt lightning strike the house.

When firefighters arrived, they observed smoke coming from the home. Fire investigators found the blaze in the attic and were able to contain it within ten minutes.

Three people were inside were able to escape without any injuries.

At the time of the fire, a large thunderstorm was moving through Manhattan causing numerous lightning strikes and street flooding. The fire caused a total of $61,000 in damage, according to the fire department.

Geary County Extension Agent Chuck Otte said a total of 1.71 inches of rain fell in Junction City during the 24-hour period ending at 7 a.m. Friday. The precipitation during overnight – early morning thunderstorms.

Total rainfall recorded for the month of August has been calculated at 7.42 inches, well above the normal average of 3.96 inches for August. The year-to-date total is 33.25 inches, above the year-to-date average for this time of year of 24.68 inches.

MANHATTAN — The annual Flint Hills Praise Fest is scheduled for CiCo Park in Manhattan on September 21.

Make your plans now to participate and consider getting involved as a volunteer.

To register to volunteer to help us with putting on the event; https://www.praisefest.org/volunteer  

To register to participate in Thrivent’s Generosity events; https://www.praisefest.org/2019-schedule

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — A northeast Kansas city official is running for the U.S. Senate next year as a Democrat.

Manhattan City Commission member Usha Reddi launched her campaign Thursday and hopes to become the first Hindu to serve in the Senate.

The 54-year-old Reddi is an elementary school teacher who has served on the city commission since 2013 and is now Manhattan’s mayor pro tem. She also ran unsuccessfully for a State Board of Education seat in 2012.

Four-term Republican Sen. Pat Roberts announced in January that he’s not seeking re-election in 2020.

Reddi is the third Democrat to launch a campaign, after former federal prosecutor Barry Grissom and former U.S. Rep. Nancy Boyda. Democrats have not won a Senate race in Kansas since 1932.

Junction City Public Works Director Ray Ibarra has announced that there will be no trash / garbage pick-up by the City of Junction City on Monday, Sept. 2, due to the Labor Day holiday.

The pick-up will be moved back one day. For example the Monday pick-up will be done on Tuesday, Sept. 3. The Tuesday pick-up day will be Wednesday, Sept.4.

In order to ensure pick-up your trash should be set out by 6 a.m. of your scheduled day. Carts should be removed from the curb or alley by the following day of their scheduled pick-up.

Additional items that are set out may require making arrangements for a special pick-up.

The school year is off to a good start at Saint Xavier.

Principal Shawn Augustine said enrollment in the school is doing well. “I think we’re down approximately 10 students but I kind of expected that. Most of our new families that have come in are not military families, and I’m hoping or expecting that there’ll be another push of military coming.” Approximately 62-hundred deployed soldiers are due to return to Fort Riley in October.

Augustine said there are 139 students in K-12, and the high school has about 20 students.

There have been a number of new staff hired for the school. I’m extremely happy with new staff that we brought in to start the year. We had a lot of new staff that have come on board and just have meshed really well with our returning staff, so it’s just been a phenomenal start to the school year.” There have also been painting improvements to Building A where the high school is located and more is planned next summer. The principal stated, “We’re also getting ready to put on, or it’s in the process, a royal blue metal roof, so it’s going to look just outstanding when they get that on there.” There is a plan to add signage to the building and there have been upgrades to new LED panel lighting in Building A.

In the area of academics Augustine stated the school has been trying to do a higher curriculum push to a higher level for math. “We’ve done a push so now our students are going through and having calculus. We’ve also added statistics which we didn’t have before at the high school level. And one other thing we’ve added  at the high school, just to keep building up our curriculum, is now we have an anatomy course that’s new this year.” Courses that existed last school year are being maintained with the new additions providing more options for students.

In athletics at the middle school level Augustine noted there are decent numbers. “Since we’re down in the high school a bit it has hurt with the volleyball end of things. We didn’t have enough to make a team for volleyball this year. We are not stopping volleyball. We actually are doing a co-ed right now where they’re still having an opportunity to work on skills and practice.” That will allow players to work on fundamentals to prepare for next year, when Augustine believes there will be enough numbers to compete. In cross country there are 15 participants out for the sport, spread between middle school and high schools.